Classroom Transformation? Yes, Please!
Love the classroom transformations you see other teachers doing in their classrooms? Looking for an easy way to bring a transformation to your classroom that sets up in less than 5 minutes? Keep reading for a fun summer time project that is sure to please this school year.
Ocean Classroom Transformation
It’s shark week in your classroom. You’re at the height of the ocean unit and your students are learning lots and having tons of fun.
Then reality sets in. Dun, dun, dun.
You want to bring your students to the local aquarium. The problem- the nearest aquarium is 300 miles away. (Oh the despair, the anguish, the pure horror of an experience unfulfilled… ok, I’m done now.) You turn to the internet for a solution and there it is.
“Holy Maceral!!” you shout out. If you can’t bring the masses to the aquarium then you will bring the aquarium to the masses. Is it possible without hours put into a classroom transformation?
What Is A Portable Inflatable Aquarium?
Let’s face it. Most of us don’t live anywhere near an aquarium. One of the reasons we do units on the ocean, rainforest etc. is to make students aware of those environments. It would be awesome to pack up and go to the ocean but it’s not going to happen. So what can you do instead?
Don’t Put That Plastic Bag On Your Head
When you were small you heard a wise person tell you. “Don’t Put That Plastic Bag On Your Head.” And you thought, “Why? I think it would be really cool to be in a tent of plastic.”
Well, now the plastic bag is 40 feet long and over 5 feet high. So go ahead and jump in. You have instantly been transported to another world.
Who Enjoys the Ocean Tube?
Seriously, it’s so cool. Ages 4-74 have been in this tube and they all say the same thing-
“Wait, you want me to go in? Really? Ok… Wow! This is cool. This is really cool. Wait? How did you do this? Wow! I can stand up. Wait, how does it get air in here? Wow, it’s so big. This really is cool. Did you get the idea on Pinterest?”
Dang it all, it is one of the coolest places ever. It really does feel like a mini field trip under the sea.
Is It Like The Inflatable Planetariums?
It’s a bit like the inflatable planetariums. Same idea. Except this is going to take way less than 3,000 buckaroos to build and you can customize it to be whatever environment you want. I just happened to make an aquarium. You could do a rainforest, desert etc.
What Do You Do In A Portable Inflatable Aquarium?
Think of this giant plastic bag like a portal to a different dimension. When students arrive they will start giving you ideas of what sorts of activities they could do while surrond by sea creatures and ocean.
Ocean Tours
One idea, that I loved, was the “Ocean Tour”. This is where students would do a research project on a specific ocean creature. Then they could stand by their creature and as people walked by they could tell them everything they learned in their research.
Research Projects
It was also suggested that students film themselves giving their presentation and then create QR code links to their video and display the QR codes by the ocean creature. Then classes could take the tour throughout the day and learn by scanning the code and watching the video.
Quick, Easy and Fun Activity from Education.com
Short on time and need something in the next 2 minutes? (Oh, I’ve been there.) Grab a printable from Education.com. With all their themed worksheets at different levels you can find something perfect for your oceanographers to do while hanging out in the ocean. Need to make computation practice fun? Do it in the ocean.
Give your kids’ math skills a boost with this under-the-sea themed multiplication worksheet! For more multiplication games, activities, and resources to help make math fun, visit Education.com.
Would you like this “Under The Sea Multiplication” practice free? Here you go compliments of Education.com. Thanks, Edcuation.com. We all love a freebie. (Click the image below to get this freebie.)
Ocean Writing
Nothing sparks the creative muse like a change of environment. Grab some paper, pencils and clipboards and head to the ocean tube. Ask your students to imagine themselves as a sea creature. Turn on some ocean sounds. I have a link of the ocean sound “songs” I used on my resources page. Click here to see the resources page and scroll to the ocean tube resources.
How Long Does It Take To Blow-Up?
It takes just a bit over 3 minutes to completely inflate. I used two fans to inflate and keep it inflated. I tried it with just one fan and it worked fine but I wanted an additional fan going just in case something happened if one of the fans stopped. I also timed it and it took a little under one minute for it to deflate to a point that you would have to crawl to get out. So if something did happen you and your students have a lot of time to exit.
Summary
A DIY Portable, Inflatable, Ocean Tube is a great way to bring an ocean experience to your students. The activities that you can do in the tube are endless. It’s unlikely your students have ever experienced anything like it. It inflates in minutes and is easy to store.
Ocean Tube Post Number 2 Sneak Peak
In the next post, I will walk you through the materials and provide you with a resource so you can make your own. If you want a quick look at the materials I used, go on over to the resource page and find the “Ocean Tube” resources.
If you simply can’t wait to get started click here and get the supply list and be one of the first to get the DIY directions sent to your inbox in mid June 2019. If it’s past June 2019 when you read this go ahead and click and your adventure will start without delay.
Want The DIY Directions?
If you want to sign up for the DIY Supply List and Directions click here (Ocean Tube DIY Directions) and get the directions as soon as I have them completed. My goal is by June 11. I’ll be doing 2 more posts and sending out the directions during that time.
This is going to be a great summer project for teachers. Put in a little time and effort now and reap the benefits later.
Then when the school year comes your classroom transformation is going to take 3 minutes and bam- you are done.
See you all next week with the next how-to post
