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Seashore Surprises

Language: English

This helpful book explains how waves, sand, and pebbles form at the seashore and describes animals, plants, and shells that can be seen when the tide goes out. LeVar uses this feature book when he goes beachcombing in southwestern Florida. There he meets two local naturalists who help him explore plant and animal life (shells, mangroves, oysters, spiny burn fish, scallops, sea stars, etc.) at the shoreline and in the shallows of the Gulf of Mexico.

  

Here are activities to do after watching this episode:

Sandpaper Prints

You will need:

  • crayons
  • coarse sandpaper
  • art paper
  • newspaper
  • iron
  • construction paper or tagboard

Directions:

  1. Use crayons to draw and color a design on a sheet of coarse sandpaper. Press hard and color thoroughly as you work.
  2. Place the decorated sandpaper face down on a sheet of art paper the same size or larger. Place several layers of newsprint under the art paper. Place another sheet of newsprint on the sandpaper to protect your iron.
  3. An adult can then press the papers with a warm iron to transfer the crayon drawings to the art paper.
  4. For display, have your child glue the sandpaper and the print to a large sheet of construction paper or tagboard. It will really show off the great work of art.
  

Fishy Footprints

Materials you will need:

  • tempera paint (several colors)
  • clean egg carton
  • white drawing paper
  • Q-Tips
  • paper towels
  • 12” x 18” sheet of blue construction paper
  • construction paper scraps
  • glue
  1. Put several colors of tempera paint in individual sections of an egg carton.
  2. Have your child trace the outline of one shoe onto white construction paper.
  3. Dip one end of a Q-Tip into one color of paint. Blot the Q-Tip on a paper towel to remove excess paint; then paint dots inside the shoe outline. Paint the dots close together so just a small amount of white shows between each dot. Use a different Q-Tip for each color of paint.
  4. When dry, cut out and mount the shoe shape on a 12” x 18” sheet of blue construction paper.
  5. Add construction-paper eyes, fins and tail to create a fish.
  6. Use markers, crayons, or construction paper scraps to add details and create a habitat for the fish.

Check out some of these books on your
next trip to the library:

  • Is This A House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald
  • The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
  • What’s Inside? Shells by Angela Royston

READING RAINBOW has a resource library that includes teacher guide materials as well as reading programs for use in the public libraries. You can download these resources from GPN at:
www.gpnresources.com

If you would like more information about READING RAINBOW or if you would like to learn more about other educational products please visit the GPN web site.

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