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Free Homeschool Unit Study: MANATEES
Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic! To read more about the concepts behind my UNIT STUDIES, read this.
If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free printables, here in the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack.
Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded!
{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}
Free Homeschool Unit Study: MANATEES I think MANATEES are some of the coolest animals on earth and I feel so blessed to have been able to see several of them while living on an island off the coast of Belize. The experience was like something out of a movie with an old rickety wooden boat that was being propelled by wiry men with long sticks. We had to be very still and very quiet and very patient. Especially patient. But, the patience paid off and we were able to see several of their enormous, slow-moving bodies emerging, exhaling, inhaling and then just as slowly submerging again. Over and over and over again. It was mesmerizing and I could have stayed there all day if given the opportunity. If you have a kid who might be mesmerized by these unique mamamls, I hope this MANATEE Unit Study will offer some guidance in how to teach about these cool creatures!
READ: All About Manatees by Jim Arnosky is a great option to start a Unit Study on MANATEES. The author is has written nearly 100 nature and wildlife books for children and does a beautiful job of describing what MANATEES are, what they eat, where they live and more. He also illustrated the book, using what looks like watercolors which creates the most lovely underworld setting! It’s a great way to get all of your MANATEE facts in one place, and if you use the mini Book Companion Fact found in the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack, you can extend the learning beyond the pages of the book. You can also use those printable pages with nearly any non-fiction book about MANATEES.
National Geographic Kids Manatees by Laura Marsh is a non-fiction chapter book perfect for young independent readers. It includes on-page definitions, vivid photographs and simple facts. It makes a great single resource on the subject of MANATEES, especially when combined with the one-page scavenger hunt found in the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack. You can probably find all of the answers to the scavenger hunt with nearly any non-fiction book about MANATEES {or internet search.}
Another great non-fiction option is Oceans Alive Manatees by Anne Herriges. It’s listed as a level 2 reader but it’s definitely an easier read than the Nat Geo book mentioned above. My library had a copy. Maybe yours will too!
Manatee Scientist: Saving Vulnerable Species by Peter Lourie is a great option for older kids. It tells the true stories of three scientists in different parts of the world who are dedicated to saving MANATEES.
There are lots of fiction books about the sweet MANATEE! You’ve got Sam the Sea Cow by Francine Jacobs, which tells the story of Sam, a MANATEE calf. It does a great job of weaving in MANATEE facts along with the adventure Sam takes us on.
Another cute fiction book is Mary Manatee by Suzanne Tate. It focuses on the real danger that MANATEES face: propeller boats. But it does so in a gentle way.
A funny, fantastical option is I’m a Manatee by John Lithgow. Yes, THAT John Lithgow. If you’re not aware, the actor is also a singer/author and has several titles to his name. The book comes with a CD, which makes reading it both extra fun and extra educational. It’s a silly book but does weave in several facts about MANATEES amongst the fun rhyme and fantastical approach. It also has gorgeous illustrations! The FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack includes one comprehension page and also a writing activity for the book.
But my favorite fiction book about MANATEES is This is a Sea Cow by Cassandra Federman. It’s a hilarious story about a MANATEE that takes issue with the way a second-grader portrayed it in her book report. The MANATEE comes to life and corrects all of the student’s misinformation. It’s a very clever way to educate readers about MANATEE facts. It’s also a great way to transition into writing….
WRITE: In the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack, you’ll find a Venn Diagram that is perfect to compare/contrast MANATEES and cows that would be super fun to use with This is a Sea Cow by Cassandra Federman but would also work without the book.
And, as mentioned above, there is also a fun writing activity based on the book, I’m a Manatee by John Lithgow but can be used without the book. There are two levels included, one for younger writers and one for writers who can do a bit more.
LEARN: If your kids love to learn with printable pages, there is one page of Informational Text with questions found in the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack along with two labeling activities. Or you can find a couple of more in-depth options on my MANATEES Pinterest Board. These other options are from other content-creators and are not free, but you might want to check them out {and I clearly need to add a full-on MANATEE Fact Pack to my list of resources to make…there’s just not a ton out there!}
In the FREE Manatees Unit Study Printable Pack, you will also find two MANATEE body part diagrams to complete. One asks the student to simply label 6 parts while the other asks the student to label and explain six different body parts.
CREATE: Ya know I’m all about simple art so drawing is not usually my go-to suggestion. But with the simple, and delightfully squishy, body shapes that MANATEES sport, they are fairly easy to draw! Here is a set of directions on how to draw one. You could then cut out your hand-drawn MANATEE and place it in its own habitat! This option seems fairly simple and uses markers and pipe cleaners. This next craft, takes a free printable, some paint and a bit of patience, but it looks like it would give a good result and be fun too!
ENJOY: There are not a lot of ideas for MANATEE foods! But, I did find just enough to fill a whole day at least! Start the day with this cute MANATEE waffle breakfast, then enjoy a MANATEE-shaped sandwich for lunch and end the day with some MANATEE-shaped hot stuffed crescent rolls for dinner! Be sure to serve a big salad with dinner…since that’s what MANATEES would eat!
EXPLORE: There are several options for videos/movies about MANATEES. The Octonauts on Netflix has an episode {Season 2, Episode 10} where they save a group of MANATEES from a storm. The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That also has a MANATEE episode {Season 2 Episode 6} about a mom and baby. For something more documentary-like, National Geographic has a quick three-minute video. But this 15-minute option, put out by Fort Pierce Manatee Observation and Education Center, is so good that it could serve as the base of your entire MANATEE Unit Study.
Other than packing a bag and heading to FLORIDA, or at least the local aquarium, there are not too many sciencey ideas out there, but this post includes a super cool idea about making a “Caution: MANATEE Area” obstacle course.
And, lastly, no Free Homeschool Unit Study: MANATEES Unit Study would be complete without recommending Larry’s Silly Song, Barabara Manatee, from VeggieTales. It teaches NOTHING about MANATEES but it’s so ridiculous that your kids won’t ever forget what they learned along the way!
Free Homeschool Unit Study: MANATEES
