1 West: Welcome to the Rocky Seashore
First grade is wrapping up our study of the rocky seashore this week. Though many people associate sandy beaches with California, a large portion of our coastline can actually be classified as rocky seashore. Over the last few weeks, our first graders learned about this special ecosystem and went on a trip to the Pillar Point tide pools last week to see the habitat up close and in person.
We began our study by learning about the physical environment of the rocky seashore and exploring how it is different from a sandy beach. Students discovered that the rocky seashore is not a very hospitable environment because of crashing waves, jagged rocks, and changing tides that leave plants and animals alternately submerged in salt water or exposed to air.
Together students created a diorama of a typical rocky seashore to help them understand the adaptations that plants and animals use in order to survive and thrive. Students made connections to our earlier study of plants and gardens by comparing terrestrial plants with the kelp forests that are abundant along California's coasts. With the help of Jade and Lianna in the ChangeMaker Lab, students constructed models of various animals at high and low tides to reinforce the concept of animal adaptations. All this prepared the students for a trip to Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay, where they observed these animals in real life.
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