Oceans - KS1

PATRICK: I never knew how amazing oceans were until I went to the seaside with my friend Omi. She really loves oceans.

OMI: You've got to see for yourself. Put these on.

The ocean’s packed with life. So it's really important that we look after it.

There are tonnes of different fish, plus mammals and other creatures like crabs and worms.

Some are so tiny, you can barely even see them. And there's the largest mammal alive, the blue whale.

In some places, oceans are so deep that there are parts that have never been explored, and creatures that have never been discovered.

PATRICK: Ahh! Can we go back up now?

Ah, this is much better.

OMI: People travel on seas and oceans every day.

Some people do it for sport. Some do it for work.

Some people even travel with their cars.

Look! You can park your car on a ferry and it will take you from one place to another.

PATRICK: They must be the biggest boats in the world.

OMI: Not nearly – look over there.

PATRICK: What's that?

OMI: A container ship. They take toys, cars, computers, all sorts of stuff from one country to another.

They’re so big that each one of the little boxes on its back is actually the size of a lorry.

PATRICK: But if one ship’s that big, how big are the oceans themselves?

OMI: So big and so powerful!

They cover more than two thirds of the whole world!

PATRICK: You're right Omi. Oceans are truly amazing.

OMI: Yes, and what's even better is that's where the narwhals live. I really, really love narwhals!

Hello, I'm Earth. I'm where you live. You and a few billion others.

People live all over me on bits of land called continents.

There are seven:

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Oceania

and Antarctica.

Over two thirds of my surface is covered in water. Most of it is held in the five oceans:

The Atlantic Ocean

The Indian Ocean

The Pacific Ocean

The Southern Ocean

and The Arctic Ocean.

I orbit around the sun. Not that fast! It actually takes me a year.

There's an imaginary line that runs around my middle, which is always closest to the sun.

There it is, the Equator.

It marks the difference between my two parts: the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

This cold part at the top is my most northern point and is called the North Pole.

I also have another cold part at my bottom - I mean, my most southerly point - which is called the South Pole.

I have a lot going on, don't I?

So take care of me, please, because I'm your home.

We are here.

But have you ever wondered what plants and animals live in the ocean and how they survive underwater?

Well, pack your swimsuit, we're off to find out!

Look at all these fish! Big fish! Small fish! And so many colours.

And there's seaweed growing here. Doesn't it look like a plant? But it's an algae.

Seaweed grows close to the surface because it uses the sun to make its own food. Just like a plant!

And what's that? It's lots and lots of plankton!

Plankton is made up of tiny plants and animals. These plants are at the beginning of most of the ocean's food chains.

Look! A right whale having its dinner.

Whales are the biggest animals in the world and most only eat plankton, one of the smallest. They must have to eat a lot!

They can stay underwater for an hour, but come to the surface to breathe.

So, ocean habitats are large and wet.

Ooh, I'm off to find a boat.

Sahera: Be careful everyone, litter picking can be dangerous if you don't look where you step.

Becky: Yuck! Where did all this mess come from?

Beth: Well, from people leaving or throwing their rubbish on the ground instead of putting it in the waste or recycling bin.

Lucy: Yeah, litter is so dangerous. It makes a mess that could hurt people and animals. My dog cut his paw on some broken glass once and needed an operation.

Beth: Sorry to hear that, Lucy. Litter isn't even always just on the ground - sometimes it ends up in the sea and that causes more problems for the environment.

Harry: Fish in the sea might eat it thinking it's food and get sick.

Sahera: It's really sad. Litter isn't the only thing that's harmful to our environment. There's also air pollution caused by fumes from factories and vehicles. Pollution is harmful to life on the planet.

Lucy: Yeah, humans, animals and plants all need clean air and water. Everyone has the right to live in a safe, clean and healthy environment, but cleaning up is just one way we can take care of the environment. Can you think of any others we could try?

Harry: Save electricity by turning things off when you're not using them.

Mo: We could plant more trees.

Lucy: Re-using water bottles and recycling.

Becky: We should walk more instead of always using cars.

Ariana: Keep learning about the Earth and what we can do to look after it.

Sahera: Our actions can have big effects, sometimes even in far away places. If you leave litter on the beach here, your rubbish could get washed into the sea and swept across the ocean. So cleaning up here can help the rest of the world.

Beth: I think you all deserve a snack after all your hard work.

All: Yay!

Sahera: Remember, if you're out and can't find a bin for your rubbish, you should take it home and put it in the bin there instead.