Sea Life-Themed Tactile Book: What Do You See in the Sea?
This ocean-themed book is an adapted kindergarten classroom activity and has tactile components to enhance the learning of concepts related to Sea Animals (seahorse, dolphin, octopus, starfish, etc.). In this activity, the student reads the book and explores a single object correlating to each page. The materials used help the student to develop animal shape and texture concepts. The final page allows the student to create their own tactile representation of a sea animal of their choice.
This book could be introduced after an aquarium trip or other opportunity to explore actual or realistic-model sea animals or as a supplement to a beach or ocean themed unit in the classroom.
Text
What do you See in the Sea? (PDF format)
Title page (Centered): What do you See in the Sea?
Book text (Positioned at bottom of each page):
- (Blank space), (blank space) what do you see?
- I see a seahorse looking at me.
- Seahorse, seahorse what do you see?
- I see a dolphin looking at me.
- Dolphin, dolphin what do you see?
- I see an octopus looking at me.
- Octopus, octopus what do you see?
- I see a starfish looking at me.
- Starfish, starfish what do you see?
- Leave blank for student to write "I see a/an _____ looking at me." Blank filled in with sea animal they choose. Can also insert two long horizontal lines at bottom of page for printing on.
- Printable book "What do you See in the Sea" and 11 sheets of braille paper or cardstock to print it on.
- Printable Sea Animal figures and 2 sheets of braille paper or cardstock to print them on.
- Braillewriter or Slate & Stylus for adding braille to pages.
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Texture materials to create sea animals. Suggested materials:
- Seahorse - APH Carousel of Textures bumpy sheet, 2 types. I stapled a small side fin on.
- Dolphin - Foam sheet. I used packing foam sheet from an APH order.
- Octopus - Bubble wrap
- Starfish - Bumpy or rough textured paper. I used basketball textured scrapbook paper.
- Book binding (comb style), thin binder or stapler to assemble book
- Craft glue and scissors
- Be sure that the child is familiar with sea creatures before making this book. Allow the child to explore real sea animals, if possible, such as dried starfish, sea horses or seashells. If possible, visit the beach or an aquarium with a touch pool.
- Print out book (11 pages) and animal figures (2 pages) onto braille paper or cardstock.
- Glue textured materials atop animal figures, allow to dry and cut out following animal form.
- Add braille to book pages.
- Affix small hook & loop (Velcro) patch to back of each sea animal and to top of each page with words.
- Assemble book with binding method of your choice.
- Student will add their name on the title page and on the two blank lines on the first page.
- Student will move each sea animal from the page that they are introduced on to the following page in order to ask it "What do you see?"
- Student uses arts and crafts materials to create a sea animal of their choice on the final page and will add their version of the ending in print/braille.
- PDF View of Completed Book
