Sunken Treasures

Explore the mysteries of the bottom of the sea, depicting ocean animals, plants, shipwrecks, and underwater explorers in a 3-D scene.

• 1.

  Many kinds of treasures are found in the world's oceans. These oceans are so difficult to explore, however, that many oceanographers believe scientists know more about Mars than the environments below the earth's ocean surface. Underwater explorations have a long history. In 1620, Cornelius Drebell sailed his submarine, a rowboat covered with leather, in the river Thames. Early scientists dragged buckets on ropes across the ocean floor, scooping up sediment, minerals, deep-sea fish, and plants-natural treasures of the sea. Select an ocean that interests you. What can you find out about organisms that live in one area of that ocean?

• 2.

  Ships and their cargo have been lost in the world's oceans for centuries. Valuables such as gold and jewels, as well as personal and historic items, are among the sunken treasures of the sea.

• 3.

  In 1943, explorer Jacques Cousteau and engineer Emile Gagnan invented SCUBA diving gear, which greatly improved underwater exploration. SCUBA stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. It enables divers to go deeper, move more freely, and stay under water longer. Research how technology is used today to uncover natural and lost man-made treasures.

• 4.

  On poster board or oak tag, draw an underwater seascape with Crayola® Crayons. Be sure to include all three ocean environments--the surface, open ocean, and ocean floor. Show the ocean's treasures, both natural and manufactured.

• 5.

  Cover your work area with newspaper. To create an underwater effect for your art, paint over your crayon drawing with Crayola Washable Watercolors and Crayola Watercolor Brushes. This technique is called crayon resist, because the paint slides off the wax

• 6.

  Use Crayola Model Magic to sculpt ocean creatures and vegetation. Dry.

• 7.

  Color the sculpted creatures with Crayola Washable Markers. Attach them to your scene with Crayola School Glue. Dry.

Benefits

• Students research ocean organisms including animals and plants.
• Children discover information about historic shipwrecks, recovery techniques, and methods of underwater exploration.
• Students represent their findings in a large 3-dimensional underwater scene.

Adaptations

• Visit an aquarium or oceanographic facility to learn first-hand about life and treasures under the sea. Choose one aspect of ocean treasures and delve further into knowledge about it.
• Invite a skilled SCUBA diver to demonstrate diving techniques and safety.
• In a tub of water, submerge several articles made of metal, paper, wood, and plastic. Periodically return to these objects to study how they are affected.