StemOctopus To The Rescue- Free Lesson

Children will have fun learning about octopuses as they complete the online book activities. They will learn scientific vocabulary such as the word "camouflage" as they delve deep under the ocean to read about five little octopuses that change colors and then disappear, until eventually there are none.

Before reading, Ask your children what they know about octopuses. Where do they live? How do they look like? Explain that another name for octopuses is octopi, which is the plural of octopus. Look at pictures of octopuses together with children. Explain that octopuses live in the ocean and that they can change color to blend in with their surroundings. If threatened, octopuses shoot an inky fluid that darkens the water to confuse their attacker. View the GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS video from kids.nationalgeographic.com.

Language and Science
Octopus colors/camouflage
In advance, print and cut out the different colors of octopuses to use on a blue flannel board. You could make craft stick octopus puppets as well.

Place one octopus on the board.

This Octopus Swims in the Ocean
(Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean)
by Jolanda Garcia, KidsSoup Inc.

A red octopus swims in the ocean.
A red octopus swims in the sea.
A red octopus swims in the ocean.
Oh, octopus change color for me! (Switch octopus with another color - use the blue octopus last.)

Discuss with children why the blue octopus is harder to see (because it the same color as the blue water). To demonstrate, add the red octopus on the felt board. Explain to children that some animals are able to camouflage themselves by changing color. Write the word "camouflage" on a piece of paper or the board. Have children repeat the word after you several times. Tell children that the octopus's ability to camouflage itself helps the octoups hide and to be safe, like a game of hide and seek.

Math / Pre-Writing

Ask children if they remember how many arms an octopus has. Yes, an octopus has eight long arms. Look at the Number 8 Octopus Pre-Writing Worksheet and let children trace the number eight with different colors of crayons. Then, let children count and color the eight arms.