Objectives 
In this lesson, students will: 
· Read My Visit to the Aquarium
· Create an oversized diorama representing sea life in an aquarium

Time Frame 
Two 1-hour sessions

Materials
1. My Visit to the Aquarium, by Aliki
2. Refrigerator or large appliance box (available from appliance store)
3. Construction paper
4. White art paper
5. Blue and green butcher paper
6. Scissors, tape, glue, string
7. Paper plates
8. Markers, crayons, colored pencils, tempera paint
9. Paintbrushes
10. Blue and green tissue paper
11. Macaroni
12. Wrapping ribbon 
13. Shredded wheat cereal
14. Zip lock bags
15. Foil cup cake holder
16. White poster board

Procedure
1. Cut away one side of the box, creating an opening through which the class will construct the oversized diorama.
2. Read aloud, Aliki’s My Visit to the Aquarium pointing out the illustrations of aquariums.
3. Line the inside of the box with blue and green butcher paper.  
4. Make rocks from crumpled brown and gray construction paper.  Glue inside the box.
5. Divide the class into cooperative groups assigning one of the following sea life to each group:
· Starfish:  These can be created from brown construction paper.  Cut our 5-pointed star.  Put shredded wheat cereal in zip lock bags and crush it into small pieces.  Brush glue over the construction paper stars and sprinkle the cereal on the glue.  After it has dried glue the pieces of cereal to the bottom of the starfish to represent the suckers.
· Jellyfish:  Use the cup cake holders to make the jellyfish, gluing long 2” wide strips of blue and green tissue paper twisted together underneath.
· Fish:  Research and draw a variety of fish on white poster board.  Make 2 copies of each fish.  Staple these together stuffing the middle with tissue to create a 3 dimensional effect.
· Sea coral:  Draw an outline of coral on white paper and glue small round pieces of macaroni on the paper.  After drying paint with red or pink tempera paint.
6. One the sea life has been created, attach them to the inside of the box.  Attach some creatures from the top with string.