Eugenie Clark grew up spending her weekends at the aquarium. Wandering around the aquarium, Clark developed a love for all things ocean & wished that she could swim with the sharks in the glass tanks. As an adult, she brought this dream to life & conducted 72 submersible dives & countless more using scuba gear, where she studied marine life, including sharks. She was one of the only ichthyologists, or fish biologists, of her time to study living specimens in this way. At the laboratory, Clark was able to further engage the public. She spent a good amount of time teaching about sharks, & tried to clear them of their bad reputation. She gave lectures to the public, taught at the University of Maryland, & even swam on the back of a 50-foot whale shark. She didn’t slow down either, completing her last dive at 92 years old, the year before she died.
After reading the inspiring story Shark Lady: The True Story of Eugenie Clark Became the Oceans Most Fearless Scientists by Jess Keating, we set up a small world play invitation. In our tuff tray we placed Colorations Shiny Tempera Paint to make magical water, shells, aquarium seaweed, sharks, & a scuba diver + the gear. The children were invited to explore in the ocean & sharks just like Eugenie.
Small world play accompanied by sensory materials are a great way for extending literacy, language, imaginary play, & tactile play. Through play, they can reenact what they see in stories & deepen their understanding of the concepts of the book. This type of play can be defined as where children accept & assign roles, then act them out. When children engage in play they break through the walls of reality, use their imagination, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, explore different worlds, & have actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play.
This type of play is an integral part of the developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as abstract thinking, literacy, math, & social studies, in a timely natural manner. They are able to play & manipulate a variety of materials & textures that stimulate their mind & body while deepening their connection & understanding of the book.
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