Regarding an ocean theme, I use this La mar theme for almost the entire third grade year. There is lots of "meat," especially when linked to Cristóbal Colón and the Caribbean Sea.
First, I suggest using three songs from José Luis Orozco's repertoire which include references to a few different ocean animals: shrimp, sardines, a sea snake, and fish (in general). All MP3 downloads appear on the bottom of the page.
Cuatro camaroncitos (very amusing song from Nicaragua!) My third graders love this song about sea animals as waitpersons serving coffee that's too hot and then not having any water to cool the customer's mouth down. I made white paper aprons and hats with the appropriate logo of either shrimp or sardines for the waitpersons and staged the scene in the undersea restaurant with food props.
La víbora de la mar. This Mexican song is actually a children's game much like "London Bridges." I have used large yellow and green paper chains for the children to hold onto as they pass under the bridge and giant paper flowers to form the bridge for an assembly presentation. Visit this site to find out how to play it, adding a fun, fruit-related verse:
Vamos a la mar (a very catchy tune from Guatemala!) Again I use props to act out the catching, cooking, and eating of the fish.
How about the traditional song/chant from Spain -- Una sardina? I understand this is very popular still. The lyrics I use go like this, but I imagine there are many different versions. I teach it as an "echo" song, dividing the class into different groups.
Una sardina, dos sardinas,
tres sardinas y un gato
encontraron la manera
de meterse en un zapato.
¡A la chi-chi-chi-hua-hua!
¡A la hua-hua-hua-chi-chi!.
¡Chi-chi-hua-hua!
¡Hua-hua-chi-chi!
¡Chi! ¡Chi!
¡Hua! ¡Hua!
¡Chihuahua!
Note: There is an even longer version available of "Una sardina" in Volume 2 of CANTOS PARA JUGAR
by Francisco Aquino. Go to the Music page for ordering information.
As a way of increasing vocabulary, I substitute different animal names (i.e. Una ballena, dos ballenas, tres ballenas y un pulpo, etc.) The children also respond very enthusiastically to this silly song. I am still searching for an online source of the tune.
Also on the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador there exists a unique iguana that swims in the sea.
During the sea unit, I often depart from the class, saying, "¡Hasta mañana, iguanas!"
