Harp Seal Life Cycle and Parts of a Harp Seal Characteristics Science Printable

Are you ready to dive into the icy waters of the North Atlantic and learn all about the incredible harp seals? These Montessori printables have been specially designed to help students explore the harp seal life cycle, anatomy, different types of seals, and fascinating seal characteristics. Let’s take a closer look at what’s included in this educational package!

about seals

Seals are fascinating marine mammals that can captivate the interest of young children. Here is some information about seals that young children might find interesting:

Appearance: Seals have streamlined bodies covered in fur, which helps keep them warm in the cold ocean water. Their flippers, located where arms and legs would be on land mammals, are specially designed to help them swim and maneuver in water.

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Habitat: Seals can be found in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as in other temperate and tropical waters around the world. They spend most of their time in the water, but also come ashore to rest, breed, and give birth to their young.

Diet: Seals are carnivorous, which means they eat meat. Their diet primarily consists of fish, squid, and other marine animals. They use their sharp teeth to catch and eat their prey.

Breathing: Seals are well-adapted to living in water. They have a special adaptation that allows them to hold their breath for extended periods of time. When they need to breathe, they come to the water’s surface and use their nostrils, called blowholes, to take in air.

Social Behavior: Seals are social animals and often form colonies or groups. They communicate with each other using various sounds, such as barks or growls. Some seals even use their flippers to clap or slap the water, creating distinctive noises.

Life Cycle: Female seals give birth to their young on land or floating ice platforms. They nurse their babies with nutritious milk until they are able to hunt on their own. Baby seals, called pups, are adorable and have fluffy fur. They learn important survival skills from their mothers.

Threats and Conservation: Seals face several threats, including habitat loss, pollution, and hunting. Many organizations and governments work to protect seals and their habitats to ensure their survival for future generations.

These are just a few key points about seals that can introduce young children to these fascinating marine mammals. Encouraging children to learn more about seals and the importance of protecting them can inspire a love for nature and conservation.

Seal themed learning activities

Seal Life Cycle: Create a life cycle chart showcasing the different stages of a seal’s life, starting from birth to adulthood. Children can use toy seals or pictures to match the corresponding stage and arrange them in order.

Harp seal life cycle anatomy characteristics types montessori nature printable 3 part cards information diagram

Seal Habitat Diorama: Help children create a miniature diorama of a seals’ natural habitat, such as the Arctic or coastal waters. They can use craft materials like blue construction paper, cotton balls for ice, and small toy seals to bring the habitat to life.

Seal Blubber Experiment: Teach children about how seals stay warm in cold water by conducting a blubber experiment. Fill two bowls with ice-cold water, and in one bowl, have children dip their bare hand, and in the other, their hand wrapped in a plastic bag (representing blubber). Observe and discuss how the “blubber” hand feels less cold.

Seal Sounds Matching Game: Create a sound matching game where children listen to different seal noises and match them to corresponding pictures. Use audio clips or videos of seal vocalizations, such as barks, clicks, or whistles.

Seal Sensory Bin: Fill a large container with water beads or blue rice and add small toy seals. Provide children with scoops, cups, and plastic sea creatures for a hands-on sensory experience, allowing them to explore the textured environment and engage in imaginative play.

Seal Math: Use seal-themed manipulatives (e.g., counters in the shape of seals) for counting, addition, or subtraction activities. Children can solve math problems using these visual aids, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable.

Seal Art: Encourage children to create seal-inspired artwork using different materials such as paints, crayons, or even clay. They can draw or sculpt their favorite seals or design their own imaginary seals.

Seal Anatomy Puzzle: Provide children with a large poster or printed image of a seal and cut it into puzzle-like pieces. Challenge them to assemble the seal puzzle while discussing the different body parts and their functions.

Seal Movement Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course in a designated area and create various physical challenges that simulate seal movements. For example, crawling under a table like a seal navigating through rocks or jumping over hoops like a seal leaping out of the water.

Seal Storytelling: Read books or share stories about seals and their behaviors. Children can then create their own stories based on what they learned, either through drawing, writing, or acting out the narratives.

Remember to adapt and modify the activities to suit the age and developmental level of the children you are working with.

Harp seal learning pack

Whether you are working on a themed unit, engaging in independent Montessori activities, or simply learning about seals, these printables are a valuable resource for students to explore the captivating world of harp seals. Spark their curiosity, inspire their love for nature, and enjoy the journey of discovery together!

This Harp Seal Pack with learning printables is great for preschool and kindergarten children. Use this resource with clear true-to-life images and photographs to create hands-on harp seal activities for your students or for exploring marine mammals and preparing work for your Arctic & Winter Units in the classroom.

Children will learn the stages of the harp seal life cycle, harp seal characteristics, and parts of a harp seal, practice sequencing skills and work to improve their concentration and fine motor skills.

This resource contains a harp seal life cycle diagram, worksheet, 3-part cards, information cards, harp seal characteristics, and parts of a harp seal printable.

Harp Seal Life Cycle:
With the help of beautiful illustrations and clear labels, the harp seal life cycle printable showcases the different stages these amazing creatures go through. From adorable newborns to independent adult seals, students will get an understanding of their life cycle.

Harp Seal Anatomy:
This printable set provides detailed three-part cards for students to match and learn the specific body parts of a harp seal. It includes labels for the flippers, whiskers, fur, eyes, and more! These hands-on activities help students build their vocabulary while developing fine motor skills.

Types of Seals:
Discover the incredible diversity of seals with an informative printable that introduces various types of seals such as harbor seals, leopard seals, elephant seals, and more.

Seal Characteristics:
What makes seals so special? This set of information cards gives students an understanding of seal characteristics. These cards can be used as a reference during discussions or as prompts for independent research projects.

Student Booklets:
Allow students to record their learning journey and reinforce their understanding with beautifully designed student booklets. These booklets can be used to write down key information or draw illustrations. It’s a fantastic way to encourage creativity and build a personal connection with the subject!

Here is what’s included

Harp seal life cycle diagram
Harp seal life cycle 3 part cards
Harp seal life cycle coloring, cutting, and pasting worksheet (color and blackline)
Harp seal life cycle tracing strips
Harp seal life cycle information cards
Parts of a harp seal pup diagram
Parts of a harp seal pup diagram minus labels
Parts of a harp seal pup labels
Parts of a harp seal pup information cards
Parts of a harp seal pup tracing & independent writing worksheet
Parts of a harp seal pup student booklet (independent writing)
Types of seals 3 part cards
Types of seals information cards
Harp seal characteristics color poster
Harp seal characteristics black line poster
Harp seal characteristics mat
Harp seal characteristics color cards
Harp seal characteristics tracing & coloring student booklet
Harp seal characteristics student booklet
Seal information poster
My Book About Seals
Seal Prey vs. Preditors sorting cards
Fur seal anatomy diagram adjective activity.

Age: Preschool ages 3 – 6 years

Subjects and uses in the classroom: Marine Mammals, Vertebrates Unit, Winter Animals, Arctic Animals, Nature Table, Science Centers, Fine motor, Prewriting

How to use this resource:

Parts of a harp seal – Gather books about harp seals for children to explore. Print posters and label cards on cardstock and laminate. Cut individual label cards. Attach clear velcro to the poster without labels and label cards.

Present the poster – name all parts and invite the students to share their thoughts on the various functions of each part and do their own research or gather information from the description cards. Then read each label and invite the student to match it to the corresponding part of the animal’s body.

Life cycle poster – print on cardstock and laminate. Present all stages of the harp seal’s life cycle. Invite the children to retell them or tell their own story that features all the stages.

Harp seal life cycle 3-part cards – print on cardstock and laminate if you wish to preserve colors and card quality for future use. Place picture cards in a column and invite the children to match the picture to the picture and the word to the word. Present control cards and ask the child to lay the stages of the cycle in the correct order.

Harp seal life cycle line art – supply scissors, glue, and coloring pencils. Invite the student to color and cut cards and glue them into the correct sequence.

Harp seal tracing/labeling and coloring worksheets – print on cardstock and laminate. Supply an erasable pen. Invite the child to trace the words and color corresponding images. Alternatively, print pages on regular printing paper and invite the child to trace or label the stages of the life cycle.

After reading books on harp seals, children can be invited to name the harp seal characteristics as they place picture cards onto the mat.

There are four blackline follow-up printouts available. These can be cut to make a booklet if you wish.

Younger children are invited to color pages or draw characteristics of the animal. Emergent writers are invited to use lined booklet printout sheets to write the characteristics down by answering questions.

After completing the task volunteers may like to make a small group report about their findings.

Here is a fun activity you may like to try. Lay out the characteristics of otters and invite the children to choose and identify animal characteristics these two creatures have in common and explore how they differ.