• Ask students what they know about marine life. Have them brainstorm a list of words they associate with ocean life. Write these on the board or chart paper to reference after reading.
• Write the words zooplankton, algae, and scuttle on the board. Ask students what the words might mean. Tell students you will work with these words after reading.
• Ask students if they know what a food web or food chain is. If necessary, review the process of a food chain or food web. 

Preview the Book

• Give students their copies of the book and have them look at the cover and read the title. Talk about the cover and the title.
• Read through the table of contents with students. Have them predict the contents of the chapters from the chapter heads.
• Allow students to skim the book and ask questions or offer comments about the photographs and other visual elements. 

Word Attack Strategies
Remind students to use any or all of the following strategies if they encounter difficult words.

• Reread the sentence, paragraph, or page.
• Look for known prefixes, suffixes, or root words.
• Use context clues to help understand word meaning.
• Keep reading and think about what might make sense.