How can you tell they’ve got it: What Is the Ocean??

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: State that oceans cover more of Earth than land does; Explain that ocean water is salty, unlike the fresh water in rivers and lakes; Describe the ocean as home to a huge variety of living things. Or just try it together: If you asked your child to point to the oceans on a globe, could they show you and explain that most of our planet is covered by salty water where millions of creatures live?

Science Ocean Life Ages 5–7

What Is the Ocean?

Your child knows oceans are huge areas of salty water that cover most of the Earth. The salty sea is home to millions of living things.

In curriculum terms

Know that oceans are huge bodies of salt water that cover most of Earth's surface, and that the ocean is home to an enormous number of living things

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

State that oceans cover more of Earth than land does
Explain that ocean water is salty, unlike the fresh water in rivers and lakes
Describe the ocean as home to a huge variety of living things

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Try this together

If you asked your child to point to the oceans on a globe, could they show you and explain that most of our planet is covered by salty water where millions of creatures live?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Nothing on the map comes before this — it’s a starting point.

What Is the Ocean?this skill · ages 5–7

Unlocks

Ocean Depth Zonesages 7–9Ocean zones require knowing the ocean is deep and vast

The Five Oceansages 7–9Naming five oceans requires knowing what oceans are

The Ocean Floorages 7–9Ocean floor concept requires knowing the ocean is vast and deep

Tides, Waves & Currentsages 7–9Tides/waves/currents require basic ocean knowledge

What Ocean Animals Needages 5–7Ocean animal needs are contextualised by knowing what the ocean is

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 1 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1).

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2S4U07low confidenceScience · Levels 3 and 4 · Science Understanding strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Coasts & Beachesages 5–7 Ocean Animal Varietyages 5–7 Ocean Food Chainsages 5–7 Rock Pool Habitatsages 5–7

All Ocean Life skills →