Field Trip Overview and Resource Materials
Teacher Packet
2nd Grade
For more information about field trips contact:
Eleasha Grossman
Field Trip Program Manager
725 East 10600 South
Sandy, Ut 84094
(801) 495-4448 ext. 210
Fax: (801) 495-4449
[email protected]
To schedule a field trip use our online reservation request form:
http://www.thelivingplanet.com/reservation.html
Or visit our field trip website for more information
http://www.thelivingplanet.com/field_trip.html
1
What’s below the surface?
Why have an aquarium in the desert?……………….3
Overview of our presented field trip program…………….4
Teacher’s Checklist…………………………………………..5
How to be a GREAT chaperone ……………………………...6
Address and map of aquarium location…………………....….7
2nd grade overview and “Connecting to the Core”................8 - 10
Pre-visit materials and answer keys.....................................11 - 13
Answer key to student research booklet questions.............14 - 24
Post – Visit lesson materials...........................................25 – 34
Layout Map of Living Planet Aquarium............................35
References........................................................................36
Thank You!.....................................................................37
2
Why Have an Aquarium in a Desert?
Where else in the world is water so valued and respected? It’s a precious resource that defines
how we live in Utah. Because we’re not surrounded by oceans and immense water habitats,
we have fewer opportunities to experience, understand and appreciate the water environments
that cover more than 70 percent of our planet. The Living Planet Aquarium brings animals to
people who might not have the chance to see them or their water-based ecosystems in a
natural setting.
Our children are the future custodians of the environment. Yet, the majority of today’s young
people don’t have the opportunity to understand the ocean nor their own water-dependent
environments. The Living Planet Aquarium provides a “living classroom,” educating us all
about our interdependence on the living planet’s fragile ecosystems.
The Living Planet Aquarium is dedicated to celebrating life on Earth by fostering a greater
awareness and knowledge of Earth’s diverse ecosystems and creating a deeper understanding
of our place in the global system of life.
The Living Planet Aquarium is committed to providing opportunities for families to learn
about our interdependence with the fragile ecosystems of our planet through entertaining,
interactive educational exhibits and programs. Having this aquarium provides us with
countless opportunities to understand and respect this precious resource and the living habitats
it supports, both in Utah and in our planet’s oceans.
3
Field Trip Overview
Thank you for choosing your field trip at The Living Planet Aquarium. We look forward to your
visit!
So that all will run smoothly, this part of your teacher guide provides an overview of the field trip and
a checklist of things to accomplish before, during and after your experience with us.
Our core - based field trips are designed to be an exciting compliment to what you are doing in the
classroom. The education team examined the Core standards for each grade and created our
presentation and activities to compliment those standards. Later, in your Teacher Guide, we list
which standards we cover in your particular field trip.
We “set the stage,” (literally) for fun, by bringing your students into our Sunken Research Ship,
which, the story goes, sank in the Florida Keys in 1842 on the last leg of a very successful journey of
discovery.
We have re-created a sailing vessel from the 1800’s as our
classroom and our “naturalist” aboard ship runs the show as
we ask your students to help fill in the research that was lost
in the shipwreck.
After a 20 – 30 minute presentation, you and your students
will be sent out with the “research” documents to go
exploring amongst our many exhibits. Exploration lasts
approximately 45-60 min.
The research documents are designed to draw out and
reinforce concepts covered in our presentation and to give
purpose to student exploration of our exhibits. They are an
integral part of your experience at the Aquarium. Depending
on your grade level you can make a copy for each student or
you might use them in groups to share as you see fit.
Finally, your students come back to the ship for a 15 minute
“wrap up” and Q/A session with the Naturalist. The entire field trip lasts approximately 1 hr 45
minutes.
"Give people facts and you feed their
minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their
own minds for a lifetime."
(Ian Russell)
4
Education Program Checklist
Living Planet Aquarium
Pre-visit
You should have downloaded from our website:
_____This document (Teacher’s Outline)
_____Student Research Document(s) for you to copy and bring with you on your field trip.
_____Other Pre-and post-visit activity or lesson materials as they become available on our website.
_____Many of our documents are saved in pdf format. They require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.
If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download the program for free at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/
Please:
_____Educate students and adult leaders on goals of trip and behavioral expectations
(i.e. No running, no climbing on exhibits, raise hands for questions not stories.)
_____Be prepared to divide students into smaller groups with adult leader.
Day of
_____ Important! Bring student research document(s)
_____Remind students and adult leaders on goals of trip and behavior expectations
_____Bring payment if not sponsored. If sponsored, you do not pay for the field trip but please
remember the adult to student ratio. Any additional adults will be asked to pay. If several people
are paying separately you may want to arrive a few minutes early.
_____Have FUN and enjoy learning at the Living Planet Aquarium!
Post-Visit
This document contains post- visit materials. These activities were specifically designed for use in the
classroom after your visit to The Living Planet Aquarium.
5
How to be a GREAT chaperone
At the Living Planet Aquarium
(In one quick, easy lesson)
As a chaperone for your group you have the wonderful opportunity to make a positive
impact on the overall experience of the students. We would like to share a few helpful
tips that will aid you in your important role.
Behavioral expectations
• The students should remember that this is a type of museum and they should be respectful of the other
patrons, the staff and our facilities.
• There should be no running, shouting or climbing on exhibits.
• Students should raise their hands to ask questions. No shouting out answers unless the presenter invites
it by saying “everyone.” Though they may have wonderful stories to tell, the students should be
instructed to share them after the presentation.
• Stay with the group! Students or chaperones should not wander off on their own.
• Touching: We have many creatures that can be touched! The students will be instructed to only use
two fingers to touch….. gently! (index and middle finger)
Ask thought–provoking questions
• Be familiar with the “research” sheet that the students are using for exploration.
• Ask questions that can’t be answered by yes or no, such as: “what’s different about a seahorse’s tail and
the tail of a lionfish?”
• Encourage the students to spend time observing behaviors, adaptations, and elements of the habitat.
Pose questions about movement, protection and feeding to get things started.
• Use the information plaques to give you some guidance and to give the students opportunity to search
for answers.
• More than anything else, reinforce the concept that learning is fun and that the students are smart
enough to discover some amazing things if they take the time.
• Be patient with the students as they formulate their ideas. Sometimes it can take awhile, but the students
will surprise you!
• Include and encourage everyone. Give everyone a chance to answer, read or lead.
Use our trained staff
• Our staff members are eager and willing to help you as you work with the students. They are located at
the Bio-Facts Station and throughout the galleries. We encourage you to use them as a valuable
resource for the field trip.
6
Location of Living Planet Aquarium
725 East 10600 South, Sandy Utah 84094
Phone: (801) 495-4448
Directions:
• From 1-15, take exit 293
• Head east on 10600 S. (approx. 1 mile)
• The Living Planet Aquarium is on the North corner of 10600 S. and 700 E.
7
2nd Grade Field Trip
Teacher Outline
Summary: Within the aquarium environment the students will have opportunity to explore size
comparisons, relationships between various elements in a habitat and to gather information that they will
use to answer questions about the creatures at the aquarium.
Background for Teachers:
The blue whale is the largest of all creatures in the world. In fact the largest that has ever lived as far as
we know. Students will explore fun facts about this giant of the oceans in a classroom format (in our
“sunken ship”). They will have opportunity to compare the blue whale to dinosaurs and to the largest
land animal, the elephant. The setting of our classroom as a 19th century sailing ship provides a fun and
informative segue into an understanding of maps and their relationship to our physical world with a
focus on our water resources.
Following the approximately 20 min presentation the students will go out into the main aquarium area
and do “research” with their group leader that you provide. Each student is provided with a research
booklet designed to guide them in their observations of the various creatures and their habitats and that
reinforces core goals. After approximately 45-60 min, the students will return to the classroom setting
to review what they have learned and share some of their favorite discoveries and creatures.
Historical note: The story of the expedition that our research vessel was part of is made up but
closely parallels the true accounts of the U.S Exploring Expedition of 1838. The specimens and
information brought back later formed the beginnings of the Smithsonian institution. For more
information, visit the expedition website at: http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/usexex/
Intended Learning Outcomes/Measurable Objectives:
Students will demonstrate through observation, reading, group data collection and sharing, their
understanding of the concepts of size, data collection and organization, interactions of various animals
and plants, and the use of maps/models to represent our world.
8
Connecting
to the
Core Standards
Here’s where your field trip connects with the Utah State Core.
Content Core: Fine Arts, Health, Physical Education, Science, and Social Studies
Standard II: Students will develop a sense of self in relation to families and community.
Objective 1: Describe behaviors that influence relationships with family and friends.
b. Identify benefits of cooperating and sharing.
d. Recognize how choices and consequences affect self, peers, and family.
e. Identify behaviors that might create conflict situations and ways to resolve them.
Standard III: Students will develop an understanding of their environment.
Objective 1: Investigate relationships between plants and animals and how living things change during
their lives.
a. Observe and describe relationships between plants and animals.
c. Create pictures and stories about real animals and compare them to make-believe
stories about animals.
Language Arts Core
Standard I: Oral Language Students develop language for the purpose of effectively
communicating through listening, speaking, viewing, and presenting.
Objective 1: Develop language through listening and speaking.
a. Identify specific purpose(s) for listening (e.g., to gain information, to be entertained).
b. Listen and demonstrate understanding by responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiplestep directions, restate, clarify, question, summarize).
c. Speak clearly and audibly with expression in communicating ideas.
Standard VI: Vocabulary: Students learn and use grade level vocabulary to increase
understanding and read fluently.
Objective 1: Learn new words through listening and reading widely.
a. Use new vocabulary learned by listening, reading, and discussing a variety of genres.
b. Learn the meaning of a variety of grade level words (e.g., words from literature, social
studies, science, math).
Objective 2: Use multiple resources to learn new words by relating them to known words and/or
concepts.
Standard VII: Comprehension Students understand, interpret, and analyze narrative and
informational grade level text.
Objective 3: Recognize and use features of narrative and informational text.
c. Identify information from pictures, captions, diagrams, charts, graphs, and table of
contents.
e. Locate facts from a variety of informational texts (e.g. newspapers, magazines, books,
other resources).
9
Standard VIII: Writing: Students write daily to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes
and audiences.
Objective 6: Write in different modes and genres.
c. Produce informational text (e.g., ABC books, how-to books, observations).
d. Produce writing to persuade (e.g., express opinions).
Mathematics Core
Standard I: Students will acquire number sense with whole numbers and fractions and perform
operations with whole numbers.
Objective 3: Estimate, model, illustrate, describe, and solve problems involving two- and three-digit
addition and subtraction.
a. Use the mathematical relationship between addition and subtraction and properties of
addition to model and solve problems.
Standard II: Students will model, represent, and interpret patterns and number relationships to
create and solve problems with addition and subtraction.
Objective 1: Recognize, describe, create, and extend growing patterns.
b. Construct models and skip count by twos, threes, fives and tens and relate to repeated
addition.
Standard III: Students will understand simple geometry and measurement concepts as well as
collect, represent, and draw conclusions from data.
Objective 2: Identify and use units of measure, iterate (repeat) that unit, and compare the number of
iterations to the item being measured.
a. Identify and use measurement units to measure, to the nearest unit, length (i.e., inch,
centimeter), weight in pounds, and capacity in cups.
b. Estimate and measure length by iterating a nonstandard or standard unit of measure.
Objective 3: Collect, record, organize, display, and interpret numerical data.
a. Collect and record data systematically, using a strategy for keeping track of what has
been counted.
c. Organize, display, and label information, including keys, using pictographs, tallies, bar
graphs, and organized tables.
d. Describe data represented on charts and graphs and answer simple questions related to
data representations.
10
Pre-Visit
Resources
The following pages offer pre-visit information that you can use in the classroom before your trip to The
Living Planet Aquarium. These resources correlate with material that will be covered on your field trip
or in post-visit materials. There may also be links to UEN’s website for additional information that may
be helpful. As a suggestion, if you have internet access for your class, you can visit our website to let
the children investigate what we have to offer. Here is the link: http://www.thelivingplanet.com
11
Communities to see in the sea!
The following information and answer key correlate with a pre-visit activity found in the
“student research booklet.”
Communities are made up of groups of individuals. You are part of a community called a “family.” A
neighborhood is made up of many families and individuals and a town or city is made up of many
neighborhoods.
The same is true of animals in nature. You probably already know the word for a group of
fish.....school, right? A flock is one name for a group of birds.
But do you know what to call a group of sea jellies?
Did You Know? Sea jelly is a better name than jellyfish since these animals aren’t really fish!
Still wondering what to call a group of sea jellies? Do you like mysteries and secret codes? Well, the
next page has a list of animals (including sea jellies) that live in or around water and a secret code to tell
you what a group of them is called. Sea Jellies are just one of many animals you will be investigating on
your field trip!
Use the Code Key at the top of the nest page to figure out each letter of the secret “group” word, and
then write it in the blank space. Good Luck!
12
2nd grade collective nouns Secret Code Worksheet
Answer Key
Code Key:_____________________________________________________________
1=M
2=X
3=T
4=R
5=F
6=L
7=N
8=D
9=U
10=Z
11=J
12=H
13=O
14=A
15=I
16=S
17=C
18=Q
19=G
20=E
21=Y
22=B
23=V
24=P
25=K
26=W
_____________________________________________________________________
1) Trout_____________________________ [12][13][23][20][4]
Hover
2) Crocodiles ___________________________ [22][14][16][25]
Bask
3) Clams ___________________________________ [22][20][8]
Bed
4) Barracuda____________________ [22][14][3][3][20][4][21]
Battery
5) Sea Jellies _________________________ [16][1][14][17][25]
Smack
6) Minnows________________________ [16][3][4][20][14][1]
Stream
7) Dolphins________________________________ [24][13][8]
Pod
8) Eels_______________________________ [16][26][14][4][1]
Swarm
9) Salmon________________________________ [22][15][7][8]
Bind
10) Puffer Fish ___________________ [17][6][9][16][3][20][4]
Cluster
11) Flying Fish _________________________ [19][6][15][8][20]
Glide
12) Whales__________________________________ [19][14][1]
Gam, (herd or pod)
13) Frogs________________________________ [14][4][1][21]
Army
14) Shrimp____________________________ [3][4][13][9][24]
Troup
15) Sea Turtles ____________________________ [8][9][6][20]
Dule, (or bale)
13
Now, you’re off to the Living Planet Aquarium
Remember to use your checklist to help you on this day.
You should take some time to share copies of the Chaperone page with each adult leader
as well as the aquarium layout map. Remember that teachers are free and you get one
additional adult free for every 10 students. Any adults above this 1:10 ratio will need to
pay an additional fee upon arrival.
The following pages contain the answer key for the Student Research Booklet which you should have
downloaded from our website and printed out for each of your students. The booklet is an integral part
of their field trip at The Living Planet Aquarium. It provides a purpose driven approach to exploring
amongst the exhibits, reinforces covered concepts and provides a resource for further discussion and
exploration back in the classroom. Remember that each set of questions in the booklet has a place to put
a checkmark if you choose to assign groups of students to focus on only certain sets. This gives you
control over the amount of research they do while at the aquarium and provides for presentation /
discussion groups back in the classroom.
14
T
I
N
A
Touch Pool
(Fill in the missing letters for this animal)
1. How many do you see?___Anwers vary, on average 6 - 9______
Observe and TOUCH then answer
2. Write three words for what it feels like.
Answers vary: Soft, squishy, bumpy, slimy, smooth etc.
Expansion: In class, let students share the different words and write on the board. Stingrays are mostly
smooth but have scales along the back for protection. A little of the back sticks up out of the sand when
they burry themselves. Point out that the students used different words depending on where they
touched the stingray and that by sharing observations, they all get a more complete picture of the animal.
This understanding can help them to improve their observational skills.
Sharks are amazing predators!
How can eating sick, slow or injured animals actually help the rest
of the group? Diseases and detrimental genetics are removed from the population.
1. Name two species of sharks that you see. Possible answers are: White tip, Wobeggong, Nurse,
Bamboo and Leopard__
______________________________________________________
2. Draw a shark tooth and tell which shark it belongs to.
15
1. In the life cycle of the sea horse, which one carries the young until they are born?
Female male (circle the correct answer)
We don’t have a Blue Whale here at The Living Planet Aquarium, but if you go out to our main hall,
you will see a black stand with a sign on it near our theater and another at the other end of the hall near
the bathrooms. The distance between the two is the length of one of the largest blue whales ever
recorded. Read the sign and write how long it was. __110_____ft!
Now, how many steps does it take you to get from one stand to the other? Answer: ___Varies and
provides opportunity to discuss need for standardized measurements.
16
Often called the “rainforest” of the sea, coral reefs play home to 25 percent of all life in the ocean. Just
as you live in a community, such as your neighborhood or town; there is a whole community of
creatures on a coral reef. In fact the reef itself is made up of huge numbers of tiny “colonial” organisms
called coral “polyps” that have hard, stony skeletons.
In our “Coral Community,” there is a sign on the side of the Sunken Ship. With your adult leader see
what else you can learn about coral reefs that may help you with some of the following questions.
1. Coral is a plant
/
animal. Circle the correct answer.
2. Coral reefs provide _______________ and ____________
to fish and invertebrates.
3. Are some coral reefs in danger?
Circle the correct answer.
Y
N
4. What are some of the things you can do to help?
*If snorkeling, don’t step on or kick corals
*If boating, don’t drop anchors on coral, use a mooring buoy if
available or anchor in clear area.
*If you have a saltwater aquarium, ask for proof that what you
put in it has been harvested sustainably.
*Donate to organizations dedicated to protecting coral reefs.
*You can use the following link to access Reef Relief’s
educational materials.
http://www.reefrelief.org/printed_edu/index.shtml#teach
17
300 cm
On average, coral grows about 1 centimeter a year. Some grow faster and some grow
slower, but this is the average. That’s one reason that we should do the best we can to
protect coral reefs. It takes quite a while to replace coral that gets damaged.
Take a look at the coral arch near the sunken ship. The drawing at right shows the
height of the arch.
At 1 centimeter a year it would take coral 100 years to grow 100 centimeters right?
Our arch is _300____ centimeters tall. How long would it take to reach that height?
Write your answer here _300 yrs_
Coral shrimp play a vital role in the health of the other animals that live on the reef. You can see some
coral shrimp at our Bio-Facts Station.
What role do coral shrimp play in the health of other reef creatures? Hint: You may remember
“Jacques,” from “Finding Nemo” was a Banded Coral Shrimp.
Answer: They feed by cleaning other creatures on the reef. This “cleaning” behavior helps keep
the other reef inhabitants more healthy.
18
1. How big can this type of octopus grow? ___16_____ft.
Observe
2. This is a measure of its:
Weight
Width
Circle the correct answer
Wisdom
Walking speed
Draw the underside of an octopus arm.
Observe the moray eels, then answer:
1. How many of your hands do you think it would take to equal the length of one of our morays?
Answers will vary. The point is use of non standard units of measurement and a segue to
helpfulness of standardized units.
2. The moray regularly opens and closes its mouth so that it can do what?"
Breathe_________________________
19
1 Shade in how big this toad can get on the ruler below.
2. A toad is part of a group called: Circle the correct answer.
Mammals
Reptiles
Birds
Students
Amphibians
June Sucker
The June Sucker is federally listed as an Endangered Species.
What does that mean? population numbers are so low, the___
species is in danger of extinction. Federal listing accords the
species legal protection.
How can “schooling” increase a fish’s chances of survival?
Predators have a difficult time focusing on a single individual
making it less likely to succeed in its attacks. The predators
become confused by all the movements.
20
There are a lot of obstacles to salmon survival! Spin the
Salmon Wheel and see how you do in their shoes.... fins!
1. Did you survive?
Y
N
(Circle one) (there is a 1 in 20 chance of survival)
2. What happened to you?
__Answers will vary.__There is a 1/20 chance of survival. You can introduce the concept of
working with data and probabilities with this activity as well as conservation strategies like fish ladders
to aid spawning salmon to return up-stream. Also, how our choices with dams or obstacles in streams
and rivers might impact this species.
3. According to the wheel, a salmon has __1__ chance in__20__ to survive.
1. Is the bullfrog a challenge to the natural communities in Utah?
Explain: Because large numbers of its tadpoles make it to maturity and because the bullfrog is a
successful predator, they out-compete other native species.
____________________________________________________
2. What stage in the life cycle of a bullfrog tastes bad to predators?
___________________Tadpole_______________________
21
1.
Why are fish so smart?
2.
What has no beginning, end or middle but touches every continent?
3.
What happens when you throw a green rock into the red sea?
4.
Why do fish always know what they weigh?
5.
What lies on the bottom of the ocean and shakes?
6.
What kind of fish is very valuable?
7.
What’s the difference between a fish and a piano?
8.
Which fish get wings when they die
22
Key to map of The Living Planet Aquarium
Use the key below to find places on the aquarium map on the next page and write in the grid location for
that place.
The restrooms have been completed as an example.
Rest Rooms
F-7
Sea Hose
A,B-5
Octopus
C-5
Sea Star at Bio-Facts Station
D-4
Sharks
A-2
Wetlands
A-6
Coral Reef Play Area
E,F-2,3
Trout
D-7
Sting Rays
B-3
Sunken Ship
D-2
Compass In Main Lobby Floor
F-5
23
24
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Post Visit Resources
Coral Reefs Tropical rainforests of the sea
Coral reefs are home to more kinds of life than any other marine environment, rivaling even the
tropical rainforests on land. In fact, coral reefs reached their current level of biodiversity fifty million
years ago and have been on the planet for over 400 million years. - Reef Relief
Coral reefs can be found in 13 of our national parks, including:
•
Biscayne, Florida
•
Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix
•
Dry Tortugas, Florida
•
Haleakala, Hawaii
•
Hawaii Volcanoes
•
Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii
•
Kaloko-Honokohau Park, Hawaii
•
National Park of American Samoa
•
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii
•
Salt River Bay National Historical Park, St. Croix
•
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, St. John
•
Virgin Islands, St. John
Source: National Parks Conservation Association. http://www.npca.org/marine_and_coastal/coral_reefs/
When most people think of coral reefs, they imagine great varieties of colorful fish and other life.
Many never realize that the reef structure itself is made up of millions of tiny animals called polyps. A
coral polyp looks much like an anemone with tentacles surrounding a mouth and a soft body. Coral
polyps come in many varieties but can be divided into two main groups.
Hard or stony corals such as brain coral or stag horn coral have the ability to form a calcium carbonate
(limestone) skeleton from minerals dissolved in sea water. These hard corals are responsible for creating
what we see as massive and intricate structures where other animals can live as well. Soft corals like a
sea fan do not create this hard skeleton but cover the reef in an amazing array of colors and shapes.
Threats to Coral Reefs
25
Human activity has destroyed more than 35 million acres of coral reefs. Despite their protection in
national parks, coral reefs in the United States face many of the threats suffered by reef ecosystems
worldwide.
Touching, kicking, walking on, or collecting coral when snorkeling or diving; dropping anchor on
reefs when boating; or fishing in reef areas cause serious damage to reef ecosystems and devastate coral.
In Florida, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks are suffering from overdevelopment of nearby
lands, water pollution, boating, recreational and commercial fishing, and more than 3 million tourists
yearly. Since 1930, Florida's population has increased four-fold. Mangrove trees and sea grasses that
normally act as filters for coral reefs are being rapidly destroyed as development increases, leading to
heightened soil erosion. Soil, fertilizers, and sewage being dumped into Florida waters smothers corals
and prevents them from obtaining enough light and oxygen to survive. Other forms of pollution, such as
petroleum products and chemicals dumped near coastal waters, eventually will find their way to coral
reefs as well, poisoning coral polyps and other marine life.
Make a Difference!
•
When diving or snorkeling near coral reefs, DO NOT touch, stand or walk on, kick, or collect
coral. Make sure none of your equipment bumps into the coral.
•
Don't purchase items made from coral or other threatened marine life. Avoid
coral jewelry or other marine souvenirs unless you are certain that they were farmed
or produced in aquaculture operations.
•
If you own a tropical aquarium, demand that your aquarium store purchase
only fish that have been certified "cyanide free." In many areas of the
world, tropical fish are collected from coral reefs by releasing cyanide
poison into the water, which kills the reef and many other marine species
and stuns valuable fish for easy collection. Don't purchase coral pieces or
"live rock" for your tank unless there is proof they were not removed
from the wild.
Be very careful to collect all trash from beaches when you visit. Sea
turtles have evolved to eat anything in the oceans, even poisonous
Portuguese Man-of-War, but when turtles and other marine life eat
plastics and other garbage, they risk fatal blockage of their digestive
tracts. Trash also can cover coral reefs and block the sunlight they need to survive.
•
Don't order turtle, shark fin, or other restaurant dishes made from threatened wildlife.
If you operate a boat, navigate carefully to avoid contact with coral reefs, never drop anchor onto a
reef, and never dump trash or sewage into the water.
26
Making a Difference
Inspiring the students to understand that each of them can make a difference for our world is a
wonderful challenge and opportunity. Below is a short story you can use to illustrate this point.
The Sea Star
-Anonymous
Once upon a time there was a wise man
who used to go to the ocean to do his writing.
He had a habit of walking on the beach
before he began his work.
One day he was walking along the shore.
As he looked down the beach,
he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.
He smiled to himself to think of someone
who would dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man
and the young man wasn’t dancing,
but instead he was reaching down to the shore,
picking up something and very gently
throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out,
"Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young man paused, looked up and replied,
”Throwing starfish in the ocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out.
And if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”
“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles
of beach and starfish all along it.
You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely.
Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw
it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said“It made a difference for that one.”
27
Fishing strategies simulation game
Adapted from New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries Resource
http://www.starfish.govt.nz/social/students/student-2b.htm
This is a two-stage game, which will help you to realize that with co-operation, a resource can last
indefinitely, but if you exploit a renewable resource faster than it can recover, the resource will collapse.
This game is a good connection to 2nd Grade Content Core, Standard II, objectives b,d and e. and
Mathematics Core, Standard V.
Teacher Background
Throughout human history, our oceans have been a wonderful source of food and useful products as
well as recreation. Through the ages humans have developed more and more efficient methods for
obtaining food from the sea. While this has resulted in more food being available to people around the
world, it has also resulted in what many consider to be negative results as well.
Current concerns are as follows:
1. Over fishing – Certain fish are being taken in such large numbers that the population is threatened
with not being able to reproduce fast enough to sustain it.
2. Unintended by-catch – By catch are those organisms that are not the intended food source but are
caught and often killed or harmed in the process. An example of this are dolphins or sharks caught
in nets intended for tuna. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, one
in four animals caught in fishing gear dies as bycatch—unwanted or unintentional catch.
3. Habitat loss and destruction – Certain methods of fishing and other practices damage or destroy
habitats which are vital to the survival of the very animals we want to catch.
Many organizations and governments around the world are making efforts to promote practices which
will help alleviate the challenges mentioned above. In the United States, the federal government has
enacted legislation like the MAGNUSON FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
ACT to help regulate and guide the fishing industry to act in ways that can help the long term
sustainability of our resources.
Below are some links to organizations involved in measures that promote sustainable fishing practices.
We offer these links as informational resources only.
NOAA dept. of fisheries
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/sfweb/
World Wildlife Fund
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/our_solutions/sustainable_fishing/index.cfm
Seafood Watch - Monte Ray Bay Aquarium.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
28
Equipment
One die to roll
30 "fish" silhouettes (printed on cardstock)
Players
Total of four - three fishers and a "banker" who looks after the resource.
Game One: The Fishing Race
Objective:
To catch the most fish.
Rules:
All 30 fish go into a "pool", looked after by the banker.
Each player has a toss of the dice in turn. (Select or toss for the person who starts first.)
They can "catch" as many fish from the pool as the number they toss.
At the end of each round, the banker tallies up the catch for each player.
If there are fewer fish left than the number you throw (eg, three left and you throw a five), you get to
take all the remaining fish.
That's the end of the game - too bad if the other players didn't have a chance to complete the last round.
The banker does a final tally. The winner is the person with the most fish.
The banker keeps a tally of how many "rounds" it took before all the fish were taken.
Game Two: Fishing for the Future
This game is to be partly designed by the students, and then played. A group who has just completed
Game One should play it.
Objective:
To work out a system for catching fish, where each player has a "fair go", and..
To make the game last longer (more rounds) than Game One did.
Basic rules:
At the start of the game there are only 6 fish in the pool. The banker retains the other 24.
After each round, the banker feeds another 6 fish into the pool.
If, at the end of a round, there aren't enough fish in the pool, then your fishery has collapsed - the game
ends.
The banker keeps a tally of how many rounds have been played.
The winning team is the team who has made their game last the greatest number of rounds.
29
Students' rules:
Before you start, work out some rules to add to the basic rules, so that the game will last as many
rounds as possible, and everyone gets a fair shot.
When you've designed your rules, play the game and record how many rounds it lasts.
After the game have a class discussion focusing on:
1 What are resources?
2 What are some examples of resources? eg wood, plants, soil, minerals, water and sunlight.
3 What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources?
4 Are fisheries resources infinitely renewable?
5 What did these games tell us about catching fish?
6 Do we have rules like the rules you designed for our fishers?
7 What are the differences between this game and the "real world"?
8 How can we manage fisheries so they continue to be available for future generations?
30
31
How Big Is a Blue Whale?
Objectives
•
Students will gain better appreciation for the size of a Blue Whale
•
Students will utilize predicting and measuring skills.
Materials
•
110 feet of rope, twine or tape measure (Remember that 110 ft is the largest ever recorded.
Average is closer to 100)
•
American Cetacean Society website on blue whale.
http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/bluewhl.htm
•
Markers or crayons
•
Butcher paper
•
Calculator rolled paper or cash register paper
•
A long hallway or wall
Procedures
•
Review resource information about the blue whale and use the poster given to you during your
visit to The Living Planet Aquarium to help you make a head and a tail (fluke) to be placed on a long
wall, floor or ceiling. This could be an art activity where all the students help to draw or color the head
and fluke out of two large sheets of butcher paper.
•
Using measuring device, mark off 110 ft and place your whale head and tail (Fluke) at opposite
ends.
•
Have students buddy up and cut a length of calculator paper to match each buddies height. Write
the student’s name on the paper.
•
Have all of the students predict how many “students” it will take to equal the length of the blue
whale and record the predictions.
Lay out the named strips end to end and record how many students it takes to reach the length of
the blue whale. Are there combinations of students that change that number?
•
•
Extensions: Let students research other marine animals and cut a length of calculator tape to
match that animal’s average length. Have them get a picture of that animal from a magazine, internet or
other source and put it up with the length of paper next to the blue whale for a compare and contrast
activity.
The students can write characteristics about the other animals on their respective strips of paper and
compare and contrast the characteristics other than length with the blue whale. A venn diagram activity
could also be used. Some characteristics to look closely at are: Food sources, where the animal is found
in the world, lifespan, feeding behavior, status (non-threatened, threatened, endangered etc.)
32
Web Sites for Fun
All links are suggested resources only. The Living Planet Aquarium does not specifically endorse any
of the following sites or organizations. If a link does not work you can try copying and pasting the URL
into your web browser.
Good resource on corals and nautical charts. Designed for upper grades but can be adapted for
lower.
http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/welcome.html
Learn about the interesting names for groups of animals and their babies.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml
Reef Relief – Good resource for coral reef education and conservation
http://www.reefrelief.org/printed_edu/index.shtml
Make a life size inflatable blue whale (plans and material lists) – Needham Science Center
http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/Science_Center/Teaching_Tools
American Cetacean Society
http://www.acsonline.org/
Coral Reef Aliance
http://www.coralreefalliance.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
NOAA Year of the Ocean Web site
http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov/kids.htm
33
Books to Include
Big Blue Ocean
By Bill Nye – Ages 8 & up
Coral Reef
By Barbara Taylor – Ages 7 & up
Coral Reef: A City that Never Sleeps.
By Mary M. Cerullo
Ocean (Eye Wonder book)
By Samantha Gray - Ages 7 & up
Sign of the Seahorse
By Graeme Base – Ages 8 & up
What Do You See Under the Sea
By Bobby Kalman – 6 & up
All the Way to the Ocean
By Joel Harper and illustrated by Marq Spusta – Ages 7 & up
Hickman, Pamela. A New Frog: My First Look at the Life Cycle of an
Amphibian. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1999.
This book on frog development has two simultaneous texts. Each left-hand page
has a flap. With the flap folded in, the text consists of a cumulative, sing-song
rhyme in the style of "The House that Jack Built." When folded out, the enlarged
page carries more detailed, scientific information about the life cycle of frogs.
Gr. Preschool-3.
Videos
Blue Planet Series – 4 videos in series covering a wide range of topics.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/blueplanet/
34
Layout of The Living Planet Aquarium
35
References
The following resources were used in the development of these materials and or field trip presentations and
were not among those cited in the text body.
Smithsonian Institution Press (1996) Sea Life – A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment
Duxbury and Duxbury (1994) An introduction to the World's Oceans, Wm. C. Brown
Publishers,4th edition: Dubuque: Iowa.
Pinet, Paul (1998) Invitation to Oceanography, Jones and Bartlett Publishers: Sudbury,
Massachusetts.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
36
Thank you for bringing your class,
and we look forward to serving you again!
We would like to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Lori Layne and others from Rosecreek
Elementary School in the development of these materials and beta testing of the presentations with their
students.
Also, thank you to the many teachers and parents from other schools who have given and continue to
give critical feedback and suggestions for improvement.
And to our sponsors
37