"
/
Beach Studies for the
Internnediate Progrann
by K. Francis and G.S. Jamieson
Fisheries
and Oceans
Peches
et Oceans
Canada
Beside the Sea ...
Beach Studies for the Intermediate Program
K. Francis and G. S. Jamieson
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Biological Sciences Branch
Pacific Biological Station
Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5K6
British Columbia has a very extensive coast, with numerous beaches,
bays and inlets. However, in contrast to eastern Canada where coastal
communities are widespread, most of the coast in British Columbia is
relatively isolated because of its rugged topography. Most human
habitation in British Columbia is thus restricted to the VancouverVictoria-Nanaimo triangle and the interior, with only a few isolated
communities along the coast.
Except for its native peoples, human enterprise has been mostly
focused on the province's forests and minerals, yet the Pacific Ocean
is what makes British Columbia particularly unique among all the
regions of Canada. Development of a special awareness and feeling for
the sea and the life in it should be part of the learning experience of
every child brought up near the coast. However, because education
programs are developed for the majority, unique regional features may
sometimes be neglected or ignored in the overall scheme of things.
The Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo is one of the world's major
fisheries research laboratOries, with staff studying all aspects related
to optimal exploitation of renewable marine resources. Being the main
fisheries research station of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
in the Pacific, particular emphasis is devoted to understanding the
relationship among oceans, climate and fish populations. Improving
the public's awareness and understanding of science is a priority,
since only a well-educated public can assess increasingly complex
environmental issues. This cannot begin at too young an age, for who
knows, maybe one of your students has the potential to become one of
the world's great scientists.
This package of marine-oriented science activities has been
developed to assist teachers in coastal communities in
incorporating the sea into their teaching curricula. We hope
that it proves useful to you and we welcome any feedback
you feel would help us improve future editions of this material. As
professionals in marine biology, we welcome the opportunity to
improve public awareness and help in the education of others to
appreciate what too many of us unfortunately take for granted, namely
bur environment, and how life adapts to it.
Kelly Francis
Glen Jamieson
Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................
OveIVieW' of Topics... . . . . .. . ... . ... . . . . . . .... . .... . .... . . . . .... . .... . .... . . . . .... . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
usson # 1: The Salty Sea..........................................................................................
Lesson #2: Potato Strip Investigation.......... ................... ....... ...
Lesson #3: Plan.kton Soup..... ..... ......... ... ............... ........... .........
Preparin.g for a Field Trtp ..................................................
Making a Plan.kton Net.....................................................................
Lesson #4: Field Study I - Organism Identification...................
usson #5: Back at the Classroom...........................................
Lesson #6: Moving With the Tides............................................
Lesson #7: Staying Put........... ...... ........... ... ..................... ..........
usson #8: Ca'llloufiage............................................................
usson #9: Drying Out.............................................................
usson # 10: Restaurant Beneath the Waves.............................
usson # 11: Field Study II - Survival Behavior.........................
usson #12: SUIVival Stories....................................................
Lesson #13: Movement............................................................
Lesson # 14: Anilllal Movement................................................
usson #15: Field Study III - Exploring Animal Movement........
usson # 16: Beach Zonation....................................................
Lesson #17: Field Study IV - Animal Habitat............................
Lesson # 18: Preferred Habitats................................................
usson #19: Animal Communities............................................
usson #20: Food Chains.........................................................
Lesson #21: Field Study V - Pollution and Ocean Life...............
Lesson #22: Cleaning Up..... .................... ................................
Lesson #23: Dining at the Bluenose Cafeteria ... :......................
Ii • • • • • •
1
2
4
9
12
18
16
21
25
26
30
33
36
39
43
49
51
54
57
62
65
68
71
74
77
83
86
Table of Contents (con't)
Lesson #24: Underwater Forests................................. .............
Lesson #25: The ABC's of Sport Fishing...................................
88
98
SU'll1nlary .... , . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .
105
Biological Station Tour Questions............................................ 106
Bibliography........ . ... ... ........ . ........ ........ .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ............. . 107
1
Why Study the Seashore?
The seashore hosts a myriad of life, from water clouds of
microscopic plankton to voluptuous sunflower stars. A diverse and
complex carpet of life spreads out at your feet and provides a rich
opportunity for study. Here is the meeting place of land and sea, and
here we witness the struggle of animals to survive the hazards of the
intertidal environment. Once or twice a day, the nutrient rich ocean
waters sweep forward over the intertidal zone, bringing with them both
nourishment and life-threatening turbulence. Once or twice a day,
these waters recede and expose seashore organisms to the harsh,
drying rays of the sun, the buffeting of the wind, and dilution of the
saltwater habitat by rain. The life forms that live and thrive here are
highly specialized, and their adaptations for Survival are fascinating.
Likewise, here the drama of the food chain is played out in glassy
tidepools. We obselVe the teeming community of organisms under a
rock and life cycles unfolding in a crevice. The seashore is an ideal
stage for the study of living things.
2
Overview of Topics
Overriding theme: Survival
Topic
Lesson #
1. Habitat
a) saltiness
b) beach floor composition
c) identification and classification
of intertidal creatures
d) tides
e) zonation
1~ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
16, 17, 18
2. Animal Adaptations
a) anchoring
b) camouflaging
c) keeping moist
6, 7, 8, 9, 11
3. Feeding
a) methods (hunting, grazing, etc.)
b) mechanisms
c) diets of organisms
10,20
4. Animal Movement
a) escaping predation
b) factors affecting efficiency
c) mechanisms of movement
d) investigations in animal movement
11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
3
5. Ecology/Conservation
a) animal communities
b) food chains
19,20,24
6. The Ocean as Sustainable Resource
a) pollution in the ocean
b) cleaning up
c) edible creatures
d) using seaweed
e) fisheries management
f) the Sport Fishing Guide
21,22,23,24,25
4
Lesson#1:
Teacher background
Seventy-one percent of our planet's surface is covered with ocean
water. What is special about this water? First of all, it is salty, very
different from the purified water that comes from the kitchen tap. Salt
water is more dense than fresh water, and so objects float higher in
salt water than in fresh. This salinity has implications for life forms
which live in saltwater. The body fluids of developed organisms are
less salty than seawater is now. An organism that dwells solely in a
freshwater habitat will not survive in the marine environment, and
vice versa. Likewise, some intertidal creatures are better equipped to
deal with changes in salinity (due to rainfall in tidepools, freshwater
streams emptying into the ocean, etc.) than others. Tidepool dwelling
organisms and creatures of the high tide zone are proficient at
adapting to such alterations in their environment.
While theoretically our tap water is sterile, ocean water teems
with microscopic life. Wate:ry clouds of plankton (animals which move
passively with the ocean currents) inhabit the ocean's waters, as many
as 2.5 million diatoms (i.e. unicellular algae) per litre in ideal
conditions. These tiny life forms are a rich source of food for the
ocean's larger creatures. Plankton is made up of freely drifting plants
and animals, many of whom are the larval forms of more familiar
creatures (crab~, barnacles, shrimp, etc.). Phytoplankton (Le. plant
plankton) is responsible for the majority of oxygen production on earth,
and phytoplankton blooms can be so dense as to colour the water. Not
all plankton is microscopic, however, and some zooplankton (i.e.
animal plankton) such as tiny, shrimp-like copepods are visible to the
naked eye.
5
Lesson 4# 1: The Salty Sea
Focus:
Ocean water contains dissolved mineral salts.
Process Skills: Observing. predicting. inferring.
Time: 35 minutes (+ overnight drying time).
Materials and Resources: One jar of ocean water (previously for 10
minutes and cooled). one empty jar. severalacetate overheads. an
overhead pen. eye droppers. and the student handout (following
lesson plan).
Procedures:
1.
Introduce this lesson with a guessing game: ''I'm going to give
you some clues. See if you can guess the thing I'm thinking
oft"
Clues: a.
b.
c.
d.
Most of the earth (indicate globe) is covered with this!
Every life form needs this to survive.
This takes up more room if you freeze it.
This can float in the air. drop from the sky. run down a
hill, and support a giant freighter.
e. You should drink eight glasses of this every day.
Answer: "Water! And where do you usually find water?" (in
lakes. rivers. streams, oceans, ponds, from the tap. etc.)
2.
Send a student to fill ajar with fresh water. Then, display
the jar of ocean water Oar # 1) and the jar of fresh water Oar #2).
Have this chart prepared on the chalkboard:
6
Things to describe
Jar #1
Jar #2
l. Colour
l.
1.
2. Transparency (clearness)
3. Smell
4.' Taste
5. How it feels on your skin
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
5.
5.
3.
4.
Say. "I have two jars of water. but they're not the same! I want
you to compare them. Maybe you can guess where jar # 1 came
from ... "
Choose 3 children to dip their hands into the jars (one hand in
each). Have them air dry their hands back at their desks. Come
back to these children in a few minutes.
4.
Choose various children to sniff. observe and taste both jars of
water. Record their observations on your blackboard chart.
(Help children get accustomed to this framework for recording
information. Ask: "Where should I write this?")
Encourage concise. single word descriptions. Demand
specificity. Allow comparisons to be made (e.g. smells like salty
chips).
5
Questioning:
a. Where do you think jar # 1 came from? (the ocean)
b. How is ocean water different from fresh water? (it's
salty)
7
c. Salt is white and crystalline. Can you see it in the water? (no)
d. How do you know it's there? (you can taste it)
e. Do everyone's taste buds taste things the same way?
(No, because not everyone likes the same food)
f. So just because you taste salt doesn't mean there's salt there.
How could you really find out?
6.
Introduce investigation: "We're going to find out if there really is
salt in ocean water... ".
Have several acetate sheets prepared in this fashion:
7.
On the "ocean" side, put a drop of salt water in each circle. Do
the same for the "tap" side. Group children so that each child
has access to a sheet of these water drops. Distribute the
student handout, and have students complete parts A and
B. Emphasize the need for accuracy and detail. Read out
particularly apt descriptions and comments. Have the students
predict what will happen after exposure to air for 24 hours.
Compare the predictions. Ask why students said what they
did? No\v, put the sheets in a safe place to dry.
8.
The next day, examine the acetate sheets together. Have students
complete parts C, D and E of the handout.
9.
Conclude:
a. What did the water drops leave behind? Have students taste
the deposit left by the ocean water.
b. Why couldn't this salt be seen in the water? (It was
dissolved. just as sugar is dissolved in tea) Try to
dissolve some salt in a glass of water. See how much
8
salt can be dissolved before the solution is saturated?
c. What may have caused water spots left by the fresh water?
(fine dust that settled on the water drop may have caused
them)
d. And ... finally I Can the same creatures who live in salt water
also live in fresh water? (Don't supply an answer; encourage
students to think about it.)
10. Extension:
(Science)
Float an object in fresh water. Mark the water line on the object.
Now float the same object in salt water. Mark the water line on
the object again. What do you notice? (The object floats higher in
salt water.) What might cause this (Buoyancy is equal to the
weight of the volume of liquid displaced. Since salt water is
denser than fr~sh, less needs to be displaced, and so an obj ect
floats higher, ie. the water line is lower)? Would it be easier to
swim in fresh or salt water?
Name: _ _ _ _ _ __
Ocean Water Investigation
Problem: How is ocean water different from tap water?
. Water drop observations:
Irhinl2:s to describe:
Tao water
Ocean water
1. colour
2. texture
(smooth? rough? shiny?)
3. transparency
(is it see-through?)
4.shape
(top and side view)
B. Predict what will happen to the water drops overnight. (Will the same
thing happen to both kinds?) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
C. What happened to the water drops? (observing) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D. What did the water drops leave behind?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
E . Why did this happen?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
9
Lesson #2: Potato Strip Investigation
Focus: 1. Salt water and fresh water act upon living tissues
differently: salt water dehydrates tissues of terrestrial and
freshwater organisms, whereas fresh water is absorbed.
Invertebrate tissues of saltwater origin have a lower salinity
than current seawater salinity. Organisms (e.g. salmon)
which do change their environment must undergo major
physiological changes in osmoregulation to adapt to their
new environment.
2. A freshwater organism will generally not survive in a
saltwater environment, and vice versa.
Process Skills: Observing, predicting, inferring.
Time: 35 minutes (+ overnight soaking time)
Materials & Resources: One jar of ocean water and one jar of fresh
water, one potato, one knife, student handout.
Procedures:
1.
Review question "Can the same creatures who live in salt water
also live in fresh water?" If they decided "Yes", have them
investigate the consequences of these different environments.
Ask them to compare how their skin feels after a long bath
(wrinkled and puffy) to how it feels after playing with salty
homemade playdough (dried out).
2.
Introduce investigation: "It's a little impractical to soak our
hands in jars of water overnight, so we're going to use strips of
potato instead!" (Why? Potato tissue has about the
same salt content as human flesh!) Distribute
handout.
10
3.
Direct attention to materials: a container of ocean water (have
children taste it to verify its saltiness), a container of fresh water
(verify again), and a potato.
4.
Cut the potato into french fry strips. Distribute a few of the
strips for observation. Have students record descriptions of
strips as you work through part "A" together (use the board).
Snap a strip in half to demonstrate its crispness. (This is an
indication of its normal high water content.)
5.
Put half of the strips into the jar of fresh water and half into the
jar of salt water.
6.
Have students fill out part "B" of the handout. Encourage
students to use full sentences and to cite the rationale for their
position. COlnpare predictions. Refer back to the
bathtub jplaydough analogy.
7.
The next day: Compare the strips. How have they changed?
saltwater strip: limp; freshwater strip: crisp). Have students
fill out parts "C" and "D". Part "D" is tricky; do not accept
answers like "The potato strip went limp because of the salt."
Rather, stress that the freshwater strip stayed crisp because it
retained water, and the saltwater strip went limp because water
went out of the potato tissue because water will always move to
the saltiest environment.
8.
Conclusion:
a. Compare answers to part "D". Ascertain the students'
comprehension of the notion of dehydration.
b. What might happen if you put a saltwater
invertebrate into fresh water? (It will swell up with
11
water and rupture. Don't try it!)
c. What might happen if you put a freshwater organism into salt
water? (Its tissues will lose much of its inner moisture (body
water), shrivel up and die.)
d. How can creatures survive in salt water? (If fresh water
animals were to survive in salt water, they would have to get
rid of the excess salt that they take up. *)
9.
Next day: a look at plankton soup! Challenge students to look
up "plankton" in a dictionary at home. (print it on the board)
*Note: It is the natural tendency of chemical compounds (e.g.
water, salt) to establish the same concentration throughout the
surrounding environment. Hence, in freshwater, water will enter
the cells of a jellyfish to dilute the salty water in its system to the
level of the surrounding fresh water medium (the salts are
prevented from leaving by the cell membrane). Cells may
ultimately rupture. Salmon can survive both marine and
freshwater environments, but only when their bodies have
undergone the necessary physiological adjustments to
accommodate this change.
Extension:
When your mother peels a pot of vegetables in the morning for
dinner that night, why does she add a sprinkle of salt to the water
they are soaking in? And why does she cook the potatoes in
slightly salty water?
Name:- - - - - - -
Potato Strip Investigation
IA. ObseIVations of a fresh potato strip:
Observations
ThinJ!s to describe:
l.Appearance (colour, shape, etc.) 1.
2.
2. Texture (how it feels)
3 Smell
3.
4. Crispness
4.
5.0ther observations
5.
B. What do you think will happen to the strips after soaking them
overnight?
Will the same thing happen with each jar of strips?
C. What happened to the strips after an overnight soaking?
Irhings to describe:
Saltwater strip Low-saltwater strip Fresh water strip
I .Appearance
2.Texture
3 Smell
4 .Crispness
5.0ther
observations
D. Why did this happen? (inferring)
&
~
.. ~ f ';, . ;\ }-
. >, . '\
Yi \" ;.
I: ' '' : .
jf
i. ' \',
- :; I
. :
i
I
f/l
,
•
12
Lesson # 3: Plankton Soup
Focus:
1. Ocean water swarms with microscopic plants and animal
life called "plankton".
2. There are 2 kinds of plankton: zooplankton (animal
plankton) and phytoplankton (plant plankton).
3. Larger sea creatures eat plankton or plankton-eating
animals.
Process skills: Observing. diagramming. inferring.
Time: 35 minutes
Materials & Resources: Several jars (baby food jars) of seawater
containing plankton caught with a net. white paper. hand lenses.
handout. petrie dishes. eyedropper.
*Note: Plankton will generally survive for 2 - 3 days out of the
ocean if you keep them in refrigerated seawater. at not too
high a denSity.
Procedures:
1.
Place a couple of jars of plankton containing water on a table at
the back of the classroom. Screen them from view with a piece of
paper!
2.
Say. "I've brought some special sea creatures to school for you
to observe today!" and invite rows one at a time (make it a game;
imply that sea creatures are timid!) to view the jars. Lift the
screen for 10 seconds, then lower it again. Tell students to tell
NO ONE what they saw.
Chances are, students will have seen nothing.
13
3.
Ask. "What was in the Jares)?"
(students will probably say that there was only water in the jars).
"Let's fmd out for sure. I didn"t give you much observation
time ... "
4.
Distribute petrie dishes (one to a pair). hand lenses (one per
student), and white paper.
Fill each petrie dish half full of plankton-rich ocean water.
"Study the water very carefully, using your hand lenses. Draw
diagrams of any creatures you see." (Diagramming will be
difficult, but encourage students to try. It is a skill that
scientists need! Cultivate an atmosphere of quiet concentration,
and circulate.)
5.
Remark upon and hold up particularly careful. detailed
drawings.
Ask "What are these creatures called?" (Students who looked up
"plankton" will be able to tell you. If not, tell them that this
group of tiny creatures Is called "plankton")
"Are these plants or animals?" (Animals. Inform students that
there are plant plankton also. but they are smaller; you'd need
a stronger magnifying lens or a microscope to see them).
6.
After an appropriate time has elapsed, clean up the equipment
and recollect the water.
Distribute "plankton soup" handout.
7.
Use the pictures and questions as a basis for
14
discussion. Which zooplankton did students see the most of?
Answers to questions:
1.
There are probably thousands, maybe millions of plankton
in a bucket of ocean water.
2.
Phytoplankton are plants, and can make their own food
(producers) .
Zooplankton are animals, and ha,:,"e to catch their food
(consumers).
Phytoplankton are usually much smaller than zooplankton.
Zooplankton usually have some means of locomotion.
Phytoplankton (except for some called dinoflagellates, which
have whip-like tails), do not. *N ote: the phytoplankton in
the bottom right corner is a dinoflagellate.
Zooplankton are often the larval stages of familiar sea
creatures. such as crab. clams, etc.
3.
All ocean life depends on plankton for food. Phytoplankton
are the first link in the ocean food chain. In addition, during
the day, phytoplankton produce oxygen.
8.
Collect students' plankton diagrams. Staple them together with
a cover, "Water Drop Creatures". Keep it in a place accessible to
students.
9.
Review and conclude: "How is ocean water different from
sterilized tap water?" (It's salty, it dries tissues out and it
teems with microscopic life.)
*Note: Now that students have seen these salt water
creatures, prepare them for a trip to the beach for the
purpose of viewing larger seashore organisms.
15
Together, make a list of beach-dwelling sea creatures.
(Use no references)
Next day: A field study!
Name: _ _ _ _ _ __
Plankton Soup
Zooplankton
(animal plankton)
Phytoplankton
(plant plankton)
~
~
isopod (length
copepod
(length = 1 mm)
=
1 1/2 mm)
11'>~/ ..... :.=.,~····r-,u.\\
\ barnacle larva
(length = 1 1/2 mrn)
. euphausiid
(length =.
1 - 20 mm)
crab larva
(length = 3 mm)
(put a check beside ones you may have seen)
1. How many plankton might you find in a fresh bucket of ocean
water? (guess! 10's? 100's? 1000's?) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. What is the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton?
3. Although they are tiny, these plankton are very important to all
ocean life. Why might this be so? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
Name:- - - - - - Plankton Soup
Zooplankton
(animal plankton)
Phytoplankton
(plant plankton)
(put a check beside ones you may have seen)
1. How many plankton might you find in a fresh bucket of ocean
water? (guess! 10's? 100's? 1000's?) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. What is the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton?
3. Although they are tiny. these plankton are very important to all
ocean life. Why might this be so? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
16
Making a
Plankto~
Net:
Materials:
- string
- needle and thread
- nylon stocking or parachute nylon
- clothes hanger
- scissors
- wire cutter
- baby food jar and lid
- rubber band
- tape
First, cut and bend a piece of clothes hanger to form a Circle six
inches in diameter. Wrap the ends around the wire forming the Circle,
and then cover all sharp points with heavy tape.
Sew the upper, large end of a nylon stocking over the wire frame to
form what looks like a wind sock. Cut off the foot, leaving about one
foot of stocking. Fasten the small end onto an open baby food jar with
a rubber band. (Save the lid to help in transporting specimens in the
jar later.)
Use three pieces of string to fashion a bridle as shown, and to the
bridle attach a long length of heavy string or cord as a tow line. You're
now ready to go plankton fishingl
Explain the use of the net. Ask what will happen to the water when
you pull the net. (It will flow through the nylon.) What will happen to
animals too big to flow through the nylon? (They will get stuck on the
nylon and then get washed into the jar.)
17
Walk Mong a wharf dragging the net through the water. Examine
your catchl
Extension:
(Creative writing or art):
You have just eaten a magic smartie and shrunk to the size of a dust
speck. You find yourself drifting on an eyelash on the surface of ajar
of seawater, when all of a sudden you look down and see a swirling
cloud of graceful plankton dragons beneath youl
What do they do? How do they look? Describe/draw what you see.
18
Preparing for a Field Trip
1. Where to go:
Choose a rocky beach with a lot of intertidal life. Visit it before
you take your class there to familiarize yourself with possible hazards
and unusual phenomena. Obtain a map of any trails in the area.
Look for a suitable play area and a sheltered spot for lunch.
2. When to go:
Obtain a local tide table and choose a day with a suitable low
tide. The lower the tide the better as more organisms will be exposed.
Start activities an hour before low tide.
If you and your class are properly prepared, inclement weather
need not prevent your field study. Do not cancel on account of
clouds!
3. Organizational tips:
Send home permission forms that explain the focus and
rationale of your trip to the beach. Include a request for parent
drivers and/or supervisors.
Arrange to have a parent supervisor or aide for every 4 - 5
students. Supply supervisors with copies of "Shore Creatures" and an
ice cream bucket. On the day of the outing, explain the procedures of
the learning activity, boundaries, hazards, and re-gathering times.
4. What to do:
Keep initial field studies shorter than ensuing ones. Do not start
off with a day long sojourn at the beach! Depending on the length of
beach time, include:
- science learning activities
- snack/lunch time
- free time
19
*Beach related Language Arts/P.E. (games)/Art, etc.
activities
5. What to take:
- large garbage bags to sit on or use as shelter from wind
and rain
- ice cream buckets (with handles and lids)
- spoons and kitchen sieves
- steno pad with attached string and pencil
- special equipment such as thermometers, rulers, hand
lenses, plankton nets, etc., depending on learning activity
chosen
Extra teacher considerations: first aid kit, extra pencils, local field
guide, extra notebooks, toilet paper, wrist watch.
6. What to wear:
1\vo rules to keep in mind are (1) wear functional clothing and (2)
it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Layer clothing to
accommodate all weather conditions.
Basics:
- short -sleeved cotton T-shirt
- light, long-sleeved co.t ton shirt (for protection from sun or for
warmth)
- cotton trousers (blue jeans. track pants)
- socks; bring along an extra pair
- wind breaker
- garbage bag as makeshift raincoat
- rubber boots or heavily treaded running shoes
For warm weather:
- cotton sun hat
20
. - shorts for play timel
For cold weather:
- a woollen sweater
- a woollen hat
Pay attention to kinds of fabric your clothing is made of; cotton and
wool tend to both insulate and breathe better than synthetic fibres.
7. Pre-field study considerations:
On the afternoon prior to embarking on your trip, compile a list of
suitable rules for beach etiquette with the children. Consider these:
- do not litter
- obey park signs
- stay with your supervisor
- do not pick flowers, leaves, branches, etc.
- leave the beach as you found it!
- do not leave creatures stranded or exposed; replace rolled over
rocks gently.
- gather when the whistle is blown, etc.
Also, discuss possible hazards of the seashore (Le. currents,
waves, drop offs, slippery rocks, slippery or floating logs, sharp
barnacles and broken glass, etc.). Be aware that the tide can rise,
very rapidly, leaving one stranded on an island or trapped against
a steep bluff. Go over these hazards with your parent
supervisors, too!
8. Identify suitable local beaches:
e.g. in Nanaimo:
- Newcastle Island - particularly Kanaka Bay
- Piper's Lagoon
21
Lesson #4: Field Study I - Organism Identification
Focus: 1. Identification of intertidal organisms.
2. Classification of organisms according to specific physical
characteristics.
Process Skills: Observing, diagramming, classifying, researching.
Time: 1.5 hours.
Materials & Resources: Beach field guide ( e.g. Exploring the
Seashore), ice cream buckets (one to each pair of children),
spoons, steno pad with pencil attached by a string (one per child),
rulers (one per child), appropriate clothing*, and a rocky beach,
copies of "Shore Creatures" for parent supervisors.
*Reference: Teacher background
Procedures:
Be well acquainted with background materials before attempting
a field study! This lesson plan only includes the study part of
the trip. The structure of the outing (games, food, etc.) is up to
you.
1.
Assemble class on beach.
2.
Questioning: (short review of previous in-class preparation).
a) What do you need to be careful of on the beach? (Currents,
waves, drop offs, slippery rocks. and sharp barnacles. Have
students examine the treads on their shoes. All
seashore organisms are safe to handle except for
the larger crabs and sand worms, which can inflict
22
a powerful nip).
b) Where on the beach can you find creatures? (Under rocks. in
tidepools. in sand, on rocks, in crevices. etc.).
c) How can you make sure that you do as little damage as
possible to their home~? (Leave everything the way you found
it. Step carefully. replace rocks, leave no litter, fill in holes.)
d) How can you ensure the comfort of critters in your buckets?
(Handle creatures gently. put sand. ocean water. and a little
seaweed in your bucket. but no rocks (they will roll around
during transport)).
3.
Divide class into groups of 4 - 5. each with a parent/teacher
supervising. Allow about 45 minutes for creature gathering.
Include a brief time of silent tidepool watching within this period.
4.
Re-assemble class. complete with buckets and critters. Share
findings: "Did anyone find a creature with a ... "
a) hard shell
- clams (butter. littleneck, razor. horse)
- mussels (blue. California)
- snails (moon. periwinkle. whelk. limpet)
- chitons (black. gumboot, mossy, hairy)
- hermit crabs
b) outer skeleton, like armour
- crabs (shore. Dungeness. kelp)
- shrimps (several varieties)
- barnacles
- isopods. pill bugs, and kelp fleas
23
c) soft body
- anemone (green, aggregate, plumose)
- jellyfish
- nudibranch
- sea cucumber
-worms
d) spiny body
- sea urchin· (red, purple, green)
- sea star* (purple/ochre, sunflower, blood, brittle, leather,
sun, vermillion)
- sand dollars·
·note the radial symmetry
e) fms
- sculpins, flounders (flatfish)
- blennies, perch, clingftsh
f) worm -like body
- sand worm, tube worm
- eelpouts, blennies
5.
Were any interesting behaviours/phenomena noted? (e.g.
feeding, fighting, mating, laying eggs, etc.)
6.
Have each student pick a creature to draw and spend the next
15 minutes carefully sketching. Depict the correct number of
fins, legs, etc. Stress the need for detail, as these diagrams will
be used as references until the end of the seashore unit. (For
this reason, try to ensure that a variety of creatures are
chosen!)
24
Have students make note of:
a) colour
b) size (using a rulerO
c) protective mechanisms (Le. coverings, etc.)
d) how it gathers food
and if possible,
e) what it eats
Save these for further use.
.
Shore Creatwp,.,s
.~
.~~
She lied Crealures
i- :'
~
. , ~;'~".':
P~.riwinkle.J I em . b lue.blaCk, grey, dull brow"
PaCiFiC oysier. up.,tO<l5 em,
:
-I .,
f
Cockle.. 10 el'l1., browni91
white.'Middle-low tide..
zone.. burrowed in sand
or mud. Rlte.rs planKton
trol'l1 ocean water.
or Sir/ped. HiQh tide ~
on/unCle..- rOCXs. GrQ z.es·
Wnnkled whell<:. '1-7 c.m,
wh,te , orol'Qe, purpla.,9rey,
0" yellOw. Middle. - lower hde.
\':
00 olgoe.
qrey,sh white . Middle -ION
f ,de. zooa,od~red to nxJ<
wne, o n roc.ks, In crevI'~5,
or 01'1 mud. I=ifte,rs plankton ~
In tldQpools Ea1.5 c.iams, «.uS5els, from OceDrl water.
~
~ opphe.5
to 0/1
clams cifej .
C'/sters
~
!"vf. . ""
lim~ or Chl·neg€. hot, ;)-3
em:. brown, block, qrey, Or
whlte.,OI1 rocks II'It/OOfm's L/Hleneck clom , Gem , Manila clam, 5 ern.,
brownish wh ite. wiH,
ill ere.viceS. qra~e.s on
. brownish wl1ite
brown z'9·wg
olgae .
"
.
~,
. ,.
Butler clOm , I~H;! em,
Moon sYiail, I;). em, browr.ish
white. . r'1lddle.- bw tid '1 w ne,
burrowed In sond . Eats rJoms,
",>"Ods. f'Y\us:.e.l s , (lnd oysters .
~
•
pattern.
browr'lish I~h, te
~
~
Blue mussel up to 6 em.,
Navy blue or hrONn . Middle..
~
Clusters on rocks
Horse clarYI . up to aoem, tide.
011 ton , ~ -;25 em, colours
·:ary "Jlth speCJeg (ore'L, block,
..
brown, mC;tt!ed ru-;t). On ro( ks ,
,n c re.~',(e'j ,() the. low tide
7.e"e.. : :'lQ hx K (flit(\(] r1r1I.1e
.~.
Roze.-
Rnk macoIYlC,I·.;l eM.,
rosy pink.
Clam . 15 C.rV1,)
brown.
~ilte(s \\I()tef" for mlcro5cOp,~
pbnl<.tOt1 to f eed 01 .
white.
. .•J"
Rnk scallop" up106 C.rV1,
~--
rosy pink . Low- sub'
hdal 2we . Feeds 0I'l
Sand d am, 10 em.,
.. wkl (" (Jr.~r ) :.;,·u ;:1'.5 'j'. 'J /g ~le
. . ,:."
u
. ',
ZO'le , ,"
,'" "
0
Ch.)[k y
~
phytoplanKton ~,Imr e..d
from ocean water.
I';,olky wI1.te .
~ Crearl)reS w,th an Exoskeleton
A
Durqeness crab, back to
Shore u ob, back tol\-cm ,
~ rpe
Hermit crnb, operlure. of
orgreP.J\ ; often
5MII uSP,d : To If (n1., olive gree n,
brow", white. Qt11 blue . Tiaepods
~potte.d or mct1led. Lird er
r cell;) III floe. 1:'.91; 1iae
2Orie. and I~...er Sco.lle'13€.5
dood ollrral moler:ol
a nd uroer rocX~
In
dO em.) Jiaht browrisn
oronqe.. ::mallow t Ide, pools
in middle-low tide zone.
Feeds on detrit us
t he hrgh
tide.. zor,e.(ord lower). Scdv~ e.s
pbnr ard onllYlOI materia l .
~
i~pod. 4c,." ., olive.
Rvckweed
gre.en. roul'ld amorq sea weeds
in 1.,..e. 11!;J1j tide. 1.CIl~, art::! ill
tldr.jXIOlS. Eat.s plant pal'll<ton,
seaweed. et195 of E.eoshore.
anImals, add d etritu5 (dead
~e(l rock era,b, 15 Cft1.. across
animal material).
•
.
.
Oresoo pill buq. I em, grey.
~
.•,,:-,
/
t\l'llf '
' .
D£!o,
v
II
It·. '
,-S J~ . ;1: ,,1 qreetl or
RollS up fn 0061/ to ~ ~elf.
f:or Mditional info., ref. to
rocl<wee.d l50pod.
o.rq hrown . 1i '1 ~roob In high t/da
..,,,'1.' ;('I', h . ' .11 delnh,s .
"<lc,k d~ep c;r
:-: ~e.P:oIs
It1
bCll ven~
11lotend\.
('I"C, Wl'1IS 'l
red.
10,,1 t ide. UJr1e .
d001 onl"101
k'elp c.t'ob , back to.3
em
I
darK recld isl1
brown or o1iv~ br"O.lJn
In seollo€ed beds. n'lladle,·low rae zor:2...
~
" " """I
."
.
~
- ••• u .• • • • • •
' ;"
.........
TidefXd SCUlpin, to IOem.,
blOCJ<, browt1~reYI .qreel1l
"'-'111/e.. ln fide
51',\ I'].qh
hct>, ZUJe 011 IONe.r. fetas
~)r1 small morrne. anm-:als.
Stbrr"y flounder,
Penpoilli qLlntlel
adu lt8 uptoQ1cm. in (blenn~)J !f5cm'J
lel'lgth. Insh<n.,iuv'e ·
u5U<llly,9fl3€t:1
niles Mt.lc.h arroner . StrnelllTles yeJ ION.
(1IcllI.). qrey. tall, white. red,brown .MiddleI" tldep::015 1I1J''I1Idc1l~ - low tide zcre.. a '
low h'ae lOr'te. 'teeds Of)
~r't1a l l h1Qrrtle animals.
monq::,t eeJ<rass
Feei1s on . fir)), .
morlne
Q'll m:lYS
•
'.
~
Nort~rl'1 cJinq~ish. to 15 el'll.,
COlour CI1o;~ ocrordina to
-
~,
Shiner pero" to Iscm., sil"e,r
and ye.llowish. Comrnonlyseen dr
of wharfs . Eors mOrl\1e., o"JIYrt'6.
surroundin s . CII'nq.s !6 un:1er, sroib,
side of ros It) rn'ql, lide lJfe.
I="eeds Of! small Sl'lails, WOfms,
ond &irimp-tike Qr'l irnols.
c:.-r::!'.......
gl,!" !?
4
& ypl~f'IGh, to 13em., colours
VQI'",.ln shallow 001/5 or O(curd
pilinqs,arYlcnqst eel qrt:!$ or
Othe7 ""o,..i ~ plQrl1S' Eats Stl'QlI,
.'Shrif'l1p-liKG creatuf'eS.
Calcareous tube \o\.CrrY\, tube.
-case", to 00 em. (Odual body:
Ii: em.), ~(d~white tube...
frothery red tentoc1es. On
"'.
rcx.k5 ;n low tide,. une..-r.e.ects
on miCftJswpic plankton .
5hri~, ~ .
25
Lesson #5: Back at the classroom
With the aid of supplementary field guides, library books, etc.,
have students "polish" their drawings and write ups. Use the handout
following this lesson plan for finished work. Encourage students to
draw large diagrams and to colour them. Be sure to double check
information cited by students if it seems dubious!
Assemble these pages semi-permanently at the front of the
classroom; they will be helpful during ensuiI!g projects.
Ask "What surprised you about your animal?"
Also, review plankton. Which creatures are plankton feeders?
(clams, mussels, barnacles, etc.). Which creatures used to be
plankton? (probably all of them, at some point!)
Name: _ _ _ _ _ __
Intertidal Life
1. Name of creature: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. Colour and markings: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. Size (cm or mm): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.__
4. Place collected (be specific): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
5. Protective devices (hard shell? spines? tough outer skeleton?
camouflage? etc.): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
6. How it gathers food: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
7. What it eats: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
8.0ther: ____________~---------
26
Lesson # 6: Moving with the Tides
Focus:
1. Tides rise and fall twice a day.
2. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on
the ocean.
3. Tidal currents can cause movement of objects; heavy
objects are most stable.
4. Animals need to adapt themselves to tidal action.
Process Skills: Observing, inferring, predicting.
Time: 45 minutes
Materials & Resources: A 7 to 8 cm deep dish pan, a single-hok
watering can (full of water), sand, gravel, rocks, handout.
Procedures: Try this one at home fIrst to ascertain the best
quantities of sand and gravel, the best rate of water flow, etc.
1.
Solve the mysteries! (Whodunit?)
Mystery #1: One day, you build an amazing sand castle at low
tide. The next day, you take your friends to see it and it's
gone! Who levelled it?
Mystery #2: One morning at low tide, you leave your shoes on
the beach. The next day, you go back to fInd them. You do find
them, but they are 100 m from where you left them! Who could
have moved them?
Mystery #3: One morning at low tide, you notice a
particularly large clump of mussels on a wharf pile.
You take your little brother to see it that afternoon
27
and it's gone. Where is it?
Answers: The rising tide levelled the sand castle, carried the
shoes further down the beach, and covered the mussels with
water.
2.
Questioning: (keep it brief)
a) What does the beach look like at low tide? (The beach is
exposed, larger area)
b) What does the beach look like at high tide? (Mostly water,
smaller area)
c) In a 24-hour day, the tides usually rise and fall (i.e. come in
and go out) twice. What causes this? (Gravitational pull of the
moon.) Draw diagram on board:
water (exaggerated)
~/
earth
o
moon
Ocean water is
pulled closer to
the moon.
d) How does tidal movement affect the ocean floor? (Speculate,
then lead into the demonstration.)
3.
Distribute handout. Ensure that students can all see and
record information as you cany out the demonstration. Set up
your model of a beach. Ask "What usually covers the ocean
floor?" (Sometimes rock, gravel, mud, sand . . . as each is
mentioned, put a handful of the material into the pan. Group it
all together at one end of the pan. Allow children to draw it (#1
on handout)).
Tip that end of the pan up. Slowly pour water over the sand, etc.
Watch what happens I The materials should sort
themselves out by particle size.
28
Lighter particles should drift down with the water, some rocks
may hardly move.
*Be careful not to overflow the pan!
Have students draw the new arrangement.
4.
Complete #2. (Rocks move very little because they weigh more
than sand, while sand, being lighter, shifts more.)
5.
Slowly tip the pan back and forth now to simulate tidal
movement. Watch what happens. Complete #3. (Tidal
movement causes rocks and sand to shift. It washes things away
and moves things around.)
6.
Complete #4. Encourage students to carefully consider the
demonstration before answering.
7.
Conclude: "What did you decide?" (Live in a tidepool or move in
and out with the tide.)
Reflect: "If the pounding waves and shifting ocean floor can
make rough stones smooth, what could they do to live creatures?
(Batter them senseless.)
Question to think about: How else do animals protect themselves
from being carried off and battered by waves? (Provide no
answer.)
Optional: Do "Toughing it Out at the Beach" handout. Students
should place creatures under/around the large rocks.
29
Extension:
(Creative WIiting) Write a shape poem composed of words that describe
the sounds of the incoming tide. (Arrange words in the shapes of
waves. whirlpools. splashes. etc.)
(Science) How does a clam bury itself again after you dig it up?
(Research this one!)
Name:- - - - - - -
Moving With the Tides
Problem: How does tidal movement affect the beach "floor"?
Put rocks, sand, and gravel into a pan. Tip one end up. Pour a slow
stream of water over the sand, etc.
sand
gravel
rocks
1. Draw what happens:
Before:
After:
2. Why did this happen?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. How would tides change the beach floor? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
4. If you were a crab that lived on the beach, what would you do when
the tide went out? Draw it!
Name:'- -- - - - - -
Toughing It Out at the Beach
Find homes for these creatures! Draw them in.
~
~
wrinkled
whelk
limpet
(Chinese hat)
\~~
purple
star
shore
crab
~
hermit
crab
30
Lesson #7: Staying Put
Focus: In order to stay put, intertidal creatures have many ways to
remain anchored to the beach floor.
Process Skills: Observing and inferring.
Time: 30 minutes.
Materials & Resources: Handout ("Staying Put"), 5 pieces of paper,
masking tape, scotch tape, playdough blob, suction cup (3 cm
diameter), magnet, one blue mussel drawing.
Procedures:
1.
Begin with a short oral quiz to review recent concepts:
a) How many times a day do the tides rise and fall? (once or
twice)
b) What causes tides? (Moon's gravity)
c) How do tides affect the beach floor?
d) On a rocky beach, where will you fmd the most critters? (In
protected places, around/on/under large, stable rocks.)
e) Is it important for some animals to be able to hang on tightly
to one place? (Yes) Why? (So they don't get picked up and
tossed arolUld by the ocean waves.)
2.
Introductory activity: On a tray, have an assortment of
masking tape, scotch tape, a magnet, a lump of playdough, glue,
a 3 cm suction cup, and 5 pieces of paper. Ask "How many ways
can you think of to attach the paper to the blackboard?" Choose
volunteers to come and attach the papers using the
materials you have provided.
31
3.
"If you were a tiny shore creature, how would you attach
yourself to the beach floor? (Speculate) Show a picture example
of a mussel. How does it stay attached? (It produces threads
(byssus) that hold it firmly to a surface.)
4.
Distribute handout. Have students examine pictures of animals
to determine each creature's method of attachment. If students
don't know the name of the part that attaches, simply have them
shade these parts in and describe the~ in discussion.
Answers: 1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
5.
tube feet
tube feet
glue - to cement itself to the rock
a soft body that clings to a surface by suction
tube feet
a soft body that clings to a surface by suction
Allow students a few moments to work on this alone, then work
through them together. Points to stress about each are:
1) The sea urchin holds on to surfaces with its long slender
tube feet. ,The sharp spines are for protection and for
movement! (They are used as stilts.) (Did anyone see a sea
urchin at the beach?)
2) The sunflower star has tube feet with little suction -cup-like
ends. It can also wrap its rays (not legs!) around objects.
3) A barnacle actually houses a tiny, shrimp-like creature! The
animal attaches to a surface by a tough glue.
4) The visible part of the whelk's body, called a foot, is like a
suction cup. Compare it to the body of a limpet, its close
relative. (Did anyone pry a limpet off a rock? What did its
body look like?)
5) The sea cucumber has tube feet. What other
creature has tube feet? (1be sea stars, which
32
are closely related!)
6) The sea anemone has a soft body that also uses suction to
anchor itself. It also has a foot. What other creature shown
has a foot? (the whelk.)
6.
"Which methods of attachment used do these resemble?"
(Suction cup and glue)
7.
Colour in the creatures. Determine appropriate colours from the
students' animal write-ups (from the field study) and/or using
the "Shore Creatures" guide.
8.
Conclude: Besides these, what other adaptations do shore
creatures have for life on the beach? (Speculate: Protective
coverings (spines, shells, exoskeleton), special ways to capture
prey. special ways to protect themselves from drying out, special
colourings) .
Next day: a look at camouflage.
Name:
-----------------
Staying Put
What do these animals have that helps thenl to renlain anchored to
the beach floor? (Study the pictures carefully!)
1.
The sunflower star has----------3.
4.
The giant acorn barnacle has _ _ __ _
The whelk has _ __ _ _ _ __ _
5.
6.
The sea cucumber has ____________
The sea anemone has, _____
Name: ____--___________
".
i.;;eij
..
}:. ~
The blue mussel. "staying
put". The mussel attaches
itself to surfaces with its
surprisingly strong "byssal
threads", which it spins with
its long, slender foot .
33
Lesson #8: Camouflage
Focus: 1. Animals are often "camouflaged" (Le. disguised so that
they blend in with their surroundings in order to hide from
enemies and prey).
2. A "predator" is an animal that hunts another. "Prey" is
the animal that is hunted.
Process Skills: Observing, inferring.
Time: 30 minutes.
Materials & Resources: Slides or pictures of camouflaged animals
(National Geographic magazines are a good source), student
handout (blenny, rockfish or crab), 5 plastic containers
containing (1) white chalk, (2) paper clips, (3) marbles, (4) cotton
balls, and (5) coloured chalk.
Procedures:
1.
Introductory activity: Take one piece of white chalk. Put a
small pen mark on it. Show it to your students. "I'm going to
hide this piece of chalk ... I wonder how quickly you can
find it each time."
Drop it into a cottage cheese container that holds paper clips
(bottom covered only). Shake it up. Choose a volunteer to pick it
out of the container. Ask, "Was it easy/hard to find?" (Easy)
"Why?" (Because paper clips have a different colour and shape
than chalk, so the chalk stood out against them.)
2.
Repeat this procedure for each container. Save the
container of white chalk for last. Note that because
the colour/shape of your piece of chalk blends with
34
the contents of the container, it is more difficult to pick out.
How would you change the contents?
Ask "What could you change about the contents of the container
of coloured chalk and the container of cotton balls in order to
improve the white chalk's hiding ability?"
(the colour of the chalk or the shape of the cotton balls).
3.
What do you call it when objects blend with their background?
(Camouflage)
Show good examples of animal camouflage. Have children pick
out the animals.
4.
Questioning:
a) Why would animals need "camouflage"? (In order to hide.)
b) Who would an animal wish to hide from? (From other animals
who want to eat it! Introduce term "predators".)
c) From who else? (From other animals that the animal wants to
surprise, capture and eat! Introduce term "prey".)
d) What are some examples of animal camouflage from the
beach? (Sculpin, blenny, shore crab.)
5.
Distribute and explain handouts (your choice of 3).
Compare/share work upon completion.
Extension:
(Science)
Measure off a square (1 m x 1 m) of lawn or carpet. Count
out four groups of flfteen toothpiCks. Colour one group
35
green (or the color of the carpet), one red, one blue, and leave one
natural. Have a partner scatter the toothpicks throughout the square
of lawn and time you for eight seconds while you by to collect as many
red toothpicks as you can. Repeat for each colour group. Which
colour of toothpicks was easiest to collect? Which was most difficult?
Why?
(Art)
Draw/paint fish who are camouflaged against their surroundings.
Name: _ _ _ __
Camouflage
with the eel grass.
Name:
--------
Camouflage (con't)
1. Camouflage this wolf eel so that the Dungeness crab can't see him.
2. Camouflage the Dungeness crab so that the wolf eel won't
capture and eat him! ( Draw a background.)
36
Lesson #9: Drying Out
Focus: Intertidal creatures have methods of protecting themselves
from drying out in the air at low tide.
Process Skills: Observing, predicting, inferring. recording
information.
Time: 45 minutes (+ overnight or daytime drying period.)
Materials & Resources: 4 napkins. one small plastic container. a few
8 cm beach rocks. student handouts.
Procedures:
1.
"What dangers must intertidal creatures beware of?" (Some
are: tidal turbulence, predators. and drying out at low tide).
2.
Introduce problem: How can you keep a napkin wet for the
longest period of time possible?
Take student suggestions. Incorporate them (if possible) into the
investigation.
3.
Soak 4 napkins. Have students ascertain that they are equally
wet. Place them as follows:
Napkin #1: draped over a ruler.
Napkin #2: scrunched into a ball.
Napkin #3: scrunched and sealed into a plastic container.
Napkin #4: scrunched and covered with rocks or wet sand.
4.
Have students fill out the "BEFORE" questions. With
them. try to determine exactly what it is that dries
things out. (Wind, exposure to air, sunlight. etc.).
37
TIlls will be helpful in answering their questions.
5.
Cany out investigation. Fill out the relative degree of wetness of
the napldns at each time interval (you may want to write down
numbers representing "order of wettest to driest".)
Next day:
6.
Complete chart. ("Next day" section.)
7.
Complete"After" questions.
8.
Conclude:
a) "Which techniques were most successful for retaining water?"
b) "How might sea creatures keep moist at low tide?" (Crawl
under rocks 'and seaweed, scrunch up, seal themselves into a
shell.)
c) "Do any of these ways resemble the methods we used with the
napkins?"
9.
Reinforcement: See Student handout: "Keeping Wet" .
Answers:
1.
The shore crab retreats under rocks. It can store water inside its
shell.
The limpets keep tightly attached to a rock.
2.
3.
Periwinkles either retreat into their shells, or keep tightly
attached to a rock. They can seal off the opening with a hard
plate called an "operculum" (see bottom right periwinkle).
4.
Whelks: as with periwinkles.
5.
The sea star clings to the undersides of rocks.
6.
Blennies retreat beneath rocks and seaweeds and into
tidepools.
38
7.
8.
9.
Sculpins: as with blennies.
Anemones close up tightly to save moisture.
Barnacles close up their armoured plates to save moisture.
Name: - - - - - -
Drying Out
Problem: How can you keep a napkin wet for the longest
possible time?
Time
l.
/fur
,
After 15 mins
~
2.
3.
~
fj
4.~
After 1 hour
!
Next morning
Questions:
BEFORE
1. Which napkin will dry out the fastest? Why? _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _
2. Which napkin will stay moist longest? Why?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
AFTER
1. Which napkin dried out the fastest? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __
2. Which napkin stayed the weUest?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. How might intertidal creatures prevent themselves from drying out
inthesun?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Name: - - - - - - Keeping Wet
It's low tide at the beach! How are these creatures keeping moist?
8. Anemones
9. Barnacles
2. The lirnpets____________________________________________
3.Thepert~nkles ____________________________
4. The whelks _________________________________________
5. Theseastar_____________________
6. Theblenny______________________________________
7.Thesculpin_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
8. The anernones, ____________________
9. The barnacles_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
39
Lesson #10: Restaurant Beneath the Waves
Focus: 1. Intertidal creatures have many methods for obtaining food
at high tide:
a) scavenging
b) grazing
c) hunting
d) trapping
e) filtering
2. Intertidal organisms are physiologically equipped for their
particular method of obtaining food.
Process Skills: Observing. inferring, comparing.
Time: 40 minutes.
Materials & Resources: Student handout. clam picture, magazine '
pictures of:
a) a cow grazing
b) a spider ensnaring and paralyzing prey
c) a wolf hunting
d) carrion birds feeding on a carcass
e) a fisherman with a net
Procedures:
1.
Review:
a) "What does an intertidal creature usually do at low tide?"
(Hides from the sun. etc.)
b) "How does its habitat (Le. home) change when the tide comes
in?" (It gets covered with ocean water.)
c)"What might an intertidal creature do at high tide
when it is covered with water?" (Swim. move
40
around, and FEED.)
2.
Show the five magazine pictures. For each, ask, "How does this
animal get its food?"
a) cow: grazes on plants
b) spider: traps and paralyzes prey on web
c) wolf: hunts and captures prey
d) carrion bird: scavenges dead animals
e) barnacle: filters water for food
Line pictures up along board. Above each, write labels: grazer,
trapper, hunter, scavenger, and filter feeder.
Reinforce these 5 methods of obtaining food by having children
"mime" each example in the course of discussion.
3.
Show clam picture:
a) "How does this creature get its food?" (Its siphon.)
b) "How does it use the siphon?" (Sucks in water; filters food
from this water in its body.)
c) "What does it eat?" (Plankton)
d) "Which of these 5 methods does the clam use, then?" (Filter
feeding)
4.
Distribute handout. Instructions: "Look at the pictures. You
need to find out how each animal gets its food. How could you
do that?" (Look at what the animal is eating, look at its body and
examine its "food-getting" equipment.)
Hint: Every animal depicted is in the process of eating
something and its food is shown in each case.
Indicate which of the 5 methods each animal uses.
41
(Note: The nature of this activity requires speculation and
discussion. Encourage it!)
5. Answers: (Go through them together.)
1) Shore crab: scavenger (uses claws to rip flesh.) Crabs will
also hunt.
2) Sea star: hunter (locates and wraps rays around prey
(molluscs)) and opens shells with slow pressure applied by tube
feet. As soon as the shell opens a cra~k, the sea star extrudes
its stomach and envelopes its prey, digesting it while it is still in
its shell. The sea star also scavenges.
3) Jellyfish: trapper (traps prey with its long, stinging tentacles).
4) Anemone: trapper (lies in wait with its stinging tentacles
exposed. Paralyzes unsuspecting prey, then envelopes and
digests it in its sack-like body.)
5) Mussel: filter feeder (filters plankton from water.)
6) Limpet: grazer (scrapes algae off rocks with its radula, a
tongue-like structure not visible in picture).
7) Sea urchin: grazer (scrapes plant material off with its tonguelike ..Aristotles Lantern" (seen from underside; consists of 5 bony
plates).
8) Whelk: hunter (locates and drills hole through shell of its prey
with its file-like radula (not visible in picture) and sucks out the
creature inside. Note: the cockle shell shown is its prey!)
9) Barnacle: filter feeder (sweeps the water with its modified
legs; filters large plankton from water.)
*Dramatize these examples with mime, if desired.
6. Conclude:
a) "What special equipment do intertidal organisms
have for getting food?" (Examine pictures)
b) "How do intertidal organisms look different at high
42
tide when covered with water as compared to low tide? (They
are often more active and feeding.)
Next day: A Field Study (again!).
Name:, ______
Restaurant Beneath the Waves
(Dining at High Tide)
.,..
!~:':~-i;,:
~
"'e • _:
'.
".
7. Urchin
1. ___________________________
9. Barnacle
6 . _________ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
2. ____________________________
7 . ___________________
3. ____________________________
8. _______ _____________
4.
9. ____ _~______________
-----------------------------
5. ____________________________
Narne: _________________
"-- --·----l.__
c
----------...
.
.
~
-.
o ·
'0
0'
... : '
.............
, .....
•
0'
.'
"
0
0
-
.
The butter clam extends
its siphon to the surface
of the sand. It takes in water
which it then filters for plankton.
43
Lesson # 11: Field Study II - Survival Behavior
Focus:
Observation of survival behaviour in intertidal organisms:
a) retreating into shell
b) detecting and fleeing from enemies
c) camouflaging
d) maintaining the body's armour
e) seeking shelter
Process Skills: Observing, predicting, inferring, comparing.
Time: 2 hours
Materials & Resources: Steno pad with string and pencil attached
(one per student), ice cream buckets, large tub for observation
purposes, 3 glass jars wrapped in white, black and red paper,
digging tools (spoons etc.).
Procedures:
1.
Assemble whole group.
a) Review beach etiquette briefly.
b) Review question: "What dangers do intertidal organisms have
to beware of?" (Wave action, drying out, predation)
c) "A place can tell you a story. For example, a classroom strewn
with newspaper tells you that children were working on paper.
A fallen tree in the forest can tell you that there has been a
storm. The shape of a beach rock tells something about the
pounding of the ocean waves. An empty clam shell tells you
that some creature had a clam for dinner! What else on the
beach can tell you a story?
44
2.
Break into small groups, each with a parent/teacher supervisor.
For about 20 minutes, scour the beach for items that tell a story
about life on the beach, or more particularly, about predation.
Encourage speculation.
Teacher Background: Possible findings:
a) A rock with a "limpet track" on it shows where a limpet has scraped
off algae for supper.
b) A clam shell with a small, round hole d~ed through it shows that
a whelk or moon snail has had clam for dinnerl
c) A sea star missing a ray tells you that it has narrowly escaped a
dangerous situation. (The my will grow back!)
d) A crab with one leg smaller than all the others tells you that the
crab has narrowly escaped predation. It lost its leg, and is growing
a new onel
e) A soft crab skin or shell with its legs attached or internal
structures present shows that a crab has moulted (note which parts
of the body are covered by shell. Even the eyes!)
f) A hard, empty crab shell with no internal structures or legs present
shows that something has had crab for dinner.
g) A sea anemone with small bits of shell around its opening shows
what it had for dinner.
h) A bony fish skeleton shows that a fish has had its flesh picked
clean by scavengers (crabs, gulls, etc.).
i) An empty barnacle shell shows that a barnacle has died or been
eaten for dinner by a sea star.
j) A piece of wood riddled with tunnels shows where a shipworm had
dinner.
3.
Regroup class to share findings. What does each item suggest,
and how?
45
4.
Distribute job cards (one per group).
Leaders are to read out job cards to individual groups. then
groups disperse to gather organisms and materials to carty out
their "job".
5.
Reassemble class around the tub of seawater. Carty out
investigations (begin with sculpin investigation so that the fish
can sit in their jars while the other investigations are being
carried out).
Students are to record observations. make diagrams. etc .. in
their steno pads.
6.
Conclude: "How could all of these behaviours help the creatures'
survival ?"
a) Barnacles: need to retreat into shell to protect soft parts.
b) Cockles: need to detect the presence of an enemy in order to
escape.
e) Sculpins: need to change colour to improve their camouflage
to escape predation.
d) Hermit crabs: need to protect the soft parts of their body to
complete their armour against predators.
e) Sea anemones: eat meat to stay alive.
f) Sea stars: need to eat to stay alive.
46
Survival Behaviour Job Cards
A. Barnacles
1. Find several small barnacle encrusted rocks, each from a
different height above the water level on the beach.
2. Immerse them in ocean water (in the tub). What happens?
3. Do all the barnacles exhibit the same behaviour? Why or why
not?
Note: Barnacles that have been exposed to air longer will be
hungrier than those less exposed, and therefore will feed more
readily. If they have been exposed for 4 or more hours, they
will likely feed.
B. Sea stars and cockles
1. Collect a sea star* and several cockles** that are 5+ cm in
diameter. (Dig for these.)
2. Immerse the cockles in the tub of ocean water.
3. Next to the cockles, place a piece of stone. What happens?
4. Remove the stone. In its place, put the sea star. Nowwhat
happens? Why? How do the cockles know the sea star is
near?
(*Best sea star is the sunstar.)
habitats.)
(**Cockles are found in muddy
Note: Some sea stars prey on cockles. When placed near a sea
star, cockles will wobble away from it, hopping on their foot.
C. Sculpins
1. Collect 4 sculpins of the same colour.
2. Fill 3 jars with ocean water. Cover the bottom and
sides of jar # 1 black, jar #2 red, and jar #3 white.
3. Place a sculpin in each jar, and one into the tub.
47
Now wait.
4. After 10 minutes, look at the sculpins. What has happened,
and why?
Note: Sculpins are able to change colour and pattern so that they
can blend more effectively with the background, thus escaping
predation.
D. Hermit crabs
1. Collect hermit crabs of varying sizes and a number of empty
snail shells about the same size as those being carried by the
hermit crabs.
2. Mark the empty shells and place a number of shells slightly
larger than those on the crabs in a container of sea water with
some hermit crabs Record which shell is occupied by the crabs
at the beginning and end of the experiment.
3. What happens? Why? How could this be called "survival
behaviour"? Do the crabs change shells around?
Note: This experiment will be difficult and will require 24 hours.
Hermit crabs do not kill the snail inhabiting a shell in order to
attain the shell. They only claim unoccupied shells.
E. Sea anemones
1. Find an accessible colony of open sea anemones in a tidepool.
2. Drop various items into them:
a) a penny
b) a periwinkle
c) a piece of sandwich meat
d) a piece of seaweed
e) a pebble
3. What behaviours are noted? Why do they occur?
48
Note: Expelled materials are shinier and cleaner looking. Why?
What happens inside the anemone?
F. Crabs/Sculpins
1. Find an accessible tidepool full of shore crabs/sculpins.
2. Drop various items into the pool:
a) a penny
b) a periwinkle
c) a piece of sandwich meat
d) a piece of seaweed
e) a pebble
3. What behaviours are noted? Why?
G. Sea stars and mussels
1. Collect several purple stars and 3 different size groups of blue
mussels.
2. Find out which size of mussel the sea stars prefer to feed
upon.
3. Why might they prefer this size? How do they eat the mussels?
Place all animals in a mesh bag and hang off a dock
submerged in water for 1-2 days.
Note: Cany out this investigation while the sea stars and mussels
are immersed in water.
49
Lesson #12: Survival Stories
Focus: Intertidal organisms are equipped, physically and
behaviourally, to escape predation.
Process skills: Observing, inferring.
Time: 25 minutes
Materials & Resources: Student handout.
Procedures:
1.
Introduction: "Nature equips creatures with ways to protect
themselves. How do these animals escape from or protect
themselves against enemies?"
a) Rabbit (nms and hides)
b) Chameleon (changes colour to camouflage itself)
c) Porcupine (erects spines)
d) Woodbug (rolls up into an armoured ball)
2.
Distribute student handout (chart).
Allow children 10 minutes to work through it.
3.
Go through answers (see attached page 1).
4.
Conclude:
a) "Why would crabs bury themselves in the sand right after they
moult?" (For protection while they wait for their new, soft
shells to harden!)
b) "Would these protective devices work for these
creatures every time? Why not? "
50
(Some creatures can overcome their prey's protective devices.
Seagulls break clams open by dropping them from the sky.
Wolf eels can crack open sea urchins.)
c) "Would an animal be safer if it could move (eg. stany flounder)
or if it was unable to move (eg. barnacle, oyster)?" (An
unarmoured animal can escape danger more readily if it can
move away faster than its predator).
Next day: The dynamics of movement.
Escaping Predators
-Intertidal Creature
What it has or does for
protection:
It has strong claws, a hard
shell and is a drab rust
brown colour.
Name:' - - - - - - - -
How this helps it:
claws: defence
shell: armour
colour: serves as
camouflage
1. Dungeness crab
It has a strong, hard shell
and is a drab colour.
shell: armour
colour: serves as
camouflage
2. Pacific oyster
It has a tough warty skin
and can expell its innards
though its mouth or anus.
3.Sea cucumber
skin: defence
innard expulsion:
"eviseration" startles
enemies and gives them
something other than the
sea cucumber to eat
It has a hard shell that can shell: armour
be closed tightly.
4. Thatched barnacle
Contracts and folds up its
tentacles into its body (so
that it looks like a blob)
Folding up: protects the
more vulnerable parts of
its body.
5. Sea anemone
colour: serves as
It has a drab grey speckled camouflage. When a starry
body and flits quickly over flounder isn't moving, it's
sandy bottoms.
almost
impossible to
see.
6. Starry flounder
Escaping Predators
Intertidal Creature
1. Dungeness crab
2. Pacific oyster
3.Sea cucumber
4. Thatched barnacle
5. Sea anemone
6. Starry flounder
What it has or does for
protection:
Name:--------
How this helps it:
51
Lesson #13: Movement
Focus:
Efficiency of movement can be affected by:
a) the surface one moves on;
b) the direction one moves in;
c) the nature of one's appendages.
Process skills: Predicting, inferling, recording, comparing.
Time: 40 minutes
Materials & Resources: 2 - 3 wind-up toys, a small piece of carpet. a
gymnasium. student handout. a stopwatch. a shallow tray of
pebbles. a smooth table top. a piece of linoleum.
Procedures:
1.
Assemble the small piece of carpet. the shallow tray of pebbles.
and the piece of linoleum on a smooth table top at the front of
the classroom.
Have children come up to feel and describe each surface
(including the table top).
2.
Assemble wind-up toys (unwound).
a) "Which surface do you think the wind-up toys will run most
effectively on?" (speculate)
b) "Why do you think so?" (Briefly discuss qualities of each
surface: pebbles may shift, the table may be too slippery. the
linoleum may allow gripping).
3.
Wind up the toys and test them out on these surfaces.
What happens? Why?
52
Questioning
4.
a) "Do people move better on certain surfaces?" (yes, it's easier to
walk on pavement than on dry sand or on a cobblestone
beach.)
b) "What else can speed you up or slow you down?"
(The state of your limbs -if they are injured or impeded, etc.).
"Let's find out more!"
5.
Dispatch to the gym or playing field in order to more fully
investigate human movement. Bring along pencils!
Distribute student handout.
Record time that it takes the whole class to complete one lap
running counter clockwise around the gym.
6.
On the basis of this time, have students predict times for the
following trials (listed on the handout).
Be careful not to exhaust the class!
·You may choose to deSignate a smaller area (marked with pylons)
for students to run around.
7.
Complete trials. Return to classroom.
8.
Together, complete Part B.
9.
Conclude:
a) "What things slow you down or speed you up?"
53
(The surface you move on, the direction you move in, the
restriction of your limbs. REFER TO TRIALS!! How do arms
affect your running?)
b) "Is it easier to move to your right or to your left?" (Depends
whether person is left or right-handed).
c) "Is it easier to move uphill or downhill. (Usually downhill.
though it depends)
d) "Is an animal's movement affected by the same factors as
our movement?" (speculate)
Next day: Investigations in animal movement!
Name:- - - - Investigating Movement
r---------------------------------------------------,
I
I
! When do you move the fastest? !
IL ___________________________________________________ ~I
I
I
A) Time it takes to complete one COUNTER-CLOCKWISE lap:
____seconds. (running)
Mode/Direction of Movement
Predicted Time Actual Time
1. One lap CLOCKWISE with
shoes on
2. One lap COUNTERCLOCKWISE in stocking feet
seconds
seconds
seconds
seconds
3. One lap CLOCKWISE with
hands firmly clasped behind
back
4. One lap CLOCKWISE with
hands clasped fIrmly in front
seconds
seconds
seconds
seconds
5. One lap COUNTER-CLOCKWISE
canying a rubber ball between
the knees
6. Your choice!
seconds
seconds
seconds
seconds
B)
1. When did you make the best time?
T..::.. .=ri=a::.l. . .#:.:._ _ __
2. When did you make the worst time?T
..:...:..;n=·a=l....:;#:.....-_ __
3. What affects the efficiency of your movement? (In other words,
what things speed you up or slow you down?) _ _ _ __ _ _
54
Lesson #14: Animal Movement
Focus: Intertidal animals demonstrate many different methods of
moving from place to place.
Process skills: Observing. inferring. compartng. predicting.
Time: 40 minutes
Materials & Resources: Student handouts (2)
Procedures:
1.
Review questions:
a) "What factors affect how well we move?" (direction. surface on
which we move. the state of our limbs. etc.)
b) "What do people use in order to move from place to place?"
(legs. arms for balance)
c) "What do animals use to help them move from place to
place?" (Depends. Wings. legs, rays, tube feet, fins. etc.)
2.
Distribute Intertidal Organisms handout.
Instructions: "Look at each picture of the animals. What part(s)
of the body help each animal to move from place to
place? Shade them in. Be careful!"
3.
Answers (Teacher background)
1. Shrimp: Uses its legs. swimmerets (the small appendages
attached to its abdomen) and tail in order to move.
2. Sunflower star: Uses its tube feet. The tube feet enable it to
grip a surface.
3. Manila clam: Uses its "foot" to move. NOT ITS
SIPHON (the latter extends to the surface of the
55
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
sand). The clam extends its FOOT into the sand/mud. and
pumps it full of fluid so that it swells and binds into the
substrate. The foot then contracts. pulling the clam closer to
the immobile swollen portion of the foot.
Wrinkled whelk: uses its foot to move in an undulating
manner (like a caterpillar).
Red rock crab: uses 4 pairs of legs to move from place to
place. The claws are only for manipulation of food and
defense.
Blenny: Uses all its fins. tail. and entire body for movement.
(It wriggles back and forth).
Tidepool sculpin: Uses all of its fins and body for movement.
Sea urchin: uses its spines (as stilts) and tube feet (for
suction) for movement. The spines are also for defense
against predators.
Microscopic dinoflagellate: uses its tail for propulsion.
4.
Questions:
a) "Which animals do you think move faster on or through
(0 sand (ii) rock (iii) water ?" (speculate)
b) "Which animals do you think can move backwards?"
(speculate)
5.
Have students formulate questions about animal movement that
can be explored at the beach. Use the second handout. if desired.
These questions may have to do with efficiency of animal
movement in certain directions, on certain surfaces. etc.
E.g. Can a crab move in all directions?
56
6.
Conclude: Share questions. Select and refine the animal
movement investigations to be carried out at the beach next day.
Make sure that questions students choose to explore have a
specific focus and specific method of investigation.
Name: - - - - - Animal Movement
Shade in the parts that each animal uses for movement from place
to placet
1. Shrimp
2. Sunflower star
4. Wrinkled Whelk
3. Manila clam
6. Blenny
--. -.~­
~ /
--
7. Tidepool sculpin
8. Sea urchin
9. Microscopic
dinofiagellete
(plant plankton)
Name: ___________
Animal Movement Investigation
1. The creature I want to fmd out about is : __________________
(Pick one that you can fmd fairly easily at the beach.)
2. This is what I want to find out about it: _____________________
(someting about how/where/why/when it moves)
3. This is what I can do at the beach to find out: ________________
4. Equipment and animals I will need: _______________________
5. This is what I predict will happen when I cany out my
investigation: __________________________________________
6. This is why I think this will happen: ______________
57
Lesson #15: Field Study III - Exploring Animal Movement
Focus:
Animal movement is affected by
a) the direction of movement;
b) the nature of the surface on which it moves;
c) the state of its appendages.
Process Skills: Observing. inferring. predicting. recording.
Time: 2 hrs.
Materials & Resources: Job cards and/or student investigation
sheets (from previous lesson) THAT YOU HAVE APPROVED AND
DISCUSSED WITH STUDENTS. ice cream buckets, steno pads
with pencil. with 1 m string attached. jars (5).
Procedures:
1.
Assemble class.
2.
Review beach etiquette.
3.
Break into small groups (each with a parent/teacher supervisor).
Distribute job cards (following lesson) and/or student
investigation sheets. (You may wish to have each group do
several investigations).
4.
Disperse to collect various organisms and materials needed for
investigations.
58
5.
Carry out investigations. Have students recor d observations in
their steno pads and answer job card questions.
6.
Reassemble whole group. Have each group pick one thing they
have discovered to share with the whole class. "HOW DO THE
NOTED BEHAVIOURS FURTHER THE CREATURES SURVNAL?"
Return organisms to their respective habitats.
7.
Break for snack/games.
8.
Reassemble group.
9.
Stage a crab race! Draw the colour pattern of your crab to
identify it and put them all under a bucket. Draw a finishing line
in a circle extending around the bucket about 1 m from it. Lift up
the bucket. Do crabs "race" equally well in all directions? Do
most head toward the water?
*Note: Crabs will "race" more readily down the beach. towards
water, than up the beach.
Crabs are orientated toward their home beach. If you
remove a crab from its home and place it slightly further
down the beach, often it will start heading back home
upon release I
10.
Return crabs to their habitat.
11. Clean up and pack up!
59
Animal Movement Investigations
(for the Field Trip)
A. Periwinkles (or other small snails from high in the intertidal zone).
1. Collect a handful of periwinkles.
2. Fill ajar 1/3 full of ocean water.
3. Put the periwinkles into the jar.
4. Wait for the periwinkles to move.
Where do they go?
Why do they go there?
*Note: Periwinkles will climb up the side of the jar, not to escape, but
to get out of the water.
You may wish to have groups commence this investigation
FIRST, then set the jar aside while the snails slowly begin their
journey upwards. Check the jar every 5 minutes or so.
B. Clams
1. Dig up several clams, all different kinds (butter, cockle,
littleneck, manila).
2. Place the clams on a wet patch of sand or fine gravel.
3. How do clams bury themselves? (Be patient, and keep them
moist!) Why do they need to do this?
4. Do all species bury equally well?
C. Crabs
1. Dig a hole in the sand until you have a watery pit with a
sandy bottom (about 30 cm across). You can also fill your
bucket with ocean water and put sand in the bottom.
2. Wait for the water to clear.
3. Collect crabs of several species ~f possible and place
several crabs into the pit or container.
4. Watch them. What do they do? Why do they do it?
60
How do they do it?
5. Place 2 large rocks and/or some seaweed into the pit. Now
what happens?
*Note: Crabs may bwy themselves in the sand. Watch how they do
this! Also note the crabs defense position (leaning back, with
claws up). When you place the stones in the water, do they
seek shelter under them?
D. Starry Flounder
1. Capture a stany flounder (Good luck!). You will need a net.
2. Put the flounder into a bucket of ocean water with sand in the
bottom. What does the flounder do? Why?
3. Cover half of the bucket bottom with rocks. Where does the
flounder prefer to stay? Why? On what kind of a beach do
you usually find a stany flounder?
E. Sea Stars
1. Collect several sea stars of various types and sizes:
2. Turn them over onto their backs and lay them out on the
beach, out of water. Wait a few moments. Are they able to
turn over out of the water?
3. Now place them upside down in a tidepool. Watch them for
several minutes. (Be PATIENTt) What happens?
4. Which sea stars move fastest? Does size matter? Does
species matter? What does the sea star use to help it move?
When you finish, place the stars RIGHT SIDE UP in the ocean.
G. Crabs
1. Collect several crabs.
2. Form a circle with your group. Put the crabs in the
middle.
3. Find out if crabs can:
61
a) move fOlWard.
b) move backward.
c) turn back over if you flip them onto their backs.
d) move sideways
e) use their claws in moving from place to place
hang onto a piece of wood and dangle by one claw.
4. How can you tell when a crab feels threatened? (What
behaviour does the crab show you?)
o
H. Sculpins
1. Collect a sculpin.
2. Observe it in a bucket of ocean water with a sandy bottom.
3. How does the sculpin use its fins? Do the different fms seem
to have different uses?
4. Place a small piece or clump of seaweed (10 cm across) into
the bucket. What happens? Why?
5. Think of another thing (live or dead) to put into the bucket,
and watch the sculpin's behaviour. What happens? Why?
Other possible questions to investigate:
- Do sea urchins move more easily on a vertical or a horizontal
surface?
- How do sea urchins use different parts of the body for
movement?
- Can sea urchins move on sand?
Name:
------------------
Intertidal Animal Behaviour - Format ## 1
.Kind of animal: Be specific! Is it. for example. a shore crab or a red
rock crab?
Specific behaviour noted: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __
Explain terms. Tell what the creature does and when - ego a crab
rears up and brandishes its claws when it is poked.
Possible reason for behaviour: -----------------Begin sentence with "I think that ... " Tell WHY the creature behaves
as it does. How does this further its survival? (key concept)
Animal Movement - Format ##2
Kind of animal: ______________________
What I noticed about how it moves or acts: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Describe WHAT happened and WHEN (eg. When I released the
crab it raced over to a rock and crawled under it. 1
OR:
Give a detailed description of how an animal moves ( ego which
fins does a sculpin use to move a certain way? )
Why I think it does this: ________________________________
How does an animal ensure its own survival (key concept) by
doing this? Begin sentence with "I think that ........ ..
Name: ___________________
Intertidal Animal Behaviour - Format # 1
Kind of animal: _____________________________
Specific behaviour noted: ___________________
Possible reason for behaviour: __________________
Animal Movement - Format #2
Bindofannnal: ______________________________
What I noticed about how it moves or acts: _______________
VVbylthinkitdoesthis: __________________________________
62
Lesson 1# 16: Beach Zonation
Compile a small booklet of student obselVations of intertidal
animal behaviour. Obtain a short entry from every child, in sentence
or short paragraph form. Use steno pad obselVations as a basis for
entries.
Allow students to discuss their findings from the field trip with
one another; you could even have them make small group entries
(using the same small groups formed during the field study). These
entrtes would naturally be more extensive than individual entries.
If possible have this booklet typed out and enough printed to give
one per child. Design a cover.
Use the following page as a general guideline for the set up of
student entrtes. Work through an example together.
Stress to students that while their obselVations may be correct,
their inferences may require more research and experimentation to be
considered completely correct.
Teacher Background: Zonation
Subject to the changing tides, the beach floor is a widely diverse
environment. Portions of beach may be exposed to air only twice a
year, while other portions are dry much of the time. This interplay of
factors results in "tidal zones", specific areas on the beach that are
characterized by certain environmental conditions and life forms.
These zones are separate but often overlap somewhat. They are
dependent on the interaction of such agents as temperature, wave
action, salinity, etc. The following zones are discernible at
the beach:
63
1.
The spray zone: Most of the time this upper beach area is
exposed to air. It is splashed almost dally by ocean spray, and ,
washed by waves only during high spring tides and storms.
Organisms here must tolerate drastic changes in temperature and
salinity, and must be able to retain moisture for long periods of
time. The spray zone is home to lichens, mosses, some insects
and amphipods, and several varieties of small snails.
2.
The high tide zone: Generally uncovered except during high
tides, the high tide zone is also subject to large fluctuations in
temperature, water cover and salinity. Many creatures here are
equipped with a hard outer covering to help retain moisture.
These animals are more conditioned to living in air rather than in
water, although they depend on the tides to bring in food.
3.
The middle tide zone: Typically, this zone is uncovered by low
tides twice a day. Temperature and salinity changes are less
drastic here, and animals who inhabit this zone may actually
require the rise and fall of the tides.
4.
The low tide zone: Almost always covered except during the
lowest of tides, the low tide zone is the most environmentally
stable of all of the zones. Most organisms here are subtidal
creatures that cannot exist higher on the beach. This zone
supports more life than all of the other zones combined.
5.
Tide pools: As the tide recedes, pools of ocean water are left in
natural crevices and basins. Life abounds in these pools,
although because the water is not renewed during low tide, tide
pool organisms are subjected to a number of stresses. Water
becomes oxygen depleted, and water temperature and
salinity fluctuate with the tides.
Narne: _______________
Tidal Zones on a Rock Face
5proy Zone.,
s...L- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- --
Middls TIde, Zone
----~~,-------- -~~--------~---:~-=~
,\
@
~. 'clams llvd
~
~ oy~tCf7 (sal1dy
beaCk)
64
Before Field Study IV :
1.
Develop a class legend for depicting intertidal creatures quickly
and easily. Have each student copy it into his/her steno pad.
Note: Different species (e.g. of clams) are often found in different
zones.
Example: periwinkle
whelk
barnacle
shore crab
sea star
blenny
sculpin
isopod
tube worm
oyster
limpet
chiton
amphipod
etc.
(Examine map legends and how they are used.)
2.
Have students draw four 10 cm x 10 cm squares in their steno
pads. Label them Plot #1, Plot #2, etc. They will need these
for the next field study !
3.
Practice using the legend on a scrap piece of paper. (E.g. "How
would you show that a rock has six barnacles, one shore crab,
and one sculpin under/around it?")
65
Lesson # 17:
Focus:
Field Study IV - Animal Habitat
1. Tidal zones host different creatures because of differing
environmental conditions.
2. Intertidal creatures are specially equipped for survival in
their particular tidal zone.
Process Skills: Observing, recording comparing, inferring.
Time: 1 hour
Materials & Resources: Steno pads (with accompanying legends and
blank squares), one metre long piece of string knotted together
at the ends, piece of plastic to sit on, pencils, field guides.
Procedures: *Note: Begin at least 1 hour before low tide!
1.
Assemble class.
Ascertain that each student has:
a) steno pad
b) legend
c) pencil
d) piece of string
e) piece of plastic to sit on.
2.
Review beach etiquette.
3.
Questioning:
a) "Where do you go on the beach if you want to find a sea star?"
(Close to where the ocean water meets the shore, under a
rock).
b) "Where do you find the most periwinkles?" (Further
up the beach, around rocks).
· 66
c) "Would you find a sea star up where all the periwinkles are
located?" (Probably not)
d) "Why not?" (That part of the beach is out of the water longer. It
is not cool and wet enough for a sea starl)
e) "So do you find the same creatures on all parts of the beach?"
(NOn
f) "Why not? (Because different parts of the beach have different
environmental conditions.)
4.
"Now we're going to carty out a study that tells you WHAT lives
WHERE on the beach!"
a) Introduce zone study method. Starting at the low tide zone
(see teacher background), each student arranges his/her string
in a square on a plot of beach ground.
b) In the first blank square marked in his/her steno pad, the
student records what life inhabits the plot of ground delineated
by the string. (Use the legend for this! Do not attempt to
depict every stone.)
c) To cany this out, it may be necessary to lift stones and
seaweed to fmd out what lurk beneath them. BE SURE TO
REPIACE THEM! (Otherwise the creatures may die.)
d) Repeat this procedure 3 - 4 times, each time moving farther up
the beach to successive tide zones (you may want to move the
class as a whole to each new general location) .
Be careful of the rising tide when you are in the low tide zone!
5.
Have students make note of the colour of seaweeds and lichens
that are present in each zone, tool
6.
Reassemble whole class.
7.
Together, scan the beach. Ask,"Are any bands or
67
strips of colour evident on the beach floor?"
What you MAY see is this:
black and yellow lichen strip (spray zone)
blue green algae strip (high tide zone)
brown green algae strip (middle tide zone)
red algae strip (low tide zone)
These bands are more evident and narrower on a steep beach.
8.
Questioning:
a) "Why are these strips different colours?" (Because different
kinds of plants grow there.
b) "Does animal life change, as you move down the beach too?"
(Yes! Share zone study fmdings briefly. Which animals are
found in only ONE tide zone? Which creatures appear in more
than one? Why?)
9.
Clean up.
68
Lesson # 18: Preferred Habitats
Focus: 1. Different tidal zones are characterized by different
environmental conditions.
2 . Intertidal creatures within a tidal zone are specially
equipped for survival within that zone.
Process Skills: Inferring, comparing, observing, recording
Time: 40 minutes
Materials & Resources: Ground plot "maps" from previous field
study (4 per child), one blank bulletin board, student handout.
Procedures:
1.
Staple the ground plot squares (I.e. the squares on which
students recorded intertidal life in the previous lesson) to the
bulletin board. Group "plot #1" squares together, "plot #2"
squares together, and so forth. Place the squares edge to edge
and corner to corner so that they form a "quilt".
(Don't label the zones yet!)
*You are advised to do this before the lesson, as it is quite time
consuming.
2.
With the whole class examine the "quilt" for trends. Questions to
consider:
a) Do any creatures appear in all areas?
b) Do any creatures appear in only one area?
c) Do creatures in a certain area have a common body
type / covering?
69
d) Where are the most fragile life forms found?
e) Where are the hardiest life forms found?
f) What colours of seaweed seem to appear in each area?
g) Which area seems to support the most life?
3.
Using these observations, divide the quilt into four tidal zones.
Label them spray, high tide, middle tide and low tide zone.
4.
Distribute handout.
5.
Instructions:
a) Fill out the legend.
b) Draw creatures (using the symbols) into their appropriate tidal
zone(s).
(Quickly draw a replica of the beach scene on the board and a
couple of examples, such as blennies and periwinkles. Also, draw
attention to the tidepools in the high and middle tide zones)
6.
Answers to questions: (Who Lives Where Handout)
1. The high tide and spray zones.
2. Predation and drying out
3. The low tide zone.
4. Low tide zone creatures often have softer bodies and are
not designed to retain moisture for long periods of time
(e.g. the sea cucumber). Creatures higher up on the
beach tend to have more "armour" to minimize water
loss.
*Use this last question to stress the notion that creatures
are equipped for survival in their particular
habitat.
70
7.
Conclude: Link animal behaviour to habitat with these questions:
a) "What tide zone do pertwinkles live in?" (Spray and high tide
zone)
b) "What did periwinkles do when you put them into a jar of
seawater?" (They climbed up the sides of the jar, out of the
water).
c) "How can the first fact explain the second fact?"
(Periwinkles live high on the beach, where they are dry much of
the time. Therefore, when you put them into ajar of water, they
climb out of the water because they're not accustomed to being
immersed in water for long)
Next day: Animal Communities
Name: ___________
What Lives Where?
- - - - --- -- - - - - - - - - - - -
Middle, TIde li:Jne.-
.,
:
-
-,,'~-
. .....--*... ~ ..
Legend:
periwinkle
whelk
shore crab
-----
~,
barnacle
red rock crab
sea urchin
sea anemone
blenny
sculpin
purple star
sunflower star
limpet
isopod
hermit crab
blue mussel
tubewonn
chiton
1. Which two zones spend the least time underwater? ________
2. What do creatures in these zones need to adapt for?
3. Which zone spends the most time underwater? ____________
4. How are bodies of creatures in this zone different from the bodies of
creatures in the spray and high tide zones? Why is this so?
71
Lesson #19: Animal Communities
Focus: Animals live interdependently in communities.
Process Skills: Inferring. comparing. observing. recording.
Time: 45 minutes
Materials & Resources: Student handout. tide zone bulletin board.
hand lenses (one per child). steno pads and pencils.
Procedures:
1.
Introduce lesson with these questions:
a) "What is a community?" (a number of people of different
nationalities living in the same locality.)
b) "Do animals live in communities. too?" (Yes. different kinds of
animals inhabiting a common habitat form a community.)
c) "What are some different animal communities?" (forest. field,
swamp. beach)
d) "Do animals in a community NEED each other?" (Yes. often for
food)
2.
Introduce concept of a lAWN COMMUNI1Y. Distribute hand
lenses. steno pads, and pencils.
Go outside for 5 - 10 minutes to examine the minute life that
exists in the playground grass.
Have students either list or sketch creatures that they find.
(This may include birds)
3.
Indoors again, create a master list of lawn creatures
72
(including birds) on the blackboard.
"Do any of these creatures eat other animals on the list?"
Designate predator-prey relationships with arrows.
Make sure the arrows point from the prey to the predator.
Example: Robins
~
Worms
~Ants
Spiders
~
.... Flies
Lady bird beetles
~
Aphids
4.
Assemble class in front of tidal zone bulletin board.
a) "What creatures might live in the same community as a
periwinkle?" (High tide zone community).
b) "What creatures might live in the same community as a
blenny ?" _(middle low tide zone community)
5.
Distribute handout: The Tidepool Community
Clarify instructions.
Students will need to rely on (a) the bulletin board and (b) the
intertidal creature write-ups from the first field trip for
background Information.
(Question #3 selVes as a transition into next day's
lesson: food chains. Take time with it.)
73
6.
Conclude: Why do animals live together in communities? (The
community fulfills common needs of the creatures. Firstly. the
community exists in the habitat to which the creatures are
adapted. Secondly. animals may depend on each other for food.)
Name: ______________
The Tidepool Community (Middle - Low Tide Zone)
Instructions:
1. Draw in animals that live together in a tidepool community.
2. Which animals feed on one another? Draw an arrow from each
predator to its prey.
3. Do any food chains form? List the animals in a food chain.
74
Lesson #20: Food Chains
Focus: 1. All animals are part of a chain of energy transfer, starting
with the sun and ending with the earth.
2. If any element of a food chain is missing, the entire chain
is upset.
Process Skills: Inferring, predicting, recording, comparing.
Time: 30 minutes
Material & Resources: Stopwatch, student handout.
Procedures:
1.
Introduce lesson with this game in the gym or outside.
Instructions: Put slips of paper bearing the names of students
into a container. Each student draws out a slip. (They must not
divulge the name on the slip!) Upon a given signal, each student
must stand behind the person whose name is on his/her slip.
(Eventually a ring will form).
Time the proceedings with a stopwatch. Record the time to
complete the ring of students.
Collect slips and repeat procedure, this time removing a person
with -- his/her slip -- from participating. What happens? (It
should take longer for students to arrange themselves, and they
will form a broken circle rather than a complete circle).
You may wish to repeat this, removing two people from
participating.
75
2.
Back at the class:
Compare times for each trial.
a) "Which was the fastest?"
b) "Which was the slowest? Why?"
c) "How does the absence of ONE person affect people
who are supposed to stand behind him/p.er in the chain?" (It
takes longer to form the entire chain, and it is an incomplete
chain ).
3.
Distribute Food Chains handout.
Direct attention to pictures.
a) "What do you think the arrows stand for?" (Transfer of energy.
E.g. the clam is energy which goes to the sea star).
b) "What does a crab eat?" (It feeds on small clams or larger
animal remains.)
Quiz children on what each animal depicted eats. Review
plankton.
4.
Form a food chain together from the information given in the
handout. Examples:
a) Sun's energy -)- plant plankton -)- animal plankton -)- barnacle
-)- sea star -)- scavengers (shore crabs)-)- anemone -)- bacteria
-)- earth
b) Sun's energy -)- plant plankton -)- clam -)- moon snail-)- bacteria
-)- earth
c) Sun's energy -)- plant plankton -)- clam -)- sea star -)- bacteria
-)- earth
Stress that a food chain BEGINS with the sun's energy
initiating food (sugar) production in plant plankton.
and ENDS with creatures dying and decaying, thus
refurbishing the beach floor's nutrients.
76
5.
Have students answer questions 2 & 3. Relate the food chain to
the introductory game, where a complete circle chain of students
represents a complete food chain. and a broken circle or chain
represents an upset food chain. One missing link upsets the
balance of the whole.
6.
Conclude: "What could happen that would upset the balance of
the entire ecosystem?" (Speculate. Consider what may happen
to an oyster bed if people remove all the oysters.)
Name:
------
'~
; ~~,
~animal
tf
plankton
1. From the information given, make a food chain. The food chain
must begin with the sun and will probably end with
bacteria ~ earth (beach floor)
example:
~
.:::
--1;J
....
,,\\
sun
}
plant
plankton
~
animal
plankton
~
barnacle
*
sea star
S
@
scavengers earth
2. Examine your food chain. What would happen if one of the "links"
were missing (Think of the game in the gym!) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Animals who feed on that link would either a) starve or b) fmd
something else to eat, which may in turn further disrupt the food
chain
3. Why would it be important to the sea star to have a lot of plant
plankton in its habitat? _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __
Although the sea star does not feed on plankton ITSELF, it feeds
on creatures which do (the prey of its prey eats
plankton). THEREFORE, if there is a lack of plankton
there will also be a reduced number of plankton
feeders.
Name: - - - - - -
1. From the information given, make a food chain. The food chain
must begin with the sun and will probably end with
bacteria ~ earth (beach floor)
2. Examine your food chain. What would happen if one of the "links"
were missing (Think of the game in the gym!)
3. Why would it be important to the ~ea star to have a lot of plant
plankton in its habitat? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
------------- -- ---- -- - - - - - -- - - -- -- - -
Name: _ _ _ __
An Ocean Food Chain
M(erOSCO~i c
Zooplon kton
"
~.
t
~ ~~
- - - * .~
~
I
.
~
~
qv
I
~ ~
~
~
'MicroscopiC
Q
'fa (])
Phytoplankton
cpJ
77
Lesson 21: Field Study V - Pollution and Ocean Life
(Teacher background)
From a carelessly discarded styrofoam coffee cup to a massive oil
spill. pollution takes its toll on ocean life every day. While a clear
plastic bag may appear to do little harm as it rests passively on the
beach. float it out to sea and it becomes a drifting death trap. Equally
alarming is the fact that a chemical dump in the ocean may still
actively destroy ocean life decades after its initial impact. Individually
and collectively, human beings are responsible for much damage to the
ocean community.
Pollution takes many forms. Plastic debriS in our oceans kills
millions of creatures each year: it can entrap fish, mammals, turtles,
and birds and lead to their eventual drowning, strangulation, or
starvation. It can also be ingested, giving rise to a host of other
ailments. A particular case in point is that of the leatherback sea
turtle. The leatherback sea turtle sustains its great bulk on a diet of
jellyfish. Mistaking clear plastic bottles and bags for jellyfish, the
turtle will consume large amounts of plastic. This non -digestible
plastic neither breaks down nor provides nourishment, and as a result,
the turtle will starve to death with a stomach full of plastic. Autopsies
of many dead sea turtles have disclosed massive accumulations of
plastic in the gut.
This problem is not exclusive to the leatherback sea turtle. Many
sea creatures ingest plastic, including some forty-two species of
seabirds as well as marine mammals such as dolphins. It is a
decidedly unhealthy practice. The toxins (such as PCBs) in some
debriS can cause many maladies, such as eggshell thinning in
seabirds, while sharp edges on hard plastic trash can
lacerate an animal's stomach.
78
The problems with plastic debris do not stop here. either.
Animals and birds will often nudge or dive into marine debris and end
up muzzling or throttling themselves. This can result in a slow painful
death. The plastic net looped around a young seals neck will not
expand as the seal grows; nor will it decay and fall away from the
animal. Instead. as the animal gradually grows in size. the net will
constrict and eventually strangle the seal.
Lost or discarded fishing nets. called "ghost nets". can drift.
barely perceptible, for years in the ocean, snaring unsuspecting
animals. Often animals that are trapped in a ghost net act as a lure to
other animals .... and the process continues. These monofilament nets
are non-biodegradable.
Of course, plastics are only one fonn of pollution. Oil and
chemical spills also take a drastic toll on ocean life. While much
damage is overt and immediate (such as in the case of oil-drenched
seabirds), often the harm done to ocean life is more insidious.
Because of their denSity. pollutants such as PCBs. heavy metals. and
pesticides will settle on the ocean floor and remain there for years.
When bottom feeders such as the grey whale ingest large quantities of
bottom dwelling marine animals. the poisons accumulate within the
whale and may ultimately result in its death. Even if death does not
immediately occur. the poisons can lower the whales immunity to
disease and infection. causing liver disease and reproductive failure.
I
The effects of ocean pollution can be tragic and far reaching. If
the balance of life within the ocean is to be maintained. it is the
responsibility of both the individual and of industty to control
pollution.
79
POPCORN SLINGER ASSEMBLY
Materials:
1 plastic bucket with cut out bottom covered with screening. or
1 cloth bag (burlap, pillow case, feed bag. etc.)
25 meters of heavy twine or light rope marked off in 5 meter
intervals.
To make a popcorn slinger:
1. Firmly tie the 25 meter line to one corner of the open end of
the bag or bucket and tie a loop (large enough to go over a
nearby rock or post) at the other end of the rope.
2. If a bag is used. place a weight. such as a rock the size of a
tennis ball, in the bottom of it and tie the rock off in one
corner to hold it in place.
To use your popcorn slinger:
Practice tossing the empty popcorn slinger a few times before
putting in the popcorn. Once you get the feel of it. fill the popcorn
slinger with about 20 liters of popped corn and take a strategic
position (dock, breakwater, large rock. etc.) from which to toss the
corn. Have someone else slip the loop over a rock or post and keep the
line tangle free so it does not hinder the bucket or bag's flight. (The
loop around the rock keeps the bucket or bag from being lost at sea.)
When everything is ready. grab the rope near the bag and start
twirling the popcorn slinger over your head. When the bag or bucket
has gathered momentum, let it fly out over the water. Mer landing.
the weight of the bucket or rock will pull the bag under the water and
the buoyant popcorn will be forced out of the opening of the bag.
Before hauling the bag in, let it sink beneath the surface so
as not to disturb the spill.
80
Pollution and Ocean Life
Focus:
1. Through pollution, human beings can have a negative
impact on ocean life.
2. People who care about ocean life can prevent pollution,
and thereby protect ocean life.
Process Skills: Observing, predicting, inferring, recording
Time: 1 hour
Materials & Resources: garbage bags, popcorn slinger, steno pads
with pencils.
Procedures:
1.
Assemble class on beach.
2.
Review beach etiquette.
3.
Commission students to find evidence of human beings on the
beach: "Find things that tell you that people have been heret"
Collect items for about 20 minutes, possibly longer.
4.
Reassemble class.
How much litter was found?
Sort litter into two piles: biodegradable and NON-biodegradable.
Which pile is bigger?
5. Questioning:
a) Would it be better if litter could decay on the beach,
81
or not? (It would be better if it could break down).
b) "Why? What's so bad about litter on the beach?" (Encourage
speculation. The main problem with plastic litter is
that it floats out to sea. Mistaking it for food, many sea
creatures will eat it. Because this plastic is non -digestible,
and provides no nourishment, sea creatures can gorge on it
yet starve to death at the same time. This is a particular
problem for the leatherback sea turt:le, who often mistakes
clear plastic for the jellyfish that it habitually feeds upon.
Many sea mammals suffer a similar fate. Likewise, seabirds
will often feed on small bits of plastic or styrofoam, thinking
they are eating sand hoppers.
Another problem with non-biodegradable litter is that if it gets
wrapped around a creature, it can slowly strangle the animal
as it grows or as the item tightens. Lost nylon nets and ropes
are notorious for causing this.
c) "What does this do to an ocean food chain?" (Upsets it; much
life is affected)
d) "How can you prevent this?" (Deposit litter in a garbage can.
Do so now. Make a clean sweep of the beach now if the
class has not already done so.)
6.
"Litter is usually caused by individual people. What kinds of
pollution can be caused by indusUy (defme)?" (Chemical
dumping, oil spills, etc.)
Stage a- simulated oil spill using popcorn and a
popcorn slinger. Have students predict how far the
popcorn will travel in 10 minutes. For a given period
82
of time (eg. 10 minutes), have students follow the popcorn,
making note of intertidal organisms that could be affected by it.
This may include birds, etc.
7.
Conclude:
a) "How far did the oil (popcorn) go in 10 minutes?"
b) "How far could it go in a day?" (estimate)
c) "Why does this matter?" (The adverse effects of an oil spill
cany on as long as the oil is in the water; a spill does not
remain stationruy. For more information on what those effects
are and how they can be countered, see next days' lesson.
83
Lesson #22: Cleaning up
Focus: 1. Oil spills have a devastating effect on ocean life.
2. Although it is a complicated, expensive, and drawn out
process, people can clean up oil spills.
Process Skills: Observing, inferring.
Time: 40 minutes
Materials and Resources: Aluminum pie plates, feathers, chain saw
oil, cotton balls, eyedroppers, bits of string, pieces of styrofoam
and cardboard, nylon stockings, straws, student handout,
detergent (ie. Sunlight, etc.).
Procedures:
1.
Opening questions (refer to lists of organisms made during
previous field study):
a) "What animals may have been affected by the popcorn 'oil
spill'?"
b) "How might they be affected?" (some may suffocate, some may
be poisoned, some, like sea birds, may have their movement
badly restricted as a result of the oil).
2.
Introduce demonstration: how oil affects feathers.
Drop a few clean feathers into a basin of clean water. Watch the
feathers drift lightly on the surface of the water.
Drench more feathers in heavy oil (chain saw oil works well)
and drop them into the water. Compare the two
groups of feathers. Note how much heavier and more
sluggish the oil logged feathers are than the clean
84
feathers.
"How would a bird feel if it were covered in oil?" (Heavy,
sluggish; it couldn't fly. Compare this to how you feel when you
go swimming with all of your clothes on. Think of how seabirds
who dive for food would get coated in heavy sludge. Hampered
by oil, and a having lost its ability to keep warm, the bird would
soon exhaust itself).
3.
Investigation: "Cleaning up"
Challenge: Oil spills pose a threat to ocean life. Find the best
way to clean up after an oil spill.
Break class into small groups (or organize as you see fit). Supply
each group with an aluminum pie plate half full of water with a
small pool of oil in the middle (9 cm in diameter). Also supply
each group with an assortment of cotton balls, eyedroppers, bits
of string, pieces of styrofoam and cardboard. a nylon stocking. a
straw, etc.
Distribute handout.
4.
Mter investigation, complete handout.
Go through answers together.
5.
Set up another demonstration oil spill. Add some detergent. Stir
it up.
a) "What happens to the oil slick?" (It disperses).
b) "What happens to the soap?" (It stays in the water).
c) "What could the soap do to sea creatures?" (It could
poison them).
85
6.
Conclude:
a) "Why is it difficult to clean up after an oil spill?" (Oil is slippery
and hard to handle; the water is an unstable surface; there is
a lot of left-over, soiled material to dispose of afterward.
b) "What could an oil spill do to an ocean food chain?" (Disrupt
it by destrOying one or several links in the chain)
c) What should people do to make sure this doesn't happen?"
(Have rules for safety that industries must follow; clean up a
spill as quickly as possible)
Extension:
What effects could chemical and heavy metal dumping have on
whales? Examine the food pyramid (see handout). The humpback
whale must eat tens of thousands of copepods (and other zooplankton)
to stay alive. If these tiny creatures each ingest a minute quantity of
poison. what happens when the whale eats a lot of them? (The
quantity of poison becomes greater.)
Name: - - - - - Cleaning Up
ANSWER SHEET:
1. This seems to be the best way to clean up the oil: Answers will
Yf!IY
2. These are problems we had when we tried to clean up the oil:
The oil is slippery and difficult to control: it gets on your hands:
had to find a place to put it: used up all of our cotton balls:
accidentally broke the slick up into smaller pools, etc.
3. This is what was left after we cleaned up the oil spill: Answers
will vary: students may be left with oily straws and cotton balls,
etc: the water may still retain some oil: the aluminum pie plate
may have remnants of oil along its edges (compare this to a beach
area).
4. These are problems that you might have if you were cleaning up
after a REAL oil spill: The spill may be difficult to CONTAIN. as
spills often occur in stormy weather when the ocean is
turbulent. There may be a lot of oily refuse and equipment to
dispose of and/or clean afterward: if chemicals or detergents are
used to break down a spill. they will often be as dangerous to
ocean life as the oil itself. Also, it is expensiveJ!
*NOTE: Some bacteria will use oil as their only food source. Ocean
scientists would like to plant these bacteria into an oil spill, and
utilize them as a microscopic clean-up crew.
Name: - - - - - Cleaning Up
1. This seems to be the best way to clean up the oil: _ _ _ _ _ __
2. These are problems we had when we tried to clean up the oil:
3. This is what was left after we cleaned up the oil spill:
4. These are problems that you might have if you were cleaning up
after a REAL oil spill:
*NOTE: Some bacteria will use oil as their only food source. Ocean
scientists would like to plant these bacteria into an oil spill, and
utilize them as a microscopic clean-up crew.
86
Lesson #23: Dining at the Bluenose Cafeteria
Focus:
The ocean is a valuable source of food for people.
Process Skills: Recording. inferring. comparing.
Time: 35 minutes
Materials & Resources: Student handouts (menu. chart). seafood
snack (crackers. cheez whiz, and shrimp)
Procedures:
1.
Opening questions:
a) "How do people use the ocean?" (for recreational and aesthetic
purposes, and as a source of food. Stress this last one.)
b) "What is your favourite seafood?" (Take answers; ask how
each is cooked. i.e. smoked? barbecued? deep fried?)
c) "People from different parts of the world may eat different
kinds of seafood. Let's take a look at the kinds of seafood that
people from our part of the world eat ... "
2.
Distribute Bluenose Cafeteria menu and accompanying chart.
Examine the menu. Fill out the chart.
3.
Questions.
a) "Which seafood dish is the most expensive? Why?" (The
lobster casserole is the most expensive. Lobster has to be
shipped to the West Coast live from the East Coast. Point this
out on a map. This makes lobster particularly expensive in
B.C.)
b) "How many different ways can seafood be prepared?"
87
c) "Which dishes are made from creatures (intertidal) that we
have studied?" (List edible intertidal creatures, even those not
on the menu. They include such creatures as: mussels, clams,
oysters, sea urchins (sushi), gooseneck barnacles (the main
market is in Spain), sea cucumbers (the muscles are stripped
from them and cooked), shrimp, crab.
4.
Conclude with a seafood snack -- triscuits or Ritz crackers with
a dab of cheez whiz topped with shrimp. (Find out if any students
are allergic to seafood first!)
5. Extension activities:
Social Studies: Research foods of Japan. Compare their seafood menu
to our seafood. Do they eat different animals? How are
they prepared? Carry out the same comparison with native
Indian food.
Language Arts: Compile a cookbook of the class's favourite seafood
recipes. For additional seafood cookery ideas, write to
Fisheries and Oceans, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo,
B.C. V9R 5K6. Ask for cookery pamphlets.
the BLUENOSE CAFETERIA
FRESH 100% HOMEMADE CHOWDER
cUP
BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER
old new England IBCipe, cream base
MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER
New York City born, tomato base
SLUMGULUON
steamed baby shrimp in creamy chowder
PIRATES STEW - scallops , shrimp in a creamy
chowder, topped with a blend of three cheeses,
oven baked
CAJUN GUMBO - varieties of seafood and
sausage in a smokey spiced New Orleans
broth with rice
OYSTERS ROCKERFELLER STEW
oyster bisque with fresh spinach, fresh chopped
oysters, served in a toasted sourdough bun
Y
OLD TIME FAVORITES
BOWl
served with homecut fries and coleslaw
1.95
2.50
1.95
2.50
2.95
4.50
3.95
4.95
CAPTAINS' PLATTER - prawns, oysters, scallops, fish fingers,
onion rings
CLAM STRIPS - tender clams breaded and deep fried until crispy
and navorful
JAPANESE SCALLOPS locally cultured,all plump, juicy and
delicious, deep fried
BREADED OYSTERS - our rich, tender oysters are seasoned,
breaded and served piping hot
CRISPY CAJUN OYSTERS - fresh local oysters dipped in our spicy
cajun breading, then fried till golden brown
2.95
4.95
(meal 6.95)
7,95
7.95
8.95
8.95
BLUENOSE SPECIALS
4.59
Our finest selections accompanied with house rice or fries and fresh
sauted vegies
..J.
CRISP GARDEN
SALADS
-We take pride in the quality and freshness of our salads and homemade
dressings. We know you will agreel
RUBY SALAD - baby shrimp, snow crab, whitefish and fresh
veggies, in a spicy cajun dressing on a tossed salad mix
SHRIMP SALAD - fresh local shrimp piled high
on criSp salad mix
CRAB & WHrrEFISH SALAD - blend of snow crab and whitefish
on tossed salad mix
HOUSE SALAD - fresh salad mix
with baby shrimp
9.95
5.95
6.95
5.95
2.50
SESAME PRAWNS snR FRY - large prawns saut6d with crisp
10.95
vegies In oriental sauce
SEAFOOD STUFFED PRAWNS - homemade seafood mix,
wrapped around large prawns topped with cream sauce
10.95
PRAWNS MARNIER -large prawns sauted in cream Grand Mamier,
mushrooms and scallions
10.95
STEAMED CLAMS - local dams steamed in white wine and herbs,
served with garlic cheese bread, coleslaw, and butter
8.95
PAN BROILED OYSTERS - fresh oysters pan broiled to perfection 9.95
PAN BROILED COMBO - prawns, scallops, oysters , fish fillet, butter
and herbs
9.95
CRISPY CAJUN FILLET WlTH PECAN CREAM SAUCE - 2 spicy,
crispy fillets topped with our delicious pecan cream sauce
9.95
APPETIZERS
SUPER CASSEROLES
SEAFOOD FRITTERS - crab, shrimp, and halibut in a spiced
dough mill
STUFFED PRAWNS - 3 large prawns wrapped in homemade
seafood stuffing
PEA L & EA T SHRIMP - served wi th napkins - 125 g
RAW OYST£RS - 3 fresh local oysters served on ice
BUFFALO WINGS - chicken wings, spicy and hotl
SEAFOOD STUFFED MUSHROOMS - fresh mushrooms,
homemade stuffing topped with cheese
3.95
3.95
4.95
7.95
2.95
3.95
3.95
baked to perfection, served with house rice, or fries and fresh
veggies
SEAFOOD CASSEROLE - halibut, salmon, baby shrimp, cream
sauce topped with cheese mix, rimmed with mashed potatoes
9.95
SCALLOP CASSEROLE - ocean scallops, baby shrimp, lobster
sauce, cheese mix, oven baked
9.95
LOBSTER CASSEROLE - chunks of lobster, prawns, scallop and
baby shrimp and broccoli topped with buttered crumb mix
12.95
ACCOMPANIMENTS
these specials are a great addition to any meal I
FRESH CATCH
SPINACH CHEESE BREAD - a tasty combination of spinach and
selected cheese spread on french bread and broiled to perfection
served with homecut fries or rice and coleslaw
1.95
HOMECUT FRIES - perfectly fried fresh potatoes
1.95
GARUC CHEESE BREAD - hint of garlic, touch of cheese, grilled
till golden brown
.95
JUMBO ONION RINGS -fresh onion
rings, dipped in our special batter
1.95
LOCAL RED SNAPPER - a delicious grilled snapper filiet
7.95
PACIFIC HAUBUT - boneless fillet lightly breaded, basted with
lemon butter sauce
8.95
B.C. SALMON - B.C.'s finest grilied to perfection
8.95
UNO COD - firm fillet saut6d in garlic butter and herbs
6.95
BLUENOSE FAMQUS FISH AND CHIPS
~
:::;,
??
- served fresh with homecut
fries and coleslaw
"ORIGINAL
homemade
fresh,the best
"CRISP CAJUN
spicy hot-and boy
we mean it!
-ALMONDINE
toasted almonds
makes this great
-TRIPLE PLA Y
a taste of each:
1 pc 5.50
2 pc 6.95
1 pc 5.95
2 pc 7,95
1 pc 5.95
2 pc 7.95
3 pc 8.95
Name: - - - - - - Dining at the Bluenose Cafeteria
Name of sea creature:
How it is prepared:
Price:
88
Lesson 24: Underwater Forests
(Teacher Background)
Forests of marine plants lie beneath the ocean waves; these are
the seaweeds, and although most of the plants that inhabit the ocean
are microscopic, some forms of seaweed can grow to lengths of more
than one hundred feet. Marine plants are algae: plants that contain
chlorophyll yet do not produce flowers or have roots. The "woody"
cells that make terrestrial plants rigid and conduct water are generally
absent in seaweeds. Living in a water environment, seaweeds do not
require a water conducting system, and the surrounding medium gives
their structures all the support they need. They are flexible to allow
them to bend with the ocean currents and waves; if they were too stiff,
the movement of the water would break them.
Seaweeds often bear a superficial resemblance to land plants.
Many seaweeds cling to the substrate with a root-like structure called
a "holdfasf'. The holdfast, unlike a root, plays no major role in the
obtaining of nutrients for the plant. Its purpose is strictly to provide
anchorage. In fact, many seaweeds will continue to grow if removed
from the ocean bottom.
Extending from the holdfast is the narrow "stipe", a structure
that can be compared to the stem of a land plant. Branching off the
stipe of many seaweeds are the leaf-like "blade(s)", often called fronds.
The blades are key instruments in obtaining nourishment for the whole
plant, both through photosynthesis and absorption of nutrients from
the surrounding waters. Some marine plants such as the bull kelp,
have a bulbous air bladder that acts as a flotation device, thus keeping
the blades nearer the surface of the water where the light is stronger.
Although they all contain chlorophyll, seaweeds come
in a variety of colours and are classified accordingly. Green
89
algae (e.g. sea lettuce) generally grow in the shallowest depths. There
are about 7000 different species of blue-green algae, but most are
freshwater and only a few species grow in the sea. Brown algae are
more widespread and abundant. particularly in the colder seas, and
they grow from the high tide line to depths of 30 metres. Brown algae
are the largest algae. and include the varieties of kelp that are
commonly washed up on our shores. Red algae are almost entirely
marine, and occur from the lowest tidal zone to the maximum depth of
light penetration. All algae have green pigments (chlorophyll) while the
additional pigments in brown and red algae. which give them their
respective colours, allow them to utilize more light wave lengths in
photosynthesis.
Have you ever eaten seaweed? You may think not, but in fact
many common foods contain seaweed extracts. The three major
products extracted from seaweed are alginates, agar, and carrageenan
(uses for each are included on the following tables). Their viscous and
gelling qualities make them useful in the manufacture of a number of
items. For example, alginates are what prevents the icing on bakery
items from sticking to cellophane wrappers. Likewise, it prevents
coarse ice crystals from forming in ice cream ... so although you may
never have eaten seaweed directly (although many are edible and
packed with nutrients), chances are that you have eaten food
containing a seaweed derivative.
Seaweed is big business! We currently import carrageenan from
such countries as the Philippines and Chile, where wild seaweed can
be harvested cheaply by local labour. Research on seaweed farming is
being carried out in British Columbia in the hopes that it will become a
viable business. Some marine plants can be harvested by means of a
"mower" . Crews of six to nine men can harvest up to fifty
tons of kelp per hour using special boats which cut the kelp
of a fIXed depth beneath the water. The kelp is then taken
90
to shoreside factories for processing.
Seaweed does not have to be processed to be useful. You can
harvest the crop of seaweed that washes ashore in this autumn and
put it on your garden! It will provide valuable nutrients as it decays,
and these will enhance your garden's growth next year.
Common Seaweeds
Sugar kelp (Laminaria
saccharinal
This brown kelp reaches a length
of a metre or more, and can be
identified by the two rows of
ripples that run the length of the
single blade. It commonly grows
attached to rocks in the low tide
zone, and is used as a food in
Japan.
Seersucker (Costarta costatal
Easily recognized by the
distinctive ribs and puckers that
run the length of the blade, this
rich brown seaweed occurs low
intertldally and high subtidally.
Its length varies considerably; it
can grow up to 3 metres in
length
Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactucal
Sea lettuce is a bright green
algae that is common in the high
tide zone. Its fronds are thin and
wrinkled, and only gr9w to about
15 - 25 cm. It is attached to the
rocks by a tiny, distinct holdfast,
and has no stipe. Sea lettuce is
edible.
Sargassum (Sargassum muticuml
Often called "Japanese weed", the
yellowish-brown sargassum is
thought to have arrived on our
coast from Japan in the early
1900's. This seaweed has a long,
narrow stem that branches
repeatedly into several narrow,
flattened blades. Also of the low
tide zone, sargassum can grow up
to 2 metres in length.
Sea Brush (Odonthalia floccosal
The bushy brown to black sea
brush occurs in the low tide zone.
This plant consists of profusely
·~~fWq.branched stems lined with
l;I"-""""-,1.:A1K
alternately-arranged stubby
clusters, and has a flat, bushy
appearance. It grows to 30 or 40
cm in length.
Eelgrass (Zostera marinal
In the middle-low tide zone of
sand or mud beaches, bright
green beds of eelgrass support a
variety of life. The grasslike
blades are 1/2 to 1 cm wide
and a metre or more in length,
and the thick roots stabilize the
sandy beach, providing homes
for many creatures.
Green Stting Lettuce (Ulva linza)
Another green algae, green sring
lettuce has a very thin, textured
blade with ruffled edges. It grows
to a length of 30 - 50 cm: it is
firmly attached to a surface by its
holdfast, and has no stipe,.
Turkish Towel (Gigartina
exasperata)
Conspicuous because of its
colour and texture, the bright red
turkish towel has the appearance
of a rough, bristly towel. Altough
it grows in the low tide zone,
search the high tide line for
broken off, sun-bleached blades
(30 - 40 cm long)
Red Eyelet Silk (Phodymenia
pertusal
The rosy red eyelet silk is a
smooth red algae that is
perforated with many small,
elliptical holes. It usually has one
oblong blade reaching a length of
one metre, although sometimes
small bladelets grow near the
base of the holdfast. Like other
red algaes, red eyelet silk
is usually found in the
low tide zone.
Rockweed (Fucus gardneril
Found near the middle of the high
tide zone, rockweed, or "popping
wrack", is a short, tough brown
algae which tends to grow in
bushy clumps on rocks. The
yellow-brown air sacks at the
plant's outer tips pop when dry.
Bull or Ribbon Kelp (Nereocystis
luetkeanal
Bull kelp grows in large beds in
the low tide zone of almost any
rocky beach. This whip-like brown
algae can grow to a length of 20
metres in just one season. Search
the high tide line for broken off
bull kelp plants.
Alaria (Alaria marginatal
The leathery, olive-green alaria
grows on rocks in the low tide
zone. The single 2 - 3 metre long
blade has a prominent centre rib,
while the edges of the blade are
smooth and slightly wavy. Alaria is
a form of kelp.
91
MAJOR ALGAL GUM APPLICATIONS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Agar
Carrageenan
Alginates
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Dairy
Ice cream stabilizer
Ice pops and water ices
Chocolate milk drink
Flavored milk drinks
Puddings
Eggnog mix
Cottage cheese
Cream cheese
Cheese spread
Whipped cream
ogurt
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Beverages
Soft drinks
Fruit juices
Beer foam stabilizer
Fining wines etc.
X
X
X
X
Bakery
Bread doughs
Cake batters
Pie fillings
Bakery jellies
Doughnut glaze
Meringues
Cookies
Cake fillings & toppings
Frozen pie fillings
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
92
Agar
Confectionery
Candy gels
Caramels, nougats
Marshmallows
X
Miscellaneous
ams, preserves
Prepared cereals
Processed baby food
Soups
Fountain toppings
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Dressings, sauces
Salad dressing
Syrups, toppings
Relish
Mustard, cocktail sauces, catsup
Meat, fish
Sausage casing
Fish preservation
Canned fish, meat etc.
Coated jellied meat
Sausage ingredient
Preservative meat coat
Synthetic meat fibres
Carrageenan Alginates
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
93
Underwater Forests
Focus:
1. Marine plants are different from land plants in that:
a) they lack "woody" cells.
b) they do not bloom.
c) they generally do not have roots.
2. Marine plants are classified in three groups:
a) green algae
b) brown algae
c) red algae
3~ Marine plants are useful in manufacturing many products.
Process Skills: Observing, comparing, inferring. classifying,
recording.
Time: 45 minutes
Materials and Resources: An assortment of fresh red, green. and
brown seaweeds (kept moist). an assortment of land plants
(uprooted). These may be grass or bean plants. etc. (preferably
with blossom and seed pod intact). Student handout, lists of
uses of seaweed derivatives.
Procedures:
1.
Introduce with a short review of last day:
a) "What do people take from the sea to use?" (List various
animals)
b) "What, beSides animals, lives in the sea?" (Plants. Have
children describe the plants).
c) "How are marine plants different from land plants (e.g. trees)?"
2.
Now empty out your bag of assorted seaweeds. Have
students examine them and classify them in a variety
94
of ways. Finally. divide them into the following groups: bluegreen algae. brown algae. and red algae.
3.
Distribute student handout.
Divide class into small groups so that each group has access to a
(1) marine plant (holdfast and all) and a (2) land plant (root and
all).
4.
Fill out comparison chart. You may want to do this as a whole
class, recording information on an overhead made from the
student handout.
5.
Questions:
a) "How are marine and land plants similar?" (Both have
pigments so that they can produce food from sunlight.
Seaweed has structures resembling the root. stem. and leaf of
the land plant. although they are called the holdfast, stipe and
blade in seaweed.
b) "How are marine and land plants different?" (Seaweeds are
floppier than land plants because they are usually supported
by water; seaweeds are moist and rubbety (rockweed actually
secretes a slimy substance to prevent itself from drying out);
seaweeds do not flower; most seaweeds are not green;
seaweeds do not rely on their holdfasts to obtain nutrients, as
do land plants which rely on their roots.) Also, some seaweeds
may have an air bladder.
c) "Why does bull kelp have an air bladder. (Speculate. Slice
an air bladder open. Why is it on the end of a long stipe?
What would it do in water? It would keep the blades floating
near the surface of the ocean, where there's more light, thus
enhancing photosynthesis. Also, air bladders are often the
site of spore production.)
95
6.
Conclude:
a) "How do we use seaweed?" (As food, and as garden fertilizer.
Project an overhead of the list of items made from seaweed
derivatives. Examine the list).
b) "How often do you eat or use something that has seaweed in
it?" (Almost evety day! So animals aren't all we harvest from
the ocean)
Extension:
Make a collage of magazine pictures of items that contain
seaweed derivatives. Use the overhead list as a reference.
96
Seaweed/Land Plant Comparison
Name:- - - - - -
Things to describe:
Colour:
Smell:
Texture:
Stiffness:
Parts of the plant:
Marine Plant:
Land Plant:
97
Seaweed/Land Plant Comparison
Name:- - - - - -
Things to describe:
Marine Plant
Colour:
brown
probably green
Smell:
salty
sweet; grassy
Texture:
rubbery, slimy,
sticky
answers will vary
Stiffness:
Parts of the plant:
Land Plant*:
limp, floppy
stiff stem and
leaves supported
by veins.
stipe (stem)
holdfast (root)
blade (leaf)
air bladder
stem
root
leaves
blossoms
buds
branches
seed pods
seeds
*for green bean
98
Lesson #25: The ABC's of Sport Fishing
(Managing our resources)
Focus:
1. Fishing regulations help to ensure the preservation of life
in the ocean.
2. The Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide contains
regulations regarding size and catch limits for locally
harvested species.
Process Skills: Inferring, recording, researching.
Time: 40 minutes
Materials & Resources: Sport Fishing Guides (one per child),
smallish brown paper bag half full of popcorn, large brown paper
bag with a little scrunched newspaper in it (to make it look
full) and stapled shut at the top, student handout.
Procedures:
1.
Introduce this lesson with the following object lesson:
Have the two paper bags at the front of the classroom (one half
full of popcorn, the other containing scrunched newspaper).
Take the bag of popcorn around to students: "I brought a special
treat for you today! Help yourself to as much popcorn as you
want. I have a lot more in the other bag." (Indicate large bag .
. Don't let them eat the popcorn yet).
Hopefully, the small bag will be empty after five or six students
have helped themselves. Have a student bring you the
other bag and open it up. When it is evident to the
whole class that there is no more popcorn, say,
99
"I thought that there was a whole bagfull of popcorn leftl But
there's no more ... what have we done?" (Divide the popcorn
evenly amongst the whole class. Then .... eat itl)
2.
Questions:
a) "How is the ocean like the paper bags?" (The ocean
contains food, just like the bags did).
b) "Why did you think that the other bag was full of popcorn?"
(Because you told us it was, and you can't tell how much is in
the bag just by looking at it.)
c) "The first people that I offered popcorn to took as much as
they wanted without finding out beforehand how much
popcorn there really was. What would happen to the ocean if
FISHERMEN did that?" (fish would all disappear; some
species may become extinct.)
d) "How can people make sure that this doesn't happen?" (Make
rules for fishing beforehand. Find out how many fish there
are, and limit the amount that people may harvest. Make sure
that enough are left over to reproduce and maintain the fish
stocks.
3.
With that, introduce the Sport Fishing Guide. Canada's marine
fisheries are managed by the federal government. Through the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, fish stocks are studied and
regulations made to ensure their survival.
The Sport Fishing Guide contains many such regulations.
Note: a) the alphabetical format
b) the information given (size and quantity limits).
4.
Distribute student handout (chart). Work through the
first examples together. Complete chart independently.
IO(
5.
Go through answers together.
Of special note:
a) Chinook have a larger minimum size limit than coho
because they live longer and grow larger.
b) Different geographical locations often have different catch
limits. Why?
c) As in the case of crab and octopus, the guide often
indicates what methods may not be used to capture
creatures. Why?
d) Sometimes, as in the case of shrimp and prawns, two
limits are given: one for shelled shrimp, and one for
unshelled shrimp. Why?
6.
Conclude: "Why do people need to have fishing regulations?"
Next day: If close enough geographically, a trip to the Pacific Biological
Station!
Extension:
Research various sea creatures that have been ht.U1ted to
extinction or near extinction. E.g. the blue whale, gray whale, turtles.
etc. What happens when people think they will never rtm out of
something?
101
The ABC's of Sport Fishing
Name:
Creature:
Mussels
(blue)
(California)
Salmon
(Chinook)
(Coho)
Crab
(Dungeness)
(Red rock)
Perch
Oysters
Octopus
(Minimum) Size Limit:
(cWTent)
Dally Catch Limit:
(current)
102
Creature:
(Minimum) Size Limit:
(current)
DaUy Catch Limit:
(current)
Abalone
Sea Urchins
Shrimp
and Prawns
.
-/; ;"'/\{\
'/1 iJ}\"
. '.
. ..'. . ! "
103
The ABC's of Sport Fishing
Name:- - - - - Creature:
Mussels
(blue)
(California)
(Minimum) Size Limit:
(current)
Dally Catch Limit:
(current)
Not applicable
75/day
25/day
-
Salmon
(Chinook)
(Coho)
45cm
30cm
annual limit varies
no annual limit for
coho
165mm
115mm
(width across the back)
Combined daily
limit of 4
Perch
not applicable
8/day
Oysters
not applicable
15/day (or 1/2
litre of meat)
Octopus
not applicable
l/day
Crab
(Dungeness)
(Red rock)
Note: answers provided are for 1990 and these may have
changed in subsequent years
104
Creature:
Abalone
(Minimum) Size Limit:
(current)
100mm
(across the shell)
Dally Catch Limit:
(current)
12, 6, or 4/day
depending on
where you are.
Sea Urchins
not applicable
12/day
Shrimp
and Prawns
not applicable
12 kg/day
(unshelled)
or 4 kg/day
(shelled)
Note: answers provided are for 1990 and these may have
changed in subsequent years
105
Culminate the "Beside the Sea" unit with a trip to the Pacific Biological
Station on Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo. For tour information,
contact the inquiry line at 756-7000.
The tour lasts for about one hour, and features a short film and
the opportunity to observe and handle many local sea creatures. Hand
lenses are available, and appropriate handouts for followup will be
provided.
If you wish, provide students with a focus using these questions
(see attached handout).
106
Pacific Biological Station Tour Questions
1. How does the California (sea) mussel attach itself to surfaces?
2. Does the squat lobster swim fOIWards or backwards?
3. How many fin rays does the sailfin sculpin have on its pectoral fin?
4. What kinds of baby creatures are attached to the glass aquarium
front?
5. What is the greatest number of rays on one sea star? The least?
6. What happens to the sea cucumber when you handle it?
7. How long does it take the moonsnail to recede back into its shell
when you handle it?
8. How many legs does a box crab have?
9. What is attached to the backs of the sablefish?
BibUography
Byrne, Mollie and Clifford J. Anastasiou. The Estuary Book.
Vancouver B.C.: University of British Columbia, Western Educational
Development Group, 1981. 38 p.
Gutman, Irene, and Jackie Geiger. The Beach Book. Vancouver,
B. C.: University of British Columbia. Western Educational
Development Group, 1978. 48 p.
Jamieson, G. S., and K. Francis (ed.). Invertebrate and Maline Plant
Fishery Resources of British Columbia. Ottawa: Department of
Fisheries and Oceans. 1986. Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries
and Aquatic Sciences 91: 89 p.
Jones, Claire. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities: Beach Profiles
and Transects. Seattle, WA: Pacific Science Centre/Sea Grant Marine
Science Project, 1980. 52 p.
Jones, Claire. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities: Whales.
Seattle, WA: Pacific Science Centre/Sea Grant Marine Science Project,
1980.90 p.
Kolb, James, A. Marine Biology and Oceanography (Grades Seven
and Eight). Poulsbo, WA.: Marine Science Center Maline Science
Project: For Sea, 1986.797 p.
Kolb, James, A. Marine Biology and Oceanography (Grades Nine and
Twelve) Part II. Poulsbo, WA.: Marine Science Center Marine SCience
Project: For Sea, 1986. 969 p.
Kolb, James, A.. Marine Science Activities: The Marine
Environment (Grade Twol . Poulsbo, WA.: Marine Science
108
Center Marine Science Project: For Sea, 1984. 545 p.
Kolb, James, A. Marine Science Career Awareness. Grade Four.
Poulsbo, WA.: Marine Science Center Marine Science Project: For Sea,
1984.443 p.
Lamb, Andy. and Phil Edgell Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest.
Madeira Park, B.C.: Harbour Publishing Co., 1986. 224 p.
Marrett, Andrea. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities: Beaches.
Seattle, WA: Pacific SCience Centre, Sea Grant Marine Education
project, 1980. 87 p.
Oregon State University. Water. Water Everywhere. Newport, OR: Sea
Grant College Program and Oregon Department of Education, Hatfield
Marine Science Center, 1983. 22 parts.
Smith, Deboyd, L. A Guide to Marine Coastal Plankton and Marine
Invertebrate Larvae. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co.,
1977. 161 p.
Snively, Gloria. Exploring the Seashore in British Columbia.
Washington, and Oregon. Vancouver, B.C.: Gordon Soules Book
Publishers, Ltd., 1978. 243 p.
Snively, Gloria. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities: High Tide, Low
Low Tide. Seattle, WA: Pacific Science Center, 1980. 32 p.
Suzuki, David. Looking at Insects. Toronto, Ont.: Stoddart
Publishing Co. Ltd., 1986.
Mickelson, Belle et al. Alaska Sea Week Cirriculum Series: 1
Discovery: An Introduction. Fairbanks, AK.: University of
105
Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant Program: Alaska, 1983. Alaska Sea Grant
Report 83-6. 102 p.
Kelsey, Claudia, Mruy Beth Parsons and Margaret Cowan. Alaska Sea
Grant Cirriculum Sertes III Shells and Insects. Fairbanks, AK:
University of Alaska, Alaska Sea Grant Program, 1984. Alaska Sea
Grant Report 84-4. 169 p.
Whitall, Anne. Spineless Wonders (Grades 5. 6. 7) Instructors Manual
1984-1985. Vancouver, B.C.: Vancouver Pllblic Aquarium, 1984.
!
fJumose -:. :
sea
OnenJont-
5tnped
seopercVJ
o
0
~rese~nt
3unn e-/
0
b1!Jk;h' S~I~ ,;.
' . ~. ~ ( :.;.,;:
::.,
0
. '.'
.