Coral Reef
Discover the wonders of a coral reef
with this lift-and-look mini-book.
Habitat Hallmarks
C
oral reefs can be found in clear, warm, shallow ocean water, usually around
50 feet (15 m) below the surface. Millions of tiny animals called coral polyps
build these reefs out of limestone. Each polyp builds a rock-hard cup around
its soft body using calcium carbonate dissolved in seawater. The polyp hides inside
its cup during the day, but at night reaches out its stinging tentacles to catch tiny
sea creatures to eat. When a polyp dies, its hard cup remains behind, and new coral
polyps build on top of it. Over time, all the new and empty cups create a coral reef.
Algae, small plantlike organisms, also help build coral reefs by providing polyps with
food and oxygen. Different types of coral polyps build different shapes of limestone
rock, such as fans, horns, brains, and more.
Coral reefs are home to thousands of species of sea animals, such as colorful fish,
sponges, jellyfish, eels, crustaceans, sea worms, mollusks, and so much more. Reefs
are often referred to as the “rain forests of the oceans” because of the huge diversity
of creatures that live here. (See Tropical Rain Forest, page 71.) Reefs provide a rich
source of food for people.
The largest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia,
spans about 1,250 miles (2,000 km) in length. It took millions of years for the Great
Barrier Reef to reach this size. Other reefs are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the
coast of Florida, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Red Sea. These reefs
help protect coastlines from getting eroded by pounding ocean waves. And yet many
reefs are in danger of being destroyed by pollution, overfishing, and careless divers
and boats. Many organizations are now working to preserve reefs from these threats.
Making the Mini-book
1 Photocopy pages 17–19.
2 Cut out the mini-book pages (pages 17–18)
along the thick, solid lines. Fold each in half
along the dashed lines so the text is visible on
both sides.
Materials
❉ Reproducible pages
17–19
❉ Scissors
❉ Tape
❉ Stapler
❉ Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
15
Coral Reef
More to Do
3 Cut out the magnifying glass, the
new corals
piece, and the map
(page 19).
Go Fish
Living things depend on
one another to stay alive
and healthy. Challenge
students to research the
following coral reef fish and
report how they interact
with other reef life: cleaner
fish, damselfish, clown fish,
false cleaner fish, pearl fish,
parrot fish, flashlight fish.
4Place the magnifying glass over
the stony cup on page 2 of the
mini-book so the circles overlap.
Tape the handle to the minibook, as shown.
5 Tape the map to page 4 of the
mini-book.
6Fold the flap on the
Resources
One Small Square: Coral Reef
by Donald M. Silver and
Patricia J. Wynne (McGrawHill, 1998).
Focusing on the Great Barrier
Reef, this book examines a
small patch of reef and all of
the creatures that live there.
new corals
piece and tape over the empty
area in the lower left of the
mini-book’s page 3. Place pages 1
and 2 on top of 3 and staple the
mini-book together along the left
spine, as shown.
cup
7 Cut out the animals (page 19).
Tape them to pages 2, 3, and 4
of the book as desired.
http://www.seaworld.org/
animal-info/info-books/
coral/index.htm
Teaching With the Mini-book
This Web site is chock-full of
reef information, including
animals that live in a reef
and ways to conserve reefs.
Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books. Then check
for understanding by asking them these questions:
1 How is a coral reef made? (A coral reef is created from the stony cups
built by tiny coral animals to protect themselves. New cups are built on
top of empty cups left behind by coral animals that have already died.)
2 Describe a coral animal. (A coral animal is a tiny creature that captures
food with its stinging tentacles, makes a stony cup to protect its soft body,
and builds reefs.)
3 Name some animals that live on coral reefs. (Brightly colored fish, giant
clams, purple sponges, eels, crabs, sea stars, shrimps, etc.)
4What is the largest reef in the world and where is it found? (The Great
Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia)
16
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Coral Reef
Striped
damselfish
Reef shark
R
l
a
e
r
ef
o
C
Grouper
Basket
sponge
Shrimp
A coral reef is home to brightly
colored fish, giant clams, and
purple sponges. Eels, crabs,
sea stars, and shrimps live
here, too. That’s why sharks
come to hunt for a tasty meal!
Brittle
star
1
Moray
eel
Tape magnifying
glass here.
Leaf
coral
Butterfly
fish
Star coral
Lift the magnifying glass.
See the tiny coral animal? It
captures food with its stinging
tentacles. Each coral makes a
hard, stony cup to live in.
The stony cup is part of a reef.
Stony cup
tentacles
Staghorn
coral
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Sea
star
2
Crab
17
Coral Reef
Elkhorn coral
Parrot fish
Columnar
coral
Fungus coral
Empty cup
Brain coral
A reef is an underwater
wonderland made from these
cups. Most cups are empty.
The animals inside have died
long ago. New corals build
their cups on top of empty
ones. What do these corals’
shapes remind you of?
Leaf
coral
3
4
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats
Tape map here.
The Great Barrier Reef off
the coast of Australia is the
largest reef in the world.
It is in danger because
of pollution and careless
divers and boats.
Scholastic Teaching Resources
© 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne,
18
Coral Reef
Sea fan
Pacific
octopus
Moorish idol
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Queen trigger
fish
magnifying
glass
Goby
fish
Blue
sea star
Giant green sea
anemone
Pacific
white-sided
dolphin
Moon
jellyfish
New corals
Great
Barrier Reef
Australia
Damselfish
Butterfly fish
19