Exploring the Rainforests of the Sea
Focus / Florida Coral Reef Animal and Plant LifeGrade Level / First Science
Focus Question / What are the characteristics of the Coral Reef that UNCW’s Aquanauts explore on their missions? Good!
Learning Objectives: / NC State Objective and Goal Being Addressed:
Competency Goal 2: The learner will make observations and use student-made rules to build an understanding of solid earth materials.
Objectives
2.01 Describe and sort a variety of earth materials based on their properties:
· Color.
· Hardness.
· Shape.
· Size.
2.02 Describe rocks and other earth materials in more than one way, using student-made rules.
Learner Objective(s):At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- identify the various species of coral (such as the Staghorn and Elkhorn)
- observe and take notes from video footage of a dive at Key Largo
- observe and describe pictures taken by the Aquanauts from their dives at the reef
- create a realistic depiction of coral
- create a realistic diorama of a coral reef
Materials / Shoeboxes (~25; enough for each student to have one)
Washable paint
Tape/glue
Markers
Scissors
Audio/Visual Materials / Computer/TV that connects to computer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erQm0s8VlbA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquariusreefbase/page1/
Teaching Time / Day 1: 30 minutes
Day 2 and 3: 45 to 5o minutes (This lesson could be stretched
out over the week if needed.)
Day 3: 30 minutes
Seat Arrangement / Groups of 4 students
Maximum Number of Students / 20
Key Words / Coral Reef, polyps, sea turtles, crawfish, Bottlenose Dolphins, Staghorn coral, Elkhorn coral, seagrass, Aquanaut, Aquarius
Background Information (Prior Knowledge) / Students have presumably been taught how to compare and contrast different species of animals based on color, hardness, shape, and size. They also have had some background on different plant species based on previous discussions (for example: reading Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert books that entail different plant life).
Opening Activity / Before we begin this lesson, the students will come to the carpet. I will hold up pre-made posters with the words “color” “hardness” “shape” and “size.” I will hold them up and ask students if they can remember what that description word means. We will review and firm up prior knowledge.
Print out pictures from the Key Largo coral reef that I found online from the Aquarius website on each table. Then, I will play some “underwater” music or sounds and ask students to look closely at the pictures. I will instruct them to notice of what kinds of things are in these pictures to help you determine what ecosystem it is. (Then, turn off music) Ask students if they know what this ecosystem is called. Lead to discussion. Ask students what kinds of animals and plants they can recognize from these pictures. I will encourage them to describe these things they have identified based on what they predict about the color, hardness, shape, and size (see SCOS). After a class discussion, I will show the students the youtube video of divers exploring the Florida Coral Reef (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erQm0s8VlbA)
By doing these things, I will establish a curiosity about this type of ecosystem. I doubt the students know much about the coral reef and they will be astounded by what they see in the pictures and video.
Learning Procedure ( Activity) / Day one and two: Introduce the concepts of coral reef (see above). Then, hold up pictures of the different species of plants, coral, and animals in the reef. Tell them that they need to become very familiar with these things… they will be making their very own Coral Diorama with their seating group.
The classroom will be set up in stations: one table for paint, one for colored pencils, one for crayons, one with tissue paper and diluted glue, and finally, a station with the shoeboxes that they will paint a blue color for the backdrop. A group of students will be given 10 minutes at each station to create their paper. They will be instructed to be as detailed and creative as possible. Explain to them that they will cut these paintings out in the shapes of the creatures they just learned about. (Students will do this over the span of two days.)
Day three: Students will draw the different species on the painted paper from the day prior at their groups. Then, the groups will be instructed to assign roles to each member. One student will be the “manager of tasks,” one will be the “glue master,” one will be the “string master” and one will be the “recorder.” Then, as a group, students will begin gluing down their corals to the bottom of the box, standing up with thick paper foldouts (it will be a pop-up type of design). Then, I will tell the groups to string up the creatures from the top of the box, making the illusion that the animals are swimming in the reef.
Connections to Other Subjects / Reading/Writing – see closing activity
Verbal Language – describing the different creatures
Art – using different techniques to collage/paint the diorama
Social Studies – Working in groups to collaborate on a final project/engage in democratic principles when we vote (see assessment).
Closing Activity and Assignment / Day three: In groups, students will write a poem about the coral reef. It can be a simple freestyle poem, a Haiku, a rhyming poem… anything their group wishes to do. Encourage students to use their new vocabulary words that would be posted on the board. Also, advise them to use their “allstar” words, which are also posted. Each group will go to the front of the class and recite their poem. This should take around 30 minutes.
Poems will be posted on the board above the dioramas.
Students will be actively engaged because they will be working together in groups to write a poem. They will have access to the internet if they want to look up cool facts to use in their poem. Also, they will be excited until the end up class as they watch their peers recite their masterpieces.
Assessment / I will be verbally assessing students throughout the course of this lesson. I will be asking them what creature they are drawing and what attribute they are trying to demonstrate.
At the conclusion of this assignment, we will come back to the carpet as a class and make up a question to ask the aquanauts (see the Aquarius website). I will write potential questions the students come up with on the board and we will vote to decide which question is the best to email to the scientist.
Other Links and Resources / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erQm0s8VlbA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquariusreefbase/page1/
Shoeboxes (~25; enough for each student to have one)
Washable paint
Tape/glue
Markers
Scissors