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Growing Coral

Subjects

  • Science
  • Social Sciences

Grade

  • 3-5
  • 6-8

Brief Description

Students learn about corals, coral reefs, and the Great Barrier Reef and then complete an experiment that demonstrates how coral polyps grow.

Objectives

Students

  • define the words coral and coral reef .
  • identify the Great Barrier Reef on a map or a globe.
  • observe crystal formations that develop in a way similar to the way coral polyps create their calcium carbonate cups.

Keywords

Australia, Great Barrier Reef, coral reef, coral, polyp, crystal, experiment, geography

Materials Needed

world map or globe,
library resources about the Great Barrier Reef (sample site)
experiment items noted in the lesson Growing Coral

Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, introduce coral reefs, using library sources or information from

  • Great Barrier Reef at NationalGeographic.com or
  • The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

    Tell students that the Great Barrier Reef is the longest coral reef in the world. Have students find this reef on a globe or world map.

    Tell students that they will participate in an experiment that demonstrates how coral polyps grow. Link to the lesson Growing Coral.

    Assessment

    Observe students as they participate in the experiment.

    Lesson Plan Source

    Education World (with resources from Sea World/Busch Gardens)

    Submitted By

    Lois Lewis

    National Standards

    Science:
    NS.K-4.1
    NS.5-8.1
    NS.K-4.3
    NS.5-8.3

    Social Sciences:
    NSS-G.K-12.1
    NSS-G.K-12.5