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Aquatic Safari
Subject: Animals
Grade: 6-8, 9-12, Gifted and Talented, Advanced
Brief Description
Students use an Internet Web site to locate the scientific information about various marine species.
Objectives
Students use the Internet to find the scientific information about marine animals.
Keywords
Internet, online, oceanography, classification, scientific names
Materials Needed
Lesson Plan
- Distribute the Aquatic Safari work sheet.
- Explain to students they are to use the Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Bytes Web page to locate the scientific names, sizes, and diets of various marine animals. Show students how they can click on each animal's common name to find the scientific name.
- Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the work sheet.
Extension: Ask students to create a chart or an illustrated book about the marine animals on the work sheet.
Assessment
Evaluate students on their work sheet answers.
ANSWER KEY: SEAHORSE -- Hippocampus; 2"-14"; plankton, fish larvae. SUNFLOWER CORAL -- Goniopora; to 3'; plankton. PILOT WHALE -- Globicephala macrorhynchus; 13.1'-17.7'; squid, fish. BLUE WHALE -- Balaenoptera musculus; 70'-85'; krill. HARBOR SEAL -- Phoca vitulina; 5.6'-6.6'; squid, crustaceans, mollusks, fish. GRAY WHALE -- Eschrichtius robustus; 43'-46'; invertebrates. SKUNK SHRIMP -- Lysmata amboinensis; 3.2"; parasites, dead skin. SOUTHERN STINGRAY -- Dasyatis americana; wingspan up to 5'; mollusks, crustaceans, worms, small fish. BLUE SEA STAR -- Linckia laevigata; up to 12"; plankton. SPANISH HOGFISH -- Bodianus rufus; up to 16"; crabs, sea urchins, mollusks.
Lesson Plan Source
I created this Web sheet using information found on the Sea World/Busch Gardens Web site at https://seaworld.org/.
Submitted By
Kimberly Emanuel ([email protected]), Union Grove Middle School, McDonough, Georgia
As our highlighted lesson, the submitter was awarded a $50 honorarium. See our guidelines to submit yours!