Making a Marine Animal
Focus
Grade Level
Focus Question
Marine Animals
9th-12th grade (Biology)
What adaptations do marine animals need to have in order to
successfully survive in the marine biome?
Learning Objectives:
NC State Objective and Goal Being Addressed:
Goal 4: The learner will develop an understanding of the unity and
diversity of life (4.01, 4.02, 4.03, 4.05)
Learner Objective(s): At the completion of this lesson, students will
be able to:
Analyze the classification of organisms according to their evolutionary
relationships
Classify organisms using keys
Analyze the processes by which organisms accomplish essential life
functions
Assess, describe, and explain adaptations affecting survival and
reproductive success
Analyze the broad patterns of animal behavior as adaptations to the
environment.
Materials
Computers or laptops with internet access
Poster board or butcher paper
Markers/Colored Pencils/Crayons
Audio/Visual Materials
Tour The NOAA Aquarius Underwater Laboratory Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NupRxTV38s
Teaching Time
Seat Arrangement
Maximum Number of Students
Key Words
Two-three 1.5 block-scheduled class periods
Groups of 2-3 people
Average Classroom Size (25-30 people)
Biome
Ecosystem
Adaptation
Biological Classification
Kingdom
Phylum/Division
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Essential Life Functions
Respiration
Regulation
Synthesis
Overview of Aquarius
A basic understanding of ecology, biological classification systems,
Background Information (Prior
Knowledge)
Making a Marine Animal
Opening Activity
Learning Procedure ( Activity)
and essential life functions
Show the Tour the NOAA Aquarius Underwater Laboratory Video to
the class. After watching the video, ask the students what information
they recall about the marine biome, the largest biome in the world.
1) Explain to students that they are to create a fictional marine animal
that could successfully survive in the marine biome, in particular the
Florida Keys ecosystem, in which the aquanauts of Aquarius might see
swimming around their underwater laboratory.
2) Students will find their assigned partner(s) and begin brainstorming
ideas for their marine animal that they will create. They will need to
think about particular adaptations their animal will need in order to
survive successfully in the marine biome, particularly in the Florida
Keys ecosystem. Their creation must include at least ten adaptations
that help them survive. These include physiological adaptations,
reproductive adaptations, and behavioral adaptations. They will also
need to be able to explain how their animal carries out essential life
functions.
3) Students will go online to find further information on the marine
biome, the Florida Keys, Aquarius, and adaptations that marine
animals have.
4) Students will draw a picture of their creation on a large piece of
butcher paper or poster board, using color with either crayons or
markers. Adaptations must be labeled clearly. They must also create a
fictional common name for the animal along with their animal’s
correct biological classification (kingdom, phylum/division, class,
order,
family, genus, species).
5) Students must write down DESCRIPTIVE details of their animal’s
ten adaptations and why they are advantageous to living in the
Florida Keys. They must also write a description of how their animal
accomplishes essential life functions (transport, excretion,
respiration, regulation, nutrition, synthesis, reproduction, and growth
and development).
Connections to Other Subjects
Closing Activity and Assignment
6) Students must then create a PowerPoint presentation explaining
the animal’s biological classification, adaptations, and how they
accomplish essential life functions, which will then be presented to
the class, along with the labeled picture of the animal.
Computer Applications, Visual Art
At the end of all of the presentations, the teacher will draw a concept
map on the board and ask the class to help build the concept map
with adaptations that real marine animals have along with the ways
Making a Marine Animal
Assessment
Other Links and Resources
that they carry out their essential life functions.
Group presentation to the class, along with the paper copy of the
description of the animal and labeled picture. A brief discussion will
also be done with the class after each individual presentation to talk
about particular adaptations and essential life functions that the class
thought was successful in the imaginary marine animal and what reallife marine animals possess these adaptations.
http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius - the Aquarius project website
http://www.gator-woman.com/keys.html - Florida keys information
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/index.htm Animal information
http://marinelife.about.com/od/marinelife101/p/CharMarineLife.htm
- Characteristics of Marine Life