Exploring the Rainforests of the Sea
Focus
Grade Level
Focus Question
Learning Objectives:
Florida Coral Reef Animal and Plant Life
First Science
What are the characteristics of the Coral Reef that UNCW’s
Aquanauts explore on their missions? Good!
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.
Materials
Audio/Visual Materials
Teaching Time
Seat Arrangement
Maximum Number of Students
Key Words
Background Information (Prior Knowledge)
Opening Activity
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
Shoeboxes (~25; enough for each student to have one)
Washable paint
Tape/glue
Markers
Scissors
Computer/TV that connects to computer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erQm0s8VlbA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquariusreefbase/page1/
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
Groups of 4 students
20
Coral Reef, polyps, sea turtles, crawfish, Bottlenose Dolphins,
Staghorn coral, Elkhorn coral, seagrass, Aquanaut, Aquarius
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).
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
Exploring the Rainforests of the Sea
Learning Procedure ( Activity)
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.
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.)
Connections to Other Subjects
Closing Activity and Assignment
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 popup 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.
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).
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.
Exploring the Rainforests of the Sea
Assessment
Other Links and Resources
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.
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.
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