Title of Book:
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Dory Story
Jerry Pallotta
Charlesbridge, 2000
978-0-88106-075-1
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: Third Grade – Sixth Grade
TEKS: (5.9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there is a relationship
between organisms and the environment. The student is expected to:
(B) Describe how the flow of energy derived from the Sun, used by producers to create
their own food, is transferred through a food chain and food web to consumers and
decomposers.
Brief Summary: A young boy named Danny decides to take his boat out alone and encounters
many interesting creatures out there to investigate. Danny, fascinated by plankton, takes his dory
and rows out into the ocean where he sees tiny, glowing plankton to razor-toothed bluefish to the
enormous humpback whale. He encounters an aquatic food chain of tiny animals and extremely
large animals. He then believes he may even become a part of this food chain when his dory
capsizes and he has to swim for safety. Danny gets a first-hand look at the ocean’s complex food
chain.
Materials needed:
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Construction or printer paper
Markers
Map pencils
Glue
Suggested Activity:
1. Show a short video clip of Finding Nemo- "Dory Speaking Whale"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJGeeryk0Eo
as an introduction to the lesson before reading the book.
2. Read the story “Dory Story” to the students.
3. The students will create a flipbook using the animals in the book and create a food
chain. The students will use paper, glue, markers, and map pencils to draw the animals
presented in the book in order to create an ocean food chain.
4. After the activity, ask the students, “What initiates the flow of energy for the food
chain?” The answer is the sun.
5. Play video clip of Bill Nye Science Guy- "Power to the Plankton”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwyAHjf0-4g
to the class so they can understand the importance of these tiny organisms.
Websites: http://www.mswinston.com/fold.pdf- How to make layered foldable.
Adapted by Hazel Robertson, 2010