I see Sea Otters
5th grade Webquest
Your TaskYour family recently took a trip out to California.
While you were there you visited the central
California coast. When looking out into the ocean
you see a raft of sea otters. You recently heard that
sea otters have become threatened. You want to
learn more and let other people know about sea
otters and what we can do to help! You and a friend
will put together a brochure displaying information
about these California Sea otters and their
protection status!
• Get to know this animal! Watch this short
video introducing sea otters!
Click me to watch your video!
• List three interesting facts you found out while
watching this video (Answer all questions in
your science notebooks!)
Listen to the sound otters make
Look at a map of Sea Otter range
on the California coastline
Read this article about sea otters
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals
/mammals/sea-otter.html
• What is their scientific name?
• What is their current protection status?
• Name one other thing you found interesting
about sea otters in the National Geographic
article?
• Need more information about why these sea
otters are endangered? Read this article and
answer the questions at the end!
• http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/seaotter/pdf/re
adthreats.pdf
• Watch this clip from Fox News about Sea Otter
populations
• Why do marine biologists think the numbers are
dwindling?
• What would happen if the Sea otter population
continues to decline?
Now go to The Sea otter Project website• Click on the About Sea Otters tabhttp://www.otterproject.org/site/pp.asp?c=8pIKIYMIG&b=
28115
• Read the short summary of sea otters and look at the chart
graphing sea otter population-
Using the California Sea Otter population graph, record the
numbers for each year in your science notebook
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1991199319951997199920012003200520072009Using the numbers recorded graph/chart this data using
either a bar graph, scatter plot, or any graph that you think
well represents the data. Use a Microsoft Office Excel to
record data and create your graph. Make sure you label
each year, as well as the x axis and y axis. You will use this is
your final brochure!
Okay so now you know there is to know
everything about California Sea otters
right? And you know that there
population has been dwindling due to
human interaction. So know let’s look at
an organizations effort to promote
awareness about Sea otter population.
Read this article about the “No-Otter Zone”http://www.otterproject.org/site/pp.asp?c=8p
IKIYMIG&b=3929449
• What is the no-otter zone?
• Where did they move the sea otters to?
• Did it work?
• Do you think this translocation benefits sea
otters or humans more? Why?
Scan this brochure created by Defenders of
Wildlife-
• Under what two acts are sea otters protected
in California?
• Why do you think the population of Sea otters
in California keeps declining?
• What are some of the reasons the brochure
mentions?
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve completed the I see Sea otters
Webquest! Congratulations. Now it’s time for
you and your partner to get to work on
creating your brochure. Make sure to use all
the information you just gathered as well as
your graphs.