Lesson Title: Ocean Adaptations
Topic/ Focus Area: Living things in their environment
Subject or Grade Level: Grade 3
Major Concept of Lesson: Open ocean animals have developed structures and functions that enable them to survive.
Model – Students will create a pictorial, written, descriptive model of the ocean, its living organisms, and how those organisms are able to survive in the ocean.
California Standard(s) to be addressed:
 Grade: 3 Adaptations in physical structure may improve an organism’s chance for survival. As basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. b. Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, wetlands.
Student Objectives:
Students will classify animals based on their adaptations to particular ocean light zones: sunlit, twilight, and midnight zones.
Students will clearly explain 1-2 adaptations from each zone and how they allow the animal to survive in that particular zone.
Students will engage in discussion about why the ocean is important, based on new learnings from Brain Pop.
Students will create initial and final models of the ocean. They will have an opportunity to describe how their final compares to their initial model.
Materials and Resources:
Websites:
1. Brainpop.com--Brain Pop, Jr. video: “Ocean Habitat”
2. nationalgeographic.com (Marine Ecosystems-pictures)
3. “Why the Ocean Matters” http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/habitatsenvironment/habitats-oceans-env/why-ocean-matters/
4. Picture book: Down Down Down, by Steve Jenkins
Student Materials:
Student Note-taking Guide (organizer)
Power Point: Ocean Light Zones and Adaptations
Poster/chart paper, glue, markers, answer key to poster activity
Ocean Animal Cards (printed on cardstock)-two sets (one set of the 6 animals cards for the poster activity; and one complete set of all animal cards for the extension following the poster activity

For Literacy Strategy: Student Article: “Ocean Light Zones-Adaptations” and the Jigsaw handout
Lesson Implementation Logistics:
1. Overview: 4 Lessons: (30 minutes each)
Lesson 1: Engage-initial ocean model, read aloud
Lesson 2: Explore 1- Brain pop with note taking, discussion, Power Point, Read student article
Lesson 3: Explore 2, Explain-Poster Activity Classification (do first 6 cards, then do the
complete set of animal cards)
Lesson 4: Elaborate—Why the Ocean Matters (based on Brain Pop discussion); Evaluation-
final Ocean Model
2. Lesson Preceding: Birds and Beak Lesson
Lesson Following: Arctic Article
Vocabulary: habitat sunlight zone twilight zone midnight zone phytoplankton marine octopus photosynthesis adaptation tube worms camouflage bioluminescence survive predator prey countershading
Learning Activities which lead to Model: Teacher Questions for
Activity:
Key questions that show progression from lower to higher order thinking.
Anticipated Student
Responses, Questions and Errors:
Teacher
Response to
Students and
Teacher
Intervention
Activities or
Strategies
How do you know that?
Engage -Creating the Model:
1. Initial Model: Using the prompts, Ss individually create a pictorial, written, descriptive model of ocean and the organisms that live there. (See prompts in column 2).
2. Read Aloud:
Down Down Down, by Steve Jenkins
Descriptive Model
Prompt: a. What is the ocean? b. What lives in the ocean? c. How are living things able to survive in the ocean? Give examples. a. A large body of water b. fish, sharks, whales, octopi, plants c. Some animals have body parts that help them. For example, fish have gills that take in oxygen from water; sharks have sharp teeth for gripping and tearing meat.

Explore 1-Introduction to the Ocean and
Adaptations:
1. Brain Pop, Jr. video: “Ocean Habitat”
Students take notes on the Student Notetaking Guide for the three zones of the ocean. Ss will also take some of the Brain
Pop quiz questions.
2. Power Point-Ocean Light Zones and
Adaptations. Pause to let Ss ask questions about the animals. Clarify any misunderstandings the adaptations are discussed. Ask Ss to explain the adaptations.
3. Read selected text: “Ocean Light Zones” in whole group. Teacher conducts Literacy
Strategy to process the text (See attached handout with Jigsaw Reading procedure).
Explore 2:
1. Poster Activity:
Classification of the Ocean Zones:
In small groups of about 4, students organize the 6 pictures of the ocean animals/organisms into the correct zone in which they live (phytoplankton, dolphin, cuttlefish, lantern fish, dumbo octopus, angler fish). Allow Ss enough time to discuss and agree on their answers.
2. T displays answer key and allows student groups to make corrections as needed. T monitors and checks for understanding.
1. Brain Pop:
Why is it important to protect ocean habitats?
Take quiz questions from video.
2. Power Point: Be sure to clarify to Ss that not all animals in the same zone have the same adaptations. For example, some Ss were looking for
“countershading” in phytoplankton. Pause and reinforce the terms: adaptation,phytoplankton, camouflage, countershading, bioluminescence, survive, photosynthesis, predator, prey
Groups: Groups work more smoothly when smaller and when each S has a special job: gluer, writer, reporter, reader, etc. Each S should be able to hold a picture, or have them pass them around.
Poster Activity:
Why did you place the organism in that zone?
Does it have an adaption that helps it to survive in that zone?
What is the adaptation?
How does it help the animal?
Animals live in the ocean. We use the water that comes from the ocean.
Phytoplankton float at the top so they are a part of the sunlit zone.
The cuttlefish changes color as it swims up and down in the twilight zone.
The camouflage protects them from their predators.
As we go through this lesson, think about what you know about the ocean. Why is it important?
Intervention:
Students correctly adjust the pictures after seeing the answer key.
Ask why they repositioned them, if any.

Explain :
A. Written Explanation (on poster)
1. Display following prompt:
“Name the adaptation for each animal and explain how it helps it to survive in that zone.”
Give groups an opportunity to discuss their response first!
In their groups, students answer the prompt and write it on the poster.
B. Oral Explanation
2. Students share out responses (each group reports on one of the zones).
C. Added practice:
3. Extension: Give students the rest of the animal cards to sort into the correct zones.
After they are done, provide the answer key and discuss some of the adaptations.
D. Revision of Model-T gives Ss an opportunity to go back to their initial model and make changes, additions, etc. Discuss with Ss how they changed their models at this point.
Elaborate:
1. Students watch a 3 minute National
Geographic video on the importance of the ocean to living organisms, including humans.
“Why the Ocean Matters” http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/e nvironment/habitats-environment/habitatsoceans-env/why-ocean-matters/
This video extends student thinking on the importance of preserving habitats for marine organisms. Many animals survive only because they are adapted to specific habitats. If habitats are destroyed, then the animals will become extinct. Ss ponder this
1. Prompt for written explanation on poster:
Name the adaptation for each animal and explain how it helps it to survive in that zone.
Students should discuss their responses first, before they write.
2. Why did you put that animal in that zone?
2. Why are the oceans important? Discuss in small groups what role Ss can play in protecting the ocean.
Why is it important to protect ocean habitats?
How can storm drain run off affect the ocean life?
What can you do in your neighborhood to protect the oceans?
Can animals go in between zones?
S might place animal in the wrong zone.
S focus on the zone being an adaptation.
Not litter
Recycle
Pollution
Whatever goes down the storm drain flows straight into the ocean.
I can make sure I don’t let my parents dump motor oil down the storm drain.
You can suggest that they wash their cars at a carwash where the water is treated before it goes down the drain.
Yes, animals can go in between zones to get food or air (ex: dolphins, whales)
Display answer key on board.
Caution:
Is S response an adaptation or a description of the zone?
Some Ss might erroneously describe the adaptation as the zone.

issue and think about what they can to do protect ocean habitats.
2. Small group discussion-See all prompts in column 2 for discussion. Groups can produce a simple chart with notes for each question.
3. T asks some or all groups to share out their discussion responses.
Evaluate :
1.
Students will individually create a final descriptive model of the ocean. The same prompts as in the beginning of the lesson are posed. Like the initial model, the final model will be both pictorial and written.
2.
Explain how your final ocean model changed from your initial ocean model.
3. Use rubric to evaluate student models.
Final Model Prompt:
As you do this final model, be sure to include what you have learned in this lesson. You may include features from your initial model as well. a. What is the ocean? b. What lives in the ocean? c. How are living things able to survive in the ocean? Give examples.
What adaptations does each animal in the zone have?
How do the adaptations help the living things survive in the ocean?