Title: “I Will Survive”; Survival Techniques of Reef Organisms; Nemo - Out of the Ocean and Into the
Classroom
Overview:
Guiding Question: What special things do reef organisms do to survive?
Students will explore reef life while creating a survival PowerPoint slide. In order to complete the PowerPoint slide,
students will view short clips from Disney’s Finding Nemo and visit the Finding Nemo Website
http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/findingnemo/index2.html to learn about the forms of sea life featured in
each. Students will also use a search engine (www.yahooligans.com or www.ask.com) to research survival techniques of
the Finding Nemo creatures. Once all slides are finished they will be grouped into a presentation that can be presented to
other classes or parents.
Total Duration:
Ideally, this lesson can be taught over an extended period of time to correspond with an oceanography unit. The research
and PowerPoint work can be done during regular science class time. This project can also be used as a weekly computer
lab activity. Depending on the knowledge level of the students and teacher this lesson can be completed within a weeklong unit.
Materials and Equipment:
Various non-fiction books on reef organisms (including encyclopedias)
Television/ VCR or DVD player
Computer(s) with access to the Internet and the Microsoft PowerPoint program
Finding Nemo video or DVD (the DVD is better because of the bonus features that include a description of various reef
creatures)
Finding Nemo Website http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/findingnemo/index2.html
Search engines (Yahooligans, Ask Jeeves, Google, Lycos, etc.)
Procedures/Activities:
This is an independent learning activity in which students research reef organisms and produce a PowerPoint slide. The
teacher acts as a facilitator, providing assistance with equipment, resources, computers, and presentation of the subject
matter (non-fiction books, DVD, videotape, etc.). The students are responsible for researching and gathering information
on their chosen organism and using the PowerPoint software appropriately.
The teacher will introduce the project by showing a short video clip of reef life shown in the movie Finding Nemo. (NOTE:
This does not mean show the entire movie to the class. Only show a few clips of reef life. Legally, no more than ten
percent of the video can be shown to the class.) After showing the short clips, the teacher will explain the project
objectives and provide a list of possible organism choices.
PowerPoint Requirements:
Each student’s slide will contain:
A picture of the organism, the organism’s name, size, what it eats, and special characteristics that help the organism
survive
Possible Organism Choices:
Sea anemone, clown fish, jellyfish, squid, cuttlefish, crab (hermit, arrow, red leg, sally light-foot, horseshoe), starfish/seastar, ray, butterfly fish, regal tang, sea horse, sponge, octopus, puffer-fish, Moorish idol, convict damsel, shrimp, lion fish,
trigger fish, yellow tang, royal gramma
The students will decide on an organism and begin researching using the Finding Nemo Website, various search engines,
encyclopedias, and non-fiction books. The students will use the PowerPoint program to make his/her slide. The slide will
contain the above listed requirements. Students will be responsible for choosing a slide layout that will best organize the
required information. The teacher will assist in editing each slide for content accuracy, spelling, and visual appeal. Once
the teacher has approved a slide, it will be saved to a disk to be added to the final “Class PowerPoint.”
When all slides have been completed and approved, the teacher will put all slides together to make one “Class
Presentation.” When the PowerPoint is presented to the class, each child will take on the role of “teacher” and discuss
his/her organism and how it survives on the reef.
Assessment Strategies:
The teacher will assess the students based on:
Accuracy of Information
Grammar and Punctuation
Visual Appeal
Presentation
Several options can be used for assessing this project. A copy of the students’ slides can be put into their portfolios, the
teacher can make a rubric using the four points above, or the students can be tested on the information presented from
the PowerPoint.
Extension:
A possible culminating activity to go along with this project could be to go visit a local pet store or aquarium shop that sells
salt-water aquariums. Generally, shops that specialize in aquariums will have a more knowledgeable staff and will be
able to give more accurate information.
Another possibility for a culminating activity would be a trip to visit an aquarium (such as the Tennessee Aquarium). Not
only will the students be able to see reef organisms interacting, but they will also see different aquatic environments
(freshwater pond, rivers, etc.) and organisms interacting.
Submitted by: Stephen Kearley, Elvin Hill Elementary School/Library Media Specialist