Download Teacher Packet - Pacific Whale Foundation

Pacific Whale Foundation
Discovery Center
300 Ma'alaea Rd., Suite 211
Wailuku, HI 96793
www.pacificwhale.org
(808) 856-8317
Aloha, e na Kumu (teachers),
Thank you for requesting a teacher’s packet from Pacific Whale Foundation. This packet
contains four separately created curriculum:
1. The Wonderfully Wild Whales curriculum is structured to aid students in gaining
an understanding of what makes whales wonderful by comparing them to fish.
2. The Super Sharks curriculum is structured to aid students in gaining an
understanding of sharks and some of their unique characteristics.
3. The Fabulous Fishes curriculum is structured to aid students in gaining an
understanding of the natural history and ecology of fishes.
4. The Crazy Coral Reefs curriculum is structured to aid students in gaining an
understanding of what corals are, how they create reefs, and how reefs are
important as ecosystems.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to offer interactive, innovative marine science programs and
experiences that empower visitors and residents to help conserve our planet's
oceans.
Facilities
Pacific Whale Foundation’s Discovery Center is a 2,800 sq. ft. facility overlooking
Ma'alaea Harbor in Maui. It includes a resource library and two fully functioning
Discovery Labs. Our Discovery Labs are equipped with advanced AV equipment and we
are currently hosting a variety of school programs and educational opportunities for
community members of all ages. We have formed community partners allowing us to
facilitate laboratory investigations with live specimens on a loan basis.
Mahalo for your interest in educational programs at Pacific Whale Foundation.
Erica Gorman
Youth Education Director
[email protected]
(808) 856-8317
© Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 1 Wonderfully Wild Whales
In this packet, students will gain an understanding of what makes whales wonderful. This packet contains activities that build upon one another. Each activity develops upon the ideas of the previous one but may be used individually to supplement existing classroom curriculum. We start by looking at the difference between whales (cetaceans) and fish. We then narrow the classification of cetaceans into odontocetes and mysticetes. Continuing the classification aspect, we identify each individual animal based on the same method that scientists perform. So get ready to have fun learning about one of the many wonders of the oceans: WHALES! Table of Contents 1.
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Fish or Mammal Paper Whale License to Migrate Fish Scales: Fashion and Function © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 2 Lesson Title: Fish or Mammal Subject: Life Science Grade Level: K-­‐2 Correlated NSES • Structure and function in living systems • Diversity and adaptation of organisms • Characteristics of organisms Supplies: • Hula Hoops • Figurines or enlarged pictures representing the objects on the following page Objective: To demonstrate same and different characteristics among fish and mammals. Procedure: 1. Lay two hula hoops on the ground overlapping to indicate common characteristics (see included diagram). 2. Have students place objects of pictures in the appropriate area. 3. Have students complete the following worksheet to assess what they have learned. Background Information: Fish are cold-­‐blooded vertebrates that live in an aquatic environment. They breathe water through their mouth and filter oxygen with gills. Scales cover their bodies and they have external fertilization. Mammals are warm-­‐blooded vertebrates. Most mammals have live birth. Instead of tills, mammals use their lungs to obtain oxygen. Mammals feed their young milk that they produce. Marine mammals are defined by their nutritional dependence on the marine environment. Although most marine mammals live in the ocean, it is not a requirement. Their breathing behavior allows them to spend time out of the water for some species. A polar bear is a marine mammal that spends a considerable amount of time out of the marine environment. Fish and mammals display different locomotion. Fish move their tails horizontally, left to right. Marine mammals move their tail vertically, up and down. Most fish, except cartilaginous fish (ie. sharks) have swim bladders for buoyancy control. Marine mammals use their blubber. Blubber is also used for insulation although marine mammals do have hair, at least at some point in their life. Physical Education Extension: Hang the hula hoops so they are vertical and attach the pictures to small, easy to throw balls. Encourage the students to throw their ball through the correct hole. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 3 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 4 Lesson Plan: Paper Whale/Whale Anatomy Subject: Life Science Grade Level: K-­‐2 Correlated NSES • Structure and function in living systems • Diversity and adaptation of organisms • Characteristics of organisms Objective: To demonstrate the structural difference between land and marine mammals. Supplies: • Human and whale images/body parts • Scissors • Glue Procedure: 1. Distribute boy and girl graphics accordingly. 2. Pre-­‐cut or instruct students to cut out body parts. 3. Refer to the diagram of the human and review the need for certain body parts. For example, why must the human have legs? To walk – locomotion. 4. Lead students to a guided pasting activity as they transform a land mammal (human) into a marine mammal (whale). 5. Starter questions include – What does a whale have instead of arms? Pectoral fins. Why does a whale need these parts? To steer. What behaviors do you recall the humpback whale performing this body part? Pectoral slap. Can you demonstrate with your body? Kindergarten story: Once upon a time in lovely Hawaii lived a sister and brother, Lani and Kimo. Every winter the humback whales would come to Maui and have their babies. Lani and Kimo would watch from the shores of Maui, as the humpback whales would swim along nursing their babies. When May arrived, Kimo and Lani noticed there were fewer whales. They asked their Tutu (grandmother) where the Humpbacks went. Tutu explained that every winter the humpback whales left Maui to visit Alaska where they teach their babies to eat tiny shrimp called krill. Kimo and Lani were so sad that they would have to wait until next summer to see the humpback whales again. They decided if they could change their bodies to be like the whales, then they could swim to Alaska. Can you help Lani and Kimo become whales? They are already mammals. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 5 Lesson Plan: License to Migrate Subjects: Biology and Art with extensions in Geography, Conservation, and Mathematics Grade Level: 2-­‐3 Objectives: To define fluke identification and demonstrate knowledge of humpback whale weight and length Materials: Whale ID templates, writing utensils, ink pad, fluke ID examples, whale model, Why Whales Do That DVD Procedure: 1. Anticipatory Set Introduce migration by asking the class, Teacher: How did you migrate to class?, How did they get to class? Students: Mom/Dad. Teacher: What did mom or dad drive to get you here? Students: A car! Teacher: What does mom/dad need to drive his/her car? (You can use your own driver’s license to stimulate the correct answer. Explain that whales travel far distance in water like we do on land. Whales do not need a car, because they have powerful bodies. They also don’t need a license to drive their body far distances, but you’ll be making a Migration License for them. 2. Guided Practice a.) Teacher presents the complete “Why Whales Do That!” DVD or the excerpt regarding fluke identification. b.) Using whale model review the fluke and discuss the length and weight of whales. (refer to extension) 3. Independent Practice a.) Students create their own fluke shape in the picture box of the Whale ID. b.) Color their fluke with the student’s individual fingerprint demonstrating that each fluke is individual and whales are identified based on this individuality. c.) Complete the license by deciding the weight and length of their whale. Age of the whale should reflect this information and vice versa. 4. Closure Students introduce their whale to their fellow classmates. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 6 Background Information Refer to fluke Id section of “Why Whales Do That!” DVD. Extensions: 1. Anatomy When discussing length of humpback whale, have your students use a rope. Calf = ~10-­‐15’ Sub-­‐adult = ~ 30’ Adult = ~ 45’ females and ~42’ males 2. Geography To display the migration route, turn your classroom bulletin board into a giant map that shows feeding grounds and breeding grounds (i.e. Alaska and Hawaii.) Make photocopies of the individual flukes (not entire ID) created by your students. Throughout the week change the location of the fluke so the students can plot their actual migration by using fluke identification. 3. Conservation/Mathematics Each day, introduce a limiting factor by eliminating a whale from the migration route due to entanglement, predators, etc… Students can create a graph indicating the starting number versus the ending number. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 7 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 8 Lesson Plan: Fish Scales – Fashion and Function Supplies: • Tweezers • Paper towels, toothpicks • Old magazines to cut up (look for high-­‐gloss paper) • Photo copies of fish • Glue, markers, crayons Procedure: 1. Before class, go to the market and pick up a cheap fish. 2. Use scales from fish to show the students. Pull off enough scales so that each student can have a close look. Have them poke and prod the scales to see how flexible they are. Take note of the shape and color of the scale and how the scale is attached to the fish. 1. Make photo-­‐copies of fish diagram (included) for each student. 1. Lead a discussion about fish scales: ctenoid, placoid, cycloid and ganoid. 2. Have students rip out various pages of magazines 3. Use circular “scale” pattern to trace onto magazine page and cut out. 4. Glue circular magazine “scales” on the fish. 5. For a 3-­‐dimentional effect, use two fish cut-­‐outs and stuff with newspaper before adding scales Extensions: For younger children, trace and cut scales ahead of time. Introduce the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. Have some aluminum foil available for one of the scales. Background Information: Fish scales provide protection for the fish. The structure and arrangement of scales on the body differs considerably among fishes. They usually form a continuous layer of overlapping plates similar to the arrangement of roof tiles on a house. Scales are often thin and flexible. Since they are lightly attached at one end, they are able to move independently. This allows the body to flex easily. Normally scales consist of two plate-­‐like layers comprising a bony layer and a thin, fibrous layer. Most scales exhibit many fine growth rings, which increase in number as the fish ages. Biologists can use this to estimate a fish’ age. Scales can be categorized based on their shape. Placoid scales are found in sharks and rays. Even though scales are the same type, they may look different. Placoid scales never grown in size, only in number. You might have heard them referred to as dermal denticles. These scales have spines that give the animal a rough feeling skin. These tough scales also serve as protection, a bit like armor. Cosmoid scales are found on lungfishes and some extinct, fossil fishes. Cosmoid scales are similar to placoid scales. A long time ago during the course of evolution, placoid scales may have fused together to make cosmoid scales. Unlike placoid scales, cosmoid scales actually grow. As the fish grows, more bone is added to the bottom layers of the scales. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 9 Ganoid scales are found in some unusual fishes such as paddlefishes, gars, and sturgeons. They are also found in fossilized fishes. Get this! No fishes with ganoid scales occur in Australian waters! Ganoid scales are an irregular square or rhomboid shape. They can move around because they have socket joints between them. Ganoid scales are modified cosmoid scales. Most bony fish have cycloid or ctenoid scales. The scales form an overlapping pattern giving the fish greater flexibility. Ctenoid scales have a spiny backside (cteno means comb in Greek). Cycloid scales have a smooth backside. Both ctenoid and cycloid scales evolved from ganoid scales and exhibit growth rings that can be used to estimate a fish’s age. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 10 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 11 Super Sharks!
In this packet students will gain an understanding of sharks and some of their unique characteristics. The packet contains activities that may be used individually to supplement existing classroom curriculum. We start by introducing shark reproduction. We learn about external anatomy and different names of sharks. We conclude with learning something all sharks, except the whale shark, are know for – their toothy mouth! So get ready to have fun learning about one of the many wonders of the ocean: Sharks. Table of Contents 1. Mermaid’s Purse 2. Shark Anatomy 3. Nearshore Sharks Specific to Hawaii 4. Sharky Picture Math 5. Silly Shark Names 6. Toothy Treasures © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 12 Lesson Plan: What’s in a Mermaid’s Purse Objectives: Students will be able to describe two types of reproduction in sharks, describe a mermaid’s purse, and create a model of a mermaid’s purse. Materials: Consumables: 2 styrofoam trays per student, 4 pipe cleaners per student, xerox of shark embryo illustration, glue, white paper Non-­‐consumables: Markers, scissors Procedure: 1. Describe the different types of reproduction in sharks. 2. Pass out copies of embryos and have students color and cut out. Use pictures to show embryos. 3. Tape two styrofoam trays together on a longitudinal axis. Poke pipe cleaners through all four corners on one meat tray only so that the egg case may still open. 4. Glue embryo inside “Mermaid’s purse” 5. Draw of picture of where your Mermaid’s purse will have the best chance of survival. Background Information: Shark fertilization occurs inside the female’s body, unlike most bony fish. Males have modified anal fins, or claspers that function as external reproductive organs that are used to transfer sperm inside the female to fertilize her eggs. Most sharks have live birth (viviparity) but some release eggs encased in tough, leathery pouches nicknamed “mermaid’s purses” (oviparity). The gestation period in oviparous sharks can be up to two years (the spiny dogfish has the longest). Baby sharks (pups) have a full set of teeth at birth and are instantly independent. Once hatched from the mermaid’s purse, the pup quickly swims away. Litters range from one to two pups in great whites and to over 100 pups in large blue and whale sharks. • Other viviparous sharks include bulls, lemons, whitetips, and whale sharks. • Other oviparous sharks include horn sharks, swell sharks, and necklace carpet sharks. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 13 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 14 SHARK ANATOMY © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 15 NEARSHORE SHARKS SPECIFIC TO HAWAII Tiger Shark -­ Galeocerdo cuvier Characteristics: up to 18 feet long; average 12-­‐13 feet; short, vertical bars on side, fading with age to tan/dark grey; broad, blunt snout Diet: wide variety of marine animals, including mammals, carrion Habitat: deep coastal waters during day; nearshore waters at night Whitetip Reef Shark -­ Triaenodon obesus Characteristics: up to 6 feet; average 2-­‐3 feet; conspicuous white tip on first dorsal fin and upper lobe of caudal fin; second dorsal fin and lower caudal lobe sometimes white-­‐tipped Diet: reef fishes, octopuses Habitat: shoreline, shallow reefs Blacktip Reef Shark -­ Carcharhinus melanopterus Characteristics: usually less than 4 feet; maximum 6 feet; first dorsal fin with large black marking at tip and cream-­‐colored band below; other fins with black tips; caudal fin with black margin; conspicuous white band extends forward from anal fin into tan area on side Diet: reef fishes Habitat: shallow waters Gray Reef Shark – Carcharhinus amblyrhyncos Characteristics: up to 7 feet; average 3-­‐5 feet; dark margins on pelvic and caudal fins; second dorsal and anal fins dark; pectoral tips dark Diet: bony fishes; sometimes octopus, squid, and crustaceans Habitat: deeper waters on outer edge of reefs Scalloped Hammerhead Shark – Sphyrna lewini Characteristics: up to 15 feet; average 5-­‐7 feet; front margin of head has four shallow lobes Diet: reef fishes, sharks, rays, octopus, squid, crustaceans Habitat: inshore shallow waters in spring, summer; deep waters © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 16 SHARKY PICTURE MATH © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 17 SILLY SHARK NAMES © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 18 Lesson Plan: Toothy Treasures Objectives: Students will be able to describe different shark teeth shapes, tell what a shark eats by its tooth type, and create a shark tooth model and necklace. Materials: Consumables: White fimo, wire Non-­‐consumables: Oven (at home) Procedure: 1. Describe the different forms of shark teeth (ie. serrated, smooth, etc.) 2. Describe and read about different prey items for different types of sharks. Relate shark type/shape to how it eats prey. 3. Pass out little balls of fimo to students and have them mold their own tooth. 4. Provide pictures of teeth or use real teeth. 5. Take teeth home and bake. 6. The following day wire wrap teeth and thread with hemp to make a necklace. Background Information: Shark teeth grown in parallel rows. Front row teeth are the ones the shark uses to catch and eat prey. Several rows of new teeth behind them continue to replace the ones that fall out during feeding. Sharks continue to grow new teeth throughout their whole lives. Marine biologists at Mote Marine Lab in Florida have shown that nurse sharks, for example, will replace front row teeth every ten days to two weeks on average during the summer when they are actively feeding. During the winter, when they are less active, their teeth are replaced about every one to two months. Shark tooth types: Great whites have serrated, wedge-­‐shaped teeth for cutting large fish and mammal prey items. Mako sharks have sharp, spiky teeth for grabbing and holding prey like large fish and octopi. Nurse sharks have shorter, conical teeth for crushing invertebrates like crabs and snails on the sea floor.
© Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 19 FABULOUS FISHES
In this packet students will gain an understanding of the natural history and ecology of fishes. This packet contains activities that build upon one another. Each activity develops upon the ideas of the previous one but may be used individually to supplement existing classroom curriculum. We start by looking at fish of different shapes and sizes. We soon learn that the shape of a fish will affect not only its movement in the water but also feeding and predation avoidance strategies. We then move into the ecology of fish and how fish interact with their environment. So get ready to have fun learning about one of the many wonders of the ocean: Fish! Table of Contents: 1. Sink or Swim 2. Fishy Creations 3. Fishy and Funny © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 20 Lesson Plan: Sink or Swim Subject: Life Science Grade Level: 2-­‐4 Supplies: • Modeling Clay • Sink/tub filled with water • Scissors/rulers • 5 pieces of 18” string each double-­‐knotted at one end Objective: To demonstrate the difference between various body shapes and shape affects movement in water. Procedure: 1. Mold a small blob of clay around one knot making sure it’s well stuck and won’t fall off when you pick up the other end of the string. Roll the ball into a miniature cigar to resemble streamlined bodies (fusiform shape) of fish that swim in the open ocean – like tuna and sharks. 2. Attach a second clay cigar to the knot on another piece of string then pinch its sides to make a laterally compressed (skinny) fish. Butterflyfish and triggerfish are laterally compressed, school in shallow waters, and maneuver around corals. 3. For the third fish, hold the clay cigar horizontally and pull the cigar slightly from top and bottom to form a flat ray, skate, or other bottom-­‐dweller with a depressed body shape. 4. Finally, mold a round puffer and cube-­‐shaped boxfish; both types of fish are equipped with a powerful toxin to fend off predators that can’t out-­‐swim. 5. One at a time, tow your fish through the water. Which is easiest to pull, offering the least resistance? Moves the straightest? Creates the greatest wake (turbulence) and therefore, resistance? If you were a fish trying to get away, which shape would you be? If you had a shape that moved slowly, how would you protect yourself? Let the students’ observations stimulate a discussion about the strengths and limitations of different shapes of fishes. Background Information: Different fish move differently through the water. A fish’s movement is largely dependent on its overall body shape. Let’s take a look at a few common body shapes and see how they affect a fish’s movement. Streamlined fish with a fusiform body shape moves the quickest and smoothest through water. This is a beneficial body shape in the open ocean away from coral reefs and seaweed beds. Like most fish, their bodies bend with an S-­‐
shaped curve that pushes them quickly through the water. Laterally compressed fish are flattened side to side. They don’t swim as fast as fusiform fish but their body shape allows them to slide efficiently around and between obstacles. Many fish on the reef have these highly maneuverable bodies. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 21 Fish with depressed bodies, flattened from top to bottom, are slow swimmers but they are designed to burrow in the sand to hide from predators. Swimming fast isn’t necessary when you are lying flat on the bottom covered in sediment. Cubic cruisers, or box-­‐shaped fish, have scales that are fused together. Boxfish can’t propel themselves along by bending their scales in S-­‐shaped curves the way most fish can. Instead, they use their pectoral (side) fins to paddle along – a trait that also let’s them spin in any direction. This is why U.S. Navy researchers have kept a watchful eye on these reef fish. The hope is that engineers will be able to mimic the boxfish’s maneuverability to build a brand-­‐new submersible that can turn on a dime, even in the strong underwater currents along the ocean floor. Give your clay boxfish a whirl and see how it spins! © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 22 Lesson Plan: Fishy Creations Subject: Life Science Grade Level: 3-­‐5 Correlated NSES: • Structure and function in living systems • Diversity and adaptation of organisms • Characteristics of organisms Objective: to show how various fish have bodies adapted to suit their particular niche or lifestyle. Supplies: • Butcher paper • Fish pictures • Markers/Crayons • Tropical Fish Book Procedure: 1. Before the lesson – Make several fictitious descriptions of fish, be sure to include habitat, diet, and size. Kids will use this information to design their fishes. 2. Use pictures or models of familiar animals that clearly demonstrate the connection between form and function (ie. giraffe’s long neck) 3. Solicit other examples the students may be familiar with, identifying the form and its associated function. 4. Use pictures and diagrams to reinforce the idea that form follows function. 5. Create a table with the following columns: Fish Form, Protection, Feeding. Students will used descriptive words to identify how forms found in different fish relate to each category (refer to example provided). Fish Form
Protection
Feeding
Flat body, like a pancake
Highly maneuverable,
can dodge and weave
from predators.
Can fit in small spaces to
get to coral polyps (food)
Torpedo shaped body
Moves quickly through
the water, can escape
predators
Allows them to catch
food (smaller fish) more
easily
Can be used as a weapon
to protect itself
Not so important for
feeding.
Spine at base of tail
© Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 23 6. Divide students into groups of 2 or 3 and give each group a large piece of butcher paper, markers, and a description of a fictitious creature. 7. Propose advantages and disadvantages of each characteristic (ie. black stripes through eyes, spines on tail, strong beaks, long noses, etc.) 8. Encourage creativity and remind the groups that the fish they create must fit the written description. On their own, they must invent how their fish will swim and catch food. 9. Upon completion, have students name their fish and present it to the group. They will show the picture they have drawn and read the description of their new species of fish pointing out how various forms lend themselves to proper function. Background Information: As with most things in life, fishes' form follows their function. People have used this knowledge to design machines and tools to move thorough water more efficiently (i.e. submarine, torpedo). Fishes' tail symmetry, fin structure, scale type, and color, among other things, can all tell us a great deal about how the fish works, where it lives, what it eats, and what time of day it comes out into the open, if ever. Think about how form follows function in body shape. Let’s start with the body shape. What if you have a fish that is flat like a pancake? How might this fish swim? Flat fishes, like butterfly fish can’t go very fast, but they are quite good at turning and maneuvering, which is important when you live on the reef and like to feed on coral polyps. What will a predator’s body shape look like? Fat? Thin? Boxy? Many predators, as common sense will tell you, are streamlined and have a pointed head. Why? So they can swim fast and catch their prey. This particular type of predator is what is called a rover-­‐predator. Other types of predators like to lie-­‐in-­‐wait and then attack their prey. What would these fish look like? They are torpedo shaped and have big mouths so they can dart out from their hiding places and capture their prey. A mouth that opens up indicates a predator that hunts from below. These are called ambush predators. Fishes' mouths tells us how a fish makes its living. A big mouth with sharp teeth tells us that the fish is a predator of other fish and animals. Bony lips (the type most of us think of when we think of fish) work like an eyedropper to suck in small pieces of food. Basically the smaller the mouth, the smaller the prey. Some fish have small bodies with upward turned mouths and flat heads. These, surface-­‐oriented fish, do just that; they eat things like insects on the surface of the water. Other fish have flat bodies and live mainly at the bottom of the water (bottom fish or benthic fish). Deep-­‐bodied fish that are flat from side to side, or laterally compressed, have a high degree of maneuverability. What about the fish’s “accessories” like spines and fins and colors? Fins are used for a number of things. The paired fins -­‐ the pelvic and pectoral fins -­‐ are used for fine movement. Rover-­‐predators have paired fins, which are separated widely and are located low on the body for stability. Other fish have these fins higher on the body © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 24 and have them oriented more vertically, to give a higher degree of maneuverability. The caudal fin (tail fin) addresses propulsion or forward movement. A fish with a quarter-­‐moon shaped tail with a narrow peduncle (the part that connects the caudal fin to the rest of the body) tends to be extremely fast. Fish with forked tails use them for continuous movement, either as rover-­‐predators, or fish that live in regions with fast currents. Spines make a fish look "bigger" and are often poisonous which can help potential predators choose something else for lunch. The size of the eyes can help us determine when a fish is active. Bigger eyes usually indicate that a fish is active in the day. Fish that are active at night or live in the aphotic (no light) zone tend to have smaller eyes because of the lack of their use. Color and color patterns are also important. From confusing a predator (false eye spot) to advertising services (Hawaiian cleaner wrasse) to identifying a mate (butterfly fish) the pattern of the colors matter. Color can be used for camouflage. Silvery fish tend to be active in the day where their shininess blends in with sunlight. Red fish have the advantage of being the least visible in water (the color red is the first color to be filtered out through water). "Poster colored fish" (the ones we think of when we think of the Great Barrier Reef) can have bright colors to either match their colorful environment, or to serve as a warning to other fish concerning its toxicity or some other danger. As you can see, a fish’s shape can tell you a story! This story, if “read” carefully will tell you where a fish lives, how it feeds, how it moves and how it protects itself. You can discover even more when you consider color and pattern in addition to body shape. * The function of various fish parts listed above was take from Fish: An Enthusiast’s Guide by Peter Moyle, and Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology by Peter Moyle and Joseph Cech. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 25 FISHY AND FUNNY © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 26 Crazy Coral Reefs
In this packet students will gain an understanding of what corals are, how they create reefs, and how reefs are important as ecosystems. This packet contains activities that build upon one another. Each activity develops upon the ideas of the previous one but may be used individually to supplement existing classroom curriculum. We start by introducing cnidarians as live animals. We learn about their life cycle and how they develop colonies. These colonies expand and become giant coral heads. Coral heads come together to form massive reefs. Coral reefs are the basis of a complex and fascinating ecosystem that includes everything from fish to rays to sharks to turtles! So get ready to have fun learning about one of the many wonders of the ocean: Coral Reefs! Table of Contents 1. Cnidarian Life Cycle 2. Coral Polyp Life Cycle 3. Polyp Song 4. Intercalical Communication Game 5. Coral Reef Types Specific to Hawaii 6. Plankton, Nekton, Benthos © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 27 Lesson Plan: Cnidarian Life Cycle Objectives: Students will be able to differentiate between the various stages of the life cycle of moon jelly Materials: Life cycle diagram, markers, glue, collage bits (beads, glitter, sequins) Procedure: 1. Familiarize students with background information 2. Hand out diagrams 3. Use markers and collage bits to decorate them Extensions: 1. For older students, have them cut out the parts of the life cycle diagram and reassemble them in the correct order on a separate sheet of paper. 2. Have students work in teams to create puppets for each phase of the life cycle. Use student research along with the provided background information to include factors that influence cnidarian survival. Background Information: Cnidarians include corals, sea jellies, and hydroids. The cnidarian life cycle is a bit confusing due to variation between groups and species. Cnidarians can have two body forms: polyp or medusa. Some species have both, some have just one. For example, anemones only exist as polyps. Sea jellies have a medusa and polyp stage. Corals are only polyps. A textbook life cycle used for studying cnidarians is the moon jelly life cycle. Once the gametes come together (sexually reproduction), a planula larva is formed. The planula larva is ciliated and free-­‐swimming. Once it settles down on appropriate substrate, the planula larva extends and grows into a polyp. The polyp is attached to the substrate by a pedal disk and uses its tentacles to gather food. Polyps can reproduce asexually by budding. Additionally, under the right conditions/stressors, the polyp undergoes strobilation. In this process, the schyphistoma (standard) polyp transforms into a strobila (asexually reproducing polyp). In the moon jelly, the strobila is a stack of ephyrae (or newly formed wagon-­‐wheeled shaped sea jellies). The eyphrae pop off of the strobila and evolve into free-­‐swimming medusae with the tissue extending between the eight arms. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 28 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 29 POLYP SONG (follows the melody of itsy-­‐bitsy spider) Drifting, and floating ma ka moana nui, Searching and seeking for the perfect space for me. Auwe – a whale shark! Watch out for his big mouth An ocean current saves me -­‐ mahalo for the sea. Settlement cues appearing everywhere around me This tropical climate will suit me very well. Where shall I settle? There’s lots of competition Among the different corals, only time will tell. Sessile on the bottom, I will start making Minerals to build my exoskeleton My tentacles are growing, I’m getting so much bigger Soon I will be a colony, that will be so fun. My tentacles, at night, I use for filter feeding I’m searching for the perfect zooxanthellae This special little algae will make me very happy I’ll keep it in my tissues -­‐ inside my belly. I am pinching off some buddies but we will stay connected Intercalical tissues are what keep us as one Together we make hale for all the reef’s critters We’re an ecosystem – one for all and all for one! Hawaiian Words Auwe (ah-­‐way)– Oh my gosh! Hale (ha-­‐lay)-­‐ house Ma ka (ma-­‐kah)– locator phrase – indicates location Moana nui (moe-­‐ah-­‐na nu-­‐E)– vast, deep ocean Mahalo (ma-­‐ha-­‐low)– thank you Definitions Calyx (Calices-­‐plural) – cup shaped cavity or structure in which corals live (i.e. the exoskeleton of reef building coral polyps) Ecosystem – living factors in an environment with its associated abiotic factors Exoskeleton – skeleton of an animal that is external to the soft tissue Intercalical Tissue – tissue that connects coral polyps [outside of the calices] Planula-­ The planktonic larval stage of a coral when it is drifting about on ocean currents. Sessile – animals that are permanently attached to the bottom and cannot move Settlement Cues – environmental factors that encourage larva to settle and begin developing. These include temperature, currents, wave action and sunlight. Zooxanthellae – symbiotic algae that are found in most corals. Feed off the coral's waste, and supply coral polyps with nutrients. Zooxanthellae also give coral its color. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 30 Lesson Plan: Intercalical Communication Game Objective: The goal of this game is to demonstrate how coral polyps communicate within a colony through their intercalical tissues. This rudimentary form of communication allows polyps to thrive as a colony. Using intercalical tissues, polyps can alert one another when the feeding is good and when danger is near. Materials: • Small objects to represent zooxanthellae (ping pong ball, pom poms, etc.) • Large enough area to accommodate students sitting cross-­‐legged in a circle • Prop to represent a coral stressor (a crown-­‐of-­‐thorns or other coralivore puppet) Procedure: 1. Seat children cross-­‐legged in a circle with knees touching to represent intercalical tissue. Each child represents a polyp. Remind the children that they are sessile and cannot move around. 2. Give each child a small object to hold in his/her hands (tentacles) to represent zooxanthellae. 3. Lock arms tightly at elbows to represent intercalical tissue. 4. Use a prop to stress the polyp. Fill a squirt bottle with pollution and squirt the polyps or use a puppet or stuffed animal to act as a predator. 5. Stress a random polyp and ask them to release their zooxanthellae. 6. Whoever is stressed releases their zooxanthellae and puts their head and shoulders down, keeping arms locked tightly; therefore, pulling on neighboring polyps. 7. Eventually, the entire reef will collapse with polyps pulling/signaling one another. Extension: The same scenario can be played out with the students standing if this works better with the age group. Definitions: • Calyx (calices) – cup shaped cavity or structure (ie. the exoskeleton of reef building coral polyps) • Exoskeleton – a skeleton to an animal that is external to the soft tissue • Intercalical Tissue – tissue that connects coral polyps (outside of the calices) • Planula – microscopic planktonic larva • Sessile – animals that are permanently attached to the bottom and cannot move • Tentacle – an arm-­‐like appendage used for locomotion, sensory perception, and/or feeding © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 31 •
Zooxanthellae – symbiotic algae that are found in most corals. They feed on the coral’s waste and supply coral polyps with nutrients. Zooxanthellae give coral its color. Background Information: Zooxanthellae are acquired through filter feeding and later stored in the polyp’s tissues. There are many different species of zooxanthellae and from time to time coral colonies may change species of their hosted zooxanthellae. When the zooxanthellae are lost, the polyps appear white, with only the calcium carbonate exoskeleton reflecting light and color. Zooxanthellae are released when the reef is under stress. Sources of stress include sedimentation, pollution, changes in temperature, changes in pH, changes in salinity or climatic change. It is possible for the reef to regain zooxanthellae and possibly find a species better suited to the adverse conditions, however the release of one may start a chain reaction with the entire colony expelling their zooxanthellae. When this happens, the colony most likely parishes due to lack of nutrients. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 32 CORAL REEF TYPES SPECIFIC TO HAWAII Reef Communities – non-­‐structural reef composed of an assemblage (community) of non-­‐connected, loose coral colonies. A reef community often represents the beginnings of a true coral reef or a habitat under intense disturbance where an actual fringing reef cannot develop. Example in Hawaii: Puna and Kalapana districts on Big Island (very young and prone to disturbance) Fringing Reefs – As coral colonies continue to grow and interact with other sessile organisms, a structural reef will appear directly offshore of sections of the island. Such a fringing reef includes an outwardly growing reef slope, a reef flat and may have channels cutting through it. Juvenile fringing reefs are often termed apron reefs; eventually a number of apron reefs grow together and form fringing reefs. Example in Hawaii: Kaupo district in Maui Specific Examples: Honolua Bay and Flemings, Maui Barrier Reefs – As an island continues to erode away and sink, the fringing reefs will appear to move farther and farther offshore. Eventually a barrier reef will be formed separating a relatively large body of water (a lagoon) from the offshore circulation Example in Hawaii: Wai Kane and Kahana districts, O’ahu Specific Examples: Kane’ohe Bay, O’ahu Atolls – a ring or horseshoe-­‐shaped reef surrounding an isolated body of water, the lagoon. Of the 330 know atolls, all but 9 of them are in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Atolls can range in size from over 2400 km2 (that’s roughly 1400 square miles for you non-­‐metric types) for Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands to less than a couple km2 for a number of atolls in the Central Pacific. Example in Hawaii: Midway and Kure, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Northeast shores of the Hawaiian Islands tend to lack complex coral development due to Northeast trade winds and severe wave action. ** All definitions on this handout were taken from Guilko, D. 1998. Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecology. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, HI © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 33 Lesson Plan: Plankton, Nekton, Benthos Program Theme: Coral Reef Communities Objective: Students will be able to identify marine organisms as plankton, nekton, or benthos. Materials: • Plankton, Nekton, Benthos handout (to be included) • Oceanic Organisms handout (to be included) • Markers/crayons/scissors/glue sticks • Bits (beads, glitter, sequins, etc.) for decorating diagram Procedure: 1. Copy both handouts on separate papers and define the three categories: • Nekton or Pelagic-­‐ Animals with strong swimming capabilities that are able to swim against a current (e.g. adult fish, squid and marine mammals). • Plankton-­‐ Organisms that are suspended in the water column and are not able to swim against the currents. Therefore they rely on water movements for distribution and transport. • Benthos-­‐ Organisms living on or attached to the seafloor. 2. Students may color the animals, then cut and paste in the appropriate category. 3. Students may use small pieces of cardboard to give the critters a 3-­‐D effect. Background Information Ocean critters can be divided into three specific groups: benthos, nekton and plankton. This division is based on swimming ability and where you are likely to find the organism in the water column. Benthos describes bottom dwellers and sessile or attached organisms. Some examples of benthos critters include, corals as polyps, sea cucumbers, octopus and sea stars. Nekton defines the ‘swimmers:’ any creature capable of independent movement against moving water is classified as nekton. Some examples include squid, fish and sharks. Nekton critters live in all areas of the ocean including inshore and offshore or pelagic waters. They can swim well and make use of their talents. Plankton on the other hand includes any organism that depends on the movement of water for locomotion and is not capable of moving against a current. Plankton is generally assumed to be microscopic, but this is not always the case. Drifting organisms as large as the Portuguese man-­‐o-­‐war will fall into this category. There are basically two types of plankton: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton is sometimes overlooked but it’s very important, it is what drives the food web in the ocean. Phytoplankton makes its own food, like plants do. Zooplankton can’t make their own food, they rely upon the phytoplankton for their nourishment. Corals, in their planula stage fall into this group zooplankton. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 34 Definitions: • Pelagic – describes offshore, open ocean areas and the organisms that dwell there. • Water column – spatial distribution of the ocean, usually stratified horizontally. • Planktos -­‐ Greek for drifting or wandering • Phytoplankton – plant-­‐like, planktonic organisms with photosynthetic pigments • Zooplankton – animal-­‐like, planktonic organisms that consume organisms • Planula-­‐ The planktonic stage of a cnidarian (coral) when it is drifting about on ocean currents. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 35 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 36 © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 37 WHALE CONSERVATION
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Minimize use of chemicals in your home and yard to prevent water pollution. Help prevent marine debris. Pick up trash at the beach. Properly dispose of trash (especially batteries and products containing mercury). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Choose your seafood wisely. Consult the Seafood Card (available free from Pacific Whale Foundation). Do not participate in irresponsible whale watching activities. Support sanctions against natures engaging in illegal whaling. Help support marine research, conservation programs, and legislation that protects endangered species and their habitats. Click on www.pacificwhale.org for additional ideas and information. DISCUSSION POINTS: •
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Why it is important to help protect fish and their habitat? What unique roles do they play in the ocean and why should they be respected? How do our actions (marine debris, fisheries, coastal development) affect fish and the ocean? Are there marine protected areas (or other protected aquatic habitats) near your home -­‐town? What activities are restricted in these areas and why? © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 38 Shark Conservation
Even though the media and Hollywood have made sharks out to be the “bad guys”, there is still plenty of conservation efforts worldwide working to protect these amazing animals. Without sharks, the natural food web in the ocean would be greatly affected. The number one greatest threat to sharks’ survival is modern fishing practices. Sharks are slow to reach reproductive maturity and produce few young each year, which makes them vulnerable to the growing pressure of the global fishing \\\
fleet. As estimated 100 million sharks, skates, and rays are caught and killed each year as unintended bycatch. This means they were accidentally killed in fisheries targeting other animals like tuna or shrimp. Reducing bycatch is one way the fishing industry can help save sharks from extincion. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION
Another thing the fishing industry can do is to catch fewer sharks. Many shark species are being overfished, especially in countries where no laws exist on shark fisheries. Most sharks are caught for their dorsal fins for a popular Asian shark fin soup dish. The rest of the shark is tossed overboard as waster. Banning shark finning all over the world is one of the best ways we can aid the shark population’s recovery. How To Help: •
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Use the Seafood Watch pocket guide (produced by the Monterey Bay Aquarium) to make wise seafood choices by purchasing only sustainable seafoods where sharks, sea turtles, sea birds, and other animals are not accidentally killed as bycatch. Don’t buy shark products. When traveling abroad or at home, avoid everything from shark-­‐fin soup and shark teeth souvenirs to shark-­‐cartilage pills at the vitamin store. Become a member of a marine conservation group working to protect sharks and other marine life. With your support, these organizations can continue their research and conservation efforts that may lead to the amendments of laws affecting fishing regulations. Support marine reserves. Many shark and ray species return to the same area to breed or release its eggs where they were born. This means creating and sustaining marine sanctuaries, reserves, and parks can be crucial to their survival. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 39 FISH CONSERVATION
HOW YOU CAN HELP: 4. Stay informed. Increase your knowledge and share it with friends and family. We should all strive to know more about the ocean. How can you help if you don’t know what’s wrong? 5. Don’t feed the fish when you go out snorkeling. People often feed fish food that they cannot digest which causes real problems for them. Even specially formulated fish-­‐food will cause problems in the long run. Feeding fish disrupts the natural balance of their ecosystem causing problems for everyone on the reef. 6. Avoid eating seafood that has been over fished. Consumer demand has driven some fish populations to their lowest levels ever. But you can be part of the solution by choosing seafood from healthy, thriving species and fisheries. You can check out the seafood list at: http://www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/seafood/ or http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp • Try to buy organic foods and products when possible. Organic farming doesn’t use pesticides therefore the runoff is less harmful to the sea, plus it is better for you. Other organic soaps and household products that eventually wash down the drain are less harmful than non-­‐organic products. Check out seventh generation products at www.seventhgeneration.com or look in your local drug store for Burt’s Bees products, such as environmentally friendly soaps and insect repellent. • Plant trees, flowers or shrubs in your own yard to prevent erosion. With less mud exposed, there will be less sediment washed into the sea. • Put your sunscreen on early. Not only will you be better protected; the lotion will have more time to absorb into your skin instead of washing off you and onto the reef. DISCUSSION POINTS: •
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Why it is important to help protect fish and their habitat? What unique roles do they play in the ocean and why should they be respected? How do our actions (marine debris, fisheries, coastal development) affect fish and the ocean? Are there marine protected areas (or other protected aquatic habitats) near your home -­‐town? What activities are restricted in these areas and why? © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 40 CORAL REEF CONSERVATION
The coral reef is generally viewed as a non-­‐vital part of the ocean environment. Coral reefs are in fact a rarity, covering less than 1% of the ocean floor. Though scarce, coral reefs provide an extremely unique ecosystem serving many life functions in and around the reef. Coral reefs are often dubbed the “rainforests” of the sea, because of their extreme diversity and their important ecological role. Like the true rainforest, coral reefs deserve conservation measures to protect them from human impact. They provide food and shelter for the fish we \\\ and wave damage. In addition medical eat and they protect our islands from erosion technology is being derived from the coral reefs. For example the Mycrosporin like amino acids (MAA) found in coral have a SPF 50! Coral’s exoskeleton is being used for bone transplants because it has the same density, calcium and vascularity as human bone. Currently reefs face many threats from pollution, climate and even tourism. Runoff is a large pollutant here in Hawaii as are the tourists who damage the reef while snorkeling. Snorkelers sometimes touch and trample the reef. It’s easy to see why public education plays such an important role in protecting this valuable resource. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION
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Keep learning as much as you can and share your knowledge with others. Put your sunscreen on early. Not only will you be better protected; the lotion will have more time to absorb into your skin instead of washing off you and onto the reef. Don’t touch or step on the reef. Though it looks and feels like a rock, coral is a live animal and very delicate too! Just by touching or standing on the reef you can kill hundreds of tiny polyps. Plant trees, flowers or shrubs in your own yard to prevent erosion. With less mud exposed, there will be less sediment washed into the sea Try to buy organic foods and products when possible. Organic farming doesn’t use pesticides therefore the runoff is less harmful to the sea, plus it is better for you. Other organic soaps and household products that eventually wash down the drain are less harmful than non-­‐organic products. Check out seventh generation products at www.seventhgeneration.com or look in your local drug store for Burt’s Bees products, such as environmentally friendly soaps and insect repellent. © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 41 HELPFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
Background Information and Current Issues Facing Fish Environmental Protection Association -­‐ www.epa.gov/ow Save Our Seas -­‐ www.planet.hawaii.com/sos/ Reef Relief -­‐ www.reefrelief.org/ NOAA -­‐ www.noaa.gov/fisheries.html US Fisheries: http://fisheries.fws.gov/FWSFH/NFHSmain.htm Background Information and Current Issues Facing Coral Reefs EPA -­‐ www.epa.gov/ow Protect Marine Life -­‐ ioc.unesco.org/IYO/classroom/protect_marine_life.htm Save Our Seas -­‐ www.planet.hawaii.com/sos/ Reef Relief -­‐ www.reefrelief.org/ NOAA Coral Health and Monitoring Program -­‐ www.coral.noaa.gov/ Teaching Resources Ocean Science Discovery Center-­‐ www.osdcmaui.org Pacific Whale Foundation-­‐ www.pacificwhale.org National Science Teacher’s Association – www.nsta.org Lawrence Hall of Science – www.lhs.berkely.edu NOAA Resource Guide for Teachers of Marine Science – www.swfsc.ucsd.edu/bibliography/ELEMBK2.htm National Marine Educators Association-­‐ http://www.marine-­‐ed.org The Ocean Channel: www.ocean.com Aquariums to Visit (with excellent fish exhibits and conservation messages) 1. Maui Ocean Center, Ma’alaea, Maui 2. John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL. 3. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA. 4. Monterey Bay Aquarium, CA. 5. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Pittsburgh, PA. 6. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma, WA. 7. Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC, Canada 8. Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu, ‘Oahu 9. Check on-­‐line for an aquarium near you! © Pacific Whale Foundation Discovery Center 42