Goals:

1.Ý Students will learn to identify a variety of organisms that live on coral reefs by using a dichotomous key.

2.Ý Students will work effectively with other students.

3.Ý Students will learn the importance of following directions.

4.Ý Students will improve their communication skills. 

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Materials:

Coral Reef animal Key in the form of a dichotomous key.

Information on coral reefs and possible detailed pictures. For example: World Book Encyclopedia or National Geographic Magazines dealing with coral reefs, and Internet resources such as http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~pgore/students/f95/starmoss/coral.htm

Basic computer data bases or Internet access

Multiple copies of basic organisms that live on coral reefs

Tourist information about different resorts or coral reef experiences.

Time:

This activity will take about 3 to 4 hours of classroom time.  About one hour to locate pictures and create a collage.  About one hour to complete the dichotomous key.  Lastly, about two hours to complete the students own coral reef tours.

Materials:

Scissors

Glue

A piece of poster board or paper for each group

Magazines (National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, etc.)

Procedure:

1.Ý First, the teacher will split the students up into groups of about three or four students in each group.  A unique way to do this might be to have the students draw playing cards from a deck.  The people who have the same number on their playing card will be a group.

2.Ý The teacher will then pass out old magazines that the students can use to find pictures relating to coral reefs.  The teacher should emphasize that the pictures do not have to be pictures of coral reefs. Encourage the students to use their imagination when choosing pictures.

3.Ý The students will make a collage from the pictures that they found. The students will then present a short 2-3 minute information session to the rest of the class as to why they chose the pictures that they did.

Materials:

Pencils

Copies of organisms that appear on the coral reef

Dichotomous key to identify the organisms

Procedure:

1.Ý Lead the students in a discussion about the organization of objects into groups. Ask the students about different objects that are organized into groups such as library books, animals, or sections in a text book.  Explain to the students that these objects are organized due to certain characteristics that they have.  End the discussion by telling the students that there is a scientific method for organizing things, the dichotomous key.  This key places objects into groups based on similarities.  Once similarities are found it will allow the students to identify the organism easily.

2.Ý The teacher should demonstrate to the students how the key works through an example of her own.

3.Ý Divide the students into groups of about four students and have them cut out the pictures of the organism provided.  Divide the pictures so that each student gets at least one.  This allows one student to read from the key.

4.Ý One student will then pick an organism from the pictures that they have.  The student with the key will then read off the descriptions starting at the number one on the key.  All the group members must decide on the characteristics of the organism before moving on the the next clue.

5.Ý When the name is found, the person will write the name of that organism on the picture and the students will proceed to the next picture.

6.Ý Wrap this activity up by asking the question, what could have you looked at if you had been able to have the organism in front of you to make this discussion more in-depth?

Materials:

Internet resource of tours for reef places

Construction paper, scissors, colors, markers, etc.

Procedure:

1.Ý Allow the students to search the Internet for resorts or travel deals to explore reefs located around the world.  Gather this information for a resource.

2.Ý Divide the students into two groups.   Have half of the students take the role of tour companies trying to sell  a package deal to explore a reef. The other half of the students will be the tour guides trying to find a deal for a high school band who wants to explore reefs on their performing tour.

3.Ý The tour companies will create props and slogans to attract the guides to buy their tour package.  The tour guides must work on their dealing skills with each other trying to get the best price possible for this high school band.

4.Ý Once the props and slogans are complete, the shopping begins.  The tour guides will deal with the different tour companies to find the best possible deal.  Once they have found a good tour, the guides will purchase it for the band.  At the end when all the guides have purchased from a company, a discussion will be held to see what tour each guide chose and how much they paid for it. An interesting fact might be to see which company the tour guides chose the most.

Assessment:

1.Ý Students will be assessed on how well they work in groups. (Criteria for success = 8 out of 10 checks on the Group Contribution Scoring Sheet).

2.Ý Each group will turn in their collage that they created in class. (Criteria for success = Students will receive 5 points for handing this in).

3.Ý Each group must submit an evaluation of the contribution of every member of the group. (Criteria for success = Each member must have made a substantial contribution to the team). May want to create a rubric for this assessment.

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

1.Ý Language Arts - Through the steps in phase three, students lean how to communicate effectively.

2.Ý Science - Students are learning a method which scientists use to classify organisms.  Also, they are learning the names of different organisms that live on coral reefs.

3.Ý Math - Through the steps in phase three, students learn how to make a choice based on the price of an item.

4.Ý Social Studies - Students explore different areas of the reef regions around the world through the information found on the Internet.

Possible Extensions:

1.Ý A teacher may consider doing the animal activity for other groups of animals such as mammals, mollusks, or reptiles.

2.Ý Have a marine biologist come in and do a presentation on the organisms studied in this lesson.

3.Ý Have the students explore the job of a travel agent.

Resource:

Sea World Education Department. (1993). All About Corals and Coral Reefs: 4-8 Teaching Guide. Sea World, Inc.

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Coral Reefs - developed by Kristen Treadway, Jenny Mavis, T. J. Beck, & Jim O'Keefe

This page submitted by the St. Norbert College Ocean Voyager Program
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