Goals:

1. Students will learn about the various aspects of Marine Biodiversity and biodiversity in general.

2. Students will participate in a hands on internet activity.

3. Students will map a region of an ocean with the various species that cohabitate there.

Resources:

1. Maps of each of the oceans

2. Activity located at: http://oceanlink.island.net

Teacher Background:

The teacher can find the information that the students will be leaning about at the website in which the students will be participating in an activity.

Time: This lesson will take about 2 or 2.5 hours. The interactive website will take the majority of the time. If there aren't enough computers for each student the teacher will want to put the students into groups. The mapping of the regions will take about an hour also the presentations may take a about 30 minutes.

Procedure:

Step 1- The teacher will ask the students the different speicies and animals that they think live in the ocean and list them on the board. Then the teacher will ask the students which animals they think cohabitate with each other.

Step 2- The students will bring up the internet site http://www.oceanlink.island.net and take the biodiversity quiz.

Step 3- The students will use a map of the ocean(any ocean is fine) to map where different species live and with whom the information that the students gathered from the webstie will aid them in this step.

Step 4- The students will create a short presentation of their maps and they will be displayed in the classroom.

Assessment: The students will be assessed on their scores from the internet quiz. They will be required to print out their scores. They may take it more than once if they wish. They will also be given points for their presentations and maps.

4 points= The student correctly answered 5 or 6 questions correctly

3 points= The student correctly answered 4 questions correctly

2 points= The student correctly answered 2 or 3 questions correctly

1 point= The student correctly answered 0 or 1 question correctly

4 points= The students accurately identified and placed various habitats

3 points= The students somewhat accurately identified and placed some habitats

2 points= The students somewhat accurately identified and placed a few habitats

1 point= The students sloppily and incorrectly identified all habitats

4 points= Contributed to the group as well as participated in the presentation

3 points= Some contribution to the group as well as some participation in the presentation

2 points= Little contribution to the group and little participation in the presentation

1 point= No contribution to the group and no participation in the presentation.

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

1. Science- The students will learn about biodiversity, particularily marine biodiversity.

2. Social Studies/ Geography- The students will map the species that cohabitate in a specific region.

3. Communication Arts- Students will be orally communicating in small group or class settings, which will enhance their confidence, verbal speaking skills, and oral organization of their thoughts.

Possible Extension:

1. The students could create the food chain for the region that they are mapping.

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