NEPTUNE Canada

Underwater Animals – in detail (Grade 3)

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Learning Objective(s)

Grade 3 students must be able to understand and describe gravity and the effect it has on the Earth. It is necessary for grade 3 students to begin to question, investigate and explore the area relevant to the subject matter. Students must also measure and report events and information. This lesson aims for students to gain an understanding of the variety of life in the ocean.

Introduction

Create a brainstorm on the board of the students’ favourite underwater animals. Ask students how much they know about their favourite fish and mammals. Question them about a certain animal’s lifecycle, what it eats; what eats them, etc…

When they get stuck for an answer introduces the idea of research and how we can find out the answers to these questions from looking through books and on the internet. Have books and the internet readily available for this lesson.

Materials

• Internet
  
• Underwater marine mammals/ fish books
•  Printed pictures (search NEPTUNE’s photo gallery)
  
• Question worksheet
  
• Fact sheets with all the appropriate questions answered

WORKSHEET

Q1. What is the size of your chosen animal? How long can it grow?

Q2. How heavy can your chosen animal get?

Q3. What does your chosen animal eat?

Q4. Who is your animals’ predator (what eats them)?

Q5. Is your animal a mammal?

Q6. How long do the babies stay with their mother?

Q7. How old do they get?

Q8. How deep do they live?

Q9. Where do they live during the summer (May-September)?

Q10. Where do they live in the winter (October-April)?

Activity

• Have students form groups of four.
  
• Ask each group to pick their underwater animal that they will research (making sure each group has a different animal).
• Ask students to fill in the worksheet by researching various available literatures and using the internet. Have students take turns using the computers.
  
• Once students have answered all the questions on the worksheet they must hand it in.
  
• To ensure each student has gained vital knowledge from this activity, (and to broaden the knowledge in the class of the various marine animals) each group will be called to the front of the classroom and questioned about their marine animal. Every member of the group will answer one of the teacher’s questions (which will be taken from the worksheet) to ensure they all understand all aspects of their underwater animal.

Extension

• Ask students to do this activity alone.
  
• Research a rare marine animal and answer the same questions on this worksheet.
  
• Ask students to find out an exciting fact about their chosen marine animals.

Assessment

• How well do the group answer the questions on the worksheet?
  
• How well does each individual answer the question proposed by the teacher?
  
• Full and accurate answers will be awarded most marks.

Related Website

Tags

underwater animals, fish, mammals, animal’s lifecycle, predator