COBRA STEM Module – Weird Deep-Sea Animal

Weird Deep-Sea Animal
Animal and Habitat Biodiversity (Grades K-5) 

Produced by Kimi Kato (Toro Park Elementary School, Salinas, CA) & Claudia Paul (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Students learn about deep-sea animals and adaptations with depth and habitat. Students create a unique ocean animal to discover how adaptations help them survive in their habitat.

Applicable Next Generation Science Standards:
2-PS1-1; K-2-ETS1-2; 3-LS4-4; K-ESS3-1; 2-LS4-1; 3-LS4-3

From the Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE

In this lesson, students create a unique ocean animal to discover how adaptations help them survive in their habitat. First, students think about animals that live thousands of meters below the sea surface and some of their adaptions. For a second activity, students roll a dice to randomly assign their animal an adaptation challenge, then build their animal using recycled materials. Students then share their unique animal to gain an understanding of how their animal adapts to its environment.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES FOR THIS LESSON

Included in the Kit:

• Student Booklet (one copy for each student)
• Building materials (you may wish to add more of your own materials)
• Five cold glue guns and glue sticks
• Ten cards illustrating 3 Vocabulary Words (adaptation, camouflage, habitat)
• Activity Poster of Pelagic Zones with animals that stick to the poster with velcro
• Book: Big Al by Andrew Clements and Yoshi – More about making friends and fitting in, but elements of camouflage (Grades K-2)
• Book: Weird Sea Creatures by Erich Hoyt – Images of about 50 deep-sea animals with supporting paragraphs (Grades 2-5)
• Material List
• 4 Dice
• Prompt Card: For student Show & Tell Presentation

Not included but needed for this lesson:

• Scissors, pencils, colored pencils or crayons
• 2 YouTube videos below

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Day 1: Exploration (30-40 minutes)

• Watch one of the videos of real deep-sea creatures
• Activity poster of pelagic zones with animal cards and vocabulary cards

Day 2: Hands-on Activity: *Building Day (45 minutes)

• Read aloud story Big Al (Appropriate for grades 1-3) or Weird Sea Creatures (4-6 Grades)
• Sketch and create a weird deep-sea animal with an adaptation challenge

Day 3: Wrap-up (30-45 minutes)

• Finish creations and show and tell