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Immense diversity and variation occur among life forms inhabiting the marine and aquatic habitats of this planet. Since the beginning of life 3 billion years ago, oceans have provided a variety of habitats for many organisms. Location of habitat (benthic, pelagic, abyssal, mid-depth, or euphotic), type of lifestyle (planktonic, nektonic, benthic/burrowers), and type of feeder (autotrophs or heterotrophs, such as filter feeders, herbivores/grazers, or carnivores/predators) have effects on the physical composition of organisms. Water communities include freshwater (streams, lakes, ponds, rivers, wetlands- swamps, and marshes), brackish water (estuaries, wetlands, mangroves, swamps, and marshes), and marine waters (oceans and seas). Man's manipulation of environments including pollution, alteration of habitat, and introduction of exotic species causes stress and changes in these biological communities.
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Students will be able to do the following:
- Study different organisms in various aquatic/marine habitats.
- Investigate what adaptations have been acquired to allow these organisms to survive in their respective habitats. Adaptations may include method of feeding, location within the water column, type of locomotion, predation avoidance, and lifestyles.
- Create an imaginary organism and describe its life cycle and ecological niche.
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- Paper and pencil
- Glue gun
- Scissors
- Rubber bands
- Rulers
- String, assorted
- Knife
- Tape
- Glue
- Clay
- Recyclable materials such as fabric scraps, colored paper, cardboard, shoeboxes or smaller boxes, yarn, ribbons, buttons, and marking pens
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Activity
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After having researched different marine and aquatic organisms and their habitats, student teams will design and build imaginary marine organisms using the materials listed and describe how they have adapted to their niche. Teams will present their organisms to the class and explain how they survive in the environment.
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- Develop a Go Fish card game following these instructions: students can make a set of index cards with pictures of actual marine organisms (plant and animal) that fit in the different lifestyles, methods of feeding, and habitat location within the marine environment. Each team should have 48 cards. Students will play Go Fish. However, when asking for an organism, they will describe a trait unique to certain organisms (habitat location, feeding method, or lifestyle). Note: If time is critical, then the instructor can have sets of cards made. Have enough sets for four-member teams within one class.
- A Marine Bingo game can be created by adapting the instructions given in Benthic Bingo.
- Use Go Fish cards and play Concentration. You should have two identical cards within the deck for each organism selected. Use 36 cards (18 different organisms).
- Create an imaginary habitat or build one to fit the imaginary organism you designed.
- Videotape the presentations and show to the class after all teams have given their oral presentations.
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Evaluate anecdotal records of student enthusiasm and
participation (observe percent involvement of class). Note any modifications (both student and teacher) that should be made for future presentations. Use of several different teaching methods will meet the needs of all learning styles.
Student Performance:
- Evaluate the cooperative learning group's imaginary organism presentation for creative design and description of the appropriate adaptation to niche.
- Interaction of students within cooperative teams will be self-evaluated by the team and by the teacher.
- Evaluate the student's ability to follow instructions of the game and to play cooperatively with good sportsmanship.
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Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Critters of the Water