Introduction
🌊 Introduction: Could These Sea Creatures Be The Next Spiderman?!
Today Our Goal is to Discover Ocean Animals with "Super-Powers"! We're DIVING into a SEA of possibilities, when it comes to creatures with really cool abilities! So, grab your SCUBA GEAR and let's SAIL off to discover oceanic animals superpowers and why they might need them!
Your mission: To learn about what animals use to survive in their part of the ocean. Just like the world is made up of many different habitats for people and animals (jungles, safari, and big manmade cities)... The ocean is similar. Closer to the surface, where the sun can easily reach, and colorful fish enjoy their coral reefs, some animals thrive here and can use their "super-powers" in these habitats. Other animals live in the deep dark trenches where the light cannot reach. This may sound terrible for the sea creatures that choose to call this eerie ocean-spot home, but it is actually exactly how they need to survive with their..... (you guessed it) SUPER-POWERS! Different habitats for these ocean animals allow for a variety of "super-powers" to be discovered by us!
Task
🦸🐡 🦈 🐙 Task: Design and Show your very own Animal Superhero 🦑 🪼 🐬 🐳
You will use the "Resources" to complete the questions on part of the worksheet. At the end of the WebQuest, you will create a personalized animal report.
Your report must:
- Name your ocean animal! (You can use an animal that already exists or make one up! (EXAMPLE: Megashark, or Oyster-squid!)
- Give your animal TWO adaptations or survival features ("super-powers") that you have learned about in this WebQuest.
- For each adaptation/survival skill give one reason your animal needs this to survive their WATERY home.
- Use evidence from ALL FOUR web resources.
- Draw and color the animal you have chosen to give yourself and Ms. McKenzie a visual of what your creature looks like.
- End with a one-sentence claim: "My favorite ability/superpower that my animal has is ... "
Process
|
Type |
Resource |
What to Look For |
Open Link |
|
Visual |
Smithsonian Ocean – Camouflaged Octopus Blends In |
Try to find the octopus that has blended into its habitat! Read the short description about how and why the octopus is able to use misdirection to disappear! |
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Blog |
Oceana – Animals of the Ocean Depths |
Read the article! You will learn about different depths and find that the deeper in the ocean you go, the animals will be different but also have different abilities! As you read, choose an animal that stands out to you, and why. |
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Article |
NOAA Ocean Exploration – What Is Bioluminescence? |
Read this short article to help you understand that animals do not just glow for fun! Find out what a few of the specific types of animals that need this special chemical reaction. Speaking of glowing, did you know the sea creatures with the ability of Bioluminescence can be different colors? Read this article to understand more IN-DEPTH! |
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Video |
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Now here is a $5 word... "Bioluminescence"... after watching this video you should be able to define (explain) what this word means and why would ocean creatures need it? |
While you are SEA-ing what you can learn in each of the resources above, use this worksheet to track your findings! Be sure to do your best since you will later be sharing this with your class!
Evaluation
You will be graded on your deep sea exploration, what you found, and how you answered the questions!
| Criteria | Excellent (4-5 points) | Developing (2-3 points) |
| Science Understanding | Clearly explains 2+ adaptations and how each help survival. | Identifies adaptations but the explanations are incomplete or partly wrong. |
| Evidence from Web | Uses meaningful evidence for all 4 resources. | Uses evidence from only 2-3 resources or the evidence is not clear. |
| Superhero Product | Creative, complete, accurate, and includes a drawn/colored picture. | Some required parts are missing or your explanation needed more detail. |
| Communication | Ideas are organized, explained well, and use science vocabulary. | Ideas are understandable but organization or vocabulary needs more work. |
Conclusion
🐠 Conclusion: Renaming "Super-Powers" as Adaptations
While thinking of these sea-creatures as having "super-powers" is so fun, since having become wiser with our science words, we have learned the "sciency" word for "super-powers" is "adaptations! SO... Animals use their adaptations to survive the watery neighborhood! You have investigated how ocean animals survive in places that can be dangerous, or difficult to navigate. You discovered that an animal’s “superpowers” are not magic—they are adaptations and behaviors that help the animal survive in its environment.
Before you finish, answer this question in 2–3 sentences: If you could add a survival/adaptation (that we have not learned about today) for a sea creature, what would it be, and why would the ocean animals need it?
WAVE-ing goodbye 🌊! SEA you later! 🐳✨🪸
Credits
📚 Resources
VISUAL: Smithsonian Ocean – Camouflaged Octopus Blends In — Visit website
BLOG: Oceana – Animals of the Ocean Depths — Visit website
ARTICLE: NOAA Ocean Exploration – What Is Bioluminescence? — Visit website
VIDEO: NOAA Ocean Today – Bioluminescent Ocean — Visit website