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Subjects

• Science
• Social Sciences

Grade

• 3-5
• 6-8
  

Brief Description

Students learn about corals, coral reefs, and the Great Barrier Reef and then complete an experiment that demonstrates how coral polyps grow.

Objectives

Students

• define the words coral and coral reef .
• identify the Great Barrier Reef on a map or a globe.
• observe crystal formations that develop in a way similar to the way coral polyps create their calcium carbonate cups.

Keywords

Australia, Great Barrier Reef, coral reef, coral, polyp, crystal, experiment, geography

Materials Needed

world map or globe, library resources about the Great Barrier Reef or one printout from About: Great Barrier Reef Australia, experiment items noted in the lesson Growing Coral

Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, introduce coral reefs, using library sources or information from