Brief Description

Students use an Internet Web site to locate the scientific information about various marine species.

Objectives

Students use the Internet to find the scientific information about marine animals.

Keywords

Internet, online, oceanography, classification, scientific names

Materials Needed

• computers with Internet access
• Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Bytes Web page at http://www.seaworld.org/animal_bytes/animal_bytes.html
• Aquatic Safari work sheet
• pens or pencils

Lesson Plan

• Distribute the Aquatic Safari work sheet.
• Explain to students they are to use the Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Bytes Web page to locate the scientific names, sizes, and diets of various marine animals. Show students how they can click on each animal's common name to find the scientific name.
• Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the work sheet.

Assessment

Evaluate students on their work sheet answers.
ANSWER KEY: SEAHORSE -- Hippocampus; 2"-14"; plankton, fish larvae. SUNFLOWER CORAL -- Goniopora; to 3'; plankton. PILOT WHALE -- Globicephala macrorhynchus; 13.1'-17.7'; squid, fish. BLUE WHALE -- Balaenoptera musculus; 70'-85'; krill. HARBOR SEAL -- Phoca vitulina; 5.6'-6.6'; squid, crustaceans, mollusks, fish. GRAY WHALE -- Eschrichtius robustus; 43'-46'; invertebrates. SKUNK SHRIMP -- Lysmata amboinensis; 3.2"; parasites, dead skin. SOUTHERN STINGRAY -- Dasyatis americana; wingspan up to 5'; mollusks, crustaceans, worms, small fish. BLUE SEA STAR -- Linckia laevigata; up to 12"; plankton. SPANISH HOGFISH -- Bodianus rufus; up to 16"; crabs, sea urchins, mollusks.

Lesson Plan Source

I created this Web sheet using information found on the Sea World/Busch Gardens Web site at http://www.seaworld.org/.

Submitted By

Kimberly Emanuel (Kimberly@pathfindermail.com), Union Grove Middle School, McDonough, Georgia