Page 174 - Dive the Seas and More-2

Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide Life on the Coral Reef

discussed. Then have them write a brief de-
Create a Creature scription by selecting several characteristics to
describe their own in- vented creature. Size,
coloring, methods for ob- taining food, meth-
ods for defense, and a descrip- tion of the spe-
cific habitat should be included. Don’t forget to
Objective: Students use what they have name the newly created creature.
learned about coral reef animals and their
own imagination to cre- ate a fictitious crea-
ture designed to live on a coral reef. 5. Each student should then draw a picture of
the invented creature based upon the written
Interdisciplinary Index: Science, Art, Lan- descrip- tion. The picture can also include a
guage Arts scene show- ing the creature in its habitat, de-
Materials: fending itself, or obtaining food. You can use

• pencils/pens the Sample Coral Reef Creature as an exam-
ple.
• drawing paper
• crayons/markers/colored pencils
6. Now that the drawing is complete, have the
• writing paper stu- dent review the written description. A fi-
nal draft should include all of the previously
mentioned information and should refer to the
PRESENTATION:
drawing as an illustration for the written sec-
1. Discuss how different types of animals ob- tion.
tain food and defend themselves from becom-
ing someone else’s lunch. There are several
examples in the sec- tion Life on the Coral 7. Have the students share the creature they
Reef in the Background Information. Other have “discovered” by giving an oral presenta-
resources will add to the lesson. tion or displaying the work on a wall.

2. Have the students brainstorm a variety of
meth- ods creatures could use to obtain food.
You may want to break this down into ideas
for herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.
Consider the obstacles and ways to overcome
them.

3. Have the students brainstorm methods
of de- fense. Include passive and aggressive
methods such as camouflage, poisons, teeth,
“smoke screens,” etc.

4. Have the students use their imagination
to cre- ate their own coral reef creatures, in-
corporating characteristics that have been

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