Under the Sea: Food Web

Materials/Equipment:
Main bookChapman, S. (2004). Explorers
Wanted! Under the Sea.
N.p.: Egmont Books
Limited.

Globe

Pictures of the ocean animals the

students will be researching, so
that they can draw one out of a
bag.

Art SuppliesExample- Pom-poms, paper

plates/bowls, coffee filters,
construction paper, clay, pipe
cleaners, plain paper, markers, etc.

Various books with information

about ocean animals

List of websites to be used for

research
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
animals/
http://www.factmonster.com/encycl
opedia/0paanim.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animal
s/#class-Amphibian
http://animals.nationalgeographic.c
om/animals/facts/
http://www.aqua.org/explore/animal
s
http://seaworld.org/en/animalinfo/animal-infobooks/
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/
index.htm
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/

Curriculum Integration:
Music
Social Studies
Science
Technology
Writing

Math
Reading
Theatre

PE
Health

Blooms Taxonomy:

Knowledge/Remember
Analysis
Comprehension/Understand Evaluate
Application
Create

Art

TEKS Achieved:
Science112.16 (b) (9) (B):

Describe how the flow of energy derived

from the Sun, used by producers to
create their own food, is transferred

Classroom Strategies:
Cooperative Groups
Technology
Independent Activities
Charts/Graphs/Maps
Problem Solving
Whole-group
Peer tutoring

Hands-On
Centers
Simulation
Lecture

Pairing

through a food chain and food web to

consumers and decomposers
Art117.17 (b) (1):
Perception. The student develops and
organizes ideas from the environment.
ELAR110.16 (b) (23) (A, B):
(A) brainstorm, consult with others,
decide upon a topic, and formulate openended questions to address the major
research topic; and
(B) generate a research plan for gathering
relevant information about the major
research question.
ELPS:

Differentiated Learning:
Auditory
Kinesthetic
Verbal/Linguistic
Intrapersonal

Visual/Spatial
Logical/Math
Musical
Interpersonal

74.4 (c) (1) (A, B):

(A) use prior knowledge and experiences
to understand meanings in English;

Submitted by: Courtney Alexander, Neil Breese, Carmen Cathey, Devon Rieger, and Crystal Young
Grade Level: 5

Subject/Topic: ELA, Science, Art

Rationale:
This lesson is important because human interaction with the ocean can affect the lives of the animals within it,
and life in the ocean can affect human life as well.

Objectives:

(Statements about what the children will do, written out as the student will. Include objectives for
your chosen content area(s). Refer to the TEKS and ELPS. The number of objectives should meet the number of TEKS and
ELPS)

TSW describe the form and importance of the ocean food web.
TSW organize and develop ideas from the environment.
TSW brainstorm, research, and consult with others in order to gain information about the
research topic.

Lesson Plan:
Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Motivation):

(Write what CREATIVE, COMPELLING thing you will say or do to immediately grab the childrens attention and interest.)

Show the students a globe and recall what we have learned about the ocean and ocean life through
questioning about what percentage of Earth is covered by the ocean. Briefly discuss the book
Explorers Wanted! Under the Sea that we have already read together previously. Have a few
students share their favorite part of the book, or an interesting fact that they learned from the
book. Now that we have finished the book, we are going to research specific ocean animals to learn
more about the ocean food web.
Process: (Plan how you will teach the lesson and follow the lesson plan cycle: Information Giving, Modeling, Check for
Understanding, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, Closure/Culminating Activity)

Information Giving- Summarization of the book and discussion questions about the book (What was your favorite part? What
fact did you find most interesting in the book?).
Guided Questions:
1. At what level, in the Ocean, does the animal live? (habitat description).
2. What does the animal eat?
3. Is the animal a prey or predator? Prey to who? Predator to who?
4. Describe the animal's physical characteristics. Does it have legs? How many? Eyes? Shell?
Fins? Body size?
5. How does this animal defend themselves?
6. How does the animal attack other animals?
7. What is the group opinion on what is the most interesting characteristic of this animal?
Modeling- Write the guided research questions on the board for students to copy. Tell the students that they are limited to
the provided websites and books to perform their research. Show students a way to organize their researched information
on the board. Explain what the students will be doing in their activity (Drawing their animal out of the bag, researching that
animal by using internet/books, creating their animal out of the materials available, making a poster with the information
they learned).
Check for Understanding- Walk around and ask the students specific questions about the guided questions written on the
board.
Guided Practice- The students will draw an ocean animal from the bag, research that animal, answer the guided questions on
the board, and create a poster showing the information that they learned.
Independent Practice- The students will create a visual representation or model of the animal they researched.
Closure- The students come together whole-class and present their work and what they have learned. Students will use prior
information learned in the lesson about their animals to try and figure out the organization of the food web. If they create
a linear order, rather than a web, explain to the students that the food web in the ocean is not linear. It is okay if they get
it wrong, but make sure to explain why the structure of the food web is not linear.

Enrichment/Extension:
Students can play this online interactive game that involves them in a detailed process of
re-creating the ocean food web. (http://coolclassroom.org/cool_windows/home.html)
Accommodations:

(what YOU will do to modify your lesson

1. Special Needs-Parent volunteers can come in to help, but the students working in heterogeneous groups will help
on its own.
2. ELL- The teacher will have the animal names researched in their native language in order to support the English
word. There are also lots of visuals incorporated into the websites and books that can support them as well.

Assessment/Evaluation (Students):

1. Describe the form and importance of the ocean food webThe teacher would ask the students questions during the closure about the food web and
observe them in the process of putting the food web together.
Specific Questions:
What would happen if we took (insert animal) away?
What would happen to the food web if the sun didnt exist?
2. Organize and develop ideas from the environmentThe teacher would assess this by observing the visual representation or model of the animal
that their students created.
3. Brainstorm, research, and consult with others in order to gain information about the research
topicThe teacher would look over the informational posters they created and make sure that the
information is accurate.

Assessment/Evaluation (Self):
The teacher will ask himself or herself these questions and document them for future reference in
case they need to make adjustments:
1. Were the students engaged?
2. Did the students understand the form and importance of the ocean food web?
3. Were the products the students created accurate?
4. What part of this lesson seemed to prove most successful?
5. How can I strengthen this lesson?

Approved Research Websites:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/0paanim.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/#class-Amphibian
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/
http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals
http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/

Approved Research Websites:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/0paanim.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/#class-Amphibian
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/
http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals
http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/

Research Questions

1. At what level, in the Ocean, does the animal live? (Habitat description).

2. What does the animal eat?

3. Is the animal a prey or predator? Prey to who? Predator to who?

4. Describe the animal's physical characteristics. Does it have legs? How many?
Eyes? Shell? Fins? Body size?

5. How does this animal defend themselves?

6. How does the animal attack other animals?

7. What is the group opinion on what is the most interesting characteristic of this
animal?

Names of Group Members:

Animal Your Group is Researching:

____________ ______________

________________________

____________ ______________