Octopus: Undersea Alien
Octopus: Undersea Alien Distance Learning Summary and Goals Students will gain knowledge of cephalopods, specifically the octopus. They will be able to understand its characteristics, importance in the ecosystem and will learn about their behaviors. Students will also be able to compare and contrast characteristics of squids and octopi. Grade Levels Grades 6-8 Engage This activity is designed to start your students in recognizing themselves as researchers and thinking critically about problem-solving. The goal is to teach concepts through discovery and to encourage using scientific thought processes. As with all lessons provided, please feel free to adapt them according to your students’ abilities. Some of your students may be early readers, in which case you may find it more successful to lead activities and discussions as a whole group rather than using individual Research Plan sheets. Certain scientific vocabulary may or may not be appropriate for your students’ level of understanding. Take these ideas, make them your own and your students will have a greater chance at success. How might the removal of a Giant Pacific Octopus from a food web affect their habitat? 1. Begin this lesson by telling students that they will be investigating the Giant Pacific octopus and its role in a food web. 2. If your students are familiar with brainstorming and recording their ideas, break them into small groups. If your students need more guidance, work with them as a large group. Engage your students in a discussion of what they predict the answer to the question to be. More importantly, why do they think this? 3. What role does an octopus fill as a consumer? Does the octopus keep certain populations of other organisms down? How would the habitat change without the octopus? Explore 4. Continue with the above discussion and encourage the group to come up with ways they could investigate the question and test their predictions scientifically (all suggestions are welcomed). What tools might they need to carry out their suggested
explorations? Are there materials that would help them find the answer? Should they be making observations? What kinds of records will they need to keep? What will they do with the information once they have it? And how will they know that they’ve successfully answered the question? Allow a wide variety of ideas and encourage conversation amongst the students to refine the details of their ideas. 5. Have the students research octopus and list 2-3 items per category. What they are Characteristics Role in the aquatic food web Adaptations Environment Ecosystem 6. Ideas should be recorded on the Research Plan sheets. Small groups can record their own answers or you can record ideas as a group. Explain 7. Explain to the group that they will be participating in our Distance Learning program “Octopus: Undersea Alien” that might help to give them some insight into the situation. 8. This program covers topics including octopus morphology, behavior, adaptations and roles within the ecosystem. Expand 9. Ask students to reflect on what they have learned and review their ideas of how to get the information they would need to answer the original research question. Do the adaptations or characteristics of an octopus dictate its role in the food web? 10. Allow students to discuss and plan how they could make the activity more successful. Do they need to gather any additional information before they can answer the research question? Did they think of additional ways to gather information based on the activities they have just completed? 11. Feel free to repeat any of the activities in any number of ways. Assess 12. Monitor your students as they continue to research and develop their method for communicating their results. Make sure to help them continue their discussion on the role of the octopus in its environment. Have your students share their results with the rest of the class. Allow time for student critique and comments. 13. Was the outcome the same as what they had predicted? Did anything change by removing an octopus from its environment? What would happen if pollution was introduced to its environment? 14. If the students are working in small groups, observe their work and review what they are writing on the Research Plan. If working as a whole group, fill in the Research Plan together. Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
Standards Ohio Academic Content Standards Grades 6-8 Life Science Topic: Cellular to Multicellular Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function In any particular biome, the number, growth, and survival of organisms and populations depend on biotic and abiotic factors
National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Life Science Structure and function in living systems Reproduction and heredity Regulation and behavior Populations and ecosystems Diversity and adaptations of organisms Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal health Populations, resources, and environments Natural hazards Risks and benefits Science and technology in society
Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
Octopus: Undersea Alien Supplemental Materials
My Research Plan 1. Questioning State the problem. Make a hypothesis.
How might the removal of a Giant Pacific Octopus from a food web affect their habitat?
2. Planning Make a plan by asking these questions (think, talk, write)
3. Implementing Gather the materials. Follow the procedures. Observe and record the results.
4. Concluding Draw a conclusion.
5. Reporting Share my results (informal) Produce a report (formal)
Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
explorations? Are there materials that would help them find the answer? Should they be making observations? What kinds of records will they need to keep? What will they do with the information once they have it? And how will they know that they’ve successfully answered the question? Allow a wide variety of ideas and encourage conversation amongst the students to refine the details of their ideas. 5. Have the students research octopus and list 2-3 items per category. What they are Characteristics Role in the aquatic food web Adaptations Environment Ecosystem 6. Ideas should be recorded on the Research Plan sheets. Small groups can record their own answers or you can record ideas as a group. Explain 7. Explain to the group that they will be participating in our Distance Learning program “Octopus: Undersea Alien” that might help to give them some insight into the situation. 8. This program covers topics including octopus morphology, behavior, adaptations and roles within the ecosystem. Expand 9. Ask students to reflect on what they have learned and review their ideas of how to get the information they would need to answer the original research question. Do the adaptations or characteristics of an octopus dictate its role in the food web? 10. Allow students to discuss and plan how they could make the activity more successful. Do they need to gather any additional information before they can answer the research question? Did they think of additional ways to gather information based on the activities they have just completed? 11. Feel free to repeat any of the activities in any number of ways. Assess 12. Monitor your students as they continue to research and develop their method for communicating their results. Make sure to help them continue their discussion on the role of the octopus in its environment. Have your students share their results with the rest of the class. Allow time for student critique and comments. 13. Was the outcome the same as what they had predicted? Did anything change by removing an octopus from its environment? What would happen if pollution was introduced to its environment? 14. If the students are working in small groups, observe their work and review what they are writing on the Research Plan. If working as a whole group, fill in the Research Plan together. Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
Standards Ohio Academic Content Standards Grades 6-8 Life Science Topic: Cellular to Multicellular Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function In any particular biome, the number, growth, and survival of organisms and populations depend on biotic and abiotic factors
National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Life Science Structure and function in living systems Reproduction and heredity Regulation and behavior Populations and ecosystems Diversity and adaptations of organisms Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal health Populations, resources, and environments Natural hazards Risks and benefits Science and technology in society
Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
Octopus: Undersea Alien Supplemental Materials
My Research Plan 1. Questioning State the problem. Make a hypothesis.
How might the removal of a Giant Pacific Octopus from a food web affect their habitat?
2. Planning Make a plan by asking these questions (think, talk, write)
3. Implementing Gather the materials. Follow the procedures. Observe and record the results.
4. Concluding Draw a conclusion.
5. Reporting Share my results (informal) Produce a report (formal)
Suggested search terms: Invertebrate, Enrichment, Primates Cats and Aquatics
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Octopus: Undersea Alien
