Coral Reefs: Build a Coral Reef

Most of the books featured in the Picture Book Science series have been works of fiction. Coral Reefs differs in that it's a non-fiction picture book.

It's a beautifully illustrated book, filled with easy-to-understand facts about the formation of coral reefs and the habitats they create. 

Have your students work together to create a coral reef in your classroom. 

Each student is given a balloon to cover in newspaper strips coated in paper mache.  You can use your favorite paper mache recipe, watered down white glue or liquid starch.

I skimped on the newspaper strips, but your students will cover their balloons more thoroughly.

While the balloons are still wet, stack them together.

When the paper mache has dried, pop the balloons. 

Remember, yours will look much better because the students will have been more thorough with the newspaper, and it will be a larger structure.

The balloons represent the living organisms and hardened newspaper represents that hardened shells of the organisms.  When the organisms die (i.e. the balloon is popped), the shells remain. 

This model is great at showing how fragile coral reefs are.  And it provides a neat prop for your further study of coral reefs and the animals that inhabit them.

The Empty Lot: What Can you Find in a Square Meter

The Empty Lot tells the story of man who thinks he's selling an empty lot, but he comes to learn that the lot is far from empty - instead it's home to a great many living things.

Have your students head outside on a nice day.  Mark off one-square-meter squares, using string or yarn.  These will be your students "lots".  The lots can be on a variety of terrain - grassy areas, parking lots, etc. 

Before students explore their lots, have them guess how many different living things they'll find evidence of in their lot. 

Have students carefully examine their lot to see how many different living things they can find (or evidence of living things).  They can carefully move leaves and grass aside, but shouldn't pull anything out of the ground.  And, they should try to replace anything they move to the best of their ability.  Students may also wish to use magnifying glasses to make closer observations. 

Student should keep a list of the things they find - naming the ones for which they know the names and providing careful illustrations for the ones in which they don't know names.  Upon returning to the classroom, students can use their observations and reference books to identify the unknown objects. 

Were your students surprised by the number of living things they found?  How did the different terrains vary in their living components?  What impact do human habitats have on other creatures' habitats?

By the way, The Empty Lot is illustrated by Jim Arnosky, who has written (and illustrated) a plethora of picture books about nature.  He's well worth checking out if you're looking for some books to accompany any studies of animals or plants. 

Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!: Turtle Hurdles

Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! follows one sea turtle from egg to egg-laying mother, through challenge after challenge, some man-made, some the natural order of things. 

This story and activity could be used in any number of units: the ocean, animals, predator/prey relationships, human impact on nature, etc.

Begin the lesson by reading the story aloud to the students.  While they're listening, have them write down challenges the turtles face as well as the good things that happen that aid the turtle's survival.  Or maybe you'll want to read the story twice - the first time just for listening, the second time for taking notes.  As a class, you can brainstorm additional items to add to each list, if you desire.

Next, each student will make a cootie catcher.  If you or your students are familiar with making these, I've included directions at the bottom of the lesson.

Label the inside of your cootie catcher as shown:

Now, pick 8 items from your lists - 4 from the list of challenges, 4 from the list of "good things". 

Open the flaps of your cootie catcher and write one item under each letter.  The order in which you write them can be completely random.

You'll also need to make a simple mat (one for the class) - use the following picture as a guide - and get a die.

Now you're ready to play. 

To being with, everyone needs to stand up - everyone is a thriving baby turtle.

The teacher, or other designated party, rolls the die onto the mat.  Each student manipulates his/her cootie catcher the number of times indicated by the die.  Then the students read the message under the letter that corresponds to the letter the die landed on.

Students whose message is a challenge or threat to the turtle sit down - they haven't survived.  Students who receive a message of a "good thing" remain standing.

The students who remain standing play another round in the same manner.  Try to play 5 rounds, or see how many rounds it takes for all students to be sitting.

Baby sea turtles face a lot of challenges in making it to adulthood, as do many other animals.  Hopefully this fun game helps your students understand just how few babies survive to adulthood and encourages them to think about the impact of their actions on other species. 

To Make a Cootie Catcher

Begin with a square piece of paper. (I cut 8.5x11" paper into a square).

Fold the square in half along the diagonal.

Unfold.  Fold in half along the other diagonal.

Unfold.  You'll have a square piece of paper, with the fold lines making an X across it.

Pick one corner of the square, and fold it, so the point is at the center of the X.

Fold in each of the additional corners of the square.

Turn your newly formed square over.

Repeat the previous step, folding each point into the center of the square

Label the sections, as directed above.

Fold the cootie catcher in half, to make a rectangle. 

Place both your thumbs and index fingers under each flap to work the cootie catcher.

*****

This activity is adapted from "Turtle Hurdles," published in Picture-Perfect Science Lessons by the National Science Teachers Association.

Researching Biomes & Ecosystems

The Missouri Botanical Garden has a great website for researching the world's biomes and ecosystems.

When you visit the web page devoted to each biome/ecosystem, you will find lots of user-friendly information:

• description of the biome
• where the biome can be found
• plants found in the biome
• animals found in the biome

Clicking on an individual animal will provide you with lots of detailed information regarding the animal's size, diet, classification, and so on. 

The Missouri Botanical Garden site is a great place to allow students to explore and research on their own as part of your biome/habitat study. 

After students have collected their information, they could complete any number of projects or assignments with it. 

Some ideas:

• create a brochure to promote a visit to that biome
• create a board game incorporating facts about their biome
• give clues to other students to see if they can "Guess the Biome"
• create a food chain/web that would exist in that biome