Shedd Aquarium

Animal Imaging

Lesson Summary:
This three part lesson allows students to explore Shedd's animal collection while using numbers, letters, shapes, or colors. Students will begin to recognize features of animals that are similar and different and let them begin to verbalize their observations.

TOPIC KEYWORDS:

Fish

CONCEPT KEYWORDS:

Ecology
Biodiversity
Environment
Biology
Form and Function

GRADE LEVELS:

pre-K, K, 1, 2

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Pre Visit Lesson

Cut outs of shapes for each student

Pictures of animals that match the different shapes

At Shedd Lesson

"My Science Notebook" - see Teacher Backgrounder

Post Visit Lesson

Notebook Paper

Construction Paper

Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils

Pen/Pencil

Yarn/Staples/Paperclips

Pictures of Aquatic animals

OBJECTIVES:

Students will

be able to describe three animals using numbers, letters, shapes or colors.

be able to identify 4 features that are the same or different between two or more animals.

ESTIMATED DURATION OF ACTIVITY:

120

ILLINOIS SCIENCE STANDARDS:

Science
Goal 11 Standard A
Goal 12 Standard A

NATIONAL SCIENCE STANDARDS:

None defined

Teacher Procedure:

I. Pre Visit to Shedd

1. Review with the students that animals come in many different shapes for many different reasons. They might be shaped one way if they live on the ocean floor and another if they live near the surface. They might be shaped differently if they eat slow moving food or if they eat faster moving food.

2. Depending on your age group and which extension you would like to do, review colors, shapes and letters before you come.

3. When reviewing shapes, place cards on the front board or pass around to the students a variety of shapes such as star, square, circle, triangle, diamond, etc.

4. Have students practice with shapes around the room, using the cards to place on top of different objects that match the shapes.

5. Then do the same with pictures of animals from around the aquarium and allow students to match shapes to the animals. This will show students that animals come all different shapes.

II. At Shedd Lesson

1. First have students walk around the aquarium and observe the many animals from Shedd's collection. Ask them to think about as they observe the animals, their color, shape and size.

2. Next have the students find and record animals, or parts of animals (I.E: Cushion Sea Star = Star or Horn Shark fin = Triangle) that match each of the shapes you are studying in class. They can do so in "My Science Notebook" and draw and label if they can, each of the animals they find that matches a shape. Drawings are a great way for the students to be able to do their own recordings.

3. If students can’t record their results, have chaperones do recordings. .

4. There is no time limit on this activity as some students have very short attention spans. Continue to do this activity for as many animals as they choose making sure they do at least two. .

III. Post Visit Lesson

1. Once you get back to school make a mini-book or a guidebook to shapes for your classroom using all of the different animals, images, and body parts the students found and drew during their visit. .

2. There is no set way to do this but allow your students to decorate the classroom as a reflection of what they learned from thier field trip. Depending on the age group, a word wall might be appropriate as well. .

Extension Options:

Letters Search:

Students can search for animals throughout the aquarium that start with a corresponding of the alphabet. Try and find an animal for each of the 26 letters (I.E: Anaconda = “A”)

Make a mini-book or guidebook of these animals once you are back in the classroom.

For letters that you can’t find animals for like “Q” or “X” make up animals or use some of the jobs at the aquarium to fill that void (I.E: Volunteer = “V”)

Number Search:

Students can search for groupings of animals or things on the animals that correspond to a series of numbers like 1 – 10 (I.E: 1 Crab, 7 Fins, or 10 Spots on a stingray).

Make a mini-book or guidebook using the numbers and the different images they found.

Students can make graphs or charts of the animals they discovered.

Go outside and find numbers in nature around the school or your home.

Color Search:

Students can search for plants and animals around the aquarium with different colors. Try to find a plant or animal for as many colors as possible (I.E: Green Moray Eel = Green)

Make a mini-book or guidebook of colors using the different animals seen at the aquarium.

For a greater difficulty have the students find colors from a greater spectrum (I.E: Parrot Fish = Teal).