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Week 3

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Week 3

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Sample picture to design and create a safe path for the baby turtles to travel from the nest to the ocean

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Information generation - Pre-write

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Information generation -Pre-write

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Art and Writing integration Example

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Scuba gear information

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Uploaded by WatchMojo.com on 2011-07-02.

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Week 6 Scuba divers and Fish information reinforcement video
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Phenomena/Experiment set up and information

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That's correct! Sharks don't sink and they are actually quite buoyant despite the size of some species. They would sink like a rock if it wasn't for a few cool features. Shark Week is coming soon. We are taking a closer look at these amazing creatures of the ocean world. Let's start with a quick shark science activity and why sharks don't sink, a science lesson in buoyancy and the anatomy of the shark!

FUN SHARK SCIENCE ACTIVITY FOR KID'S SHARK WEEK STEM

Sharks are buoyant, in other words they don't sink, but they really could. Buoyancy is the ability to float in water or other fluids. Sharks need to put effort into remaining buoyant. In fact if they stop swimming, they will in fact sink. There are three ways that sharks use their bodies to float. This shark science activity covers one of them, the oily liver! Sharks rely on a pretty big, oil filled liver to help them stay buoyant in water.

This shark science activity is a great lesson in the density of liquids too!
Plus it's easy to set up with everything you need in the kitchen. SHARK SCIENCE ACTIVITY SET UP AND SUPPLIES
2 Water Bottles

Cooking Oil

Water

Large Container Filled With Water

Sharpies {optional but fun to draw shark faces}

Plastic Shark {optional but we found it at the dollar store}

Fill each water bottle equally with oil and water. Set out another bin filled with water that is big enough to hold both the bottles and possibly a shark toy if you have one. If you want to get a little crafty, draw a shark face on the bottle. I am not so crafty but managed something that my six year old recognized as a shark.
WILL IT SINK OR WILL IT FLOAT
The bottles represent the shark. The oil represents the oil that is in a the sharks liver. Now make sure to ask your kids what will happen to each bottle as they place it in the bin of water. You can also test out a density tower with multiple liquids.
YAY! THE SHARK FLOATS {OR IS BUOYANT}!
As you can see, the oil filled bottle floats! Which is exactly what the large, oil filled liver of the shark does! It's not the only way a shark remains buoyant, but it is one of the cool ways we can explore with a density science activity. Oil is lighter than water, which is why the other bottle sunk on us.

CHECK IT OUT: Salt Water Density Science Experiment
WHAT ELSE HELPS A SHARK TO FLOAT OR REMAIN BUOYANT?
Remember I said there were three ways a shark's body helps him remain buoyant? Make sure to check out my fun shark facts for kids too. Sharks are made of cartilage rather than bone. Cartilage is, you guessed it, much lighter than bone. Now let's talk about those fins and tail. The side fins are somewhat like wings while the tail fin generates constant movement pushing the shark forward. The fins lift the shark while the tail moves the shark through the water. However, a shark can not swim backward!

CHECK IT OUT: Quick YouTube Video from Jonathan Bird's Shark Academy
Note: Different species use different means to stay buoyant.
A simple and fun shark science activity for kids! What else sinks and floats around the house? What other liquids could you test out? We are going to be enjoying shark week all week long! Will you?

SHARK SCIENCE ACTIVITY FOR KIDS! DO SHARKS FLOAT?

Ocean Science Activities for Kids!

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Shark Science Activity Exploring Buoyancy with Kids

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That's correct! Sharks don't sink and they are actually quite buoyant despite the size of some species. They would sink like a rock if it wasn't for a few cool features. Shark Week is coming soon. We are taking a closer look at these amazing creatures of the ocean world.

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Week 5 Sharks

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In this exciting episode of Shark Academy, Jonathan explains how sharks deal with the fact that they are heavier than water and lack a swim bladder like other fish. ********************************************************************** If you like Jonathan Bird's Blue World, don't forget to subscribe! You can buy some Blue World T-shirts & Swag!

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Week  4 Phenomena/experiment set up

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Many animals live their lives in extreme weather conditions. Blue whales, for example, migrate between warm breeding waters and cold feeding waters near Antarctica and in the Arctic. How do whales and other animals stay warm in very cold water and climates? Find out with this easy science demonstration that uses only common household items.

What You Need:

Container of ice water

Shortening (like Crisco) or petroleum jelly (like Vaseline)

4 Ziploc storage bags

Thermometer

Hand towel

What You Do:

1. Turn one of the Ziploc bags inside out and place it inside another bag. Make sure you have the "zippers" lined up correctly so you can zip the two bags together.

2. Fill the space in between the two bags with a thick layer of shortening or Vaseline, then zip the edges together. We used Crisco. Zipping the bags together makes a type of glove with an opening for your hand. This is the test glove.

3. Make a "control" glove by putting the other two Ziploc bags inside each other. This will you give you the same amount of plastic, but with no extra substance shielding your hand from the cold water.

4. Fill a large container with ice water. Make sure it's deep enough to submerge your hand. We used a glass mixing bowl.

5. Put your hand in the control glove and stick it in the ice water. Using the stopwatch timer, see how long you can keep it in there before it gets too cold. Record your results in your science notebook. Use the hand towel to dry off the outside of the control glove, if necessary.

6. Now put the same hand in the test glove and submerge it in the water. Once again, use the stopwatch timer to time how long you can keep it in the ice water. Record your results. Were you able to keep your hand in the ice water longer using the control glove or the test glove? What was the time difference?

7. Now, put a thermometer in the control glove and put the end in the water. Record the temperature.

8. Repeat step 7 with the test glove. What is the difference between the two temperatures?

Although whales migrate between warmer and cooler waters, other animals, like seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears, spend their entire lives in bitterly cold temperatures. These animals have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber. The blubber keeps them warm and also stores nutrients their body can use when they are in environments where there isn't much food.

The fat molecules in Vaseline and shortening make them act a little like blubber. Blubber helps keep animals warm because it acts as an insulator. An insulator slows down the transfer of heat, keeping the animal's body heat from escaping into the water and protecting it from the cold. Can you think of any insulators you've used at home? Hint: When you go outside to play on a snowy day, you probably wear some!

For further study, repeat the blubber glove project using different materials as insulators. Try using packing peanuts, rubber bands, cotton balls, wool, sand, and feathers. Predict which substances you think will insulate well and why.
Learn about polar animals!

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Many animals live their lives in extreme weather conditions. Blue whales, for example, migrate between warm breeding waters and cold feeding waters near Antarctica and in the Arctic. How do whales and other animals stay warm in very cold water and climates?

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Week 4 Whales

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Whale Physical Characteristics

The anatomy of a whale is absolutely fascinating, and one that you will want to learn all you can about. All whales are mammals and so that automatically tells us that they need to breath in air to fill their lungs. The overall structure of a whale is very similar to that of fish. Yet we will all agree that it is on a much larger scale.

The anatomy of a whale is designed to allow it to easily move through the water. It is often amazing to see such a large creature move about with such grace. The front limbs of a whale are called flippers. They look like paddles and they will vary in size depending on the species of whale you happen to be looking at. These flippers move back and forth as a whale glides through the water.

The majority of whales don't have hind limbs but some of them do so it is worth mentioning here. They can appear to be short stubs or they can be feet that even have what look like toes on them. The back end of a whale is where you will see the dorsal fin. This is in place to help a whale remain balanced. You will notice that the size and even the shape of the dorsal fin vary by species. A few of them even have two dorsal fins but most have only one.

Since it can be very cold in the waters where a whale lives, they need plenty of insulation. They get it in the way of what is called blubber. This is underneath the top layer of skin. That layer is very thin and doesn't have very much hair on it at all. That is why the blubber is so important to help them stay warm.

The size of the heart of a whale will depend on what species it is. All of them feature a heart with four chambers though. They also have vertebrae that are fused to the neck. It is this design of the whale anatomy that allows them plenty of flexibility in their movements throughout the water.

As we mentioned, whales have to fill their lungs with air. In order to do so, they rely on a blowhole at the top of their body. Some whales will have one and others have two but they work the same way. It is this part of the whale anatomy that makes it possible for them to stay below the surface of the water for extended periods of time. The Sperm Whales are able to do so for up to one and half hour after taking air in. That is the longest time period known for any type of whale to remain under the water.

Another part of the whale anatomy to take a close look at is the ears. They are designed to make living underneath the surface of the water simple for them. Both the outer and the inner ears work the same way which is why they can hear through vibrations. They designs of the ears allow them to receive the sounds in their lower jaw region rather than actually through their ear lobes.

There are plenty of terrific books and sites online where you can view pictures of the whale anatomy. Looking at them as you read about it is a great way to help you identify the various areas on the body. You will also find it is easier for you to remember the anatomy of a whale this way. These huge mammals have a very detailed body anatomy that certainly works in their favor.

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The anatomy of a whale is absolutely fascinating, and one that you will want to learn all you can about. All whales are mammals and so that automatically tells us that they need to breath in air to fill their lungs. The overall structure of a whale is very similar to that of fish.

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Week 4 Whales

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How do Whales, Penguins, and Polar Bears Keep Warm?

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Week 3 Sea turtles

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Watching a baby turtle (known as a "hatchling") struggle out of the nest and make its way to the water is an emotional experience. Everything from footprints to driftwood and crabs are obstacles, though this gauntlet is important for its survival. Birds, raccoons, and fish are just a few of the predators these vulnerable creatures face; some experts say only one out of a thousand will survive to adulthood under natural conditions.

After an adult female sea turtle nests, she returns to the sea, leaving her nest and the eggs within it to develop on their own. The amount of time the egg takes to hatch varies among the different species and is influenced by environmental conditions such as the temperature of the sand. The hatchlings do not have sex chromosomes so their gender is determined by the temperature within the nest.

Baby Sea Turtle Facts

It's estimated that only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood.

Sea turtle hatchlings eat a variety of prey including things like molluscs and crustaceans, hydrozoans, sargassum sea weed, jellyfish, and fish eggs. Unfortunately, hatchlings also mistake garbage and objects like tar balls as food and ingest them.

Leatherback and flatback hatchlings are significantly larger than other sea turtle species.

Leatherbacks are pelagic (open water) even as hatchlings and their larger size helps maintain their temperature.

Hatchlings use the natural light horizon, which is usually over the ocean, along with the white crests of the waves to reach the water when they emerge from the nest. Any other light sources such as beachfront lighting, street lights, light from cars, campfires etc. can lead hatchlings in the wrong direction, also known as disorientation.

Once out of the nest, hatchlings face many predators including ghost crabs, birds, raccoons, dogs, and fish.

Many scientists are concerned that rising global temperatures will result in warmer sand, causing more female than male baby turtles. Learn more information about the effects of global warming on sea turtles.

The Pivotal Temperature of a Baby Turtle

Whether hatchlings are male or female depends on the temperature where they are in the nest, known as the "pivotal temperature." The temperature varies slightly among species, ranging between roughly 83-85 degrees Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees Celsius), at which embryos within a nest develop into a mix of males and females. Temperatures above this range produce females and colder temperatures produce males.

After 45 to 70 days (depending on the species), the hatchlings begin to pip, or break out of their eggs, using a small temporary tooth located on their snout called a caruncle. Once out of their eggs, they will remain in the nest for a number of days. During this time they will absorb their yolk, which is attached by an umbilical to their abdomen. This yolk will provide them the much-needed energy for their first few days while they make their way from the nest to offshore waters.

Emergence

The hatchlings begin their climb out of the nest in a coordinated effort. Once near the surface, they will often remain there until the temperature of the sand cools, usually indicating nighttime, when they are less likely to be eaten by predators or overheat. Once the baby turtles emerge from the nest, they use cues to find the water including the slope of the beach, the white crests of the waves, and the natural light of the ocean horizon.

If the hatchlings successfully make it down the beach and reach the surf, they begin what is called a "swimming frenzy" which may last for several days and varies in intensity and duration among species. The swimming frenzy gets the hatchlings away from dangerous nearshore waters where predation is high. Once hatchlings enter the water, their "lost years" begin and their whereabouts will be unknown for as long as a decade. When they have reached approximately the size of a dinner plate, the juvenile turtles will return to coastal areas where they will forage and continue to mature.

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Watching a baby turtle (known as a "hatchling") struggle out of the nest and make its way to the water is an emotional experience. Everything from footprints to driftwood and crabs are obstacles, though this gauntlet is important for its survival.

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Week 3 Sea Turtles 2nd video
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Week 3 Sea Turtles 1st video

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New Born, Baby Sea Turtles Race to the Ocean!

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Week 2 Engineering Design Challenge Day 

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Week 2 Engineering Design Challenge Day 

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Sample picture to create your own coral reef

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Week 2 Coral Reefs

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Table coral (Acropora cytherea) is common throughout the tropical Pacific, but in Hawaii its distribution is limited to French Frigate Shoals and neighboring atolls northwest of the main islands.

Credit: Greg McFall/NOAA

Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of coral, which are marine invertebrate animals. The coral species that build coral reefs are known as hermatypic or"hard" corals because they extract calcium carbonate from seawater to create a hard, durable exoskeleton that protects their soft, sac-like bodies.

Each individual coral is referred to as a polyp. New coral polyps live on the calcium carbonate exoskeletons of their ancestors, adding their own exoskeleton to the existing coral structure. As the centuries pass, the coral reef slowly grows, one tiny exoskeleton at a time, until they become massive features of the submarine environment.

Corals are found all over the world's oceans, from the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska to warm tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea. The biggest coral reefs are found in the clear, shallow ocean waters of the tropics and subtropics where they grow quickly. The largest of these coral reef systems - the Great Barrier Reef of Australia - is more than 1,500 miles (2,400 km) in length.

There are hundreds of different species of coral, according to the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), a nonprofit environmental group. Coral have a dazzling array of shapes and colors, from round, folded brain corals that resemble a human brain to tall, elegant sea whips and sea fans that look like intricate, vibrantly colored trees or plants. [ Photos: Stunning New Coral Species of Polynesia]

Corals belong to the phylum Cnidaria (pronounced ni-DAR-ee-uh), a group that includes jellyfish, anemones, Portuguese man o' war and other marine animals. Though each individual animal is referred to as a polyp, corals are often described as a colony of thousands of polyps.

Corals feed in two different ways: Some species are able to catch small sea life like fish and plankton by using the stinging tentacles on the outer edges of their bodies. Most corals, however, have a symbiotic (mutually rewarding) relationship with algae called zooxanthellae (pronounced zo-zan-THEL-ee), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These algae live inside the coral polyp's body and produce food for themselves and the polyp through photosynthesis. The polyps, in turn, provide a home and carbon dioxide for the algae. Additionally, the zooxanthellae provide the coral with their lively colors - most coral polyp bodies are clear and colorless.

Some coral species, such as brain coral, are hermaphrodites, producing both eggs and sperm at the same time. They reproduce in a mass coral spawning event that, in some species, occurs only once per year on a particular night.

Other species, such as elkhorn coral, are gonochoric, creating colonies composed of all males or all females. Among these coral colonies, all the polyps of one particular colony will produce only sperm; for reproduction, they rely on a neighboring colony that produces only eggs.

Images of corals Pictures from the Back reef of Ofu (a national park in American Samoa).

Credit: Dan Barshis

Most of the substantial coral reefs found today are between 5,000 and 10,000 years old, according to CORAL. These are generally found in warm, clear, shallow waters where there's plenty of sunlight to nurture the algae that the coral rely on for food.

Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor - all of them combined would equal an area of about 110,000 square miles (285,000 square kilometers), roughly the size of the state of Nevada. Nonetheless, they are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on Earth.

About 25 percent of all known marine species rely on coral reefs for food, shelter and breeding. Sometimes referred to as "the rainforests of the sea" for their biodiversity, coral reefs are the primary habitat for more than 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other plants and animals, according to CORAL.

And their lives are in imminent peril, according to experts.

Coral reefs are critical marine habitat on which many ocean species depend; additionally, they provide an estimated $30 billion annually in direct economic benefit to people worldwide though food, fisheries and tourism, according to the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University.

But coral reefs are imperiled by several threats. The increasing acidification of the ocean - caused when oceans absorb immense amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels - inhibits coral's ability to produce the calcium carbonate exoskeletons they rely on for shelter.

Water pollution, too, is wreaking havoc on coral reefs. Agricultural pesticides and fertilizers, oil and gasoline, sewage discharge and sediment loads from eroded landscapes damage the complex relationships that exist between the plants, coral and other animals that are part of the reef ecosystem.

As the temperatures of the world's oceans increase due to global warming, coral polyps expel the zooxanthellae they depend on for food. Once they are gone, the coral also loses its brilliant color, and all that can be seen is the white exoskeleton; this is referred to as coral bleaching. Coral colonies subject to bleaching usually die off, according to CORAL.

And fishing practices such as cyanide fishing (using cyanide to make fish easier to catch), "blast fishing" with explosives, and overfishing with trawlers can destroy a thousand-year-old coral reef in a few minutes.

"Overfishing, ocean acidification and pollution are pushing coral reefs into oblivion," said Roger Bradbury, an ecologist at Australian National University in Canberra, in a New York Times opinion article. "Each of those forces alone is fully capable of causing the global collapse of coral reefs; together, they assure it."

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Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of coral, which are marine invertebrate animals. The coral species that build coral reefs are known as hermatypic or"hard" corals because they extract calcium carbonate from seawater to create a hard, durable exoskeleton that protects their soft, sac-like bodies.

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Week 2 Coral Reefs 2nd video

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Exploring the Coral Reef: Learn about Oceans for Kids - FreeSchool

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Week 2 Coral Reefs 1st video

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"Slow" marine animals show their secret life under high magnification. Corals and sponges build coral reefs and play crucial roles in the biosphere, yet we know almost nothing about their daily lives. These animals are actually very mobile creatures. However their motion is only detectable at different time scales compared to ours and requires time lapses to be seen.

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Phenomena/Experiment set up

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Week 1 Waves information

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Week 1 Waves 2nd video
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Week 1 Wave 1st video
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