INTRODUCTION. PHOTOGRAPHY Doug Perrine/Naturepl.com

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2 INTRODUCTION Planet Earth: Shallow Seas 4-D is adapted from the highly-acclaimed BBC series, Planet Earth. This resource guide provides background on what you and your students will see in the film, plus some pre- and post-viewing activities you can use with your students in the classroom. This guide is correlated with the National Science Education Standards. PHOTOGRAPHY Doug Perrine/Naturepl.com 1

3 TEACHER BACKGROUND Water covers the majority of the Earth s surface. From the deepest, darkest ocean depths to the shallow seas along the edges of the continents. Here the oceans are relatively shallow with depths to 200 meters (600 feet). The shallow seas cover an estimated 8% of the world s oceans, but the majority of ocean creatures live here. These are so biologically productive for two reasons. First, since the water is shallow, sunlight can penetrate through almost the entire water column. Second, nutrient-rich waters from the oceans depths rise up into the shallows and are mixed by currents and waves. The combination of light plus nutrients starts an incredible food web that supports countless sea creatures. The coral reef is one example of an ecosystem found in the shallow seas. Coral reefs are located in shallow waters were sunlight can penetrate, and the water is warm and clear. The reef itself is actually a colony of small coral animals called polyps. Each polyp is encased in a hard external skeleton. It reaches its tentacles, equipped with stinging cells, out into the water to capture its prey. Algae live inside the polyp and give the coral their bright colors. The coral provides a safe habitat or home for the algae. Approximately 40% of the world s human population lives along the coasts. As a result, the shallow seas are heavily impacted by what we put into the ocean and take out of it. Pollution, sediment, and excess nutrients run-off the land and harm marine ecosystems. Even people living far from the ocean can have an impact when litter and other things discarded by people are carried hundreds of miles by streams and rivers or by the wind eventually ending up in the ocean. 2

4 TEACHER BACKGROUND cont d We can all do our part. Simple things like: 1. Put litter in its place, don t drop it on the ground. 2. Recycle and/or reduce your use of paper, cans, bottles, and plastics. 3. Don t pour anything down storm drains, they eventually lead to waterways and the oceans. 4. If you own a yard, plant only plants native to your area that require less fertilizer and water, and don t over-fertilize your lawn. Excess fertilizer can run off your lawn causing problems in the water. 5. Eat sustainable seafood. Avoid species that are over-fished and depleted. NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS This Resource Guide has been correlated with one or more of the following National Science Education Standards for grades 4-6: Life Science (Standard C) Structure and function in living systems Populations and ecosystems Diversity and adaptations of organisms Populations, resources, and environments PHOTOGRAPHY Georgette Douwma 3

5 PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY TITLE: WHALE MIGRATION DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS The pre-show activity has three sections. Each one can be used by itself or in conjunction with the others. The first section has a reading on Whale Migration for students. As a class or individually ask your students to read that section. The second section is a math activity that incorporates elements of the story. Students use a world map or a globe to measure the distance a humpback whales migrates from its summer feeding areas near Alaska to the Hawaiian Islands where it spends the winter. The third activity is a word game that depicts a simple food chain from the whale s summer feeding area. DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS Read the Whale Migration story below. Then use your math skills to answer some questions about the distance whales migrate. WHALE MIGRATION STUDENT READING Humpback whales live in all the oceans of the world. One population of whales lives in the Northern Pacific. These whales spend their summer feeding in the nutrient-rich, shallow seas around Alaska. Humpback whales eat small shrimp-like animals called krill. They also eat small fish like herring and capelin. Humpback whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have hair-like plates called baleen hanging from their upper jaw. They catch their food by gulping huge amounts of water. When the whale pushes the water out of their mouth, the krill and fish are trapped in the baleen and swallowed whole. At the end of the summer the whales migrate to warmer waters. Some go to the Hawaiian Islands to spend the winter. Here the whales mate, calve, and nurse their young. The next spring the whales start the migration back to Alaska. The adults have not eaten the whole time they were in Hawaii. Humpback whales migrate further than any other mammal on earth. 4

6 PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY Cont d FUN FACTS A baby humpback whale drinks 120 gallons of its mother s milk every day. Humpback whales can live for up to 70 years (40-50 years on average). Humpback whales blow bubble nets to round up their food. A humpback whale can eat 3 tons of krill per day. Humpback whales grow to 15 meters (about 50 feet) long and weigh 25 to 40 tons. MIGRATION MATH 1. Use a world map or a globe. Find the Hawaiian Islands on the map. Find the coast of Alaska on the map. Using the map legend, how many miles is it between Hawaii and Alaska? 2. How many miles does a whale migrate in one year from Hawaii to Alaska and back? 3. If the average whale lived 50 years, how many miles would it migrate in its lifetime? 4. Bonus Question: The distance the average humpback whale migrates in its lifetime is almost the same as: a. Crossing the United States 50 times b. Circling the entire planet 12 times c. The distance from the earth to the moon d. All the above 5

7 PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY Cont d FOOD CHAIN SCRAMBLE DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS Below is a humpback whale food chain. The words in the food chain have been scrambled. Unscramble the words. Clues to the words can be found in Whale Migration Student Reading above. Then draw arrows to show how one level of the food chain gives energy or feeds the next level. UNS KANNTOPL LIRKL PACLINE REHGINR LEWAH 6

8 POST-SHOW ACTIVITY ADAPTATION MATCHING DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS An adaptation is something a living thing has or does that helps it survive and reproduce. Match an animal from the Shallow Seas film with its adaptation that helps it live. ANIMAL 1. Humpback whale ADAPTATION a. Digs a hole to escape from predators 2. Coral 3. Sea snake 4. Bottlenose dolphin 5. Jawfish b. Hunts for fish by riding waves near the shore c. Captures food with stinging tentacles d. Returns to land to lay their eggs e. Eats other sea stars 6. Pygmy seahorse f. Uses camouflage to blend in with its surroundings 7. Sunflower sea star g. Has large hind flippers and strong limbs for swimming 8. Fur seal h. Filters food using baleen 7

9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & RESOURCES Planet Earth: Shallow Seas is a BBC/Discovery Channel/NHK coproduction in association with the CBC and are made available through a partnership with CineMuse. This companion piece to the film Planet Earth: Shallow Seas 4-D Experience was created by Educational Consultant Joe Harber for SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment. The following resources were used to develop this Learning Guide. Educators may reproduce these materials for students. Design & illustration by Maggie Ziemirska, SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment Graphic Design Department. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary lies within the shallow warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands and constitutes one of the world s most important humpback whale habitats. Through education, research, and resource protection activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii. 8

10 ANSWERS Page 5: Migration Math 1. Approximately 3000 miles 2. 6,000 miles round trip ,000 miles 4. d. All the above Page 6: Food Chain Scramble SUN PLANKTON KRILL CAPELIN HERRING WHALE Page 7: Adaptation Matching 1. h., 2. c., 3. d., 4. b., 5. a., 6. f., 7. e., 8. g. 9

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