OCTOPUS GARDEN SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium Self-Guided Educational Resource Guide Second Grade Welcome to SEA LIFE Aquarium! OCTOPUS GARDEN has been created by SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium. Arrival and Entry: As you enter the Aquarium, pick up a Quiz Trail card for each student. Check out the Show guide on the LCD screens in admission for scheduled creature feedings. Safety: Our #1 concern is safety, so please abide by all safety precautions posted. For more information, check out www.sealifeus.com
Background Information Enter the amazing world of cephalopods! A marvel of brain power, incredible hunting abilities, and unbelievable defense mechanisms make cephalopods masters of the ocean environment. Cephalopods Creature Shell Limbs Ink sac Lifespan No Eight arms Yes Six months to five years Octopus No Eight arms and two tentacles Yes One to two years Squid Internal (cuttlebone) Eight arms and two tentacles Yes One to two years Cuttlefish External Up to 90 tentacles No Around 15 years + Nautilus 2
What is a cephalopod? Cephalopods, which means, head foot, are mollusks and closely related to animals like snails, slugs, and clams. They have well developed senses and large brains, in fact cephalopods are considered to be the most intelligent invertebrate on earth. These animals are also known for their ability to change color faster than a chameleon, and can even change their texture and body shape. If for some reason those camouflage techniques do not work, they can disappear in a cloud of ink. Cephalopods are amazing creatures with three hearts that pump blue blood, use jet propulsion, and they're found in all oceans of the world. How smart are cephalopods? Cephalopods are regarded as one of the most intelligent invertebrates and have a well-developed brain. Some cephalopods are even capable of solving complex problems and believed to have long-term memory. What is the smallest and largest cephalopod? The largest cephalopod, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, or the Colossal Squid, is longer than a city bus (up to 50 feet!), while the smallest cephalopod, Idiosepius notoides, the Pygmy Squid, could fit on your fingernail (16 mm). Discovery Worksheet SEA LIFE TM staff members spend a lot of time with our cephalopods. Now you can see how we interact with them! Octopus garden demonstration Check the show guide for times. Answer these questions during the Octopus Garden feed show: 1. What do cephalopods eat? 2. What are some ways we keep the animals healthy and stimulated at SEALIFE? 3. How do the animals react to human presence? 4. Name four animals living in the Octopus Garden. At SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium Discover SEA LIFE Journey from Gold Rush River to San Francisco Bay, from deep ocean tunnels to shallow touch pools. Explore incredible living creatures--sharks, rays, seahorses. Don t miss these amazing highlights! Creature Feedings Before you enter SEA LIFE, check out the What s Going on Today board. Visit a creature feeding. Which creature was your favorite? Fin Facts Enjoy the Fin Facts panels. Write your favorite fact here. 3
Quiz Trail Learn as you go! Write or draw about what you learned. Theater Check out a 15-minute short in our theater! Touch Pools Discover creatures at the Touch Pool. Which creature did you see or touch? Conservation and Research Visit the Touch Pool to learn that every little bit helps! Roll a coin! Help SEA LIFE and the Turtle Hospital with their turtle rescue and rehabilitation work. Check out our cinema and learn how SEA LIFE is helping. What else can you do to help? Get Ready For Your Visit Ask an expert! Have you ever wondered how many hearts an octopus has? During your visit, you can learn some amazing and interesting facts about cephalopods! As a group, try and find the answers to these three questions while on your journey through SEA LIFE TM, and as a bonus see if you can find the one and only Lego octopus. 1. How many hearts does an octopus have? 2. Do Octopus poses long-term or short-term memory, or both? 3. Other than octopus, what are three other examples of cephalopods? 4. As a class come up with a question to ask one of the staff members at SEALIFE. 4
Classroom enrichment At SEALIFE, animals are given toys, to enhance and provide environmental stimuli essential to maintain wellbeing. Not only do the animal s use these props to maintain a health life, but also to learn. In your classroom what might be some objects or toys that you use to learn? Cephalopod defense Cephalopods use a variety of adaptations to defend themselves. Can you match each defense to its user? Remember, some cephalopods may use more than one. Cephalopod Octopus Cuttlefish Squid Nautilus PICTURES IN THIS AREA A. picture of ink B. Jet/jet propulsion C. Camo D. Auto-missing limbs E. Hiding F. Color distraction G. External shell Answers: Octopus- a,b,c,d,e Cuttlefish- a,c,f, Squid- a,b,c,f Nautilus- e,g Build This Now that you have learned of the octopuses need for toy s to stimulate its mind (enrichment), and of the several defense mechanisms cephalopods use to defend themselves; what do you think the perfect habitat for this animal would look. You can use anything available or even draw the ideal habitat. 5
About Octopus Garden Educational Objectives Amazing Cephalopods is a 30 minute educational workshop designed in conjunction with a selfguided tour of Sea Life Aquarium and the Octopus Gardens exhibit. It is intended to introduce students to members of the class Cephalopoda; specifically Octopus, Squid, Cuttlefish, and Nautilus. Students work together as a group to identify adaptations that these creatures use to survive in their aquatic environments TEKS: SECOND GRADE 110.13. English Language Arts and Reading Students work together in a group setting, following simple rules, to discuss and decide on the unique capabilities of this class of creature. Students are expected to listen attentively to speakers and ask appropriate questions. (28) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to: (A) listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions to clarify information; and (B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a short related sequence of actions. (29) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to share information and ideas that focus on the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace, using the conventions of language. (30) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to follow agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, and making appropriate contributions. 112.13. Science Students will observe marine organisms in an aquarium environment and note food, water, shelter, and other necessities. They will discuss appropriate safety precautions when being near wild animals, (i.e. refraining from banging, tapping, yelling, or flashing cameras for animal health and safety, refraining from reaching hands into open tanks, and washing your hands after touching appropriate animals.) and demonstrate safe practices. Students will discuss adaptations that animals have that help them survive in their environments (i.e. the octopus can change the color and texture of its skin to camouflage and avoid predation.) Students identify factors in the environment that affect animal behavior (i.e. the octopus has demonstrated both short and long term memory skills, and can use landmarks in the ocean to navigate.) (1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to: (A) identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately; (B) describe the importance of safe practices. (2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to: (A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events during observations and investigations. (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals; (B) identify factors in the environment, including temperature and precipitation, that affect growth and behavior such as migration, hibernation, and dormancy of living things; and (C) compare and give examples of the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments such as food chains within a garden, park, beach, lake, and wooded area. (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs such as fins help fish move and balance in the water. 113.13. Social Studies 6
Students will identify and understand ways that humans impact marine ecology and identify solutions to environmental issues. (i.e. recycling plastic bags so that sea turtles do not eat them, and refrain from buying dried seahorse souvenirs.) Students will work together as a group to discuss physical and behavioral characteristics of the class Cephalopoda and reach a consensus. (8) Geography. The student understands how humans use and modify the physical environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify ways in which people have modified the physical environment such as building roads, clearing land for urban development and agricultural use, and drilling for oil; (B) identify positive and negative consequences of human modification of the physical environment such as the use of irrigation to improve crop yields; and (C) identify ways people can conserve and replenish natural resources. (20) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to: (A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution; and (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, generate options, predict outcomes, take action to implement a decision, and reflect on the effectiveness of that decision. 115.4. Health Education Students recognize environmental factors that affect marine organisms and human health and offer strategies to prevent these issues (i.e. making smart seafood choices to prevent yourself from eating fish contaminated with mercury.) (5) Health information. The student recognizes factors that influence the health of an individual. The student is expected to: (B) describe strategies for protecting the environment and the relationship between the environment and individual health such as air pollution and ultra-violet rays. 116.4. Physical Education Students must travel together in a group and navigate stairs appropriately. (1) Movement. The student demonstrates competency in fundamental movement patterns and proficiency in a few specialized movement forms. The student is expected to: (A) travel independently in a large group while safely and quickly changing speed and direction. 7