Ocean Animal Adaptations
Coastal Habitats & Species—Ocean Animal Adaptations
Summary: This topic guide focuses on classroom and field trip activities that show students that the ocean is home to a variety of animal species, and each has structural and behavioral adaptations that help it survive in marine ecosystems.
Concepts to teach: Adaptation, marine ecosystems, evolution
Goals: The ocean supports a great diversity of life.
Animal species are adapted to environments.
Standards:
3.3S.2, 4.2L.1, 43S.2, 4.2L.1, 5.2L.1
Specific Objectives:
- Students identify the major natural history characteristics of a marine animal.
- Students describe four body structures and two behavioral characteristics of an organism that help it survive in a marine habitat.
- Students share their finding with others through an oral or written presentation.
Activity Links and Resources:
- Classroom lessons and activities from the Oregon Coast Aquarium that focus on marine animal adaptations:
- The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport offers has a variety of on-site lab classes, outreach programs, and classroom lesson plans for Grades 3-5, including:
- Get a Grip (K-2)—Adaptations of tide pool organisms
- Fins, Flippers and Flukes (3-5)—Adaptations of marine mammals
- Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport has a variety of on-site lab and field classes for grades 3-5, including:
- Animal Adaptations (Gr. 3 and up)—Adaptations of invertebrates living in rocky shore, sandy beach and estuarine environments.
- Assemble a Whale (Gr. 5 and up)—Adaptations and diversity of cetaceans.
Assessment:
- Students prepare a report on their findings of a particular marine animal, in which basic natural history characteristics are described and structural and behavioral adaptations identified.
- Compare and contrast a marine organism with a terrestrial organism using a Venn diagram.
