GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Entry Form — School Year 2012-2013 Please print neatly using black ink.
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Mail the Completed form and students work to: LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest Administrator American Museum of Natural History/Gottesman Center for Science Teaching and Learning Central Park West and 79th Street New York, NY 10024-5192 GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Teacher Instructions NYS Learning Standards: CCS W.K.1 and W.K.8; CCS Task Overview: RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.10; LE 3.1b This contest cycle focuses on the phenomenon of bioluminescence and is intended to introduce students to formal knowledge and academic language related to bioluminescence. Students will Plan how your students will draw upon a visit to the American Museum of Natural History Creatures of Light exhibit, as explore Creatures of Light well as the reading of content-rich texts to produce a written and illustrated explanatory text using the Animal Investigation that defines bioluminescence and informs others about bioluminescent organisms. Notes sheets (see previsit activ- ity #2). Since the exhibition will The visit to the museum, related reading, and essay writing can situated within a larger scope be dark, we recommend that of learning when students are learning about living things in their environment or these students take mental notes in the exhibition and record their experiences can be used as a stand-alone or bridge learning experience. observations afterwards.
Task Description: Before your visit, divide your Before your visit: Students will read or listen to and discuss a reading about bioluminescent class into teams, each studying organisms. three of the following animals: Firefly, Deep-Sea Anglerfish, During your visit: Students will take notes on three bioluminescent organisms that are Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish, featured in the Creatures of Light exhibit Vampire Squid, Hatchetfish, and Benttooth Bristlemouth. After your visit: Students will use what they learned from the museum visit and reading to produce an illustrated text to submit to the LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest that: At the Museum, each group should be facilitated by a 1. Defines bioluminescence teacher/chaperone as they ex- 2. Names three bioluminescent organisms plore the exhibition. Distribute 3. Describes the light that each organism makes copies of the corresponding instructions and notes sheets Background for Educator: to chaperones and students beforehand, and review them Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that takes place in an organism and produces detectable together to make sure every- light. These organisms use a variety of body parts to emit light in different colors and for one understands the activities. different purposes. Eighty percent of all bioluminescent groups live in the world’s oceans, from To each chaperone, also distrib- the shallows to the deep sea floor; they include fish, plankton, crustaceans, and jellyfish. ute the instructions and one Although less common, bioluminescence also occurs on land in some insects and fungi. crayon of each of the following colors: red, blue, purple, green, Scientists have observed organisms using bioluminescence in many different ways. These and yellow. include self-defense, illuminating or luring prey, camouflage, and attracting mates.
Before Your Visit: 1. Activity: Bioluminescence reading Read the provided text about bioluminescent organisms aloud to the class, or have students read it to themselves. Ask: How do these body parts help this animal live/survive? What’s the corresponding part of your body? How are the two similar or different? (Answers will vary.)
2. Activity: Prepare for the Exhibition (Animal Investigation Team Formation) Uses notes sheets with diagrams of individual bioluminescent animals to prepare students to explore the Creatures of Light exhibition. Use your discretion when assigning diagrams and deciding what size groups to create. Students should be assigned three animals to investigate, and given the three corresponding notes sheets. GRADE: K LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest
Teacher Instructions continued
Materials: copies of animal notes sheets: Firefly, Deep-Sea Anglerfish,Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish, Vampire Squid, Hatchetfish, and Benttooth Bristlemouth.
Tell students that these are a few of the bioluminescent animals they’ll be observing in the exhibition. Split them into as many groups as you like, each group assigned to 3 of the following 6 animals: (1) Firefly, (2) Deep-Sea Anglerfish, (3) Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish, (4) Vampire Squid, (5) Hatchetfish, and (6) Benttooth Bristlemouth. Tell them that each group is an Animal Investiga- tion Team, which will learn as much as possible about its three animals. Distribute the notes sheets. (All members of each team should receive a diagram of the same three animals.) Have the teams look carefully at the animals, then discuss it together: What kind of animal is it? What body parts of it can they identify? (Answers may include: wings, tentacles) Where do they think it might live? (Answers may include: in a forest, in the ocean) Tell the class that these animals are all bioluminescent. Explain that in the exhibition they will find and study a large model of those animals, identify which part of them lights up, and learn about how the animals might use this light to survive.
During Your Visit: Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence 4th floor (45 minutes) Divide your class into the same groups. Have an adult chaperone guide the students through the exhibition and facilitate the activity (make sure they have a copy of the accompanying chaperone sheet).
Materials: • For each student: three animal diagram sheets (based on his/her team) • For each chaperone: instructions, the same animal diagram sheets, and five crayons (red, blue, purple, green, and yellow)
Milstein Hall of Ocean Life 1st floor (30 minutes) Materials: Same as Creatures of Light materials, plus one pencil for each student.
Have students gather in front of the Deep Sea Ecosystem on the right hand side of the upper level*. With this environment as a backdrop, have them continue working on their studen notes sheet by labeling any parts of their animals they can identify, and answering the four questions. Alternatively, for younger students, you and/or the chaperones can use the questions to lead a group discussion and record students’ responses on a single sheet.
Afterwards, have students practice their observation skills by spotting animals in the Deep Sea display and discussing which body parts they can identify and what their functions might be.
*Note: If you have a very large group, you may choose to conduct this activity in front of one of the Lower Level dioramas under the whale, where there is more space; e.g. the Dolphin and Tuna diorama on the left-hand side.
Back in the Classroom: Activity 1: Sharing Observations & Recording Findings Materials: One clean copy of each notes sheet (enlarged, if possible); blue, green, purple, red, and yellow crayons; black markers for labeling
Have student groups present what they learned in Creatures of Light to the rest of the class. Post clean copies of all of the animal outlines in front of the class. Have representatives from each group come up one at a time and fill in the details by coloring in the bioluminescent parts in the appropriate color and labeling the body parts. They can refer to their notes sheets. GRADE: K LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest
Teacher Instructions continued With younger students, you may want to read findings aloud and label the diagrams, and then have students add color. When identifying bioluminescent parts of the animal’s body, ask students how bioluminescence helps it live/survive.
Include this information on the diagram.
Activity 2: Writing Informational texts about bioluminescent organisms to submit to the LeFrak Class of the Month Writing Contest Based on their reading, their visit to the Creatures of Light exhibit, and the the notes that they took, have each student create an illustrated text using the included student submission sheet that: 1. Defines bioluminescence 2. Names 3 bioluminescent organisms 3. Describes the light that each organism makes
The essay word length cannot exceed 200-250 words Submission Packet must include work from all students that participated in the field trip A class roster must be included in the packet
Submit student submission sheets, along with the entry form, to the address provided.
Note: For more activities on bioluminescence for your students, supplementary activities can be found at: amnh.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/creatures-of-light/for-educators GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Reading — Page 1 Nature’s Bioluminescence Creatures of Light Have you ever held a glowing firefly in your hands? On a warm summer evening, a firefly’s light seems rare and magical. Yet the tree of life is spangled with organisms that blink, glow, flash and glitter. Welcome to the world of bioluminescence—the generation of light by living things.
Bioluminescence is visible light generated by a living organism through a chemical reaction. Although all bioluminescence involves the same three broad types of chemicals, the exact chemicals differ from species to species. Eighty percent of all bioluminescent groups inhabit the world’s oceans. At certain depths, nearly all the organisms glow. On land, things are quite different. There are bioluminescent fungi and insects, but no flowering plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians or mammals that glow.
Bioluminescence on land Meet the Fireflies The insects of the world have many ways to signal one another. Among them are color, scent, sound . . . and light. Several groups of insects glow, but only one, fireflies, has evolved an extraordinary language of light. Many fireflies—not flies at all, but beetles—use system of flashes in some of the same ways we use words: to attract, to say, “Here I am,” even to deceive. But communicating with light has a dark side—predators can see it, too. The Dark Side of Light Finding the right mate is the best-understood function of a firefly’s glow. But light is about more than look- ing for love. In many of the bioluminescent species you will meet, including fireflies, light may discourage predators by signaling that the animal they are about to eat will taste very, very bad. Even stranger, females of several species in the firefly genus Photuris flash to lure males of other species to their deaths.
Bioluminescence in the Deep Ocean Sink beneath the waves, and sunlight quickly dwindles. Deeper down, it entirely disappears. Vast stretches below the surface are engulfed in darkness. In this strange world, the only glimmers of light are made by living things. Into the Deep Picture a world of perpetual darkness—where living creatures come and go, never seeing the light of day. Instead of relying on sunlight, these animals flash and sparkle like fireworks. It may sound uncanny, but this is the world you would find if you sank into the depths of the sea.
While bioluminescence is uncommon on land, it is surprisingly widespread in the deep ocean. In these dark waters, the vast majority of animals light up as they travel, hunt and mate. GRADE: K LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest
Student Reading — Page 2 Deep Sea Anglerfish This female anglerfish has her own built-in fishing rod, a modified fin spine topped with a lure that pulses with bacterial light. As she dangles the lure above her gaping jaws, luminous tendrils that look like seaweed trail from her chin. Another fish swims up to investigate—if it gets too close, it’s a meal. Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish The stoplight loosejaw earned its name for good reason. The fish uses its pulsing red light—the “stoplight”— to spot a red shrimp, then catches the shrimp in its oversized and extendable “loose” jaw. Since this fish is almost the only deep-sea animal to both produce and see red light, it spies the shrimp. But the shrimp can’t detect the fish’s red light…so it gets eaten! Hatchetfish In the dim waters of the mid-ocean, hatchetfish glow along their undersides. By matching the faint sunlight filtering down from the sky, these fish camouflage themselves against predators lurking below. Like many marine animals, hatchetfishes are predators as well as prey. While scanning the waters above their heads for shrimp and other tiny crustaceans, they adjust the light on the underside of their bodies to hide from predators prowling underneath them. Vampire Squid When a predator approaches, a vampire squid thrashes around waving its bioluminescent arm tips, confusing its attacker and then swimming away. To hide in the dark, it pulls its webbed arms over its head so only the dark inner side of its “cloak” is exposed. Benttooth Bristlemouth Bristlemouths are the most abundant vertebrates, or backboned creatures, on Earth. Few deep-sea fishes can see red light, but perhaps these fish can, and are attracted to other bioluminescent animals’ glowing red lures. Light organs along the fish’s lower body help it blend in with dim sunlight coming down from above. This fish’s jaw is lined with bristlelike teeth and can open up like a trap to scoop up plankton as it swims.
With almost every voyage to the deep ocean, marine biologists discover new bioluminescent species. As new technologies allow us to search even deeper, we are likely to discover many more. GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Instructions for Chaperones
Check your team’s three assigned animals:
Firefly
Deep-Sea Anglerfish
Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish
Vampire Squid
Hatchetfish
Benttooth Bristlemouth.
1. Before entering the exhibition, tell students that they will need to pay attention to each animal model they encounter so that each group can find and recognize their animals.
2. When a group of students has found one of its animals, have them gather around the model.
3. Ask students to identify which part of the animal is glowing and what color that part is.
4. Pass around the corresponding color crayon and have students take turns coloring in that body part on their sheet. (If it’s too dark, do this step after the exhibition.)
5. While students are coloring, prompt students to make observations about the animal. (They do not need to write these answers down while in the exhibition.) Ask them: • How many body parts (glowing or not) can you identify? • What does the animal use these parts for? • Where does this animal live? • How does this animal use its light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Firefly Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Deep Sea Anglerfish Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfish Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Vampire Squid Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Hatchetfish Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Notes Sheet Name:
Animal Investigation: Benttooth Bristlemouth Instructions: Color and label the parts of the animal that glow.
What parts of your animal are glowing?
What color is the light?
Where does this animal live?
How does this animal use this light? GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Student Entry Sheet - Page 1 Name: What is Bioluminescence? Answer this question by writing and drawing, using what you learned in your class reading and on your trip to the Creatures of Light exhibit. GRADE: K LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest
Student Entry Sheet - Page 2 GRADE: K
LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence?
Essay Scoring Rubric
Needs Additional Meets Approaching Developing Scoring Support Criteria 4 3 2 1
Focus and • names • names • names • does not Relevance bioluminescence bioluminescence bioluminescence explicitly name CCS W.K.1 and • names 3 organisms • names 2 organisms • names 1 organisms bioluminescence W.K.8 that are that are that is • names no organisms bioluminescent bioluminescent bioluminescent that are • describes the • describes the • describes the bioluminescent organisms’ organisms’ organisms’ • does not describe bioluminescence bioluminescence bioluminescence the organisms’ (body part, color) (body part, color) (body part, color) bioluminescence • uses a labeled • uses a labeled • uses illustration (body part, color) illustration to illustration to to communicate • no illustration communicate communicate information • detail is inaccurate information information • detail contains some or incomplete • detail is accurate • detail is accurate inaccuracies or is and complete and complete incomplete
Reading and • all detail is drawn • most detail is drawn • some detail is drawn • no detail is drawn Research from the Creatures from the Creatures from the Creatures from the Creatures CCS RI.K.1, RI.K.2, of Light exhibit and of Light exhibit and of Light exhibit and of Light exhibit and RI.K.10, LE 3.12 related reading related reading related reading related reading material material material material