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GRADE: K LeFrak Class of the Month What is Essay Contest Bioluminescence? Entry Form — School Year 2012-2013 Please print neatly using black ink. Teacher First Name: Teacher Last Name: School Name: School Mailing Address: City: State: New York Zip: Boro: School Telephone Number with Area Code: Teacher mobile number: Teacher e-mail address: Grade Participating in Contest (circle) K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Number of student submissions included in package: How did you hear about LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest? (Circle) website postcard flier Other: By signing this entry form I certify that I have read, understood, and complied with the rules and regulations of this awards contest and that my students meet all the eligibility requirements. I certify that the essay is my students own work. I agree to the terms of the program including the term of the copyright assignment, as described below. I understand that the Museum, or other persons the Museum has authorized to use the essays and artwork, assume no responsibility for lost or damaged essays or artwork. I understand that if my students essay and correspond- ing artwork are selected by the Museum for a as a LeFrak Class of the Month Essay Contest winner, I hereby assign all copyright in and to the essays and artwork to the Museum for two years, during which time the Museum may publish, copy, and distribute the essay and artwork, as it see fit, without compensation to me or any permission from me. After two years the Museum hereby automatically assigns the copyright back to me. No additional paperwork is necessary to effect this reversion, except that the Museum shall retain non-exclusive publishing rights. To be signed by Teacher: Signature Date DatePrint To be signed by School Principal: Signature Date DatePrint 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.

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