Monterey Bay Aquarium Natural History Poster Classroom Activities

Monterey Bay Aquarium Natural History Poster Learning Activities

Key Concepts The habitat illustrated in the poster is a living system. There are living and non-living parts to the system. The living and non-living parts interact and impact each other.

Basic Skills Observe, infer, identify, sort

Materials Poster(s) Six color printable posters and keys (Kelp Forest, Rocky Shore, Sandy Beach, Coastal Wetlands, Coral Reef, Deep Sea) are available on the aquarium’s web site in the Teachers Section under Learning Resources (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/activities/poster_ispy.asp) Poster key(s) (see above note) Crayons, colored pencils or markers

Teacher Preparation and Activity Procedures The posters can be used as a starting point for student inquiry. Coupled with other activities, students can generate questions and design investigations to find answers to their own questions related to living systems.

We have included teacher sheets and student handouts for the Kelp Forest, Rocky Shore and Sandy Beach and Deep Sea posters. Coral Reef and Coastal Wetlands Poster Activities can be based on the inquiry questions and suggestions for the other posters.

Web Site Resources About the Animals (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp) Photo, description, diet, habitat and conservation information for over 150 animals and plants.

Aquarium Exhibits Section (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/) Photos and natural history information about the habitats featured in the natural history posters. • Four of the Monterey Bay habitats posters relate to permanent aquarium exhibits (Kelp Forest, Rocky Shore, Sandy Beach and Wetlands). • The Deep Sea poster shows life in Monterey Canyon. We have no live Deep Sea exhibit but have extensive online materials about this habitat. • Our Splash Zone exhibit features coral reef animals.

Video Library (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/video_library/video_library.aspx) Short video clips to watch online of some of the animals found in our exhibits. A good way to show students what the habitat or animals depicted in the posters look like.

Live Web Cams (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/cam_menu.asp) We offer live streaming images of many of our exhibits on our live web cams.

Activity Description 2. Encourage your students to look for How does giant kelp obtain nutrients? clues that would give them Where do animals make their homes in information about the interactions the kelp forest? Using the kelp forest that might take place between the poster as an inquiry starter, students will living and non-living parts of the observe the living and non-living parts kelp forest. Have them consider of this ecosystem. They generate what kelp forest animals need to questions and design investigations to survive, what conditions they have to find answers to their own questions endure and how they manage in such related to the kelp forest and other living a harsh environment. Discuss how systems. those conditions would differ between the surface and sea floor. Key Concepts 3. Have them jot down what they notice • The kelp forest is a living system. about the kelp forest as it is • There are living and non-living parts portrayed in the poster and what they to the system. wonder about the kelp forest. • The living and non-living parts of the kelp forest interact and impact each Generate Student Questions other. 1. Ask the students to generate some questions based on their notes and Materials post those questions in a common • Kelp Forest poster (color printable area. version available on the aquarium’s 2. Use the student-generated questions web site under Teachers and Kids, as an opportunity to assess their Learning Activities) current understanding of the kelp • Black line master of the poster forest system, as well as providing • Poster key some possible starting points for student inquiry activities and • Crayons, colored pencils or markers investigations.

Directions For an inquiry approach to using the Kelp Forest poster, use the poster as an For a directed approach to using the inquiry starter to generate student Kelp Forest poster, duplicate a blackline observations and questions. poster and species key for each student. A good source of species information for

the students is the Living Species List on Notice and Wonder the Monterey Bay Aquarium web site. 1. Tell the students that the kelp forest poster provides us with an

underwater view of the kelp forest, 1. Ask the students to use the key to much as a SCUBA diver would see identify the various living and non- living parts of the kelp forest system. it. Encourage them to look carefully at the poster.

©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org 2. Have each student select one of the the beach and looking at the animals or plants to investigate and ocean? What wouldn’t you be share with their classmates: able to see? • How does it get its food? • How does this picture compare to • How does it protect itself from your idea of how the kelp forest predators? looks? • How does it reproduce? • Do you think tides would affect • Does it spend its entire life at the the kelp forest in this poster? In kelp forest? If not, where else what way(s) might it be affected? does it go? • How would sunlight affect the • How is it affected by the non- living things at the kelp forest? living aspects of the Kelp forest • Do you think the waves would system? affect the kelp forest? In what • How does it affect other living way(s)? and non-living parts of the • In what way(s) might color be system? important to the living things at (Note: Students may respond to the kelp forest? these questions and the ones below • How would wind affect the using the Student Page.) living things at the kelp forest? 3. With your classmates, create a kelp • How would the kelp forest look forest food web that includes the at night? species in the poster. • Do you think the kelp moves? 4. Additional focus questions and What would cause it to move? investigation topics might include: • How would this kelp forest be • What are the living things in this different in the winter? How picture of the kelp forest? would storms affect it? What

• What are the non-living things in would happen to the animals? this picture of the kelp forest? • How would it be different if there

• Which animals at the kelp forest were sand instead of rocks? do you think eat other animals? • What do you think might be Which animals do they eat? harmful to the things at the kelp What makes you think so? forest? Why? • Which animals at the kelp forest • How can we study the kelp forest do you think eat something without harming it or its besides other animals? What do inhabitants? you think they eat? What makes

you think so? • How could what happens in your town or city affect the kelp • Which animals in the poster are forest? visitors to the kelp forest? • How could what happens at the • Which animals in the poster are kelp forest affect you? residents? • If you had to live in the kelp • What do you notice about where forest in the poster, what would the plants are growing in the kelp you need to survive? forest?

• What parts of the poster could Activity Links you see if you were walking on www.mbayaq.org/efc/kelp.asp ©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s web Grade 2: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4c, 4d, site for a diver’s eye view of the 4g towering kelp forest exhibit using the Grade 3: 1a, 1d, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, kelp cam! This live cam shows just a 3d, 5a, 5b, 5e small portion of the 28 feet high exhibit Grade 4: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 6a, 6c, and its many inhabitants. For 6f information about the kelp forest habitat Grade 5: 2a, 2e, 2f, 2g, 3a, 4a, 4b, 4c, and its inhabitants, visit the “About the 6a, 6b, 6c, 6g, 6h, 6i Animals” link in the upper navigation on Grade 6: 3a, 4d, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 7a, the web site. Have students read along 7d with the interactive book, Pup’s Supper, Grade 7: 3a, 4f, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6b, 6c, 7b, on the aquarium’s web site to learn more 7e about sea otters in the kelp forest. Grade 8: 1a, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 9a, 9b Grades 9-12: Background Physics: 3d, 3e, 4a In the study of the kelp forest, as with all Biology/Life Sciences: 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, systems, it is important to think about 6e, 6f, 7d, 8b the whole system in terms of its living Earth Sciences: 3a, 5a, 5d and non-living parts and the parts in Investigation and Experimentation: terms of how they relate to one another 1a, 1g and to the whole. As with non-living systems, such as engines, sewage systems and political systems, a living Benchmarks for Science Literacy from ecosystem is a collection of things and American Association for the processes that interact to perform some Advancement of Science (AAAS) function. There are inputs and outputs, recommends that students have a wide interactions among the system variety of experiences with systems and components and with other systems. systems thinking. Often systems include subsystems.

Primary students should practice The main goal of having students learn identifying parts of things and how one about systems is not to have them talk part connects to and affects another. By about systems in abstract terms but to nd the end of 2 grade, students should enhance their ability to attend to various know: aspects of particular systems in • most things are made of parts, attempting to understand or deal with the whole system. • some things may not work if some of its parts are missing and

• when parts are put together, they can California Science Standards do things that the parts can’t do by Science themselves. Grade K: 1a, 1c, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4e Students in grades 3-5 should have Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 3c, 4a, 4b, experience taking mechanical systems apart and perhaps putting them back 4d, 4e th together. By the end of 5 grade, students should know: ©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org • if something consists of many parts, By the end of 12th grade, students should the parts usually influence one know: another and • a system usually has some properties • something may not work as well (or that are different from those of its not at all) if a part of it is missing, parts, but appear because of the broken, worn out, mismatched or interaction of those parts, misconnected. • understanding how things work and With middle school students, systems designing solutions to problems can thinking can be made explicit, be facilitated by system analysis, suggesting analysis of parts, subsystems, • the successful operation of a interactions and motion. But designed system usually involves descriptions of parts and interactions are feedback and more important than calling everything a • even in some very simple systems, it th system. By the end of 8 grade, students may not always be possible to should know: predict accurately the result of • a system can include processes as changing some part or connection. well as things, • thinking about things as systems Benchmarks for Science Literacy. means looking for how every part American Association for the relates to others, Advancement of Science Oxford • the output from one part of a system University Press, New York, 1993. can become the input to other parts, • any system is usually connected to other systems, both internally and externally and • a system may be thought of as containing subsystems and as being a subsystem of a larger system.

High school students should have the opportunity to reflect on the value of thinking in terms of systems and apply systems concepts to diverse situations.

1. Use the key to identify the various living and non-living parts of the kelp forest system. 2. Select one of the animals or plants and investigate and share with your classmates: • How does it get its food? • How does it protect itself from predators? • How does it reproduce? • Does it spend its entire life at the kelp forest? If not, where else does it go? • How is it affected by the non-living aspects of the kelp forest system? • How does it affect other living and non-living parts of the system? 3. With your classmates, create a kelp forest food web that includes the species in the poster.

4. Additional focus questions and investigation topics might include: • What are the living things in this picture of the kelp forest? • What are the non-living things in this picture of the kelp forest? • Which animals at the kelp forest do you think eat other animals? Which animals do they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals at the kelp forest do you think eat something besides other animals? What do you think they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals in the poster are visitors to the kelp forest? • Which animals in the poster are residents? • What do you notice about where the plants are growing at the kelp forest? • What parts of the poster could you see if you were walking on the beach and looking at the ocean? What wouldn’t you be able to see? • How does this picture compare to your idea of how the kelp forest looks? • Do you think tides would affect the kelp forest in this poster? In what way(s) might it be affected? • How would sunlight affect the living things at the kelp forest? • Do you think the waves would affect the kelp forest? In what way(s)? • In what way(s) might color be important to the living things at the kelp forest? • How would wind affect the living things at the kelp forest? • How would the kelp forest look at night? • Do you think the kelp moves? What would cause it to move? • How would this kelp forest be different in the winter? How would storms affect it? What would happen to the animals? • How would it be different if there were sand instead of rocks? • What do you think might be harmful to the things at the kelp forest? Why? • How can we study the kelp forest without harming it or its inhabitants? • How could what happens in your town or city affect the kelp forest? • How could what happens at the kelp forest affect you? • If you had to live at the kelp forest in the poster, what would you need to survive?

Activity Description in such a harsh environment. How do animals survive the force of Discuss how those conditions would crashing waves at the rocky shore? How differ between the different parts of do they avoid drying out at low tide? the rocky shore. Using the rocky shore poster, students 2. Using the key, have your students will view the rocky shore as if looking identify the various living and non- through a window placed at the middle living parts of the rocky shore tide zone. They will identify the living system. and non-living parts of this ecosystem 3. Have the students select one of the and share their findings. animals or plants that they see in the poster. Throughout the unit, have Key Concepts the students investigate: • The rocky shore is a living system. • How does it get its food? • There are living and non-living parts • How does it protect itself from to the system. predators? • The living and non-living parts of the • How does it keep from drying rocky shore interact and impact each out or getting crushed by the other. waves? • How does it reproduce? Materials • Does it spend its entire life at the • Rocky Shore poster rocky shore? If not, where else • Blackline master of the poster does it go? • Poster key • How is it affected by the non- • Crayons, colored pencils or markers living aspects of the rocky shore system? Directions • How does it affect other living 1. Duplicate blackline posters and keys and non-living parts of the for each student in your class. system? 2. Encourage your students to look at (Note: Students may respond to the poster. Explain that they are these questions and the ones below viewing the rocky shore at the using the Student Page.) middle tide zone and that they can 4. Additional focus questions might see above and below the water. Ask include: them to make reasonable guesses as • What are the living things in this to the interactions that take place picture of the rocky shore? between the living and non-living • What are the non-living things in parts of the rocky shore. Have them this picture of the rocky shore? consider what rocky shore organisms • Which animals at the rocky shore need to survive, what conditions they do you think eat other animals? have to endure and how they manage Which animals do they eat? What makes you think so?

©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org • Which animals at the rocky shore • How could what happens in your do you think eat something town or city affect the rocky besides other animals? What do shore? you think they eat? What makes • How could what happens at the you think so? rocky shore affect you? • Which animals in the poster are • If you had to live at the rocky visitors to the rocky shore? shore in the poster, what would • Which animals in the poster are you need to survive? residents? 5. Throughout the unit, have the • What do you notice about where students keep a running list of the plants are growing at the questions that develop as they rocky shore? conduct various activities. At the • How does this picture compare to end of the unit, have students review your idea of the rocky shore? the poster questions and those they • Do you think tides would affect generated. Ask what other things the rocky shore in this poster? In they would like to find out about the what way(s) might it be affected? rocky shore. • How would sunlight affect the living things at the rocky shore? Activity Links • Do you think the waves would www.mbayaq.org/efc/rocky.asp affect the rocky shore? In what Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium’s web way(s)? site to learn more about where the land • In what way(s) might color be meets the sea! Watch a living tidepool important to the living things at video, use the tidepool spotting guide to the rocky shore? locate rocky shore animals and play the interactive Make a Tidepool game. Use • How would wind affect the the “About the Animals” list for rocky living things at the rocky shore? shore animal facts. • How would the rocky shore look

at night? Background

• Do you think the rocks move? In the study of the rocky shore, as with What would cause them to all systems, it is important to think about move? the whole system in terms of its living • How would this rocky shore be and non-living parts and the parts in different in the winter? How terms of how they relate to one another would storms affect it? What and to the whole. As with non-living would happen to the animals? systems, such as engines, sewage • How would it be different if there systems and political systems, a living was sand instead of rocks? ecosystem is a collection of things and • What do you think might be processes that interact to perform some harmful to the things at the rocky function. There are inputs and outputs shore? Why? and interactions among the system • How can we study the rocky components and with other systems. shore without harming it or its Often systems include subsystems. inhabitants?

©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org The main goal of having students learn about systems is not to have them talk Benchmarks for Science Literacy from about systems in abstract terms but to American Association for the enhance their ability to attend to various Advancement of Science (AAAS) aspects of particular systems in recommends that students have a wide attempting to understand or deal with the variety of experiences with systems and whole system. systems thinking.

Rocky shore organisms live in specific Primary students should practice parts of the intertidal zone. In general, identifying parts of things and how one predators and competitors set the lower part connects to and affects another. By limit of an organism’s range. Physical the end of 2nd grade, students should factors, such as water, salinity and know: temperature, determine the upper limits • most things are made of parts, of the range. • some things may not work if some of its parts are missing and Competition for space is fierce in the • when parts are put together, they can rocky intertidal. Many animals and do things that the parts can’t do by algae grow on one another. Rocky shore themselves. creatures must constantly deal with the drag and shock of waves. Students in grades 3-5 should have experience taking mechanical systems California State Content Standards apart and perhaps putting them back Science together. By the end of 5th grade, Grade K: 1a, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c, students should know: 4d, 4e • if something consists of many parts, Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 3c, 4a, 4b, the parts usually influence one 4e another and Grade 2: 1a, 2a, 2c, 2d, 3b, 4a, 4c, 4d, • something may not work as well (or 4g not at all) if a part of it is missing, Grade 3: 1a, 1d, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 5a, 5e broken, worn out, mismatched or Grade 4: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 5c, 6a, misconnected. 6f Grade 5: 2a, 2f, 2g, 3a, 3b, 4a, 6a, 6g, With middle school students, systems 6h, 6i thinking can be made explicit, Grade 6: 1f, 2c, 3a, 4a, 4d, 5a, 5b, 4c, suggesting analysis of parts, subsystems, 5d, 5e, 7d interactions and motion. But Grade 7: 3a, 4c, 4f, 5a, 5b, 7b, 7e descriptions of parts and interactions are Grade 8: 1d, 1e, 2a, 2f, 9b more important than calling everything a th Grades 9-12: system. By the end of 8 grade, students Physics: 1d, 1f, 3a, 3d, 4a should know: Biology/Life Sciences: 6a, 5b, 5c, 6d, • a system can include processes as 6e, 6f, 7d, 8b well as things, Earth Sciences: 3a, 5a, 5d, 6g • thinking about things as systems Investigation and Experimentation: 1a, means looking for how every part 1g relates to others,

©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org • the output from one part of a system • understanding how things work and can become the input to other parts, designing solutions to problems can • any system is usually connected to be facilitated by system analysis, other systems, both internally and • the successful operation of a externally and designed system usually involves • a system may be thought of as feedback and containing subsystems and as being a • even in some very simple systems, it subsystem of a larger system. may not always be possible to predict accurately the result of High school students should have the changing some part or connection. opportunity to reflect on the value of thinking in terms of systems and apply Benchmarks for Science Literacy. systems concepts to diverse situations. American Association for the By the end of 12th grade, students should Advancement of Science Oxford know: University Press, New York, 1993. • a system usually has some properties that are different from those of its parts, but appear because of the interaction of those parts,

1. Use the key to identify the various living and non-living parts of the rocky shore system. 2. Select one of the animals or plants and investigate and share with your classmates: • How does it get its food? • How does it protect itself from predators? • How does it reproduce? • Does it spend its entire life at the rocky shore? If not, where else does it go? • How is it affected by the non-living aspects of the rocky shore system? • How does it affect other living and non-living parts of the system? 3. With your classmates, create a rocky shore food web that includes the species in the poster.

4. Additional focus questions and investigation topics might include: • What are the living things in this picture of the rocky shore? • What are the non-living things in this picture of the rocky shore? • Which animals at the rocky shore do you think eat other animals? Which animals do they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals at the rocky shore do you think eat something besides other animals? What do you think they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals in the poster are visitors to the rocky shore? • Which animals in the poster are residents? • What do you notice about where the plants are growing at the rocky shore? • How does this picture compare to your idea of the rocky shore? • Do you think tides would affect the rocky shore in this poster? In what way(s) might it be affected? • How would sunlight affect the living things at the rocky shore? • Do you think the waves would affect the rocky shore? In what way(s)? • In what way(s) might color be important to the living things at the rocky shore? • How would wind affect the living things at the rocky shore? • How would the rocky shore look at night? • Do you think the rocks move? What would cause them to move? • How would this rocky shore be different in the winter? How would storms affect it? What would happen to the animals? • How would it be different if there were sand instead of rocks? • What do you think might be harmful to the things at the rocky shore? Why? • How can we study the rocky shore without harming it or its inhabitants? • How could what happens in your town or city affect the rocky shore? • How could what happens at the rocky shore affect you? • If you had to live at the rocky shore in the poster, what would you need to survive?

Activity Description conditions would differ between the What lives deep in the sand? How do beach and the dunes. animals get their food at the sandy 3. Using the key, have your students beach? Using the Sandy Beach and identify the various living and non- Dunes poster, students will view the living parts of the sandy beach and sandy beach as if they are looking dunes system. through a window placed at the surf line. 4. Have the students select one of the Students will identify the living and non- animals or plants that they see in the living parts of this ecosystem and share poster. Throughout the unit, have their findings. the students investigate: • How does it get its food? Key Concepts • How does it protect itself from • The sandy beach and dunes are a predators? living system. • How does it keep from drying • There are living and non-living parts out or getting crushed by the to the system. waves? • The living and non-living parts of the • How does it reproduce? sandy beach and dunes interact and • Does it spend its entire life at the impact each other. sandy beach and dunes? If not, where else might it go? Materials • How do the non-living aspects of • Sandy Beach and Dunes poster the sandy beach and dunes • Blackline master of the poster system affect it? • Poster key • How does it affect other living and non-living parts of the • Crayons, colored pencils or markers system?

• (Note: Students may respond to Directions 1. Duplicate blackline posters and keys these questions and the ones for each student in your class. below using the Student Page.)

2. Encourage your students to look at 5. Additional discussion questions the poster. Explain that they can see might include: above and below the water and • What are the living things in this above and below the sand. Ask them picture of the sandy beach and to make reasonable guesses as to the dunes? interactions that take place between • What are the non-living things in the living and non-living parts of the this picture of the sandy beach sandy beach and dunes. Have them and dunes? consider what sandy beach and dune • Which animals at the sandy animals need to survive, what beach and dunes do you think eat conditions they have to endure and other animals? Which animals how they manage in such a harsh do they eat? What makes you environment. Discuss how those think so?

©2005 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation www.montereybayaquarium.org • Which animals at the sandy • What do you think might be beach and dunes do you think eat harmful to the things at the sandy something besides other animals? beach and dunes? Why? What do you think they eat? • How can we study the sandy What makes you think so? beach and dunes without harming • Which animals in the poster are the ecosystem or its inhabitants? visitors to the sandy beach and • How could what happens in your dunes? town or city affect the sandy • Which animals in the poster are beach and dunes? residents? • How could what happens at the • What do you notice about where sandy beach and dunes affect the plants are growing at the you? sandy beach and dunes? • If you had to live at the sandy • What parts of the poster could beach and dunes in the poster, you not see if you were walking what would you need to survive? on the sandy beach? 6. Throughout the unit, have the • How does this picture compare to students keep a running list of your idea of how the sandy beach questions that develop as they looks? conduct various activities. At the • Do you think tides would affect end of the unit, have them review the the sandy beach and dunes in this poster questions and those they poster? In what way(s) might it generated. What more would they be affected? like to find out about the sandy • How would sunlight affect the beach and dunes? living things at the sandy beach and dunes? Activity Links • Do you think the waves would www.montereybayaquarium.org affect the sandy beach and Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium web dunes? In what way(s)? site and travel over beaches and wave- • In what way(s) might color be swept shores. View the “About the important to the living things at Animals” list for information about the sandy beach and dunes? sandy beach and dune habitats and their • How would wind affect the inhabitants. Play Bird Bingo and watch living things at the sandy beach sandy beach exhibit birds using the and dunes? Aviary cam. • How would the sandy beach and dunes look at night? Background • Do you think the sand moves? In the study of the sandy beach and What would cause it to move? dunes, as with all systems, it is important • How would this sandy beach and to think about the whole system in terms dunes be different in the winter? of its living and non-living parts and the How would storms affect it? parts in terms of how they relate to one What would happen to the another and to the whole. As with non- animals? living systems, such as engines, sewage • How would it be different if there systems and political systems, a living were rocks instead of sand? ecosystem is a collection of things and

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org processes that interact to perform some rely on beach wrack material for function. There are inputs and outputs sustenance. The wrack communities and interactions among the system go through successional stages, components and with other systems. being colonized first by highly Often systems include subsystems. motile beach hoppers and flies with later colonization by terrestrial The main goal of having students learn isopods and beetles. about systems is not to have them talk • The mid-littoral zone is characterized about systems in abstract terms but to by a moderate inundation time, but is enhance their ability to attend to various subject to many of the same rigors as aspects of particular systems in the upper zone (temperature attempting to understand or deal with the extremes, fresh water). The mid whole system. zone is more subject to rapid sediment removal during winter Beaches in the Monterey Bay exhibit the storms, requiring extreme mobility classic beach structure of being backed of its fauna. either by dunes or cliffs, followed • The swash zone, where wave seaward by the back beach, berm, beach breaking and runup often occurs, is face, intertidal zones and sand bar. The characterized by the highest water active coastal dune community continues movement. Consequently, it has a landward on loose sands followed by the high degree of mechanical stress and central dune scrub community. the possibility of rapid sediment removal. It remains inundated over The beach (back beach, berm and beach half the time, and so it is less subject face) extends from the furthest reach of to extremes of temperature and storm waves to the average high tide salinity. level. • The low intertidal zone extends into the shallow subtidal. It is almost The intertidal zone is the part of the fully marine, being exposed to the air beach that is affected by the change of only on the lowest tides. The low tides. intertidal is subject to almost constant wave action, requiring that • The upper intertidal is the most the inhabitants be either rapid terrestrial of the beach environments. burrowers or protected against It exhibits the widest range of heat mechanical damage. It houses the and cold. Thus, desiccation (drying most diverse faunal assemblage of out) is a significant problem for the beach zones. marine organisms in the summer and freezing is a problem in the winter. Ten shorebird species are common along Fresh water, both surface water from the beaches of Monterey Bay. Among rainfall and subsurface flow, can the small species are the Least and impact animals in this zone. Western sandpipers, Dunlins, Because of the limited inundation Sanderlings and both Short- and Long- time, marine food resources are billed dowitchers. Larger shorebird limited. The high intertidal fauna species include Black-bellied plover, consists mostly of scavengers, which Willet, American avocet, Marbled

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org godwit and Long-billed curlew. Most of California State Content Standards these species also occur on outer sand Science beaches. Sanderlings, Willets and Grade K: 1a, 1c, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, Marbled godwits are the species most 4c, 4d, 4e commonly observed feeding along these Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b beaches. Primary prey include sand Grade 2: 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, crabs (Emerita analoga). Some birds, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4c, 4d such as the Sanderling, also rely heavily Grade 3: 1a, 1d, 1f, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, on the beach isopod Excirolana sp. 3d, 4e, 5b, 5e Grade 4: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 5a, 5c, There is a seasonal onshore-offshore 6a, 6c movement of sand, with steeper beach Grade 5: 2a, 2b, 2e, 2f, 2g, 3a, 3b, 3c, slopes and offshore bars in the winter 4a, 4b, 6a, 6g, 6h and gradual consistent slope in the Grade 6: 2c, 3a, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e, 5a, summer. The seasonal erosion of the 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 7d winter beach is due to the increased Grade 7: 2a, 3a, 3d, 4f, 5a, 5f, 7b, 7e frequency and size of the waves. Grade 8: 8c, 8d Smaller and less frequent summer waves redeposit much of the beach sand that Grades 9-12: was moved offshore by winter storms. Physics: 3d, 4a, 4b, 4c Chemistry: 7c Sand in Monterey Bay is derived from Biology/Life Sciences: 6a, 6c, 6c, 6d, 6e, several sources: 27% from cliff erosion, 6f, 8a, 8b 54% from river discharge and 19% from Earth Sciences: 5d, 5f, 6b long shore drift. Investigation and Experimentation: 1g

In addition to moving onshore and Benchmarks for Science Literacy from offshore, most of the beach sand in American Association for the Monterey Bay moves toward the south Advancement of Science (AAAS) along the coastline due to long shore recommends that students have a wide transport. Long shore transport is variety of experiences with systems and caused by the angle at which most of the systems thinking. waves hit the beach. Long shore transport in the Bay is generally from Primary students should practice north to south, but there are several identifying parts of things and how one part connects to and affects another. By small cells with northward transport, nd particularly in the southern half of the the end of 2 grade, students should bay. know: • most things are made of parts, The Monterey Submarine Canyon acts • some things may not work if some of as a sediment sink, with sand its parts are missing and accumulating at the canyon head. The • when parts are put together, they can sediment is then flushed down the do things that the parts can’t do by canyon as a result of storms or themselves. earthquakes.

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org Students in grades 3-5 should have • an understanding of how things work experience taking mechanical systems and designing solutions to problems apart and perhaps putting them back can be facilitated by system analysis, th together. By the end of 5 grade, • the successful operation of a students should know: designed system usually involves • if something consists of many parts, feedback and the parts usually influence one • even in some very simple systems, it another and may not always be possible to • something may not work as well (or predict accurately the result of not at all ) if a part of it is missing, changing some part or connection. broken, worn out, mismatched or misconnected. Benchmarks for Science Literacy. American Association for the Advancement of Science With middle school students, systems Oxford University Press, New York, 1993. thinking can be made explicit, suggesting analysis of parts, subsystems, interactions and motion. But descriptions of parts and interactions are more important than calling everything a system. By the end of 8th grade, students should know: • a system can include processes as well as things, • thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others, • the output from one part of a system can become the input to other parts, • any system is usually connected to other systems, both internally and externally and • a system may be thought of as containing subsystems and as being a subsystem of a larger system.

High school students should have the opportunity to reflect on the value of thinking in terms of systems and apply systems concepts to diverse situations. By the end of 12th grade, students should know: • a system usually has some properties that are different from those of its parts, but appear because of the interaction of those parts,

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org Deep Sea Poster Teacher Page Throughout the unit, have the students investigate: Activity Description • How does it get its food? How do animals survive in an ecosystem • How does it protect itself from that has only faint light or is dark? What predators? adaptations do they have for finding a mate? • How does it reproduce? Using the Deep Sea poster, students will • Does it spend its entire life at the identify the living and non-living parts of deep sea? If not, where else does it this ecosystem and share their findings. go? • How is it affected by the non-living Key Concepts aspects of the deep sea system? • The deep sea is a living system. • How does it affect other living and • There are living and non-living parts to non-living parts of the system? the system. (Note: Students may respond to these • The living and non-living parts of the questions and the ones below using the deep sea interact and impact each other. Student Page.) 5. Additional discussion questions might Materials include: • Deep Sea poster • What are the living things in this • Blackline master of the poster picture of the deep sea? • Poster key • What are the non-living things in this • Crayons, colored pencils or markers picture of the deep sea?

• Which animals in the deep sea do Directions you think eat other animals? Which 1. Duplicate blackline posters and keys for animals do they eat? What makes each student in your class. you think so? 2. Encourage your students to look at the poster. Explain that they can see deep • Which animals at the deep sea do below the ocean’s sunlit zone into the you think eat something besides deepest zone of darkness. Ask them to other animals? What do you think make reasonable guesses as to the they eat? What makes you think so? interactions that take place between the • Which animals in the poster are living and non-living parts of the deep visitors to the deep sea? sea. Have them consider what deep sea • What other visitors might come to organisms need to survive, what the deep sea? conditions they have to endure and how • Which animals in the poster are they manage in such a harsh residents? environment. Discuss how those • Do you think there are some living conditions would differ between the things at the deep sea that you can’t different parts of the deep sea. see? What might they be? What 3. Using the key, have your students might they look like? Where might identify the various living and non-living they live? parts of the deep sea system. • Why do you think it is so crowded at 4. Have the students select one of the the deep sea? animals that they see in the poster.

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org • Do you think tides would affect the that animals need to survive there, such as deep sea in this poster? In what slime balls and glowing spit! way(s) might it be affected? (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_mbh/dsc.as • How would sunlight affect the living p) things at the deep sea? • Do you think the waves would affect Background the deep sea? In what way(s)? In the study of the deep sea, as with all • In what way(s) might color be systems, it is important to think about the important to the living things at the whole system in terms of its living and non- deep sea? living parts and the parts in terms of how • How would wind affect the living they relate to one another and to the whole. things at the deep sea? As with non-living systems, such as engines, • How would the deep sea look at sewage systems and political systems, a night? living ecosystem is a collection of things and processes that interact to perform some • How would this deep sea be different function. There are inputs and outputs and in the winter? How would storms interactions among the system components affect it? What would happen to the and with other systems. Often systems animals? include subsystems. • How it would be different if there

was only sand instead of rocks? The main goal of having students learn • What do you think might be harmful about systems is not to have them talk about to the things at the deep sea? Why? systems in abstract terms but to enhance • How can we study the deep sea their ability to attend to various aspects of without harming it or its inhabitants? particular systems in attempting to • How could what happens in your understand or deal with the whole system. town or city affect the deep sea? • How could what happens at the deep sea affect you? California State Content Standards • If you had to live at the deep sea in Science the poster, what would you need to Grade K: 1a, 2a, 2c, 3a, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e survive? Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4b, 4d 6. Throughout the unit, have the students Grade 2: 2a, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4c, 4d, 4g keep a running list of questions that Grade 3: 1d, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4e develop as they conduct various Grade 4: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 6f activities. At the end of the unit, have Grade 5: 2a, 3a, 6a, 6i students review the poster questions and Grade 6: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 7d those they generated. Ask what other Grade 7: 3a, 3e, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 7b, 7e things they would like to find out about Grade 8: 8c, 8d the deep sea. Grades 9-12: Activity Links Biology/Life Sciences: 6a, 6b, 6c, 6e, 6f, Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium’s web site 6g, 7d, 8a, 8b and take a virtual dive into the Monterey Earth Sciences: 5d, 5f Canyon to see some of the strange creatures Investigation and Experimentation: 1a, that live there. Learn how scientists explore 1g the deep sea and discover some of the skills

© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved. www.montereybayaquarium.org Benchmarks for Science Literacy from • thinking about things as systems means American Association for the Advancement looking for how every part relates to of Science (AAAS) recommends that others, students have a wide variety of experiences • the output from one part of a system can with systems and systems thinking. become the input to other parts, • any system is usually connected to other Primary students should practice identifying systems, both internally and externally parts of things and how one part connects to and nd and affects another. By the end of 2 grade, • a system may be thought of as students should know: containing subsystems and as being a • most things are made of parts, subsystem of a larger system. • some things may not work if some of its parts are missing and High school students should have the • when parts are put together, they can do opportunity to reflect on the value of things that the parts can’t do by thinking in terms of systems and apply themselves. systems concepts to diverse situations. By the end of 12th grade, students should know: Students in grades 3-5 should have • a system usually has some properties experience taking mechanical systems apart that are different from those of its parts, and perhaps putting them back together. By th but appear because of the interaction of the end of 5 grade, students should know: those parts, • if something consists of many parts, the • understanding how things work and parts usually influence one another and designing solutions to problems can be • something may not work as well (or not facilitated by system analysis, at all) if a part of it is missing, broken, • the successful operation of a designed worn out, mismatched or misconnected. system usually involves feedback and

With middle school students, systems • even in some very simple systems, it thinking can be made explicit, suggesting may not always be possible to predict analysis of parts, subsystems, interactions accurately the result of changing some and motion. But descriptions of parts and part or connection. interactions are more important than calling everything a system. By the end of 8th Benchmarks for Science Literacy. American grade, students should know: Association for the Advancement of Science • a system can include processes as well Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.

as things,

1. Use the key to identify the various living and non-living parts of the deep sea system.

2. Select one of the animals and investigate and share with your classmates: • How does it get its food? • How does it protect itself from predators? • How does it reproduce? • Does it spend its entire life at the deep sea? If not, where else does it go? • How is it affected by the non-living aspects of the deep sea system? • How does it affect other living and non-living parts of the system?

3. With your classmates, create a deep sea food web that includes the species in the poster.

4. Additional focus questions and investigation topics might include: • What are the living things in this picture of the deep sea? • What are the non-living things in this picture of the deep sea? • Which animals at the deep sea do you think eat other animals? Which animals do they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals at the deep sea do you think eat something besides other animals? What do you think they eat? What makes you think so? • Which animals in the poster are visitors to the deep sea? • What other visitors might come to the deep sea? • Which animals in the poster are residents? • Do you think there are some living things at the deep sea that you can’t see? What might they be? What might they look like? Where might they live? • Why do you think it is so crowded at the deep sea? • Do you think tides would affect the deep sea? In what way(s) might it be affected? • How would sunlight affect the living things at the deep sea? • Do you think the waves would affect the deep sea? In what way(s)? • In what way(s) might color be important to the living things at the deep sea? • How would wind affect the living things at the deep sea? • How would the deep sea look at night? • How would this deep sea be different in the winter? How would storms affect it? What would happen to the animals? • How would it be different if there were only sand instead of rocks? • What do you think might be harmful to the things at the deep sea? Why? • How can we study the deep sea without harming it or its inhabitants? • How could what happens in your town or city affect the deep sea? • How could what happens at the deep sea affect you? • If you had to live at the deep sea in the poster, what would you need to survive?