October, 2000

Objective Students will participate in a discussion of myths about the sea and then will create their own myth, demonstrating each step of the writing process: prewriting, writing, responding, revising, and editing.   Action There are many stories about the ocean and sea animals. Some stories are true; some are myths. Myths about animals often make people fear that animal more than they should. 1. Discuss some sea myths and legends with your students. For example, talk about sea monsters, mermaids, the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness monster, and Native American legends. 2. Now, have your students make up their own myths related to the sea. Give each student the opportunity to read his or her myth aloud to the rest of the class. Encourage students to make positive suggestions to each other that would make the myth more believable and the writing clearer and better organized. 3. After students have had the opportunity to get responses from the rest of the class, ask them to revise their myths. At this point, students are free to add or delete sections and to reorganize their writing. Finally, allow the students to edit their own writing or the writing of a partner before turning in their myths.   Deeper Depths Discuss media and its monsters. Include "monsters" from fictional books and movies (such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Jaws). What sea creatures were portrayed? Why were people afraid? Are these creatures truly dangerous to people? What fears could the students' myths create if people believed them? Students illustrate their myths or present myths in a cartoon style. Or, have students work together to create media projects such as radio spots or short videos portraying their myths and monsters or popular myth and movie sea monsters. Materials paper pencils or pens computer with word processing software (if available)

 

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Objective Given a description of a dangerous animal, the student will be able to create an adaptation that would protect a human from that animal.     Background An adaptation is a modification of an organism that makes it more suited to live in its environment. Adaptations can be a body part or behavior that help an animal survive. These adaptations include protective spines, sharp teeth, poisonous flesh, and stinging cells. Some adaptations may be dangerous to humans. Action 1 .    Divide the class equally into small groups. Choose one student from each group to be the "moderator." Give each moderator a card that names one dangerous sea animal. Through role-playing, each moderator describes the animal to their group, giving all the information she or he can about the animal's dangerous characteristics. 2.    The others in the group represent humans faced with the challenge of surviving in the sea. In turn, each group member names an adaptation that would help them survive if they encountered this animal. 3.    Within each group, students discuss the survival adaptations each of them named. Ask the group moderator to point out how or if she or he could overcome each adaptation. Each group chooses one adaptation that would help them the most. 4.    Each moderator describes the chosen adaptation to the rest of the class. 5.    Compile a complete "Oceanator" from all the groups' ideas. Choose a student to illustrate the "Oceanator" on the blackboard. Discuss how well this "Oceanator" would survive all dangers of the sea.   Deeper Depths Discuss human interactions with ocean ecosystems (transportation, recreation, harvesting food, etc.). Human activities can accelerate environmental changes. By changing the environment, we can completely destroy a habitat for which an animal is adapted. If the animal lacks the adaptations necessary to live there, it could become extinct. Are any dangerous animals threatened or endangered species? If so, why? In the same groups, or as a class, create adaptations that may help protect these animals from extinction.ters or popular myth and movie sea monsters. Materials cards or slips of paper with the names of dangerous sea animals written on them.  Find suggestions at Dangerous Denizens.

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