OCEAN-LIFE
www.kidszoo.org Ocean Life/Grades 2–6
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Activity Packet 3
The worksheets and activities suggested in this packet will help students to:
1. Locate and correctly label the five oceans of the world.
2. Use a variety of sources to research and discover facts about ocean animal groups.
3. Create an ocean food chain.
4. Record personal observations of ocean life in the zoo’s Sharks, Rays, & Jellyfish exhibit.
5. Discuss the importance of camouflage for survival in the oceans.
6. Create ocean-themed poetry and stories.
Before you visit the zoo on your field trip, try these activities to familiarize your students with the animals you will study at the zoo:
z Have students become familiar with the world’s oceans by labeling the oceans on a globe or map. A map worksheet is included in this packet on page 11.
z Conduct some simple experiments to help students understand the water cycle. See page 12 for ideas. Explain that each raindrop we see was once part of the ocean.
z Experiment with salt water to learn how it is different from fresh water. Some simple experiments are described on pages 13-14.
z Assign students an ocean animal to research. Use the form on page 15 for the completed reports.
Be sure to suggest invertebrates such as sponges, corals, anemones, urchins, sea stars, crabs, sea pens, sea fans, tube worms, sea horses, jellyfish, clams, oysters, shrimp, and others, in addition to fish, whales, sharks, dolphins, sea lions, etc.
z After students have completed the Animal Research work sheet, ask each student to explain what their animal eats, and what eats their animal. Use this information to create a food chain of animals that live in the ocean. Explain that a complex web of food chains helps to keep the ocean ecosystem in bal-ance.
z To prepare for viewing the coral reef at the zoo, explore the properties of coral. Use the worksheets on page 17-18 in this packet to assist you
Which animal group does it belong to?
(Is it a mammal, fish, invertebrate, or
something else?)
Tell about your animal’s size, includ-
ing weight and height.
Describe your animal’s coloring.
Does it have a backbone? If not,
describe its exoskeleton.
Does it have any special body parts?
What does your animal eat?
What eats your animal?
Describe your animal’s habitat.
Write an interesting fact about your
animal.
On the map, show the parts of the
ocean where your animal is found
Draw a picture of your animal in its habitat on the back of this page.
www.kidszoo.org Ocean Life/Grades 2–6
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Activity Packet 19
Cartoon Creatures Your Name_____________________
We sometimes see ocean animals in movies and TV cartoons. Write down the
different ocean animals you see while watching your favorite show.
Name of show you watched_______________________________
I saw these ocean animals on the show:
1.________________________ 5.________________________
2.________________________ 6.________________________
3.________________________ 7.________________________
4.________________________ 8.________________________
Sometimes the characters on a show do things that the real animals can’t do. List
five things you see the ocean animals doing on the show that these creatures can’t do
in real life:
1._______________________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________________________
4._____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5._____________________________________________________
________________________________________
Why do you think the show’s creators give the creatures these abilities?
in this packet. All of the work sheets are designed to foster and sharpen observation skills.
Use a piece of cardboard to make an inexpensive clipboard for your students. Place a rubber band around
the cardboard to secure the worksheet.
In addition to the worksheets that follow, you can create your own observation activities. Here are some
ideas:
z Assign an animal for students to sketch. Sketching encourages detailed observation.
z Assign students an animal to observe for 10 minutes. Students should write down everything the
animal does during that time. Ask your chaperones to keep track of the time for students. (Ten minutes is
far longer than most people spend at a single animal exhibit!)
z Plan to incorporate a field trip mini-class into your day at the zoo. Classes are offered on a variety
of topics and last 20 minutes. There is no charge for the classes, but you must preregister by calling 260-
427-6808.
z If available, plan to observe animal feeding and training demonstrations during your visit. Informa-
tion is posted at the zoo entrance. Signs at the sea lion and penguin exhibits will notify you if demonstra-
tions are scheduled for the day of your visit.
z While touring the zoo, students should choose any two animals and list two ways that they are alike
and two ways that they are different. A third animal could be added to the group and find three similarities
and three differences.
Fish have spots and stripes to confuse other fish and provide camouflage. See
how many fish you can find in the zoo’s aquariums with these markings. Write
their names on the lines.
Eye Bar
The dark stripe helps hide the eye, so a predator may not know
which end of the fish contains the head.
List the fish with eye bars seen in the tank
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Stripes
Stripes break up the outline of the fish’s body, making it hard for a
predator to see the fish.
List the fish with stripes seen in the tank.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Eye Spot
Eye spots may trick predators into mistaking the fish’s tail for its
head.
List the fish with eye spots seen in the tank.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
When you return to school, graph your data using the graph on
page 32.
www.kidszoo.org Ocean Life/Grades 2–6
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Activity Packet 22
Advanced Animal Observation
Find your animal. Use all your senses to answer these questions:
1. Sketch your animal carefully on a blank page.
2. Guess how much your animal weighs (in pounds):
3. Guess how long or tall your animal is (in inches):
4. How does the animal move from place to place?
5. How many arms? legs? wings? fins? other structures?
6. Compare the front and back legs.
7. How many toes on each foot? Does it have toenails?
8. Observe the animal for 10 minutes. Make a check mark each time it does one of the
following:
Walks Runs Lies down Eats Drinks
Grooms itself Grooms others Yawns Looks at people
www.kidszoo.org Ocean Life/Grades 2–6
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Activity Packet 23
9. If there are several animals in the group, can you tell which ones are the leaders?
How can you tell?
10. Describe the coat and coloring of the animal. Include body color, face color, and
markings or patterns.
11. Describe the eyes. Include color, size, and shape of pupils. Are the eyes located on
the front or the sides of the head? Why do you think they are located there?
12. Describe the ears.
13. Describe the sounds made by the animal.
14. Describe the smell of the animal.
15. How is the animal like you? How is it differen
