Third Grade Manatee Curriculum—Lesson 17: Exploring the Manatee's Habitat

Description

This was designed as a field study at Blue Spring State Park in order to allow students to see manatees in their winter environment. The activity could be modified for other sites where manatees can be seen. The trip should be conducted during the winter in order to maximize the chances of seeing manatees (because manatees travel to the springs as warm water refuges in winter months). Students will observe and record manatee and fish behaviors.

For those unable to visit a location where manatees are present, you could do a virtual field trip (in winter months) using the live manatee cams available online at https://www.savethemanatee.org/manatees/manatee-webcams/. This will probably not show the fish (although some may be seen if the underwater camera is active), but may allow for viewing of manatee behaviors, scars, etc.

Standards Addressed

Florida—SC.3.N.1.1; SC.3.N.1.3; SC.3.N.1.6

Common Core—CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7

Strategy

A sample schedule for a field trip to Blue Spring State Park is provided below. For this trip, each bus had 2–3 classes of students. Over four days, we brought 18 classes of third grade students from two schools to the park. We coordinated with the park to have one of their volunteers available to show students a video and talk to them about manatees. We also arranged for free admission to the park (each of the vehicles needed to have a copy of a letter on letterhead explaining about the education program that they would be doing in the park). We had our own volunteers assigned as leaders for each class. Each leader had a clipboard with data sheets on it and worked with the students to complete the data sheets as they explored the park. We made some laminated fliers with images of the different fish species they would observe and attached these to railings at some of the observation points.

Bus #1—Timeline for Blue Spring State Park field trip

11:15—Buses arrive. Lead students to programs room. Students can use bathrooms next to that building.

11:30—Students watch video, led by park staff.

12:10—Divide students by classes (teacher). One volunteer takes each class. One class goes to spring run, two down to dock. After a couple of minutes, a second class heads to the spring boil, then a couple of minutes later, the third class. After the spring boil, lead the classes (staggered) back towards the picnic area, making observations of manatees and fish along the way. (Fill out the data sheet.) Stop briefly at each of the observation decks. Be back at the picnic area by about 12:45–12:50.

12:50–1:15—Students eat lunch, under supervision of their teachers.

1:15–1:30—Students use bathrooms and load up on buses.

Bus #2—Timeline for Blue Spring State Park field trip

11:15—Buses arrive. Students can use bathrooms next to playground.

11:30—Divide students by classes (teacher). One volunteer takes each class. Stagger classes by a couple of minutes and lead them along the walkway, stopping briefly at each observation deck and making observations of manatees and fish along the way. (Fill out the data sheet.) If time permits, go all the way to the spring boil. Line up classes outside the programs room.

12:10—Students watch video, led by park staff. At conclusion of program, lead students back to picnic area.

12:50–1:15—Students eat lunch, under supervision of their teachers.

1:15–1:30—Students use bathrooms and load up on buses.

BLUE SPRING STATE PARK

Observations data sheet

Teacher's name ____________________________________

Date: ______________________

1. The water depth by the observation dock is _______________________________

2. The water that comes out of the spring is ____________ °F

3. We saw (how many?) ______________________ manatees today.

4.  

   Table 1. 

   HOW MANY MANATEES WERE DOING EACH BEHAVIOR?
   Resting	Swimming	Breathing	Eating	Nursing	Rolling	Scratching	Other (specify)

   View Table

    

5.  

6. We saw (how many?) ________________________ manatees that had scars on their bodies.

7. We saw many different types of animals at the park today (in addition to fish and manatees). These animals included:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

6. Fish Observations