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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Sable Island's seals, sharks, and sand lances

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g35/ccsable.html

A lesson plan for grade 4 Science

Provider: National Geographic


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In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore concept of competition in nature and will learn about competition between these two seal species on Sable Island, which is operated by a preservation trust. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion, small collaborative group work, and development of research skills.

Students will:

  • discuss examples of competition in their lives and in nature;
  • locate Sable Island on a map;
  • view and discuss pictures of Sable Island and its seals;
  • work in groups to determine how gray and harbor seals compete with each other on Sable Island;
  • discuss what might happen to Sable Island’s harbor seals;
  • draw food chains of the Sable Island species they’ve learned about; and
  • write paragraphs describing what they have learned about competition and what their food chains show.

Xpeditions provides detailed instructions for completing the lesson, suggestions for assessment and extension activities, and links to helpful web resources.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: The learner will make observations and conduct investigations to build an understanding of animal behavior and adaptation.
    • Objective 1.01: Observe and describe how all living and nonliving things affect the life of a particular animal including:
      • Other animals.
      • Plants.
      • Weather.
      • Climate.
    • Objective 1.02: Observe and record how animals of the same kind differ in some of their characteristics and discuss possible advantages and disadvantages of this variation.
    • Objective 1.03: Observe and discuss how behaviors and body structures help animals survive in a particular habitat.
    • Objective 1.05: Recognize that humans can understand themselves better by learning about other animals.