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TEACHER GUIDE
Lesson 2: Design Your Own Phytoplankton
Time Required:
45 minutes.
Structure:
This lesson enables students to creatively synthesize and reinforce the information learned during Lesson 1.
Students design their own phytoplankton from direct observations and imagination (25 minutes). Students will then
present their artwork to the class and receive feedback from other students (20 minutes). This lesson is designed to
engage students with different learning styles.
Materials:
(Paper materials contained in binder are shown in BOLD CAPS)
Materials are provided for 5 groups. We suggest 4–6 students per group.
1.
PHYTOPLANKTON ID GUIDE – Lesson 1: Phytoplankton Microscopy Lab (10 in Inner Box), provided in Lesson 1
2.
GRADING SHEETS – Lesson 2: Design Your Own Phytoplankton (optional)
3.
Black construction paper
4.
Oil pastels (5 packs)
Advance Preparation:
1.
Make sure that you have enough black construction paper and oil pastels for your classes.
2.
If you would like to grade your students on this lesson, photocopy or print the GRADING SHEETS – Lesson 2:
Design Your Own Phytoplankton (one per 4 students). Cut copies into individual grading sheets.
Instructional Procedures:
1.
Divide the students into five groups. Distribute one piece of construction paper to each student. Distribute two
copies of the PHYTOPLANKTON ID GUIDE – Lesson 1: Phytoplankton Microscopy Lab and one pack of oil
pastels to each group.
2.
Tell the students that they will have 15–20 minutes to design/invent their own phytoplankton. Review the
PHYTOPLANKTON ID GUIDE – Lesson 1: Phytoplankton Microscopy Lab with the class. First review that
phytoplankton tend to stay near the surface of the water and close to their food source: the sun. To accomplish
this task, phytoplankton have developed adaptations such as differences in size, shape, and the formation of
chains. Also discuss that phytoplankton protect themselves with spines, bristles, and hard shells. After
discussing these real‐life adaptations, ask the students to use their imaginations to come up with new
adaptations that would help phytoplankton survive. Examples of creative, fantastic adaptations include water
wings, bubbles, inner tubes, and solar panels. Students can merge real‐life adaptations with imaginary ones to
create new species of phytoplankton adapted for survival in the ocean. As students share their ideas for the
different adaptations, draw them and show how they can be combined into a unique phytoplankton creation.
3.
The students can work in groups to discuss ideas and adaptations, but each student should produce his or her
own phytoplankton creature. Instruct the students to press heavily with the pastels and fill in their work or the
drawings will be difficult to see. Also, instruct the students to make large images that fill the entire paper.
4.
Instruct the students to name their phytoplankton. The name should consist of an imaginative element and a
scientific component derived from the PHYTOPLANKTON ID GUIDE, e.g., Thalassiosira tubey. In scientific
nomenclature the genus name is capitalized in italics or underlined (i.e., Thalassiosira or Thalassiosira) and the
species name is lowercase and in italics or underlined (i.e., tubey or tubey).