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Kindergarten-2nd grade
This lesson plan was developed for a 45 minute visit to a Kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade classroom. Students move through 4 stations, each with a different theme. The themes are Omnivore, Symbiosis, Metamorphosis, and Fluorescence/Phenotype. Each of the station had a live animal or animals for the students to hold. For our classroom visits, we used sea urchis for the Omnivore station, Hissing cockroaches with their symbiotic mites for the Symbiosis station, caterpillars and moths for the Metamorphosis station, and GloFish for the Fluorescence/Phenotype station. The ideas could be easily adapted for other themes and other animals.
Authors: Amelia Anderson, Alisa Brakic, Jayce Brown,
Rebecca Goeman, Mitch Johnson, Alison Kingsbury, Jennifer Liang, Morgan ProchaskaGeneral materials:
Detailed time line and plan for the visit
Coloring book (this was used as a lab notebook as students moved through the stations)
Kindergarten assessment
1st grade assessment
2nd grade assessment
Titles for stationsOmnivore Sea Urchin Station
Print out and laminate
Ppt with fun facts about sea urchins
These also has the website links for the included information
Sources for purchasing sea urchins:
These our our favorite-PURPLE SEA URCHIN, Arbacia punctulata, from
Gulf Marine Specimen http://www.gulfspecimen.org/purchase-live-marine-specimens/
You can also buy sea urchins form Carolina Biological http://www.carolina.com/catalog/ and many other places
Omnivore pages for coloring book
Symbiosis Hissing Cockroach Station
Print out and laminate
Ppt with examples of symbiotic relationships
This also has the website links for the included information
Symbiosis pages for coloring book
Fluorescence or Phenotype GloFish station
Print out and laminate
Ppt with examples of other fluorescent animals scientists have made
This also has the source for the included informationSources for buying GloFish and black light flashlights:
Almost every pet store sells GloFish as well as normal, wildtype zebrafish
GloFish website: http://www.glofish.com
Blacklight flashlights to make fish glow: LEDwholesalers 395 nM 51 UV Ultraviolet LED flashlight Blacklight 3 AA, 7202UV395.
There are also many other brands of these that will work. We use a piece of black fleece for the kids to duck under to see the fish glow.
Phenotype pages for coloring book
Note: Highlighting markers work well for coloing these pages
Metamorphosis Moth Station
Print out and laminate
pdf with different stages of Menduca sexta/tobacco horned worm development
These are original pictures taken by Jennifer LiangSource for Manduca sexta caterpillars:
Carolina Biological
http://www.carolina.com/catalog/
Search for "Manduca sexta". You can now buy eggs and grow them all the way to moths in your classroom.
However, they are not available to people in some states, so you may have to find an alternative organism for this station
Metamorphosis pages for coloring book