Living in the ocean

Living in the ocean

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about relationships between living and non-living things in the ocean.

Question Change answer

A drawing of an ocean has been started for you. What other living and non living things might you find in and near this ocean?
a) Draw and label as many ideas as you can think of to add to the drawing below.

Question 1Change answer

b) A relationship is a connection between 2 things. An example of a relationship in the picture could be: The jellyfish floats in the water.
 
From your picture describe a relationship between:
 
i) two things in the ocean.

Question 1Change answer

ii)  one thing on or above the water and one thing in the water.

Question 1Change answer

c) Describe some ways in which human activity can change relationships in and around the ocean.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or by drawing online.
Copyright: 
Graphic: copyright NZCER.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Participating and contributing, Living World
Keywords: 
ecology, interdependence, relationships, oceans, key competencies
Description of task: 
Task: Complete a drawing of things found in or near an ocean, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in an ocean environment.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the direct impact to organisms when there is a change to their environment.
 
 
Capabilitiy: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using logical reasoning and developing science understandings to present science ideas about food chains and/or food webs.
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science, Use evidence
Answers/responses: 
a)   Check for the following points:

  • Are there plants and animals?
  • Are there living and non living elements?
  • Are there elements in and on or above the water?
  • Are there elements related to human activity?
  • If the students have been studying a particular ocean area are the elements relevant to that area?
  • Do students include any systems that may impact on the ocean, e.g., elements of the water cycle/weather?

For annotated examples of student work in a different context showing possible next step activities go to  Examples of student work.
b) i)
ii)		 Check that the relationship described is correct. For example, are the descriptions of feeding relationships accurate?
Check that the relationship described is correct.
c)   Can accurately describe an element that may be affected by a human action. This may be at 1 of 2 levels:

  • Can accurately describe a simple cause and effect relationship.
  • Can describe a more complex cause and effect relationship involving a chain of events

For more details go to Thinking about systems. 
 

 
Diagnostic and formative information: 
NOTE: This resource was designed to provide an alternative context for exploring interactions in an ecosystem, and has not been trialled with students. Go to What lives in our waterways? for diagnostic and formative information relating to the waterways (which was the context of the original resource) as a guide for what to look for.
Next steps: 
For Next steps refer to:
What lives in our waterways? (Teacher Information).This will provide some broad ideas of what to look for.
Thinking about systems.
The games in the following resources provide models that can be adapted to address relationships in the garden:
Rocky shore food web explores feeding relationships at the rocky shore. Some of these relationships are relevant to the ocean

Connected 3 2006 has a focus on small marine animals such as marine worms, and also has two articles on the importance of estuaries for biodiversity in oceans.

NZ Ministry of Fisheries provides a website for students and teachers.

Oceans alive is an excellent website: http://www.mos.org/oceans/