Planet Aqua Manual - Unit 4 PowerPoint 1

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•This PowerPoint presentation can be used in conjunction with worksheet 4A or separately. It can also be used as a visual aid for worksheets 4B/C/D/E. The worksheets are downloadable from the teacher’s resource centre online.

•This presentation contains 6 habitats with brief descriptions and 5 organisms presented individually.

•Students are asked to identify where each organism lives. The following slide shows the organisms habitat.

•Students should try to associate the adaptations of the organism to the different habitats. Adaptations relate to the changes that organisms have made so that they are better suited to their environments for example what kind of food it eats, how it copes with physical conditions – temperature, light etc. Students should also be made aware of relationships and dependence amongst plants and animals. This is discussed on the first slide and recapped on the last slide where the student is asked questions related to the presentation.

•A Word document accompanies this presentation as a discussion tool for teachers which is downloadable from the teacher’s resources centre online.

•Organism illustrations are not to scale.

•Wikpedia is a good source of general background information on species http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. You can also check the links section on the Planet Aqua website http://www.planetaqua.ie/teachers/links/index.php.

•There are many different types of organisms (living things).

• Organisms can live in very different environments and habitats (areas where they live).

•Plants and animals have changed or adapted to their environment so that they fit in, for example a part of their body or the way they behave.

•Some plants and animals depend on each other, for example for protection, food, shelter.

HABITATS

The deep ocean waters are cold. They are very dark because little sunlight can reach that far down so it is quite difficult to see.

DEEP SEA

The bottom of a lake can be made up of gravel and boulders. Around the edges trees and plants can provide cover from the sun’s rays and act as an area for young organisms to grow. The flow of the water in a lake is slow.

LAKE

This is water next to the land along the coastline. It includes an area which is covered by water when the tide comes in. Then when the tide goes out this area is uncovered.

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

Ponds are usually man-made and much smaller than lakes. Ponds are freshwater. The plants growing around the pond can provide shelter and keep the air moist.

POND

Tropical Coral reefs are warm water areas which are made up of different plant and animal communities. They are called “Coral reefs” because the hard rock like mounds are made from old skeletons of an animal called “Coral” and live Coral also lives on the reefs.

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

Rivers collect water from land and can range from slow to fast flowing. Rivers eventually take water to a lake or the sea.

RIVER

Can you guess where the following

organisms live?

Remember some organisms can live in

more than one habitat!

Hint: Angler fish have a light producing organ.

RIVER LAKE

POND

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

DEEP SEA

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

The deep ocean is very dark so it is quite difficult to see and animals need to adapt to be able to catch prey.

DEEP SEA

Hint: Frogs can live in water and land however, they like to keep their skin from drying out. Frogs like to eat slugs, flies and other insects.

RIVER LAKE

POND

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

DEEP SEA

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

Frogs must always be moist, the plants growing around ponds provide shelter and keep the air moist.

POND

Hint: Dolphins can dive deep under water but not as deep as whales. They can live in a range of temperatures as they have blubber (fat) under their skin to keep them warm.

RIVER LAKE

POND

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

DEEP SEA

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

Many dolphins visit coral reefs as there is a lot of food available.

Dolphins can often be found off the coast of Ireland.

Some species of dolphin live permanently in rivers (China, Portugal).

RIVER

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

Hint: Starfish live in saltwater. They have hundreds of tiny suction tube feet on the under side of each arm to help them hold on to the rocks against strong waves. They live on the bottom of a water body.

RIVER LAKE

POND

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

DEEP SEA

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

Tropical starfish tend to be a lot more colourful then the ones we find in Ireland.

There are many different species of starfish and some have adapted to live in the harsh conditions of the deep seas.

Starfish can regularly be found around the Coast of Ireland clinging to rocks or sheltering in rock pools.

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

DEEP SEA

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

Hint: Gravel is necessary for spawning (producing or depositing eggs). Trout like slow flowing water so they can watch out for drifting food.

RIVER LAKEPOND

TROPICAL CORAL REEF

DEEP SEA

IRISH COASTAL WATERS

Rivers are fresh water and can range from slow to fast flowing. The river bed can consist of sand and gravel.

The bottom of a lake can be made up of gravel and boulders. Around the edges trees and plants can provide cover from the sun’s rays and act as an area for young organisms to grow. The flow of the water in a lake is slow.

LAKE

RIVER

• There are many different types of organisms (living things). Can you name some organisms?

• Organisms can live in very different environments and habitats (areas where they live) Can you remember all of the habitats we looked at?

• Plants and animals have changed or adapted to their environment so that they fit in, for example a part of their body or the way they behave. Can you give an example?

• Some plants and animals depend on each other. Can you give an example?