Hickman, Cleveland, Allan Larson and Larry Roberts. Integrated Principles of Zoology. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1996.
Another college textbook and another good source of information on animals.

Keener-Chavis, Paula and Leslie Reynolds Sautter. Of Sand and Sea: Teachings From the Southeastern Shoreline, SC Sea Grant Consortium, Charleston, 2000.
An excellent look at the biotic and abiotic factors that characterize the Coast and Ocean regions of South Carolina including information on the salt marsh. (Copies of this book may be obtained from the Charleston Math & Science Hub, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424).

Meyer, Peter. Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast, Avian-Cetacean Press, Wilmington, NC, 1998. 
An informative look at the characteristics and wildlife of the Coast and Ocean regions of South and North Carolina, including much on the Salt Marsh.

Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1999.
Though admittedly college textbooks are often a little too dry and in-depth, with their text, photographs and illustrations they are often the best resources for finding information on a particular subject. This college textbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about the biology of plants.

Ricklefs, Robert E. and Gary L. Miller. Ecology, W.H. Freeman Company, 1999.
This college textbook is a great resource for finding out how wildlife communities interact with each other as well as the abiotic factors of their environment. 

Teal, John and Mildred. Life and Death of the Salt Marsh, Ballantine Books, New York, 1969.
An in-depth look at one of the most important and productive ecosystems in South Carolina, with chapters on spartina grass and the other marsh plants and their effect on the surrounding wildlife communities.

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Teacher Reference Videos
Attenborough, Sir David. Trials of Life (Video series), Turner Home Entertainment, 1995.
This is the most famous work of heralded nature documentary filmmaker Sir David Attenborough. This series shows the various behaviors animals have adapted in order to survive, including much on feeding.  Though the entire series may be too advanced for elementary students, it is a wonderful resource for teachers.

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Teacher Reference Websites
Animal Planet 
http://animal.discovery.com
Information and interactive games on a variety of animals.

Food Chains: Prey and Predators
http://www.cas.psu.edu/DOCS/
WEBCOURSE/WETLAND/WET1/main.html
This website created by  Pennsylvania State University contains activities and information on food chains.

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Student Reference Books
Bennett, Paul. Nature's Secrets: Catching A Meal. Thomson Learning, New York, 1994.
Uses photographs and simple text to show the variety of different adaptations animals have developed to help them catch their prey.

Brooks, Bruce. Predator! Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 1991.
A more in-depth look at how animals get the food they need that uses photographs and text.

Eyewitness Books: Plant, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, 1988.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach the readers about plants and trees. Contains every thing from photographs that show how a seedling grows to photographs that show how fallen leaves decompose.

Eyewitness Science: Ecology, Dorling Kindersley, New York, 1993.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach the readers about ecology, communities and the interactions of plants and animals. Includes information on food chains and producers and consumers.

Kalman, Bobbie D. How A Plant Grows, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1996.
Text for students on plants that includes information on photosynthesis and the importance of plants to food chains. Includes experiment activities.

Matthews, Downs. Wetlands, Simon & Schuster Books, New York, 1994.
This book describes different types of wetlands and the plants and animals found there.

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Curricula
Aquatic Project WILD
Aquatic Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on aquatic wildlife and ecosystems. The activities cover a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

Project WILD
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

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Field Trip Sites
Food Chains
One of the best places to see "living food chains" is in salt marshes. The Spartina grass that is so important to this habitat as the base of the food chain can be seen everywhere. Many other species (wading birds, fiddler crabs, oysters, periwinkle snails) can be easily observed participating in these food chains. Below are listed some of the sites where salt marshes are accessible to students.

• Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
  Located near Awendaw, this refuge preserves 64,000 acres of marshes, open water and barrier island. The Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center is an interpretive center for the public and school groups that is open Tuesday through Sunday. A boat tour to undeveloped Bulls Island is also available that allows a close up view of the marsh. For more information on Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge call (843) 928-3368. For information on the boat trip to Bulls Island call (843) 881-4582.
  
  
• Ft Johnson Marine Resources Center
  Located on Charleston Harbor, this division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers interpretive programs that take students directly into a salt marsh. For information on making arrangements for a program call (843) 762-5437.
  
  
• ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve
  This reserve, located between Edisto Beach and Hunting Island, contains 12,000 acres of tidal marshes and estuarine waters. The area is rich in wildlife: fish, crustaceans, birds and even mammals can all be found here. Boat tours are available through this area for high school and college students. For more information call (843) 762-5032.

If you are aware of other books, videos, websites, curricula, fieldtrip destinations or other materials that would make excellent resources for this activity, please e-mail them to us for inclusion in this list at: Education@scaquarium.org