Visit the Aquarium Third - Fifth Grade Online Curriculum : Communities

Students visiting the Aquarium as part of a grades 3-5 Structured School Program participate in activities that reinforce the concepts introduced in the curriculum. Students meet in the classroom for an introduction and then divide into three smaller groups that rotate between three activities, all based on the theme of adaptations and food chains in communities.

Introduction
In the introduction to the 3-5 activities, students participate in a role-playing activity to learn how the adaptations of plants and animals determine how they are connected in a community through food chains.

Classroom
Students examine live animals, such as sea stars and snakes, to determine the adaptations these animals have that help them to survive in their community.

Coastal Plain Gallery
Students explore the exhibits to find plants and animals and determine the roles these organisms play in a food chain. Students then use pictures of these organisms to construct food chains found in these environments.

The Coast Gallery
Students will examine the fish in the exhibits to discuss how the mouth shapes of fish vary as adaptations to different habitat needs. Students will then compare the mouth shapes to common tools to see that they have similar functions.