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How Can I Learn about the Secret Lives of Elephant Seals?

Students receive an Elephant Seal Newspaper to complete three activity sheets focusing on northern elephant seal populations, behaviors, annual migrations, and relationships to humans. This overall introduction to elephant seal biology and ecology prepares students for the next two lessons and their field trip.

Time required: 2 - hours Location: classroom/homework Suggested group size: entire class Subject(s): science, history, math Concept(s) covered: population dynamics, human ecology, life cycles, biology, ethics Written by: Erin Blackwood, The marine Mammal Center Trudie Behr-Scott, Hill Middle School Last updated: 11/27/00

Student Outcomes
At the end of this activity, the students will be able to:

• Complete activity sheets based on their comprehension of the Elephant Seals newspaper.



• Understand how natural and human activities relate to elephant seal populations.



• Understand the role and importance of students and Point Reyes National Seashore in conserving northern elephant seals.

California Science Standard Links (grades 6 – 8)
This activity is linked to the California Science Standards in the following areas:

6th grade:

5b - organisms and the physical environment
5e - resources available and abiotic factors>
7b - appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data, and display data
7c - develop qualitative statements about the relationships between variables

7th grade:

2a - differences between the life cycles and reproduction of sexual and asexual organisms
3e - extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics for a species are insufficient for its survival
5a - animals have levels of organization for structure and function
5d - reproduction
7a - appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data, and display data
7d - construct scale models and appropriately labeled diagrams to communicate scientific knowledge

8th grade:

9b - evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data.

National Science Standard Links (grades 5 – 8)
This activity is linked to the National Science Standards in the following areas:

• Content Standard A - Think critically and logically to make the relationship between evidence and explanations; use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.



• Content Standard C - Structure and function in living systems; Reproduction and heredity; Regulation and behavior; Populations and ecosystems; Diversity and adaptations of organisms.



• Content Standard F - Science and technology in society.

Materials
To be photocopied from this guide:

• Pre - and Post- Evaluation activity sheet (44K PDF document)
• Elephant Seals newspaper (580k PDF document)
• Vocabulary sheets located in Teacher's Preparation/Attachments
• Wild Wonders of the Deep activity sheet (48K PDF document)
• The Secret Life of Elephant Seals activity sheet (52K PDF document)
• Worth versus Value activity sheet (60K PDF document)

Vocabulary
Refer to vocabulary sheets located in Teacher's Preparation/Attachments

Procedures

1. Pre- and Post-evaluation
   Distribute Pre- and Post-Evaluation activity sheets. Remind students this is not a graded test, but rather a measure of our success; each student will retake the same test after several lessons. (Note: You may choose to save these completed tests and redistribute in the first post-visit lesson. Students change their answers based on what they have learned.)



2. Distribute newspaper
   Students receive and read Elephant Seals newspaper. Students can work in pairs or individually to complete activities.



3. Reading Comprehension
   
   Read the Elephant Seals newspaper as a class and clarify any questions or comments from students.



4. Activity sheets
   Give each student appropriate activity sheets, vocabulary list, and instructions for completion.



5. Conclusions
   Review students' answers, compare graphs, exchange ideas, and relate these concepts to lessons already covered earlier in the year.

Extension ideas

1. Using charts and graphs in the Elephant Seals newspaper, have students speculate as to elephant seals' activity on their proposed field trip to Point Reyes National Seashore.



2. Discuss other pinnipeds found in California coastal waters: California sea lion, northern fur seal, Pacific harbor seal, Steller (northern) sea lion, Guadelupe fur seal. What are the identifying characteristics? How are they related to each other? Challenge students to create an evolutionary tree showing the five species above, or enlarge it to include other species such as the walrus.

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