PAGES 10-11

Creature Feature

 

SEA OTTERS

Emphasis on: Reading comprehension, motivation for discussion.

Students read an informative feature article on sea otters.

Vocabulary preview: crucial, retrieved, entertaining.

Word to teach: Teach the word morsel in context as follows: "My brother refused to share his cake with me. He would not give me even the smallest morsel to taste."

Before reading: Ask students what they consider intelligent behavior in their pets. (Pet comes when called by name, responds to commands, recognizes people and places, etc.) Then ask them what they would consider intelligent behavior from a creature in the wild. (Able to escape predators, find food, build a shelter, etc.) Ask them if they would consider an animal who uses tools intelligent. Can they think of any creatures that do this? Then tell them they are going to read an article about a marine mammal which uses tools to crack open any foods it wants to eat.

Discussion Questions: Why is a sea otter's fur important? (Sea otters do not have any blubber to keep them warm. So fur is important to them in the wintertime.) What was happening in the late 1800's? (People were trapping sea otters for their thick fur.) What happened to help the sea otter? (In 1911, a law was passed regulating the hunting of otters.)

Why are sea otters referred to in this article as "eating machines" ?(Because small mammals burn food faster than larger ones. This means they need to eat a lot of food.) How much food does an otter eat in one day? (Fifteen to twenty pounds--nearly a quarter of their body weight.)

What is a sea otter's most comfortable positive? (Reclining on its back.) When special thing does an otter do when it finds something it would like to eat? (It uses small rocks to crack open hard shells.)

What did Captain Cousteau say when he saw sea otters peeking through kelp forests? (He said they reminded him of old ladies peeking through lace curtains.) How did the crew feel about the sea otters? (They were some of the most endearing animals they had ever encountered.)

Follow Up Activity: Ask students to name two places where sea otters live (California and Alaska.) Have them find these areas on a map or globe.

 

 

PAGES 12-13

Art Activity

Draw Like Wyland

Emphasis on: Art Skills

Students practice the basic shapes needed to draw a sea otter.

Follow Up Activity: Have students name another marine mammal. Have them show the basic shapes they think would be needed to draw that creature.

 

 

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