Marine Life and Ecosystems by Jennifer Louise Carter

Focus / Marine Life and Ecosystems
Grade Level / 5th Grade-Science
Focus Question / What is a coral reef ecosystem, and how does it interact with our Wrightsville Beach ecosystem.
Learning Objectives: / NC State Objective and Goal Being Addressed:
Objective 1.01
Describe and compare several common ecosystems (communities of organisms and their interaction with the environment).
Objective 1.03
Explain why an ecosystem can support a
variety of organisms.
Objective 1.05
Determine the interaction of organisms
within an ecosystem.
Learner Objective(s): At the completion of this lesson, students will describe the ecosystem of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and understand it’s interaction with the environment of Wrightsville Beach.
Materials /
  • Internet access for video
  • Colored Pencils/Paper
  • Blue Paper to cover white board
  • Coloring Pictures of Coral Reef and Animals described from reef
  • Notes premade for fill in the blanks for background information.

Audio/Visual Materials /
Teaching Time / 90 minute class period
Seat Arrangement / Groups of 4 students
Maximum Number of Students / 32
8 groups of 4
Key Words / Ecosystems
Coral Reef
Vertebrates
Invertebrates
The Greater Caribbean Region
Background Information (Prior Knowledge) /
  • How to make a K-W-L chart
  • The environment of Wrightsville Beach
  • The functions of organisms within the population of an ecosystem. Ex. Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
  • Ways that humans affect ecosystems. Ex. Habitat reduction due to development, pollutants, increased nutrients

Opening Activity /
  • Announce to students that we will be learning about Marine Life and Ecosystems.
  • Turn off classroom lights to set the mood.
  • Watch clip from “Finding Nemo” so students can visualize what we will be learn about and draw their attentions to Marine Life.
  • Have the students fill out a K-W-L chart about what they know about coral reefs, and what they want to learn about them.

Learning Procedure ( Activity) /
  • Discuss what students already know and what they want to learn about coral reefs.
  • Pass out notes.
  • Go over notes with students on: ecosystems, coral reefs, animals, location, and Aquarius. The notes will be in mini pamphlets. Using the information and pictures attached in separate file.
  • Fun activity: Pass out coloring sheets to student’s, let them color them in while discussing the animals they are coloring from the ecosystems. When everyone is done coloring and cutting allow them to stand and describe their animal and why they are important to the coral reef. Then allow students to tape their animals to the blue paper on the white board. Thus, creating a classroom ecosystem.

Connections to Other Subjects / English/Language Arts, Geography/History, Global Awareness
Closing Activity and Assignment /
  • Inform student’s that UNCW owns Aquarius, and that the Ocean is one huge ecosystem interconnected to our own actions at Wrightsville Beach. 1-2 minutes.
  • Leading question: How does this information interconnect?
  • Closing assignment: students will describe what they have learned in their K-W-L chart. This should take approximately 5-7 minutes.
  • Assign homework referred to below is assessment.

Assessment / Student’s notes and K-W-L chart offer opportunities for assessment.
Homework to be assessed: After teaching students about such a valuable ecosystem and the threats of extinction of many of the animals that work together to make a coral reef self-sustaining. Ask them to go home and write a paragraph on things they can do in their community (our beach) to help protect our oceans.
Other Links and Resources / For more information on ecosystems:

For more information on Coral Reefs:

For more information on UNCW’s Aquarius: