Crab Adaptations

Teacher: Ms. Fuentes, Ms. Keeler, Ms. Moore, Ms. Roach, Ms. Scherer
Date: 3/12/2015
Subject / grade level: 5th Grade Science
Materials:
1)  Blue Crabs
2)  Mud Crabs
3)  Containers for Crabs
4)  Straws
5)  Guided student lab
TEKS: 5.10A: The student is expected to compare the structures and functions of different species that help them live and survive, such as hooves on prairie animals or webbed feet in aquatic animals
ENGAGEMENT (15 minutes)
1)  Ask students to create a circle map. Inside the circle, they are to write everything they know (or think they know) about crabs. This is an individual activity.
2)  Outside of the circle, they are to write where they learned the information (ex: school, reading, media etc.)
3)  Allow students to share their responses.
4)  Ask students if they know of any cartoon crabs. Tell them that even though Sponge Bob is mostly fiction, there are some things on the show that give real information about crabs.
5)  Show Spongebob episode, Shell of a Man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxGaDA5C1cM (episode begins at about 15:00).
6)  Ask the students what part of the cartoon was non-fiction and what part was fiction. The video depicts Mr. Krabs molting.
EXPLORATION (20 minutes)
1)  Tell the students that we are now going to observe and experiment with real crabs.
2)  Pass out the student lab, Crab Adaptations.
3)  Students will work in groups on the lab:
a.  Students will first draw a picture of their first crab (blue or mud) and label body parts.
b.  They will then observe the crab behavior from a distance.
c.  They will then tap on the glass gently and observe the crab behavior.
d.  They will then gently poke the crab and observe the crab behavior.
e.  They will then observe the crab eating
4)  They will repeat this process for second crab (blue or mud).
EXPLANATION (20 minutes)
1)  Ask students to share what parts of the crabs body they were able to identify.
2)  Introduce the following vocabulary: carapace, cheliped, swimmerets. Have the students label these three parts on their drawings.
3)  Ask students to share what kind of adaptations they noticed. How did the crabs react when they were being provoked? What kinds of thing mights provoke them in their natural habitat?
4)  Go through Powerpoint. Show clip on Blue Crabs eating Clams.
5)  Tell the students that crabs have another kind of adaptation that we weren’t going to demonstrate: regeneration. Show brief video on regeneration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J_9rz-_bYY
ELABORATION (25 minutes)
1)  Tell students that they are going to meet a real scientist who studies one of the creatures that Blue Crabs like to eat, oysters. Avery will then share about her research and answer questions.
2)  Tell students that they are now going to make a double bubble map.
3)  Students will be comparing mud crabs and blue crabs.
4)  Students will work in groups to write down three things that these crabs have in common, three things that are unique to blue crabs and three things that are unique to mud crabs.
5)  Students will share their responses as a whole group.
EVALUATION (10 minutes)
1)  Students will answer 8 STAAR formatted questions on Adaptations.

1