A good spring low tide was the perfect opportunity for us to see some of the animals and their adaptations in person. We ended up with about half the class being able to come on this field trip and they all had a great time exploring the tide pools. I made an identification card they could use as they discovered some of the more common inhabitants in this area. We found just about everything on the card. I also challenged the students to spend awhile looking for examples of the different adaptations that we talked about the day before--they found crabs hiding in crevices, sea stars clinging to the underside of the rock walls, limpets clamped down in their home scar to preserve water. It was the perfect hands-on activity to follow up our lesson the day before. I also asked that they try sitting and observing a small area for at least 10 minutes. This is one of my favorite activities to do in any natural setting. When we slow down and are quiet, we realize how much is going on around us. Crabs come out of their hiding spots, we can see snails and limpets and other slow moving creatures traveling, and sometimes we're even awarded with a battle between prey and predator. (Photo credits to Charlotte and Zac who took some of the pictures of the organisms below.) Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Website There is all types of information on this site, including many resources and guides for teaching about this area.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Suggestions of other tide pools in the area.
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May 2020
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