ded by saltwater. Where it is better drained, we find saltmeadow hay, spikegrass, sea lavendar, and glasswort. Farther inland within the marsh we find marsh elder and seaside goldenrod. The grass that marks the end of the salt marsh is called Phragmites. No saltwater reaches this point and dryland plants begin. Near the beach there is a grove of small gnarly trees which are persimmon trees. We usually find these thriving in a warmer climate. This grove is said to be the most northern grove of persimmon in the United States.
Lighthouse Point Park
(figure available in print form)
Salt marshes are vital to the ecology of the area supplying cover and homes to wild aquatic life and food for birds and mammals. It takes thousands of years for a salt marsh to form and very little time for a marsh to be destroyed. Since the early part of the century over fifty percent of the salt marshes in Connecticut have been destroyed through dredging, filling, waste disposal, industrial sites, housing developments, airports, and parking lots. At this time, most salt marshes are protected by law.
|Animal or Plant||Where did you find it?||Points|
|Orange Sulphur Butterfly||________________________|
|Diamondback Terrapin (turtle)||________________________|
|Black Crowned Night Heron||_______________________|
|Long-Billed Marsh Wren and nest||________________________|
|Regal Fritillary Butterfly||________________________|
|Salt marsh grass||________________________|
Create a Creature
Students will be able to:
1) describe adaptations of sea creatures to their environments;
2) describe how adaptations can help sea creatures survive in their habitat;
3) interpret the importance of adaptations in animals.
Students design a variety of sea creatures adapted for various aquatic habitats.
Aquatic animals are the product of countless adaptations over long periods of time. These adaptations, for the most part, are features that increase the animalsÍ likelihood of surviving in their habitat.
When a habitat changes, either slowly or catastrophically, the species of animals with adaptations that allow them many options are the ones most likely to survive. Some species have adapted to such a narrow range of habitat conditions that they are extremely vulnerable to change. They are overspecialized and are usually more susceptible than other animals to death and extinction.
In this activity, the students design a kind of sea creature. They choose the adaptations that their animal will have. Each choice they make would actually take countless years to develop. As these adaptations become part of the creatureÍs design, the animal becomes better suited to the habitat in which it lives. Because of the variety of conditions within each habitat, many different sea creatures can live together and flourish.
recycled “junk”, paper, large chart paper, magazines pictures of sea creatures, tape, glue, markers, scissors.
1) Lead a discussion emphasizing the adaptation of various animals to their habitat. Guide the discussion into the salt water environment and the adaptations of sea creatures. Using a chart and magazine pictures, have children come up with examples of adaptation of sea creatures, coloration, body shape, mouth shape, locomotion methods, and reproduction (laying of eggs or having live babies). Leave the chart displayed for future reference. (For further activities on adaptation, see “The Ocean Book” by the Center for Marine Conservation.)
Ask the students to “create a creature” using the characteristics previously discussed. This can be done as an individual task or the children can work in small groups cooperatively. Each individual or group should:
Đcreate an artform that represents the creature
Đname the creature
Đdescribe and draw the habitat for their creature Ask each group or individual to share with the rest of the class and report about the attributes of the sea creature they have designed, including identifying and describing its adaptations. Ask the students to describe how this kind of sea creature is adapted for survival.
Repeat this activity usin