Duration

30 - 45 minutes

Students will learn about the rocky intertidal zone, the organisms that live there, and the challenges they face to survive.

Preparation

This lesson requires you to share the Presentation: The intertidal zone: a reef platform with your students.

Background information on the intertidal zone may be found in the Fact Sheet: Intertidal Rocky Shores.

Steps

  1. View the Presentation: The intertidal zone: a reef platform with your class.
  2. Engage students in a discussion about the zones of a local intertidal area.
    • What organisms exist in your local intertidal area and what challenges are they faced with?
    • What adaptations have they developed to deal with this harsh environment?
    • Are they structural, physiological or behavioural?

Keywords

byssal threads, desiccation, ecosystem, filter feeder, holdfast, intertidal zone, invertebrate, larvae, sessile, operculum, spore, substrate