Duration

2 x 60 - 90 minutes

Students will design a habitat diorama based on a limestone reef, seagrass meadow, mangrove forest or coral reef.

Preparation

In this lesson, a habitat diorama will be constructed. The Student Resource Sheets provided are designed to be a starting point to stimulate students research and planning. The photographs are also available in the Presentation: Up High, Down Low. A range of art and craft materials may be required to complete the dioramas, but any type of materials could be used – students could develop a required materials list during the planing stage for their diorama.

Steps

  1. Ask students to choose one of the four marine habitats – Limestone Reefs, Seagrass Meadow, Mangrove Forests or Coral Reef.
  2. Distribute the relevant Student Resource Sheet (below) to each student based on their habitat choice and ask them to analyse the characteristics of their habitat from the surface and underwater.
  3. Students should then proceed to research their habitat to establish what plant and animal species might live there and what materials they could use to construct their habitat.
  4. Students complete their ‘living habitat’ diorama and display around the classroom.

 

Student Resource Sheets

Limestone Reef

Coral Reef

Mangrove Forests

Seagrass Meadows

Keywords

Abiotic, adaptation, biotic, competition, coral, ecosystem, flora, fauna, generalist, habitat, habitat preference, limestone, mangrove, niche, outcompete, seagrass, specialist