Creatures and their features

STEMLinc Video Conferencing: Discover a range of iconic, peculiar, and commonly found marine animals on the Great Barrier Reef. Learn how to group these animals using the similarities and differences in their external features and gain an understanding of how features such as scales, shells and gills help animals to survive in the marine environment. Find out how different animals in the same group have specialised adaptations for communication, feeding and defence. For example, in some species of crustaceans, the first pairs of walking legs have evolved to become nippers, while in other species the legs have become clubs or spears! (Image: Reef HQ)

Booking Options:  There are two options for the Reef HQ suite of programs:

1. Fixed STEMLinc dates/times for booking this event will appear each term in the table below.

2. Schools with a minimum of 3 classes wishing to book alternate dates should contact Reef HQ directly (education@gbrmpa.gov.au) to negotiate a suitable date and time.  Ecolinc will cover the costs for a limited number of alternate date bookings each term.

Year Level: F-2

Duration: 1 hour

STEM in a box: No.

The following teacher resources are available:

• Is it living?
• What doesn’t belong?
• Animal unravelling
• Animal scrabble
• Food glorious food
• Reef mates
• Crustaceans

Please see attached Creatures and their features for more details and links to additional reference materials.

Background Information: The Great Barrier Reef is home to many types of life, including fish, sea turtles, giant clams, seahorses, sea snakes, nudibranch, sea turtles, stingray, sharks and many more. More than 1500 different species of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef, including Clownfish, Grouper, Cod, and Tigerfish.

Prior Knowledge: No prior knowledge required

Learning Intentions:

In this video conference students will: .

• Examine the external features of a variety of marine animals
• Learn how these features are used to help the animals survive

Activities:

In this video conference students will:

• Interact with presenters and be able ask individual questions
• Have access to supporting materials for pre- and/or post-event study

Victorian Curriculum:

Science – Biological science

• Living things have a variety of external features and live in different places where their basic needs, including food, water and shelter, are met (VCSSU042)

IMPORTANT:  Cancellation Policy

1. When you book you will receive an automated message from Eventbrite.  Save this carefully please.
2. Any cancellations need to be received in time for STEMLinc to re-sell your tickets to other teachers.
3. Please use the Eventbrite confirmation email to facilitate any cancellation of your booking.  That will automatically release your ticket for re-sale on our system.