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Overview:
This lesson introduces students to manatees. Students will learn about manatees' behavioral characteristics and how manatees in captivity interact with people. They will conclude by creating "manatee booklets" to educate others about this species.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, life science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Time:
Two hours
Materials Required:
Objectives:
Students will
- look at pictures of manatees and describe their impressions of these animals;
- identify Florida on a map;
- listen to information about a manatee at a wildlife park, and discuss this manatee's "personality";
- explain how manatees' physical and behavioral characteristics might make them vulnerable to human threats; and
- create booklets to educate other people about manatees' characteristics.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Have students look at the manatee pictures at one or both of these Web sites:
Manatee Photographs
West Indian Manatees
Ask them to describe their first impressions of these animals. Have they ever seen anything like a manatee before? Do manatees remind them of any other animals? What words come to mind when they see these pictures?
Tell the class that early explorers in Florida thought manatees were either mermaids or monsters. As they will learn, these explorers were not very well informed!
Ask one or more students to point out Florida on a United States map. Explain that most of the manatees in the United States live along the coast of Florida and in Florida's lakes and rivers that are connected to the ocean.
Development:
Ask students to explain, based on the photographs in the opening, whether manatees look friendly, shy, or aggressive.
Read to the class some excerpts about Betsy, one of the manatees at the wildlife park. As you read, ask them to think about Betsy's "personality" and how she interacts with people.
After you have finished reading, discuss these questions as a class:
- Is Betsy a curious manatee? What does she do when she's curious?
- What does Betsy do when she wants a treat?
- Does Betsy get along well with the other manatees?
- Does Betsy get along well with people?
Closing:
Explain to the class that manatees face some problems that are caused by human activities. In particular, people who drive their boats carelessly or too fast might hit manatees. Manatees might also become tangled up in fishing lines. Fortunately, many people are working hard to protect manatees, even some boaters and fishermen who care about this interesting species.
Share this information with the class:
- Manatees swim close to the water's surface.
- Manatees are slow swimmers.
- Manatees are very gentle animals and do not attack people.
Ask students to describe how these characteristics might play a role in the manatees' problems with boaters and other people in Florida's busy waters.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students make "manatee booklets" that contain drawings and text to illustrate manatees' appearance and behaviors. Their booklets should try to educate other kids and adults about why manatees are an interesting and likeable species and why they should be protected.
Extending the Lesson:
Have students look at the Spring 2002 manatee migration map. First, make sure they understand which part of Florida the larger map is showing (indicated in the small inset map). Then have them click on the larger map to see the details.
Explain that the colored dots represent different manatees, which are being tracked with special devices people have attached to the manatees' backs. As the manatees move around, people record their locations and place dots on this map.
Ask students to describe the types of places where the manatees like to live, according to this map. They should notice that manatees do go into inland rivers, but they prefer staying around the bays and islands near the coast.
Have students choose one manatee and trace its movement, using the colored dots as a guide.
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