How can organisms light up in water? Bioluminescence is light produced in a chemical reaction that can occur in an organism's body. First, learners determine what happens to light/color as you move into the deep ocean. In groups, they then experience how bioluminescence helps organisms find food and discuss other adaptations to areas of low/no light. 

Concepts

sunlight, the deep sea, animal adaptations

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• For lesson 14, create groups so the entire class is involved, giving one learner in each group the role of the gulper eel
• Activities could be included in a chemistry unit when discussing chemical reactions, when teaching about the layers of the ocean, or when teaching adaptations

Classroom Considerations

• Requires quite a bit of prep work cutting and making materials for the two lessons
• Materials list for first activity is lengthy; get helpers or other teachers to help gather and set up materials
• Part six in a series of 10

Pros

• Provides tremendous background information for teachers
• Includes extension activities, other resources, and ways to evaluate learners

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.3