A Chesapeake blue crab
Senses of the Chesapeake Creatures
Grade 4
Many creatures of the Chesapeake Bay have weak vision or don’t have any vision at all. The Chesapeake blue crab and moon jellyfish are examples of two such creatures. So, how are these organisms able to hunt prey and eat food with weak vision or without any vision at all? We will explore the answer to that question in this lesson.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
I can explain how animals use their sensory structures (senses) to process information and respond to it, and how these senses contribute to the animals’ survival.
- What structures do creatures of the Chesapeake Bay have that enable them to sense and hunt prey?
- What are the functions of the unique sensory structures that Chesapeake creatures have?
Creatures of the Chesapeake Clip
- What senses and structures do blue crabs use to hunt and eat food?
- How do blue crabs hide in order to go undetected as they hunt their prey?
- What senses and structures do moon jellyfish use to hunt, stun prey, and keep balance?
- How do moon jellyfish maintain balance and movement without vision?
- What is a jellyfish bloom and what is this a sign of?
Vocabulary
Supplemental Enrichment Activities
Senses Article and Model
Read the article to better understand how sensory organs/structures work to help humans and other animals detect and sense things from their surroundings. The article explains how sensory organs send information to the brain to be processed and responded to. Have students design a model to show the sensory process in action. For instance, one model might show a fly buzzing near an ear. The ear should have an arrow to show that it carries the sound to the brain. Another arrow depicts the message the brain then sends to the hand, telling it to swat the fly.
Sensory Structures and Functions of Crabs and Jellyfish
View the graphic organizers that lists four unique sensory structures of the Chesapeake blue crab and moon jellyfish mentioned in the video. For each sensory structure, list its function that allows the organisms to hunt, eat, and better survive in the Chesapeake Bay.
Five Senses Model
Using the model, review the five main senses organisms use to help detect and process information. Have students explain which of the five senses the Chesapeake blue crab and moon jellyfish use with their sensory structures, and how those senses contribute to the sea creatures’ survival.
Career Connections