| Lighting Up the Sea |
| National Geographic |
| Simulation & exploration of bioluminescence marine animals |
"The ocean is divided into three light zones: the photic zone (less than 220 yards or 200 meters from the surface of the ocean), the "twilight" zone (between 220 to 1,100 yards or 200 to 1,000 meters from the surface), and the aphotic zone (more than 1,100 yards or 1,000 meters from the surface). In the "twilight" zone, it becomes increasingly difficult to see, and colors become obscured. The aphotic zone receives no light at all, and this region's inhabitants live in complete darkness…with the exception of the lights they emit from their own bodies. This phenomenon is known as "bioluminescence." While bioluminescent organisms can be found at all levels of the sea, their light-emitting capabilities come in particularly handy at the deeper levels.
Students will explore the reasons for bioluminescence by conducting a simulation and viewing pictures of bioluminescent marine animals on the Web. They will conclude by pretending to be deep sea divers and writing journal entries about their impressions of a bioluminescent animal they have encountered." |
Marnice Emerson
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Homeschool Buyers Co-op |
| General |
| Animals, Geography, Earth Science, Science |
| Simulation, Tutorial, Unit Study |
| 8,9,10,11 |
| 3,4,5 |
| http://nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g35/seaslighting.html |
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