Ingenius Bubble Net Fishing Phenomenon

Contributor
BBC Earth
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Phenomenon , Animation/Movie
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

Amazing BBC video of humpback whales in Alaska working together to fish for herring by blowing bubbles around a school of fish to capture them and synchronize the group's feeding. Students can watch this phenomenon to gather evidence of animal groups working together to help members survive. 

Intended Audience

Educator and learner
Educational Level
  • Grade 3
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.

Performance Expectations

3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource was not designed to build towards this performance expectation, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
This video provides a stunning example of how groups of humpback whales cooperate to help the members survive It can be used to meet 3-LS2-1 by having students use the information they gather to construct arguments. In addition to watching this video, students can gather information about how animals in groups help each other to survive from other videos and books. Perhaps each student (or each group of students) might become experts on different types of animal groups. Then, they can share what they learned with others by creating a poster, digital presentation, mini-book, or oral presentation. The class can participate in a science talk focusing on the question: Why do some animals live in groups? In this discussion, students can provide evidence from their reading/research to support their claims and a class chart can be created of all the different ways that animal groups are advantageous.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource was not designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Students can obtain information from this video and other resources, then summarize what they learned to explain how animals in groups help each other survive. This information could be shared in a science talk, in science notebooks, via written explanations, and/or via digital presentations.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource was not designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
After students gather information from the video (and perhaps other sources), they can identify specific animal groups that help animals obtain food, defend themselves and cope with changes. A class chart or table could be created. In addition, students might brainstorm why the humpbacks only have this behavior in this location (based on data available to us). Why might this be so?

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource was not designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
The teacher can introduce or review the concept of systems and show examples of how animal groups act like a system with individual parts performing individual functions.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: - none -

  • Instructional Supports: - none -

  • Monitoring Student Progress: - none -

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: - none -