Marine/Aquatic Education
Beach Hopper Bonanza:
Inquiry-based learning while having fun!
Field trips are exciting. Field trips incorporating inquiry-based learning and live
animals are even better.
By Stephanie Schroeder, Alix Laferriere, Jan Ward, Merry
Introductory Lessons
Lojkovic, Kara Davidson, Ashley Binter, and Ben Grupe
Lesson 1-Intro to beach hoppers-KWHL chart
Goal-how to ask good science based questions while learning
T
his second grade unit focuses on beach hoppers, tiny am-
phipods found on most sandy beaches. The first three les-
about beach hoppers
sons focus on learning beach hopper characteristics in the
Key concepts-Good science based questions help us learn
classroom and teaching students how to do scientific fieldwork.
information and sharing information is a good way to learn.
Once the students are beach hopper experts, they take a field trip
Show a picture of a beach hopper and describes where they
to the sandy beach to conduct experiments on beach hoppers.
live and sets up a chart, labeled ‘Beach Hoppers’ with four col-
umns-what we know, what we want to know, how we can learn,
and what we learned. Students are asked to provide their thoughts
Background
and ideas on the first three questions. If time permits, the instructor
On the west coast, there are primarily 2 species of beach can label the picture of a beach hopper and go through its anatomy
hoppers, Orchestoidea californiana and O. corniculata. The animals (antenna, eye, head, thorax, abodomen, walking legs, cheli) and dis-
reach lengths of 28 (1.1 inches) and 25 mm (.98 inches), respec- cuss how the parts of the animal are used. (A beach hopper picture
tively. Beach hoppers can be found along the mid tide line where with anatomical labels can be found on the OIMB GK12 webpage,
the sand is neither too dry nor too wet. Typically, they can be under Beach Hopper Unit Summary, see Resources section.)
found on both sheltered and exposed beaches, near washed up
algae. It is best to go in search of them prior to the field trip. Look
Lesson 2-Can you jump as far as a beach hopper?
for small holes and start digging or look under algae in the wrack
Goal-measuring and introduction to proportions by compar-
line. (Refer to the Beach Hopper Biology websites listed in the
ing how far beach hoppers and humans can jump (Relative to body
Resources section.)
size, beach hoppers can jump much further than humans.)
Page 20 http://www.clearingmagazine.org Clearing - 2009 Compendium Edition
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