Dolphins: Lesson 1 Science, Yr 7
Animal Classification, Marine Food Webs and Human Impacts on Dolphins
The learning sequence for this activity begins by considering where dolphins and humans are placed in terms of the classification of organisms. It then examines where dolphins are in a food chain and how human activities around dolphin capture affect this. The impact of human activities on captive dolphins and the nature of the captive habitat is also discussed.
Time Allocation
Three lessons.
Voiceless Resources
- Fact Sheet – Dolphins in Captivity
- Video – Wild vs Captive Dolphins: 10 things you didn’t know about dolphins
- Infographic – Dolphins in Captivity
- Student worksheet – Table of Classification
- Teacher Guide – Dolphins in Captivity
- Teacher Video Notes – Wild vs Captive Dolphins: 10 things you didn’t know about dolphins
- Animal Protection Encyclopedia
Key Inquiry Questions
- How are animals classified?
- What are the interconnections within a marine food web?
- How does human activity affect wild dolphin habitat?
- Reflect upon the features of captive dolphin habitat.
Teacher Notes
It is recommended that teachers watch the video Wild vs Captive: 10 things you didn’t know about dolphins prior to the lesson. Access video notes for teachers here.
Suggested Learning Activities
1. PRE-TEST
- Recap previous lessons where the teacher would have introduced classification using hierarchical systems such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
- Ask students to complete the table of classification by putting humans, dolphins and one other animal of their choice into classification groups.
- Table of Classification (access pdf printable version here).
|
Human Being |
Bottlenose Dolphin |
Your favourite animal |
|
Kingdom: |
Kingdom: |
Kingdom: |
|
Phylum: |
Phylum: |
Phylum: |
|
Class: |
Class: |
Class: |
|
Order: |
Order: |
Order: |
|
Family: |
Family: |
Family: |
|
Genus: |
Genus: |
Genus: |
|
Species: |
Species: |
Species: |
2. EXPLORE
Food Chains
- Design a simple marine food chain. Include the following organisms: dolphins, phytoplankton, herring fish, humans, tuna fish, zooplankton, the sun (for energy).
- Label each organism.
Human Impacts on Local Habitats
- Watch the Voiceless video, Wild vs Captive Dolphins: 10 things you didn’t know about dolphins.
- Provide students with the 10 headings(below) from the video and ask them to write notes under each one as they watch. Ask students to share their notes as a class.
- Dolphins have complex social relationships.
- Wild bottlenose dolphins can live for over 50 years.
- Dolphins can swim over 60km every day.
- Dolphins are very smart.
- Dolphins, like us, get stressed out.
- Dolphins born in captivity are likely to remain in captivity.
- About 2,000 dolphins are in captivity today.
- Some captive dolphins have been taken from the wild.
- Dolphin captivity is banned in many countries.
- Your opinion matters.
3. DISCUSS
Think/Pair/Share Activity
- Divide the class in half.
- One half (A) will look at human impacts on habitat while the other half (B) will look at human impacts on an individual species from that habitat. YouTube resources listed below may assist students with this activity.
- A. Impact on Habitat. In pairs or small groups, ask students to think about the impacts of human activity on the habitats in which dolphins live. Use Taiji as an example. Consider the impact on other species in the food chain as a result of the dolphin hunt. List the pros and cons of this impact. Have the smaller groups share findings with their half of the class.
- B. Impact on Individual. In pairs or small groups, ask students to think about the impacts of a life in captivity on bottlenose dolphins. Compare the habitat of a captive dolphin with wild dolphin habitat. List the pros and cons of captivity. Students should refer to the Voiceless Fact Sheet: Dolphins in Captivity here. Have the smaller groups share findings with their half of the class.
4. SHARE
Ask for a spokesperson from each half of the class (i.e. A and B) to address the class and provide a summary of their group’s findings (i.e. impact on habitat/impact on individual).
5. REFLECT
Ask students to write a 150-word response to the following: ‘What is your opinion on the use of captive dolphins in dolphinariums? Can their lack of liberty be justified? Explain why or why not’.
6. USEFUL RESOURCES
- Animal Diversity Web. The University of Michigan, The Museum of Zoology, 2020, animaldiversity.org.
- Fabulous Food Chains: Crash Course Kids #7.1. Crash Course Kids, 2015, youtube.com.
- Ocean Food Chains and Food Webs – Friends with Fins. Jaclyn Friedlander, 2015, youtube.com.
- Exploring Ecosystems: Coastal Food Webs. California Academy of Sciences, 2016, youtube.com.
- Dolphins Trick Fish With Mud “Nets”. BBC Earth, 2013, youtube.com.
- Secret Life of Dolphins Uncovered by Podcam. BBC News, 2014, youtube.com.
- Dusky Dolphins and Bull Sperm Whales | South Pacific. BBC Earth, 2012, youtube.com.
- Dolphins: Even Smarter Than You Thought | Nat Geo Live. National Geographic, 2015, youtube.com.
- Spinner Dolphins | Untamed Americas. National Geographic, 2012, youtube.com.
- Bottlenose Dolphin Gang Rumble. National Geographic, 2007, youtube.com.
- Dolphin Parenting. National Geographic, 2008, youtube.com.
- How Do Dolphins Stay Awake For So Long?. National Geographic, 2016, youtube.com.
- A Baby Dolphin is Born | Dolphins of Shark Bay. National Geographic WILD, 2016, youtube.com.
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