• Phase One: Oyster Knowledge Builder
• Phase Two: Dissection of an Oyster
• Phase Three: Ocean Floor in a Shoe box
• Phase Four: Tasting an Oyster

Grade Level: 6-8 Grade
 
 

Content Area: Science

Language Arts

Home Economics

Math

Computers

Concepts: Oyster Anatomy

Oyster reproduction, ingestion, excretion and circulatory system

Ocean floor

Charting and Graphing Results on the Computer

Phase One: Oyster Knowledge Builder
 
 

Goals:

1. Students will learn the general anatomy of an oyster including the following topics which will be incorporated with the oyster dissection:

a. reproduction

b. ingestion and excretion

c. circulatory system

Materials: Overheads diagramming the parts of the oyster

Handouts created by the teacher on the reproduction, ingestion and excretion, and circulatory system of the oyster

Internet sites and resources for the teacher (see resources below)

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes total to be broken down into 3 30-minute times to cover each of the above goal topics on the oyster.
 
 

Procedure:

1. The teacher will research on the anatomy and structure of the oyster before presenting this lesson to the class using the Internet sites and library resources. (see resources below)

2. Each topic (reproduction, ingestion and excretion, and circulatory system) will be covered in a 30-minute knowledge building session. These sessions should be used as time to review and present accurate information to the students in between looking at the anatomy of the topic being covered on the actual oyster.

3. The students will participate in the discussion.
 
 

Assessment: Use the Classroom Observation Rubric (see attached)
 
 

Oyster Resources:
 
 

1. http://www.csc.noaa.gov/otter/htmls/data/species/oyster.htm

2. http://encarta.msn.com.index/concise/oval11/0202d000.asp

3. http://www.assateague.com/nt-bival.html.

4. http://www.aristotlesnotebook.com/aris3.html

5. http://www.wh.whoi.edu/faq/fishfaq5a/html

6. http://wwwumdnj.edu/~gsbs/anat.anatomy.html

7. http://www.hiroshima-cdas.or.jp/pref/hiroshima/gaiyou/htmleng/eind31.htm
 
 

Phase Two: Dissection of an Oyster
 
 

Goal: Students will dissect and explore the anatomy of an oyster.
 
 

Materials: scalpel or knife to open the oyster

1 oyster for every 2 students

Wax paper or dissection trays

Plastic garbage bags or zip lock bags

Paper

Writing utensil

Time: 2 hours

The following day 2 more hours will be spent dissecting the oyster

*Depending on the age level the students may need more time.

Procedure:

1. The teacher will discuss the importance of safety using the scalpel or knife and the ethics of using dissection of animals for research.

2. Students will assemble in groups of two for the dissection. Each group will be given an oyster.

3. Students will use the scalpel or knife to gently slice along the adductor (hinge). This step can be done prior to dissection by the teacher to avoid the use of a scalpel or knife by students.

4. The teacher should use phase one incorporated with each step of the dissection. Use phase one to accurately point out the specific topics on the actual oyster.

5. Students will examine the anatomy of the oyster and take notes on the shape, color and texture of the shell and the oyster's interior. The notes should be based on the accurate identification noted by the teacher.

6. Students will observe and take notes on the anatomy of the oyster using the oyster anatomy sheet. (see attachment)

7. Students will place their oyster in a plastic bag and in a refrigerator for further dissection the following day.

Assessment: Success will be accomplished with the completion of the oyster anatomy sheet for this phase (yes or no) along with accurate identification on the study guide verified by the teacher. Upon the completion of the anatomy dissection (determined by the teacher) the students will take an oyster anatomy station test. A station test is conducted by displaying a part of the anatomy of the oyster with a pin numbering the part or questions asking about the anatomy of the oyster on each desk. Students will rotate to each station answering the questions or identifying the anatomy. Success is determined by a high degree of accuracy. A high degree of accuracy is considered to be 75% accuracy or better.
 
 

Phase Three: Ocean Floor in a Shoe box
 
 

Goals:

1. Students will create an ocean floor using a shoe box.

2. Students will measure other students' shoe boxes.

3. Students will create a graph of an ocean floor.
 
 

Materials: Shoe box

Sand and objects such as shells, metal objects, and rocks

12 inch white wire 1/4 inch thick

Ruler

Computers with Lotus 1-2-3 or another graphing program

Scissors or hole punch

Marker

Playdough (see attached recipe)

Tin Foil

Time: 2 hours
 
 

Procedure:

1. The teacher will discuss the ocean bottom make up including continental shelf, trench, abyss, continental rise, shelf brake, ridge, rift valley and a guyot. An overhead can be created to assist the visual concept of these definitions.

2. Students will assemble in groups of 3-4. Each group should have playdough, tin foil, a shoe box, objects, ruler, wire, and scissors or hole punch.

3. Students will line the bottom of the shoe box with tin foil and create an ocean floor using playdough.

4. The students can also place objects on the bottom to represent objects found on the ocean bottom. There should be a variation in their ocean bottom to represent the different heights of the ocean bottom.

5. Once the ocean floor is assembled the students will make several holes in the top of the shoe box to allow the wire to enter the inside of the shoe box. (see attached for example)

6. Students should take the 12-inch wire and with a ruler mark every half-inch with a blue mark and every inch with a red mark.

7. Students will switch boxes with another group.

8. Students will plot out the bottom of the box by poking the wire through the holes. With each poke the student should measure how deep the wire goes down until it rests on the ocean floor. Record these results by making a diagram of the shoe box with the holes and the measurement for each of the holes.

9. Students will then go to the computer to graph out the 3-D representation of the shoe box that another group has created on Lotus 1-2-3 or another graphing program.

10. Once the graphs are complete the students may open the box that they were working on and compare their graph with the shoe box.

11. The completed graphs should be placed in the ocean folder.
 
 

Assessment: The student will have successfully created a 3-D graph on the computer that represents the shoe box (yes or no). The observation rubric can be used as well as a high degree of accuracy on the 3-D representation. A high degree of accuracy is considered to be 80% correct.
 
 

Phase Four: Tasting an Oyster

Goals: Students will be able to experience the taste of an oyster in a recipe.
 
 

Materials: Recipes

Prepared oyster dish

Paper plates

Plastic forks

Napkins

Time: 30 minutes
 
 

Procedure:

1. The teacher will prepare an oyster dish from the following Internet recipes found at.

2. The students will sample the oyster dish.
 
 

Assessment: There is no assessment for this activity.
 
 

Extensions:

1. Students could visit an oyster farm if it is available in the area.

2. An aquarium can be kept in the classroom with an oyster to observe the filtration of algae.
 
 

Locate and write a brief description of the following to help you identify the anatomy for the station test:
 
 
 
 

Left valve:
 
 
 
 

Right valve:
 
 
 
 

Adductor muscle:
 
 
 
 

Mantle:
 
 
 
 

Labial Palps: also called the lips
 
 
 
 

Mouth:
 
 
 
 

Gills:
 
 
 
 

Cilia:
 
 
 
 

Heart:
 
 
 
 

Gullet: Connection between the mouth and the stomach.
 
 
 
 

Stomach:
 
 
 
 

Rectum:
 
 
 
 

Anus: