Manatee Mini Unit

We're so excited to share our Manatee Mini-Unit with you, where you and your learners will explore the gentle giants of the sea.
Here's what we've included for you in this comprehensive mini-unit:
Manatee and Dugong Insights: We've provided engaging information about manatees and their relatives, dugongs, often called "sea cows". You'll learn about their gentle, herbivorous nature and how they migrate to find warm waters and abundant food. We'll also explore their specific habitats, with manatees found primarily in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean around the Americas and Africa, and dugongs in the Indo-Pacific region.
Physical Characteristics: We've detailed what makes manatees unique, from their paddle-shaped, rounded tails to their thick, wrinkled gray or brown skin, which often appears green due to algae growth. You'll discover their sensitive whiskers, which help them sniff out food, and how their streamlined bodies help them glide through the water.
Behavioral Fun Facts: We've included some truly captivating facts! Did you know manatees are related to elephants? Or that they spend 10-12 hours a day resting or sleeping? They are very friendly and curious, though it's always best to observe them from a distance. You'll also learn about their impressive ability to hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and how they surface every 3-5 minutes for air.
Dietary Habits: We've highlighted their vegetarian lifestyle! Manatees are herbivores, primarily eating aquatic plants like seagrasses, water hyacinth, and marine algae, consuming up to ten percent of their body weight daily.
Interactive Activities: We've designed several engaging activities to reinforce learning:
Note-Taking Guides: Use our structured guides to collect targeted information on manatees.
Nature Journaling: Get creative with drawing prompts to capture what you've learned.
Anatomy Labeling: Utilize the provided anatomy poster and cut-and-paste activity to learn about manatee body parts.
Manatee Matching & Fact Folding: Fun visual activities to solidify knowledge.
Mapping Activities: Determine where manatees live by coloring in regions on a world map or cutting and pasting manatees onto their habitats.
Conservation Corner: This is a very important part of the unit. We've included information about the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the biggest threat facing manatees: boats. You'll also find a link to an educational video on manatee conservation and a page for creating a conservation poster or notes.
Creative Projects & Games:
Manatee Migration Game: A board game to help understand the challenges manatees face during migration.
Rock Painting Craft: Directions to paint a manatee on a smooth, gray rock.
Manatee Seagrass Smoothie Recipe: A delicious and healthy recipe inspired by the manatee's diet.
Food Critic Review (Optional): A unique activity where you can write a food critic review from the perspective of a marine predator explaining why manatees have few natural predators, with a fun sample from "Finn the Foodie Shark".
 
*This is a digital product. No physical item will be sent