to the children. Discuss the story. Use prediction strategies while reading. (I have a hermit crab puppet with which I will introduce the story.)
KEY WORDS:
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hermit crab, sea anemones, starfish, corals, snails, sea urchins, lantern fish, algae, sponges, barnacles, clown fish, sand dollars, electric eels
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Sea Anemones
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may look like flowers, but they are soft animals (polyps) without bony skeletons. They come in many shapes and colors. With their many arms (tentacles) they catch their prey. Some specialize in attaching themselves to the shell of the hermit crab. Then they protect and camouflage the hermit crab, and, in turn, may share the hermits crab’s meals. This arrangement is called symbiosis, meaning that both animals benefit from each other.
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Starfish
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There are many kinds of starfish. Most have five arms growing from a central disk. The mouth of a starfish is on the underside of this disk, and it has a single, simple eye on the end of each arm. With its powerful arms it can open an oyster, or hold onto a rock during a storm when the waves lash.
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Corals
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are somewhat similar to tiny sea anemones that build hard skeletons around themselves. Then hundreds and hundreds of them stick together, forming whole colonies. Some look like branches; others are round or disk-like. Millions upon millions fuse themselves together to build miles long coral reefs. Some, however, live by themselves.
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Snails
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There are approximately 80,000 species of snails and slugs. Some live on land, others live in the sea or in lakes. Some carry a shell—their “house”—on their backs; others have none. The shells come in many colors and shapes.
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Sea Urchins
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Some are fat and round, others are thin and spindly. Many have long spines (sometimes poisonous) with which they move around and dig into the mud or rocks or other places. Their mouths, with five pointed teeth, are on the underside.
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Lanternfish
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like fireflies, have luminous, or light-producing, spots on their bodies that light up their dark surroundings. Some lanternfish have a lantern-like organ that dangles in front of their mouths, attracting other fish which become their prey.
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Discuss what the key words mean. Encourage full class participation. Ask them what these excerpts are about? Where are these words going to lead us?