What Is Seagrass and Why Is It Important?
Articles/Websites
Grades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Biology
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Mongabay Kids
What it is
- This article explains what seagrass is, where it grows, and its role in coastal and marine ecosystems.
- Through comic strips, videos, photos, and text, students will learn about the ecological importance of seagrass, its role in supporting wildlife, protecting coastlines, and storing carbon.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This resource does a great job of defining unfamiliar terms within the text.
- The video of life in the seagrass meadow is a beautiful example of its importance.
Prerequisites
- Some of the embedded links may be broken.
Differentiation & Implementation
- To make English language arts connections, teachers can use the section about algae to examine the prefixes macro- and micro-.
- Inspired by the cartoon image of the dugongs eating the seagrass, students can select one of the reasons seagrass meadows are important and draw a cartoon to demonstrate it.
- To demonstrate their understanding, students can complete an exit ticket explaining the difference between algae and seagrass in one sentence and listing one or two reasons seagrass is important.
- Teachers can use this resource to make connections to SDG 14, Life Below Water. Teachers can check out this curriculum guide for more ways to bring the Sustainable Development Goals to the classroom.
From the scientist review
This resource educates students about seagrass. Key terms are clearly defined, and focus is rightly placed on seagrass’s role in promoting biodiversity, storing carbon, and supporting climate resilience. Numerous links are included from trusted sources such as the Smithsonian and NOAA. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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