Parasites: Rulers of the Reef

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Resource ID#: 154910 Primary Type: Text Resource
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This informational text resource is designed to support reading in the content area. The text informs readers about the influence of parasites on damselfish, a coral reef species. The author explains how his team determined the reason for the consistent behavior of damselfish leaving their aggressively guarded territory each morning to go to a cleaning station. Through the scientist describing how his research lead to new observations that lead to new questions and research, the text is a good example of how scientific investigations are conducted, including working collaboratively and communicating important results.

General Information

Subject(s): Science, English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators educators
Resource supports reading in content area:Yes
Keywords: coral reef, damselfish, parasites, Caribbean, scientific methods, scientific communication, scientific collaboration, mutualism, parasitism, text complexity, informational text
Instructional Component Type(s): Text Resource
Resource Collection: STEM Reading Resources

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Lesson Plan

Investigating Rulers of the Reef: Coral Reef Parasites :

This lesson uses an NSF article to inform the reader about the influence of parasites on damselfish, a coral reef species. The author explains how his team determined the reason for the consistent behavior of damselfish leaving their aggressively guarded territory each morning to go to a cleaning station. He also explains how more questions arose throughout his investigation, questions like "Do these parasites carry other parasites that infect fishes?" and "Do these gnathiid parasites infect other species of fish?" This first-person account creates an interesting view of how marine research is done, including field work, lab work, and collaborating with other scientists. This lesson is designed to support reading in the content area. The lesson plan includes a note-taking guide, text-dependent questions, a writing prompt, answer keys, and a writing rubric.

Type: Lesson Plan