1. Slide 1
Coral Reefs
What is a coral reef? Where would you see one? What would you like to learn about coral reefs?
Coral reefs are busy underwater places where many colorful animals and plants live.
Some people think coral reefs are made of rocks or shells, but that’s not so. Coral reefs are actually made up of tiny living creatures called coral polyps. These animals are only about 1/4 inch across. It takes millions of coral polyps to make one reef. Different polyps form different kinds of coral. Coral can be many different colors. It can be interesting shapes and sizes, too.
Coral reefs are located in warm, shallow water, usually near land. The biggest coral reef in the world is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is about 1,260 miles long!

2. Slide 2
Coral Reefs (Cont.)
Imagine you are swimming near a coral reef. What animals might you encounter?
First, you’d see the brightly colored coral. What’s coral made up of? Coral polyps! So that’s one animal you’d see. There are many more animals living in the coral reef, though. More animals live in coral reefs than anywhere on Earth except rainforests.
Most fish around the coral reef have bright colors and patterns. Mandarin fish have colorful stripes and dots to warn bigger fish to stay away. If you see a butterfly fish, you might think it has eyes on its head and its tail! Lionfish have spines to defend themselves against predators.
Lobsters, shrimp, and crabs live in the reefs, too. Don’t be fooled by the sea anemones. They look like flowers, but they are not! Then there’s the giant clam. It can grow up to 5 feet wide and can weigh 500 pounds!
Be careful, though. You might encounter sharks or barracudas that are hunting for food near the reefs. And don’t stick your hand into a hole in the reef—a moray eel may be living in it!

3. Slide 3
Coral Reefs (Cont.)
How do the animals that live near a coral reef survive? Like you and me and all other living things, they need food. What do they eat? They eat each other!
The animals of the coral reef are part of a food chain. Tiny plants and animals are at the bottom of the food chain. They get their energy from the sun. The coral polyps eat the tiny plants and animals. Then small animals eat the polyps. Bigger animals eat the small animals. Then the biggest animals, like sharks, eat the bigger animals.
It’s important that all the animals in the food chain survive. What happens if one part of the food chain disappears? All the other parts of the chain react. It’s a chain reaction. If there are no tiny plants and animals, the polyps won’t have food to eat. If the polyps disappear, what will the small animals eat? That’s why it is important to protect all the plants and animals in the food chain.

4. Slide 4
Coral Reefs (Cont.)
It takes a very long time for a coral reef to grow. That’s because a coral reef grows only about one inch a year. Think of how many years it took for the Great Barrier Reef to form!
But today, coral reefs are in danger. Parts of many coral reefs have
already been destroyed. Scientists think that many of the coral reefs will completely disappear. Why? People are not careful around coral reefs. They step on or touch the coral, which kills it. Sometimes they take the coral. People also fish for the animals that live in and around the reefs, which can damage the reefs and interrupt the food chain. People also pollute the oceans with garbage, and the pollution can kill the reefs.
What positive steps can you take to help protect coral reefs? Spread the word! Don’t pollute. Suggest that people stop dumping garbage that can damage the reefs. Tell people to look, but to not touch, when they explore the beautiful coral reefs. With everyone’s help, coral reefs can survive.
Unit 5, Week 5
Coral Reefs
1. What creatures live in the ocean?
2. How does littering damage our community?
3. Why do animals need to defend themselves?
4. What animals might you encounter in the woods?
5. What do you do that takes a lot of energy?
6. What happens when your sleep gets interrupted?
7. Where is your house located?
8. What are some ways that humans pollute the Earth? How can we pollute less?
9. What positive steps can we take to clean up our classroom?
10. How do you react when something good happens to you?