Understanding Manatees

Reprinted from The Wild Times Teacher Connection v3n3, Spring 1998.

It is difficult to comprehend something as alien as a manatee if one has not experienced them. Especially difficult for children is interpreting the abstractions of the size and weight of such a large animal. The following suggestions are presented as activities in which you and your students may engage to de-mystify these unusual creatures.

How many children does it take to equal the weight of an average manatee?

Children may be sensitive about their individual weight, but by submitting their weight on a secret ballot, an average weight for your age group can be computed. We suggest that children be presented with the class sum rather than the individual weights. They can then compute the mean average by dividing that sum by the number of children in the class.

Once an average child weight is arrived at, the children can easily use that weight as a divisor in finding the number of children that equal the weight of the average 1200 pound (500 kg) manatee.

To make this number more concrete, gather that many children together near a actual size model of a manatee.

How large is a manatee?

Enlarge the scale line drawing of a manatee to actual size.

This is a line drawing of an adult manatee. To construct a full sized model, assume this manatee was 12 feet long from nose to tail. Thus, 1 inch is equal to approximately 2 feet.

This is a fun whole class activity. By dividing the drawing into equal squares, individuals or teams can draw a small portion of the whole animal. The pieces can then be cut out and assembled to construct the model.

Extension: create a 3-dimensional model of a manatee by stuffing a paper model or by following the techniques described by Esther Perlman in the Winter '98 edition of The Teacher Connection (Vol. 3, No. 2, page 10).

How much does a manatee eat?

Have children find the mass of food they eat per day by creating the typical "kid diet" for a day and weighing the food.

A manatee eats as much as 10% of its body weight each day. What fraction of their body weight do your students eat? Again, to be sensitive to children's diets, body image, etc., this activity may be more appropriate as a private exercise that is handed in only to the teacher and not publicly shared.

How long can a manatee hold its breath?

Manatees hold their breath for 3 to 5 minutes when active and up to 20 minutes when resting. Your students will have fun having a breath holding contest to see how close they can come to a manatee.

Manatee Observation

Of course there is no substitute for observing these quiet animals as they browse and swim. If you are fortunate to be at a location frequented by wild manatees or near a facility with captive manatees, take your students for a "field study".

Other Manatee Pages:

Manatee Math (lesson plans)
Manatee Natural History

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