Cape Lookout National Seashore

Life on the Outer Banks An Educator’s Guide to Core and Shackleford Banks

Fifth Grade Edition

Prepared by the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center

Funded by a grant from the

National Park Service

Parks as Classrooms

The National Park Service’s Parks as Classrooms program is a nationwide initiative to encourage utilization of the resources of America’s national parks for teaching and learning. A visit to the National Park Service’s homepage (http://www.nps.gov) reveals a myriad of learning opportunities available to our nation’s students and teachers. Students will discover history and explore nature within the context of a changing world; and yet, within the boundaries of many parks, the hands of time are frozen to allow them a “snapshot” of the past. Parks as Classrooms focuses on bringing learning to life through hands-on, experiential opportunities that are student-friendly, field based, exciting and promote a sense of stewardship of park resources. Cape Lookout’s Classroom Lying just east of the North Carolina mainland are the barrier islands that compose the famed Outer Banks. Cape Lookout National Seashore protects 56 miles of the southern-most sections of this barrier island chain. The park covers the long, narrow ribbon of sand running from Ocracoke Inlet in the northeast, to Beaufort Inlet in the southwest. These barrier islands are 56 miles long and consist mainly of three habitat zones: wide, bare beaches with low dunes covered by scattered grasses, flat grasslands bordered by dense vegetation, and large expanses of salt marsh alongside the sound. Under the park’s protective watch, habitats rich with a diversity of flora and fauna thrive. The waters surrounding the park are nurseries and feeding grounds for marine mammals and sea turtles, while spring and fall migrations bring many different species of birds. Shackleford Banks is home to a population of wild horses whose lineage can be traced back for hundreds of years to Spanish horses. No less diverse than the animal life are the plant species which have adapted to this harsh and constantly changing environment and flourish within the constant struggle against wind and sea. Although Core Banks and Shackleford Banks are free of the intrusions of paved roads, resort facilities, and bridges to the mainland, vestiges of the Banks’ rich human history are still clearly evident. From Portsmouth—one of the earliest trading ports in North Carolina—to the family graveyard on Shackleford Banks, students gain an understanding of the men and women who carved out a unique lifestyle along the shores of Core, Back, and Pamlico Sounds. Anchoring the entire story of human struggle along the Banks is the more than 150 year old Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Its presence denotes aspects of a lifestyle lived close to and in harmony with nature’s elemental forces. The Classroom Guide This activity guide is one of a series to help teachers prepare their students for a visit to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Integrated within the science and social studies activities of the guide are selected narratives to give the teacher background information on this unique region of North Carolina. In addition to pre-visit, on-site and post-visit activities, the guide contains poems and songs of the region as well as alternate activities to spark a student’s imagination and stimulate problem-solving skill development. Teachers are encouraged to contact the Cape Lookout National Seashore, Division of Interpretation, 131 Charles Street, Harkers Island, NC 28531 (252-728-2250) to schedule visits for their classes.

Acknowledgements Patrick Kenney, Superintendent, Cape Lookout National Seashore Karen Amspacher, Executive Director, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Coordinators: Wouter Ketel, Management Assistant, Cape Lookout National Seashore Ike Southerland, Education Director, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Primary Authors: John Waszak, Beaufort, NC Teresa Everett, Morehead City, NC

Amy Sauls, Emerald Isle, NC Connie Mason, Morehead City, NC

Focus Group:John Waszak, Harkers Island Elementary School Donna Small, Newport Elementary School Norma Jean Gomez, Morehead City Primary Sue Martin, Atlantic Elementary School Kathryne Capps, Newport Middle School

Tanya Scott, Newport Middle School Becky Misner, Beaufort Middle School Brooks Sutton, Arendell Parrott Academy Kimberly Hughes, White Oak Elementary School

Editors and Reviewers:Donna Small, Newport Elementary School Norma Jean Gomez, Morehead City Primary Sue Sippel, Morehead Middle School Kimberly Hughes, White Oak Elementary School John Waszak, Harkers Island Elementary School

Richard Meissner, Cape Lookout National Seashore Kerby Price, Cape Lookout National Seashore Ann Kelly, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Teresa Everett, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum

Digital Editing: Sharon Starks, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Mary Ann Williams, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Julie Rogers, Arendell Parrott Academy Contributors: Barbara Cohea, Cape Lookout National Seashore Karen Duggan, Cape Lookout National Seashore

Katelyn Wilkerson, Arendell Parrott Academy Kerby Price, Cape Lookout National Seashore

Special Thanks to Classroom Partners: Nancy Allen, Carteret County Schools Mike Campbell, NC Wildlife Resources Commission Lori Brinn, Albemarle-Pamlico NEP Jill Fegley, Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve Wendy Arey-Kent, NC Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores Wayne Justice, NC Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores Sarah Phillips, NC Coastal Federation Teri Hathaway, NC Sea Grant Sarah Yelton, NC DENR Joanne Powell, NC Maritime Museum Ruth Gourley, NC Aquariam, Ft. Fisher Stephanie Misner, NC Aquariam, Ft. Fisher

Table of Contents

Parks as Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What is a Barrier Island? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ocean Currents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diversity of Plant and Animal Life on Cape Lookout National Seashore . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Science and Social Studies Lessons: Seashells and the animals that once lived in them

Pre-Site Visit Activity: Mollusk Adaptation Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mollusk Research Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pre-Site Visit Activity: Economics of Mollusks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dining on Mollusks Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On-Site Activity: Mollusk Adaptations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Observing Mollusks Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Post-Site Visit Activity: Mollusk Adaptations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Mollusks Move Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Post-Site Visit Activity: Colonial and Native American Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Estimating Wampum Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Traveling Trunk Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

References

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction The barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore—the southern stretch of the North Carolina Outer Banks—are some of the last remaining natural, undeveloped barrier islands in the world. While these islands are constantly changing, the National Seashore consists of three main islands that are relatively stable: North Core Banks, which includes Portsmouth Village at the northern end; South Core Banks, which includes the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Cape Lookout Village Historic District at the southern end; and Shackleford Banks, the former site of Diamond City and Wades Shore, and the current home of the Shackleford horses. Although uninhabited today, the Cape Lookout National Seashore was home to many people over the years. These islands, also called banks because they formed a border along the coast of North Carolina, were used as temporary fishing encampments by the Coree Indians, a tribe belonging to the Algonquian family. Later, they were used by maritime communities engaged in a variety of subsistence activities such as fishing, whaling, and trading. A series of storms in the early 1900s drove many residents, often called Bankers, to the mainland. In the 1950s the state of North Carolina began purchasing land in the Core Banks area in order to establish a park, but realized by the early 1960s that they did not have the resources to maintain the park. The U.S. Congress authorized the establishment of a national park in this area in 1966. The North Carolina government transferred its property on Core Banks and Portsmouth Island to the federal government in 1974. Shackleford Banks was added in 1985, and is a proposed wilderness area. Today, the Cape Lookout National Seashore covers 56 miles of beach and over 29,000 acres of land and water—protecting the natural and cultural heritage of these islands for generations to come.

What is a Barrier Island?

Barrier islands form as a result of thousands of years of geological processes involving the melting and formation of glaciers which result in the rise and fall of sea level. Barrier islands are called such because they create a barrier between the open ocean and the mainland, protecting the mainland coastline from wind, waves, tides, currents, and storms such as hurricanes. They shelter estuaries that form behind the islands. They also allow marshes to build up in the quiet waters of the sound.

“Here at the water’s edge, where the land meets the sea with marsh and shoal, sandy beaches and muddy bottom, is where life begins for all coastal people.” Karen Willis Amspacher, from “The Spirit of the Tidewater Community”

Inlets The channel of water between adjacent barrier islands is known as an inlet. Inlets can be short-lived features created when water breaches an island after a large storm such as a hurricane or a Nor'easter. They can also be longer lasting and provide a regular exchange between the sound or estuary and the open ocean: a gateway for a host of marine life and for boat traffic. The boundaries of Shackleford Banks as a barrier island are defined by the Atlantic Ocean, Back Sound, and two inlets: Beaufort Inlet on the west end and Barden Inlet on the east end. Prior to the hurricane of 1933, Shackleford was connected to Core Banks by what was locally called

“The Drain” or “The Ditch,” a low spot about 6 feet wide that flooded during high tide with about a foot of water. This breach did not stall human or animal traffic from crossing almost unhindered between Core and Shackleford Banks before 1933.

After the storm of September 1933, an inlet formed between Core and Shackleford Banks. This inlet was found to be advantageous for the commercial and recreational fishing fleets, allowing them to access the ocean more quickly and readily. Locals successfully petitioned the state to keep the new channel open by dredging, removing sand under the water’s surface. Senator Barden led the project, and so the inlet was named for him in gratitude for his assistance.

The 1888 map shows Shackleford Banks without Barden Inlet. The 1966 map shows the inlet.

Ocean Currents

Near Cape Lookout warm water flowing north along the Gulf Stream meets cold water flowing south from the Labrador Current. The intersection of these two distinct masses of water creates a unique diversity of flora and fauna along the East Coast of the United States. Both northern and southern species of fish, invertebrates, plant life, marine mammals, and birds reside in the waters off Cape Lookout. The map below shows the water temperature off the North Carolina coast during the month of November in 2009. Warmer water is shown in red or orange and cooler water is shown in blue and pink. Morehead City is marked with a star.

For more sea surface temperature maps go to: http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=0

Rutgers University Sea Surface Temperatures

These butterflies were found on small red cedar trees on the backside of a dune at Cape Lookout. They were on

their fall migration south to Mexico.

Diversity of Plant and Animal Life on Cape Lookout National Seashore The mixing of warm tropical currents and the colder Labrador Current brings a great deal of diversity to the Southern Atlantic coast, and accordingly, when studying the flora and fauna for this region, identification guides are needed for two regions: North Carolina to Brazil and North Carolina to Greenland. Some examples of the diversity of species in North Carolina can be found in the vegetation: bayberry plants and wax myrtles are present along our coast. Bayberry is a northern species and wax myrtle is a southern species. During the summer, it is not unusual for tropical fish, such as angelfish and sergeant majors, to visit the waters of Cape Lookout. Also, manatees—southern marine mammals—are occasionally seen in the summer and harbor seals—northern marine mammals—can be seen here at other times of the year. The diversity of plants and animals of Cape Lookout, in addition to its undisturbed habitats, make Cape Lookout National Seashore a wonderful place to observe wildlife. Another reason for the rich diversity of Cape Lookout is the wide variety of habitats that are present along this stretch of barrier islands. There are large stretches of beach, marsh, and sound, as well as upland habitats like maritime forest, dunes, and even freshwater ponds, that allow many organisms to survive here.

Migration

Many animals use the Cape Lookout area habitats as migration layovers or destinations. Butterflies, hundreds of ducks, shorebirds, fish, loggerhead sea turtles, green sea turtles, and various species of whales are just some of the animals that visit during the year.

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings

Common tern

The waters surrounding Cape Lookout National Seashore are feeding grounds for marine mammals and sea turtles. Four sea turtle species—loggerhead, green, Kemp's Ridley, and leatherback—are sometimes seen feeding in area waters. Only the loggerhead sea turtle regularly nests on the park's beaches during the summer months. Sometimes, green sea turtles or leatherback sea turtles will nest here, too, but Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are only found in the water.

Birds are the most easily observed animals at Cape Lookout. Spring and fall migrations bring a number of different species through the area. Stormy weather can also drive a few pelagic birds in from the open ocean for a visit. The beaches and dunes of the Cape Lookout National Seashore are the nesting areas for many species of birds, including black skimmers, least terns, common terns, American oystercatchers, and piping plovers. Some of them are either threatened or endangered species. Other birds—such as willets, sanderlings, and ruddy turnstones—are regularly seen feeding in the surf.

Mammals are common on the islands; rice rats, rabbits, river otters, and raccoons are some of the native species found here. On Shackleford Banks, there is a population of wild horses that have adapted to their environment over the past few hundred years. Although salt and brackish water environments dominate the islands, a few fresh water habitats support tree frogs and Fowler's toads. Diamond-back terrapins prefer the salt marsh areas, and the grasslands are the ideal habitat for five-lined racerunner lizards and black racer snakes. The Cape Lookout Bight area and Shackleford Banks have large dunes, and it is at Shackleford that you will find the most extensive maritime forest in the park. Vines are abundant and are at war with the trees. The changing geography of the island produces the strange and beautiful "ghost forests" on the ocean side of the groves: trees killed by advancing sand and salt spray leave their sun-bleached “skeletons” protruding from the sand.

Rice rat

Mollusk Background Information: Seashells and the animals that once lived in them Mollusks are known along the Outer Banks for two primary reasons. One, for the beautiful collectable shells they leave behind that are a major attraction for beach goers and the other, the seafood choices they offer at local restaurants and fish markets. Oysters, scallops, and clams are the major food sources among mollusks, but mussels, “conch,” and squid (calamari) can be found at eateries as well. Mollusks are a phylum of invertebrates that have soft bodies and generally protect themselves by secreting a shell made of calcium carbonate. Three major classes in the phylum are bivalves (two-shells), gastropods (stomach-foot, also called univalves), and cephalopods (head-foot). Locally, mollusks are important for their commercial value. Oysters are harvested by hand in the cooler months (months that have an “r”), often by oystermen walking through waist or chest deep water pulling a floating basket behind them. And oyster farms have now become a productive form of aquaculture along the coast. Clams are dug by locals as well as visitors since the tools are simple and the work rather easy with beds easily accessible to everyone. Scallops are dredged from the ocean bottom or may be collected by divers.

Although large gastropods are known locally as “conch,” they are usually whelks which have soft bodies suitable for conch chowder and conch fritters. Lightning and knobbed whelks are known by folks Downeast as left-handed conch and right-handed conch, respectively because of the side on which the shell opening is located. (When held with the apex upward, can the right hand or the left hand be inserted into the opening?) A third whelk, the channeled whelk, is also common in our waters.

The extraordinary diversity that mollusks display is based on the many evolutionary adaptations that each species has made to claim a very specific niche in their ecosystem. The obvious differentiation is seen in the three major classes. When in the classroom, one might show extreme differences among the classes, by comparing an oyster (bivalve that is a sedentary filter feeder), an oyster drill (gastropod that scrapes holes in mollusk shells to get to the flesh of the animal), and a giant squid (cephalopod that swims extremely well, hunting with suction-cupped tentacles). When looking for similarities, one might use a scallop (bivalve that “swims” using jet propulsion, a sea hare (gastropod slug that “swims” with undulations of its “wings”), and a chambered nautilus (cephalopod with a chambered buoyant shell that “swims” in an erratic manner similar to the scallop.

Baby Ear Shells

Live Baby Ear (shell can barely be seen)

Slipper snails offer another look at a mollusk adapting to assist its species survival. Using suction, slipper snails find a hard surface on which to attach. Subsequent slipper snails will attach themselves to the larger snail often forming a curving column with smaller snails above. They remain attached only lifting their shells slightly to allow water in and their siphons out to filter food from the water. Although slipper snails are gastropods (their body attaches to a shelf inside the shell), they are not predators. Because they are sedentary, they have taken on a generally bivalve lifestyle, filter feeding like clams and oysters. The snail at the bottom of the column is the largest, of course, and is also the only female in the column. The snails above disperse sperm downward toward the large female. If the female dies, the largest male (the one above the dead female) will change sex to become the matriarch of the column.

The adaptive diversity of gastropods (both in the ocean and on land) is truly amazing and allows for many opportunities to research and discuss how a series of minor mutations over many years can lead to the branching of one species to become two distinct species and eventually leading to evolution into distinct families and genuses. Since many gastropods have “lost” their shells to become slugs or nudibranchs, the baby ear shell snail may be shown as a possible example of a gastropod in transition. Baby ear shells are delicate white shells of a marine gastropod. The animal is attached to the inside of the shell, but cannot fit inside the shell, the animal being about ten times the volume of the shell. In fact, the mollusk actually encompasses the shell, appearing like a poached egg, but having the texture of uncooked chicken. It crawls (undulates) just under the surface of the sand seeking out bivalves that make up its diet. The animal appears to have no use for its shell, and students can surmise from this that this may be an example of how slugs came to evolve from needing a shell. A question to ask is “Without protection from its shell or camouflage to hide it, what is its adaptation that generally keeps it safe?”

Life on the Outer Banks - 5th Grade Edition Barrier Island Wildlife – Mollusk Adaptations

Pre-Site Visit Science Activity North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives 5 Science 5.L.2: Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem.

5.L.2.1: Compare the characteristics of several common ecosystems, including estuaries and salt marshes, oceans, lakes and ponds, forests, and grasslands. 5.L.2.2: Classify the organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors). 5.L.2.3: Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and animals to their ecosystem.

Description: Students will study and learn about mollusks in general. They will research to find information that is requested on the “Mollusks Research” worksheet. This will give them general background information that will be valuable when they visit Cape Lookout National Seashore for their on-site Science activity. Vocabulary: mollusk bivalve gastropod cephalopod

chiton predator prey siphon

mantle filter feeder taxonomy malacologist

Materials: computers with internet access and/or other research materials “Mollusk Research” worksheet mollusk field guides, if available—three excellent guides are listed here: Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas, Blair and Dawn Witherington Seashells of North Carolina, Hugh J. Porter & Lynn Houser Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast, Peter Meyer Directions: Begin with a large group discussion about Mollusks. (KLW?) Direction to steer the discussion might include: major groups of Mollusks, shell structure and composition, Mollusks without shells, what isn’t a Mollusk, Mollusks we eat, etc.

1. Assign or let students choose a Mollusk from the list of “Seashells commonly found at Cape Lookout.” (Do not assign the four Mollusks that will be observed at the Cape, nor the Atlantic slipper snail. This particular Mollusk’s Latin name has sexual overtones and its gender changing habit may be better left for older students to explore.)

2. Pass out copies of the “Mollusk Research” worksheet.

3. Using the internet, field guides and other research materials available, students should find information about the characteristics of three major Mollusk groups and enter appropriate information on the worksheet.

4. Students should continue their research, focusing on their assigned Mollusk. 5. Review and share research. Discuss the ways Mollusks have been used by humans.

(Food, tools and materials, money, decoration, etc.) Seashells commonly found at Cape Lookout: ponderous ark blood ark cut-ribbed ark incongruous ark mossy ark zebra ark (turkey wing) channel whelk lightning whelk knobbed whelk cross-barred venus (dog clam) sunray venus oyster calico scallop bay scallop

angel wing Atlantic slippersnail quahog (hard clam) lettered olive marsh periwinkle giant cockle pricklycockle cross-hatched lucine buttercup lucine surfclam Atlantic auger baby ear kittenspaw ribbed mussel coquina

channeled duckclam Florida fighting conch oyster drill Scotch bonnet mudsnail shark-eye moonsnail banded tulip common jingle penshell disc dosinia jackknife clam stout tagelus giant bittersweet Florida spiny jewelbox

Cape Lookout Science Malacologist: ___________ Mollusk Research Date: ___________ Our working definition of Mollusk: an unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrate animal which grows a shell or its ancient ancestors evolved away from a shell. (Mollusks make up the phylum Mollusca which in Latin means “soft.”)

Mollusk Classes:

Bivalves Gastropods Cephalopods

Characteristics of this class:

Examples of this class:

Mollusk to be studied: Latin name: Class: Range (where in the world it lives):

Habitat (type of place it lives—marsh, surf, etc.):

Niche (how it eats, how it moves, interaction with other animals in its ecosystem):

Adaptations for surviving in its habitat:

Interactions with humans (used by humans? problems for humans? etc.):

Life on the Outer Banks - 5th Grade Edition Barrier Island Wildlife – The Economics of Mollusks

Pre-Site Visit Science/Social Studies Activity North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives 5 Science 5.L.2: Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem.

5.L.2.1: Compare the characteristics of several common ecosystems, including estuaries and salt marshes, oceans, lakes and ponds, forests, and grasslands. 5.L.2.2: Classify the organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors). 5.L.2.3: Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and animals to their ecosystem.

5 Social Studies 5.H.1: Analyze the chronology of key events in the United States.

5.H.1.1: Evaluate the relationships between European explorers (French, Spanish and English) and American Indian groups, based on accuracy of historical information (beliefs, fears and leadership). 5.H.1.2: Summarize the political, economic and social aspects of colonial life in the thirteen colonies.

5.C.1: Understand how increased diversity resulted from migration, settlement patterns and economic development in the United States.

5.C.1.1: Analyze the change in leadership, cultures and everyday life of American Indian groups before and after European exploration. 5.C.1.2: Exemplify how the interactions of various groups have resulted in the borrowing and sharing of traditions and technology.

Description: Students will combine the scientific study of mollusks with the economics of mollusks as food which bring job opportunities that range from “the sea to the table.” Students will understand that the continuation of these eating and job opportunities is dependent on the cleanliness of the water and the estuaries. In order to continue getting fresh healthy seafood, including mollusks, estuaries must be maintained as they are the “nurseries for the sea.” Vocabulary: gastronome culinary market prices rate (ratio)

supply and demand market forces wild caught aquaculture

pollution economy

Materials: computers with internet access “Dining on Mollusks” worksheet Pencils or pens

Directions: Before beginning this activity, we should remind students that people around the world, or in their neighborhood, for that matter, eat many things that they may not care to eat. Share with them that we all should be careful in making vocal judgments on the food preferences of others because an “ugh” or “gross” or an ugly facial expression tells others that we think they are eating something “bad” or unacceptable when they may be eating something that is nutritious and delicious to them. A more appropriate response may be “that’s interesting,” which does not carry a value judgment about food that other people enjoy. Some of us may be more adventurous “foodies” than others and we should be allowed to enjoy our food choices.

1. Individually, fill out the “Dining on Mollusks” worksheet. Hopefully, many students will have positive eating experiences to share. If not, researching recipes for mollusk dishes may get students interested in trying mollusk dishes in the future. Write the names of dishes researched. Ask students to get creative with other ways to enjoy eating mollusks.

2. Share what students found and “invented” as possible mollusk dishes. Remind the students that at “Bug Fest” each year, a full free lunch is provided by the best chefs in Raleigh cooking exotic dishes that use insects.

3. Discuss the people and occupations that are involved in getting the “catch” or “harvest” to their table or a restaurant table.

4. Share/Discuss with the students the difference between wild caught and farmed mollusks, especially oysters and clams. “Wild caught” is a wonderful opportunity for local clammers and oystermen, but pollution issues have often become a problem.

5. Discuss the “stewardship” responsibility of the National Park Service and how the “stewardship” response by the Cape Lookout National Seashore is a major step in keeping “wild caught” from disappearing. Discuss what the students can do to help, especially when they go for their on-site activities.

6. Make a plan that might include carrying trash bags to each observation site and collecting trash between activities. Or something more creative.

Cape Lookout Social Studies Gastronome: ___________ Dining on Mollusks Date: ___________ What mollusks have you eaten? What are the ways that you have seen mollusks prepared and eaten? Did you like it? Do you have any fresh culinary ideas? Do you have any unusual ways to eat mollusks?

Mollusk Preferred Dishes/Recipes Like it? √

Other Dining Possibilities?

Squid

Quahogs (clams) Littlenecks Cherrystones

Other clams: _____________

Oysters

Whelk, Conch

Scallops

Mussels

Octopus

____________

____________

Life on the Outer Banks - 5th Grade Edition Barrier Island Wildlife – Mollusk Adaptations

On-Site Science/Social Studies Activity North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives 5 Science 5.L.2: Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem.

5.L.2.1: Compare the characteristics of several common ecosystems, including estuaries and salt marshes, oceans, lakes and ponds, forests, and grasslands. 5.L.2.2: Classify the organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors). 5.L.2.3: Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and animals to their ecosystem.

5 Social Studies 5.C.1: Understand how increased diversity resulted from migration, settlement patterns and economic development in the United States.

5.C.1.2: Exemplify how the interactions of various groups have resulted in the borrowing and sharing of traditions and technology.

Description: Students will collect shells of mollusks, and observe live mollusks to better understand the adaptations that mollusks have made to best fill their niche in the ecosystem they occupy. Because students are observing live specimens that are engaging in their normal life activities within their normal habitat, it is easier for students to make a more accurate assessment of how the animals live. Students will also learn about the gathering of food mollusks and conditions necessary to be sure that that which is gathered is safe to eat. Vocabulary: mollusk bivalve gastropod cephalopod

salt marsh estuaries sound beach

brackish predator prey siphon

filter feeder

Materials: Notebooks or clipboards (writing surface) Observation sheet (categories may be copied into their notebooks and sheets left at school) Pencils Each Group will need: Collecting bags (sealable quart/gallon storage bags with names written on them are preferable to plastic grocery bags because the latter end up blowing into the sea or across the dunes) Magnifying glass for each study group Small metric ruler for each group (flexible rulers may be made by copying a ruler onto a transparency sheet and the copied ruler cut out)

Directions: 1. Assign students to small study groups of 3 to 5. Take students on “nature walks”:

a. to the sound side saltmarsh to observe ribbed mussels and periwinkle. Include observations about how mussels might be harvested as a food source.

Did you know that you can “hum” a periwinkle out of its shell? Carefully place a periwinkle in the palm of your hand. Hum a tune, aiming the humming toward your hand. Watch the periwinkle slowly move its body from the shell and begin to move along your palm.

b. to the “sound beach” to observe mud snails at or just below the tide line. Plan to meet

a ranger for a clamming demonstration. Include observations on gathering clams as a food source.

c. on the boardwalk between the shelter and the Lighthouse looking for land snails and other “critters” (If land snails are not observed, use your prior knowledge and understanding of mollusks to imagine what they might look like and what they would be doing.)

d. to the beach (ocean side) to observe coquinas if available and to gather “seashells.” What is the feasibility of harvesting coquinas as a food source? Although many people have recipes for “coquina stew” and “coquina broth,” could coquinas be harvested for commercial sale.

(If you are planning to do the “Wampum Activity” back in your classroom, be sure to collect lots of quahog shells and pieces, especially those pieces that have purple color on the inner shell.)

2. At each location, have students record/share/discuss their observations. Using “Questions about Mollusks” may give the study groups a focus for their discussion. Student should write a few sentences from their discussion for each of the mollusks observed.

3. Look carefully at live specimens. You may remove them from their present locations to more closely observe them, but be sure to return live animals to their preferred habitat.

4. If you contacted the Parks Service about this lesson, pick up bags of shells (six bags per school) from the Visitors’ Center that are to be used with the post-site activity.

Questions to Ask when Observing Mollusks and their Shells

1. Is this mollusk a gastropod (univalve-one shell) or a bivalve (two shells)? 2. Does this mollusk move? How? If it is stationary, does it attach? 3. To get its food, do you think this mollusk hunts (predator), filter feeds (uses a siphon

to take in water from which its food is removed), or does it graze (scrapes algae from other surfaces)?

4. Can you guess Nature’s reason/purpose for the shape/size/structure of the shell? 5. Is there competition for the same resources that this animal needs?

Beach finds that are not mollusk shells: sea stars (starfish) sand dollar or its test sea urchin or its test operculum (“snail’s door”)

mermaid’s purse (skate eggcase) stony coral sea whip (coral)

sand collar barnacles sea glass

Seashells commonly found at Cape Lookout: ponderous ark blood ark cut-ribbed ark incongruous ark mossy ark zebra ark (turkey wing) channel whelk lightning whelk knobbed whelk cross-barred venus (dog clam) sunray venus oyster calico scallop bay scallop

angel wing Atlantic slippersnail quahog (hard clam) lettered olive marsh periwinkle giant cockle pricklycockle cross-hatched lucine buttercup lucine surfclam Atlantic auger baby ear kittenspaw ribbed mussel coquina

channeled duckclam Florida fighting conch oyster drill Scotch bonnet mudsnail shark-eye moonsnail banded tulip common jingle penshell disc dosinia jackknife clam stout tagelus giant bittersweet Florida spiny jewelbox

Cape Lookout Science Malacologist: ___________ Observing Mollusks Date: ___________ Write your groups observations in the chart below on each of the “Nature Walks.” Collect empty shells for post-visit activities. Be sure that the shells are empty. Sometimes hermit crabs hide deep in snail and whelk shells. If you move a live mollusk for closer observation, please return it to its proper home before you leave the observation site. Salt Marsh Description of Mollusk Size Movement?

Attachment? Habitat Exact Location

Periwinkle:

Observations:

Ribbed Mussel:

Observations:

Observations concerning collecting mussels as a food source:

Sound Side Beach Description of Mollusk Size Movement?

Attachment? Habitat Exact Location

Mud Snail:

Observations:

Observations concerning collecting clams as a food source:

Maritime Forest (If you don’t see mollusks, what might you imagine them doing?) Observations:

Imaginings (How would these mollusks be different from those at the other three sites?):

Oceanside Beach Description of Mollusk Size Movement?

Attachment? Habitat Exact Location

Coquina:

Observations:

Observations concerning collecting coquinas as a food source:

Seashells commonly found at Cape Lookout: ponderous ark blood ark cut-ribbed ark incongruous ark mossy ark zebra ark (turkey wing) channel whelk lightning whelk knobbed whelk cross-barred venus (dog clam) sunray venus oyster calico scallop bay scallop

angel wing Atlantic slippersnail quahog (hard clam) lettered olive marsh periwinkle giant cockle pricklycockle cross-hatched lucine buttercup lucine surfclam Atlantic auger baby ear kittenspaw ribbed mussel coquina

channeled duckclam Florida fighting conch oyster drill scotch bonnet mudsnail shark-eye moonsnail banded tulip common jingle penshell disc dosinia jackknife clam stout tagelus giant bittersweet Florida spiny jewelbox

Life on the Outer Banks - 5th Grade Edition Barrier Island Wildlife – Mollusk Adaptations

Post-Site Visit Science Activity North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives 5 Science 5.L.2: Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem.

5.L.2.1: Compare the characteristics of several common ecosystems, including estuaries and salt marshes, oceans, lakes and ponds, forests, and grasslands. 5.L.2.2: Classify the organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors). 5.L.2.3: Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and animals to their ecosystem.

Description: Students will review their group’s observations from the on-site visit and list the characteristics of each animal that are adapted to living in their habitat. Students will use their knowledge of mollusks to sort shells into categories based on similar and contrasting characteristics. Using reasoning skills and prior knowledge, students will match shell shapes with animal movement and will explain in writing, the observed factors that might lead them to their matched choices. Vocabulary: mollusk bivalve gastropod cephalopod

salt marsh sound beach predator

prey siphon filter feeder taxonomy

Materials: Assorted shells collected by students during the on-site visit Bags of shells received from the Visitors’ Center or personally bagged with the following shells: 1 oyster or ribbed mussel 1 scallop 1 slipper snail 1 quahog, ark shell, or cross-barred venus 1 lettered olive or whelk (or any other gastropod) Observation sheets from the on-site visit Copies of the “How Mollusks Move” worksheet Pencils or pens Directions:

1. Using the shells that were collected by the students at the Cape, establish Sorting Stations that should have from 5 to 10 different shells at each station.

2. Establish enough Sorting Stations in your classroom for the number of study groups you had at the Cape.

Bivalves

Gastropods (Univalve)

3. Before going to the Sorting Stations, reconvene the study groups from the Cape visit. Have them review/discuss the characteristics each animal they observed had that would be considered an adaptation for their habitat and living conditions. Share out in large group.

4. Assign a recorder/artist for each group. Groups should be assigned a first station and then directed to change stations (by numerical order or clockwise rotation) at 5 minute intervals. (Less time, of course, if your groups tend to move off task quickly.)

5. At each station, each study group will sort the shells into two or three groups, categorizing them by “scientific” criteria they choose. The recorder/artist will quickly record by name, description, or sketch the shells that fall into the categories determined by the criteria chosen. Ask the groups to use different criteria at each station.

6. In large group, have study groups share the categories into which they sorted the shells at various stations. Students should understand that these characteristics were a main sorting criteria for classifying animals into phyla, order, family, etc. (Taxonomy) Discuss why size and color in this instance are a less scientific way to sort the shells. (Shells of the same species may vary greatly due to age of the animal. Because a shell may have been without its original occupant for a long period of time, the original color may have been bleached by the sun or colored by the substrate they were trapped in—such as the salt marsh.)

7. Pass out “How Mollusks Move” worksheet and a bag of shells to each study group. 8. Study groups should study the shape and structure of each shell. Then, using logical

reasoning and prior knowledge, match each shell to the movement styles listed on the worksheet. In each box, students should write in the logical reasons why that style of movement would make sense for the shape and structure of that shell.

9. Share responses in large group.

Cape Lookout Science Malacologist: ___________ How Mollusks Move Date: ___________ Most mollusks move in one way or another. Most terrestrial (land) mollusks, which include snails and slugs, secrete a slimy (mucus) trail along which the animal’s pseudopod (fake foot) “muscles” along. The pseudopod is a strong muscular organ that can be pulled back into its shell for protection. Some marine mollusks move in this same way. Listed in the boxes below are four ways that mollusks move and a box for a permanently attached mollusk. Match the five shells that you will be given with their animal’s style of movement. In each box write the name of the mollusk and the reasons why that shell is adapted to that movement style. Even if you know through previous knowledge, you can still explain how the shape and structure of the shell lends itself to that movement. Larva attaches itself with “glue” and is stationary for all of its life. Mollusk: Reasoning:

Jumps and digs with a pseudopod. Mollusk: Reasoning:

“Swims” using jet propulsion. Mollusk: Reasoning:

Slides over another of its

kind and uses suction to stay attached permanently. Mollusk: Reasoning:

Uses its pseudopod to muscle along a trail of mucus. Mollusk: Reasoning:

Life on the Outer Banks - 5th Grade Edition Colonial and Native American Currency – Quahog Wampum

Post-Site Visit Social Studies/Math Activity North Carolina Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives 5 Social Studies 5.H.1: Analyze the chronology of key events in the United States.

5.H.1.1: Evaluate the relationships between European explorers (French, Spanish and English) and American Indian groups, based on accuracy of historical information (beliefs, fears and leadership). 5.H.1.2: Summarize the political, economic and social aspects of colonial life in the thirteen colonies.

5.C.1: Understand how increased diversity resulted from migration, settlement patterns and economic development in the United States.

5.C.1.1: Analyze the change in leadership, cultures and everyday life of American Indian groups before and after European exploration. 5.C.1.2: Exemplify how the interactions of various groups have resulted in the borrowing and sharing of traditions and technology.

5 Mathematics 5.MD.A.1: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 5.MD.C.4: Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units. Description: While at the Cape, students will collect Quahog shells and pieces that have purple coloring on their inner surface. Using estimation skills, they will calculate the value of their shells if they had been processed by Native-Americans to be used as wampum. Students will learn about “supply and demand” and how those forces alter value in an economic system. Vocabulary: barter currency wampum

rate (ratio) adjusted for inflation supply and demand

market forces economy

Materials: Quahog shells and pieces collected during your visit to Cape Lookout “Estimating Wampum” worksheet Centimeter cubes or metric rulers Writing paper Pencils or pens

Directions: 1. In small groups, students will estimate the

number of wampum they have in their possession. They will then calculate their value in Dutch stuivers. As they adust their value to the present day, this would be a good time to discuss inflation.

2. Discuss possible strategies (proportion reasoning being a good way to solve this problem) for converting their total wampum into English shillings. Have students perform their calculations. Share in large group, asking often about the reasonableness of their answers.

3. Students will work in their groups to brainstorm answers to the other questions on their worksheet. A recorder for each group may write down their ideas/

4. Give the groups just enough time to answer the first question. They may remember and use some of the background information if you shared it with them earlier.

5. Share out with the entire group. 6. Continue with each question, one at a time to get maximum discussion before assigning

the next question.

Cape Lookout Social Studies/Math Economist: _________ Estimating Wampum Date: _________ Native-Americans sometimes used beads made from purple quahog shells and the inner spirals of channeled whelk as a currency in their barter economy. The beads were often strung in loops (bracelets, necklaces, belts) that could be worn rather than put in a pocket or purse. With quahog shells, the purple colored sections were shaped on grinding rocks and small needles made with quartz tips were used to drill a hole through the bead. (Later, metal needles were used for drilling.) With the coming of the European colonists, wampum became an accepted currency and trade values were established by the colonists. Using centimeter cubes as the approximate size of each bead, estimate the number of beads that could be made from your collection of quahog shells. If you do not have centimeter cubes, use your ruler to measure the purple streaks on the quahog shells. Write the number of estimated beads on each shell using a marker or sticky note. Dutch traders in New Amsterdam (New York) used the ratio of 4 purple wampum to one Dutch stuiver. At this rate, calculate the value of your estimated wampum. To take into account the inflation rate since 1700, multiply your value by 54.3. Share information with those classmates in your group.

Wampum Owner Estimated # of Wampum

Convert to Stuiver ÷ 4

Adjust for Inflation × 54.3

Another source from the past put the ratio at a fathom (6 feet) of purple wampum equal to 20 English shillings. Calculate your group wampum value in shillings. Adjust for inflation. Before Europeans came to America, Native-Americans used wampum more as jewelry and ornamentation and only occasionally in trade. Why wasn’t it used like we use currency today? What might happen to the value of wampum as it was traded further inland, perhaps used by the Chickasaw tribes of Tennessee? Why? The Campbell family of New York began to produce quahog wampum in a small factory. What effect do you think this had on the value of wampum? Explain your reasoning. If you were to own a string of wampum that had been hand made by Native-Americans in 1770, could the value of the wampum today be calculated by using the chart above? Why or why not?

Traveling Trunk Program If you are a third through sixth grade teacher looking for a new way to give your students an exciting classroom experience, the Cape Lookout National Seashore Traveling Trunks Program may be what you are looking for. Traveling trunks bring a little bit of Cape Lookout to your school, library, scout troop, or youth organization. Each trunk is designed to introduce students and teachers to different subjects related to Cape Lookout National Seashore. They contain background information, classroom activities, student activity pages, games, books, and other educational materials The curriculum guides contained in each trunk are designed to meet the goals and objectives of the North Carolina 1999 Standard Course of Study for grades three through six. The following trunks are available for loan to schools or other individuals: LIGHTHOUSES: On the Outer Banks, lighthouses and their keepers provided an invaluable service assisting with navigation through the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." This traveling trunk will teach students about this important aspect of our maritime history. Through journals, hands-on artifacts, and classroom activities, your class can experience some of the daily activities of a lighthouse keeper. NATIONAL PARKS: The National Park Service preserves and protects areas of scenic beauty and historical significance for both present and future generations. This traveling trunk will explore careers with the national parks and the service entrusted to protect them. Students can dress up like a park ranger and have an opportunity to visit some of the fantastic places preserved by the National Park Service.

WHALES: This traveling trunk will introduce students to the biology and behaviors of these intelligent and interesting creatures. Teachers and students can use the materials and activities in this trunk to actually experience what life would be like as a whale. SHARKS: Sharks are mysterious and misunderstood creatures that have fascinated and frightened people for generations. A variety of classroom activities will introduce students to the biology and behaviors of these amazing animals. To reserve a Traveling Trunk contact: Cape Lookout National Seashore Division of Interpretation 131 Charles Street Harkers Island, NC 28531 252-728-2250

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