Photo of the colorful peacock mantis shrimp
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
Life Science,

Meet the Mantis Shrimp

This unusual sea animal has surprising secret powers!

By Dani Leviss
From the September 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will ask questions and obtain information about a remarkable ocean creature, the mantis shrimp.

Key Focus Area: Adaptations,
Other Focus Areas: Structure & Function, Measurement & Data, Algebraic Thinking
Standards
  • NGSS
    Core Ideas: LS1.A, LS4.C
  • CCSS
    ELA: Reading: RI.1; Writing: W.7; Speaking and Listening: SL.2; CCSS Math: 3.NBT, 3.MD
  • TEKS
    Science: 3.13A, 4.13A, 5.13A, 6.5F; ELA: 3.6B, 4.6B, 5.6B, 6.5B

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WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES

There are more than 450 kinds of mantis shrimp. This is a peacock mantis shrimp.

Mantis shrimp range from 2 to 15 inches in length.

Eye See You!

WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES (MANTIS SHRIMP); BRUCE SHAFER/STOCKTREK IMAGES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (EYE)

Each eye can rotate and move up and down and side to side.

Mantis shrimp have compound eyes. Each eye is made up of 10,000 light-sensing parts! They help mantis shrimp sense motion.

Smash Attack

ROY CALDWELL/NSF

The mantis shrimp's club is about to smash the snail!

Some mantis shrimp use powerful club-shaped front limbs to punch prey. They’ll smash a snail or clam by swinging their clubs up to 52 miles (84 kilometers) per hour! Other types of mantis shrimp stab prey with spear-shaped limbs. Ouch!

Watch how the hunting styles of mantis shrimp that smash and those that spear compare in the video below!

Burrow Homes

COLIN MARSHALL/FLPA/MINDEN PICTURES

Mantis shrimp with clubs live in holes in rocks, coral, or sponges. Those with spears dig their own burrows in the sand.

video (1)
Activities (3) Download Answer Key
Skills Activities
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARE TO READ (10 minutes)
Use an article and a video to make observations and ask questions about mantis shrimp.

  • Play the video “Meet the Mantis Shrimp.” Then share and review the graphic organizer I Notice, I Wonder with students. If needed, discuss what an observation is (something you notice with your senses, like something you see). Share an example with the class.
  • Replay the video, this time having students record their observations and questions in the corresponding column. Then reconvene as a class and discuss student responses.
  • Project the article for the class. Focus on the large image of the peacock mantis shrimp. Have students make more observations and ask additional questions. Encourage them to record as many as they can!

2. READ AND ANALYZE (15 minutes)
Explore the article and describe key adaptations.

  • Read the article. Discuss which student questions were answered in the text. Then examine all the images and captions. Note additional questions about mantis shrimp that have been answered. Have students highlight questions that remain unanswered.
  • • Summarize what students have learned about the mantis shrimp and its adaptations, or body parts and behaviors that help this creature survive (e.g., a club-shaped limb for hunting prey). Encourage students to refer to the text as they complete the following sentence: One adaptation that mantis shrimp have is ___________. This adaptation helps them survive because ____________________________. Have student volunteers share their sentences with the class.

2. RESPOND TO READING (20 minutes)
Use the article, and other sources, to answer students’ questions about mantis shrimp.

  • Read aloud the last prompt on the I Notice, I Wonder graphic organizer. Allow students to work in pairs to answer the questions, encouraging them to use the text. Then select volunteers to share their answers aloud with the class.
  • Revisit any unanswered questions. Discuss how those could be answered by using reliable online sources or books. Let students conduct research to find answers to their remaining questions about mantis shrimp.

STEM INTEGRATION

RESEARCH AND WRITING: Conduct a short research project about an animal and its adaptations. (CCSS ELA: W.7, W.8)

Ask students to name other marine animals, or animals that live in the sea or ocean, they find interesting (e.g., sharks, dolphins, puffer fish, jellyfish). Brainstorm a class list. Share the Creature Research graphic organizer. Discuss sources that students can use, such as the SuperSTEM archive, other reputable websites, and books. Have students conduct their research in small groups. To extend, have students present their research to the class.

MATH: Practice number sense using data about mantis shrimp. (CCSS Math: 3.NBT, 3.MD)

Distribute the By the Numbers activity sheet. Read the directions and review any math terms if necessary. Have students complete the activity independently. Then allow students to share their answers with a partner to check their work. Discuss any similarities and differences that students notice in their answers.

Text-to-Speech