Busy Otters

(K-2, Age 5-8)

Learn about sea otters, what they do all day and how they stay warm. While at the aquarium, students observe these amazing mammals and compare them to the wild otters in the bay. These educational activities are designed to promote inquiry-based learning, focused observations and group investigations.

Download the Complete Activity Guide (13 pages)

Busy Otters Graphs (larger view)

Post-Visit Students use Busy Otters Graphs and Venn Diagrams of Otter Behaviors to compile their observations. They investigate the insulating properties of a variety of materials in How Do Otters Stay Warm? Students will imagine life as a sea otter in the kelp forest then write about their ideas in Create a Story.

Live Sea Otter Cam	Watch our active otters on our live web cam
Southern sea otter	Photos and information in our Animal Guide
Sea Otter Interactive	Learn about sea otters in this fun interactive
Sea Otter information from OceanLink	Information about sea otter biology
Sea Otter information from Marine Mammal Center	Information about sea otters
Sea Otter conservation information from Defenders of Wildlife	Sea Otter fact sheets, range maps, education unit and conservation information

Pup's Supper	Grade K: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4a, 4b Grade 2: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4d
Otter Pantomime	Grade K: 1a, 2a, 2c, 4 b, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2ce Grade 2: 4de
Sea Otter Puppets	Grade K: 2a, 2c, 4c, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4a, 4d Grade 2: 4d
Busy Otters Observations (in the aquarium)	K: 2a, 2c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e 1: 2a, 4b, 4d 2: 1a, 1b, 2d, 4c, 4d
Busy Otters Graphs	Grade K: 2a, 4a, 4d, 4e Grade 1: 2b, 2c, 4b, 4c Grade 2: 2c, 2d, 4a, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4g
Otter Behaviors Venn Diagrams	Grade K: 2a, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e Grade 2: 1a, 2a, 2c, 2d, 4c, 4d, 4e
How Do Otters Stay Warm?	Grade K: 1a, 2a, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e Grade 1: 1b, 2a, 4b, 4c Grade 2: 2c, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e
Create a Story	Grade K: 2a, 2b, 4a, 4b, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4b, 4e Grade 2: 2c, 4a, 4c, 4d