Online Learning Activities

Investigate the Giant Squid: A Science Explorations Activity

Through various online learning activities, students must think like a scientist to discover the world of this mysterious deep-sea creature.

Scholastic and the American Museum of Natural History teamed up to create the compelling “Investigate the Giant Squid” project (grades 3 and up). The project’s online learning activities help students explore the Giant Squid, a mysterious creature of the deep sea, while enhancing students’ reading and writing skills, critical thinking skills, and more.

• The Giant Quest introduces to students four ways scientists study the giant squid, and shares mysteries about the creature that still exist.
• Take Action!: This writing activity challenges students to consider what they’ve learned so far about the giant squid, then brainstorm a question that intrigues them. Then they must write up plan online to investigate that question, preview it, and print it.
• Investigate shares articles on deep-sea ecosystems and underwater adaptations for further reading.
• Once students have completed the activities above, Putting It Together offers tips and ideas on how they can create a research presentation, whether it’s a written report, an oral presentation, or a multimedia experience.
• The Giant Squid Library shares dozens of articles on related topics, including animals; environmental studies; habitats and ecosystems; marine life, oceans, lake and rivers; atoms and molecules; and light.
• Backyard Science offers eight different marine-related activities that students can conduct at home.
• Students can share their thoughts, questions, and ideas about science with other kids on Scholastic’s Message Boards.

Learning Objectives

While participating in the “Investigate the Giant Squid” project, students will:

• Learn grade-appropriate facts about the topic
• Build scientific thinking skills as they follow a guided path of inquiry and analysis
• Learn how professional scientists and experts conduct investigations and present findings
• Practice reading strategies and skills needed to decode and comprehend nonfiction and informational texts
• Develop skills for writing about research-based topics
• Strengthen research and critical reasoning skills as they gather, assess, and use data

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