Read the passage below. Then, circle the name of the graphic organizer that would be best to record and organize the information from the passage.
Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers should include a cause-and-effect diagram showing the main cause, overfishing, and the effects of that, including:
•decreased fish populations •no more food for other animals that depend on those fish •eventual extinction of animals that eat overfished foods
Creepy-Crawly Creatures
Spiders and insects have similar characteristics. Both creatures are small animals that can be found almost anywhere. Like the spider, insects belong to the same phylum, or group of animals. Both need little food and reproduce rapidly. Most insects are the same as spiders in that they reproduce by laying eggs. In addition, the spider and the insect both have a hard shell, which the animals shed as they grow. Spiders and insects also have eyes and two appendages, or small arms, near their mouths. Moreover, they both range in size from less than a half-inch to over four inches. Both are food for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Spiders and insects have many differences. Spiders have eight legs and two body parts, contrasted to insects, which have six legs and three body parts. Insects have antenna, but spiders do not. Spiders eat insects while insects eat plants as well as other insects and spiders. All spiders produce silk for building webs, making traps, or wrapping food. On the other hand, no insect produces silk. Female spiders spin an egg case to protect the eggs, whereas insects may lay eggs on another insect, encase them in an egg case, or deposit them in a plant. Spiders cannot fly and have no wings. Some insects have wings and fly, and others swim, hop, or crawl. Few spiders hurt humans, but many insects sting, bite, or carry disease. Spiders eat harmful insects, whereas insects eat crops and destroy plants.
Overfishing
At one point in time, people thought that the ocean could feed people forever. Today, we know that this just isn't true. There is a limited supply of seafood in the ocean. Between the years of 1950 and 1994, fishermen increased the amount of seafood they caught by 400%. Overfishing is a problem in which people catch fish at a faster rate than the fish can reproduce. The fish population goes down as a result. Eventually, fishermen will have no more fish to catch, and people will have no more seafood to eat. But the damaging effects of overfishing aren't just a human problem. The ocean contains a complex food web. Overfishing one species means that another species that eats those fish will have no more food. For example, cod eat mostly herring. When herring are overfished, the cod population doesn't have enough food to sustain itself. In the Antarctic, fishermen haul up millions of pounds of small shrimp every year. These shrimp are the main source of food for whales, seals, and penguins. What might happen if soon there are no more small shrimp?
[Insert GO-C cycle diagram]
[Insert GO-C web]