The Search for Shrimp

What Is This Video?

Join the Earthlings as they head out on another mission for Plum. An impossible mission, actually–Plum wants them to find shrimp in the desert. Where would you even look for a shrimp in a dry, scrubby desert? Don't they need water? Join in and find out how shrimp and other organisms deal with desert life.

Conversation Starters

Ask:
  • Why were Gabi and Oliver surprised that Clem saw shrimp and pelicans in the lake? Because before it rained, the lake bed was dry and dusty–all the water had evaporated. It was not the kind of place where you'd expect to find animals that depend on a watery environment.
  • Shrimp eggs can wait in the dry ground for ten years before they hatch. Why is this helpful for shrimp that live in desert lakes? In the desert, it doesn't rain very often. So shrimp eggs need the ability to survive a long time without water.
  • Can you think of other ways animals might survive in a hot desert? Some animals sleep during the day and are active at night, when it is cooler.

Explore Some More

How Do They Live Here?

Visit a local river, lake, or stream. Research what plants and animals live there and the characteristics that allow them to survive.

Curriculum Topic

adaptation

Activity Type

indoor and outdoor

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Science and Engineering Practices

Crosscutting Concepts