Meet a tiny shrimp that packs quite a wallop! Get to know the mantis shrimp and the amazing one-two punch it delivers to prey with a video from an engaging physics playlist. Junior biologists examine fun shrimp facts, such as why it has adapted to have the punching behavior, what organisms it preys upon, and how cavitation increases the shrimp's odds of scoring a meal.

Concepts

marine ecosystems, force, acceleration, pressure, predator-prey relationships, animal adaptations, shellfish

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Make the video the focal point of a mantis shrimp study or as an introduction to the physics concept of cavitation
• Learn more about the mantis shrimp, plus access a cool infographic to use in class, courtesy of the National Aquarium
  

Classroom Considerations

• Assumes the class understands the relationship between, speed, force, and acceleration 
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Stunning mantis shrimp video footage allows viewers to gain a better understanding of their unique features
• The explanation of cavitation is clear and concise

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2