All About Crustaceans, Mollusks & Cephalopods for Kids

This interesting and engaging all about Crustaceans, Mollusks, and Cephalopods printable science lesson is a fun for the whole family. You will learn about various aquatic animals that fit in this classification including: crabs, lobsters, barnacles, bivalves, clams, octopus, squid, and more. Learn which of them can go a whole year without eating in cold water, which grow their own shells, what beautiful seashells come from which ocean animals, how some can change colors within seconds, who produced die, and so much more!

Crustaceans for kids

Whether you are looking for a fun science unit, supplement to your zoology / biology lessons, are following your child’s  interest, are planning fun summer learning, creating a fascinating science center, or planning for next years homeschool science lesson – you are going to love this fun, interesting, and thorough about crustaceans lesson! This science lesson is perfect for kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, grade 7, and grade 8. There is truly something for everyone from crustaceans for kids , to mollusks for kids , and answering questions like are crabs mollusks.

Crustaceans and cephalopods

Crustaceans are animals whose bodies are made of segments, a tough outer shell, two pairs of antennae, and limbs that are jointed. They can be very large like the North Atlantic lobster that can weigh over 40 pounds, long like the Japanese spider crab with legs up to t12 feet long, or less than a millimeter in length. Crustacean are covered with armor called an exoskeleton.  You will learn how these animals molt, behave, reproduce / life cycle, label their body parts (they have three mouth parts), video links, colorful flashcards, and so much more! We’ve included information about lobster, crayfish, fiddler crabs, hermit crabs, shrimp, krill (a keystone species), barnacles, and horseshoe crabs.

Mollusks and crustaceans

Mollusks are soft, slimy creatures with squishy bodies. Some examples of mollusks include snails, slugs, oysters, clams, mussels, sea slugs, and others. Every seashell you find on the beach was made by a mollusk (including the crustacean hermit crabs live in).,  but not all mollusks make shells.  Learn how mollusks have a siphon to intake and excrete water, how they have a foot, where pearls come from, the many tiny eyes of the scallop, huge 500lb clams, and how some mollusk like the whelk drill into other mollusk shells. The pdf file include black and white pages filled with interesting information and cute clipart. In addition, you will download colorful flashcards, fact and opinion, mollusk worksheets to label the anatomy, write down what you’ve learned on the report template, or print the colorful flashcards.

Cephalopods for Kids

Cephalopods are a type of mollusk, but since they are so intelligent and fascinating we included a whole section for students to learn about octopus, squid, nautilus and cuttlefish. Amazing aquatic cephalopods can change colors in a split second, change the shape of their body to fit in small cracks, have three hearts that pump blood, powered by jet propulsion, and even make their own ink.  In addition to the pages filled with fun facts, you will find printables to label the anatomy, learn the life cycles, complete worksheets,  buoyancy science experiment (including recording sheet) and see what you’ve learned with a text. There are 54 pages in this huge pack all together filled with lots of cute clipart that will keep Kindergarteners,  grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, grade 7, and grade 8 engaged and learning!

  

Don’t miss the other animal studies we’ve created!

• All About Whales
• All About Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walrus)
• All About Herps (sea turtles, sea snakes, aquatic frogs, toads, salamander)
• All About Fish, Sharks, and Rays
• All About Mollusks, Crustaceans, & Cephalopods (crabs, lobsters, octopus, bivalves, clams)
• All About Echinoderms & Cnidarians (Jellyfish, Sea Stars, Sand Dollars, Coral)

About Crustaceans

Because of the sheer amount of time this resource took to create, there is a small fee to purchase this impressive pack filled with information, links to animal videos, science worksheets, science craft, and more! But you know me, my heart is to keep things free (or as close to free as I can possibly make them) so this amazing unit for you to study lobsters, crabs, shellfish, octopus, squids & more is only $1.99!

 

For use in a classroom or coop, please purchase the teachers licensed version.

** Please note this is a printable unit. You will not be mailed any physical product.

Or purchase the entire 7 lesson, 250+ page Ocean Unit! (learn more)