Scientists have filmed a fish swimming at a really deep place in the ocean, which is the deepest ever observation of this kind that has ever been made. The fish was filmed by an autonomous “lander” dropped into the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan. The species is a type of snailfish, which could be at, or very close to, the maximum depth any fish can survive. The previous deepest fish observation was made further south in the Pacific in the Mariana Trench. The new discovery beats the depth record by 158m. The snailfish could survive at this depth because of their gelatinous bodies, which help them survive under extreme pressure conditions. The fish was attracted by bait attached to a weighted frame released from over the side of a ship.
Original news source: Deepest ever fish caught on camera off Japan (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
1. DEEP SEA FISH VOCABULARY
Instructions: Write the following words on the whiteboard: fish, ocean, observation, trench, snailfish, autonomous, gelatinous, pressure. Ask students to match each word with its definition, which can be provided by the teacher or found in a dictionary.
2. SNAILFISH DRAWING
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to draw a snailfish based on the description in the article. Encourage them to be creative and add their own details. After they finish, ask them to share their drawing with a partner and describe their fish in English.
3. DEEP SEA DISCUSSION
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss the following questions:
– Have you ever been to the ocean? If yes, where did you go and what did you see? If no, would you like to go? Why or why not?
– What do you think is the most interesting thing about the ocean?
– Would you like to be a scientist who studies the ocean? Why or why not?
4. SNAILFISH SURVIVAL
Instructions: Ask students to work in pairs or small groups and brainstorm ways that humans can survive in extreme conditions, such as the deep sea. Encourage them to think creatively and come up with both practical and imaginative ideas. After they finish, ask each group to share their ideas with the class and discuss which ones are the most interesting or feasible.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Who filmed a really deep-swimming fish?
2. Where was the fish found?
3. What type of fish was it?
4. How deep was the fish observation before this one?
5. How much deeper is this new observation than the previous one?
6. Why can the snailfish survive at such a deep place?
7. What attracted the fish?
8. How did the scientists film the fish?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Scientists have filmed a fish swimming at a really deep place in the ocean, which is the deepest ever observation of this kind that has ever been made. The fish was filmed by an autonomous “lander” dropped into the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, (1)_________ of Japan. The species is a type of snailfish, which could be at, or very close to, (2)_________ any fish can survive. The previous deepest fish observation was made (3)_________ south in the Pacific in the Mariana Trench. The new discovery beats the (4)_________ record by 158m. The snailfish could survive at this depth because of their (5)_________ bodies, which help them survive under extreme pressure conditions. The fish was attracted by (6)_________ attached to a weighted frame released from over the side of a ship.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Have you ever seen a strange fish before?
2. Do you like swimming in the ocean?
3. What do you think about the fish in the article?
4. Have you ever heard the word “autonomous” before? What do you think it means?
5. Do you think it would be scary to drop something into the deep ocean?
6. What do you think is the deepest place in the ocean?
7. Have you ever heard of the Mariana Trench before?
8. How do you think scientists filmed the fish in the ocean?
9. Have you ever seen a snailfish before?
10. Why do you think the snailfish can survive at such a deep place in the ocean?
11. Do you like eating fish? Why or why not?
12. Have you ever been on a ship before?
13. What do you think the bait attached to the weighted frame looked like?
14. Do you think there are other cool things in the ocean that scientists haven’t discovered yet?
15. Would you like to go on a deep sea adventure and discover new things in the ocean?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. observation
2. autonomous
3. species
4. survive
5. gelatinous
6. extreme pressure
7. bait
8. Trench
Meanings:
A) A type of food used to attract animals
B) A deep crack or hole in the ocean floor
C) To continue living despite difficult conditions
D) A kind of creature with similar characteristics
E) A substance like jelly that is soft and wobbly
F) A situation where there is a lot of force pushing down on something
G) When something works by itself, without help from a person
H) Looking closely at something to learn more about it
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What did scientists film in the ocean?
(a) a cat
(b) a dog
(c) a fish
(d) a bird
2. Where was the fish filmed?
(a) in the sky
(b) in a river
(c) in a trench
(d) in a lake
3. What kind of fish was filmed?
(a) snailfish
(b) shark
(c) whale
(d) clownfish
4. Why can the snailfish survive at such a deep depth?
(a) because they have wings
(b) because they have fur
(c) because they have gelatinous bodies
(d) because they are very strong
5. Where was the previous deepest fish observation made?
(a) in the Atlantic Ocean
(b) in the Indian Ocean
(c) in the Southern Ocean
(d) in the Pacific Ocean
6. How much deeper was this new observation compared to the old one?
(a) 158m
(b) 58m
(c) 158km
(d) 58km
7. What attracted the fish?
(a) a book
(b) a toy
(c) a bait
(d) a flower
8. What was used to film the fish?
(a) a camera
(b) a phone
(c) a computer
(d) a pen
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True or False Questions:
1. Did scientists film a fish in the ocean?
2. Was the fish they filmed at the deepest place ever?
3. Was the fish they filmed a type of snail?
4. Is this the first time a fish has been seen this deep in the ocean?
5. Was the previous deepest fish observation made in the Atlantic Ocean?
6. Did the snailfish survive at that depth because of their gelatinous bodies?
7. Was the fish attracted by a toy attached to a ship?
8. Did the fish survive under extreme pressure conditions?
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Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What did scientists do with a fish in the ocean?
2. Where did the scientists find the fish?
3. What kind of fish did scientists film?
4. What helped the snailfish survive at the deepest part of the ocean?
5. How did scientists attract the fish they filmed?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Who filmed a really deep-swimming fish?
– Scientists filmed a deep-swimming fish.
2. Where was the fish found?
– The fish was found in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan.
3. What type of fish was it?
– It was a type of snailfish.
4. How deep was the fish observation before this one?
– The previous deepest fish observation was made further south in the Pacific in the Mariana Trench.
5. How much deeper is this new observation than the previous one?
– This new observation is 158 meters deeper than the previous one.
6. Why can the snailfish survive at such a deep place?
– The snailfish can survive at such a deep place because of their gelatinous bodies that help them survive under extreme pressure.
7. What attracted the fish?
– The fish was attracted by bait attached to a weighted frame released from over the side of a ship.
8. How did the scientists film the fish?
– The scientists used an autonomous “lander” dropped into the trench to film the fish.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. south
2. the maximum
3. further
4. depth
5. gelatinous
6. bait
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. observation
Answer: H) Looking closely at something to learn more about it
2. autonomous
Answer: G) When something works by itself, without help from a person
3. species
Answer: D) A kind of creature with similar characteristics
4. survive
Answer: C) To continue living despite difficult conditions
5. gelatinous
Answer: E) A substance like jelly that is soft and wobbly
6. extreme pressure
Answer: F) A situation where there is a lot of force pushing down on something
7. bait
Answer: A) A type of food used to attract animals
8. Trench
Answer: B) A deep crack or hole in the ocean floor
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What did scientists film in the ocean?
Answer: (c) a fish
2. Where was the fish filmed?
Answer: (c) in a trench
3. What kind of fish was filmed?
Answer: (a) snailfish
4. Why can the snailfish survive at such a deep depth?
Answer: (c) because they have gelatinous bodies
5. Where was the previous deepest fish observation made?
Answer: (d) in the Pacific Ocean
6. How much deeper was this new observation compared to the old one?
Answer: (a) 158m
7. What attracted the fish?
Answer: (c) a bait
8. What was used to film the fish?
Answer: (a) a camera
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Did scientists film a fish in the ocean?
Answer: True
2. Was the fish they filmed at the deepest place ever?
Answer: True
3. Was the fish they filmed a type of snail?
Answer: True
4. Is this the first time a fish has been seen this deep in the ocean?
Answer: False
5. Was the previous deepest fish observation made in the Atlantic Ocean?
Answer: False
6. Did the snailfish survive at that depth because of their gelatinous bodies?
Answer: True
7. Was the fish attracted by a toy attached to a ship?
Answer: False
8. Did the fish survive under extreme pressure conditions?
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
