1

Inky Dinky Doo: The Astounding, Astonishing Octopus

A Multimedia, Integrated Skills Lesson

© Dr. Debra Josephson Abrams

Part 1: Activate background knowledge, predicting, and scaffolding

1. Respond on Discussion Board to the following, and explain all your answers:

• What do you see in the picture below?

• Finish this statement: I think octopuses are ______________ because

_________________________________________________________.

• What do you think this lesson is about?

• Have you ever seen a real octopus (not in a picture or video)? Where?

How did you feel when you saw the octopus?

• If you have not seen a real octopus, would you like to see an octopus?

Why or why not?

• Do you scuba dive? If yes, where have you dived, and what did you see?

If no, would you like to? Why or why not?

2

2. Use www.mindmeister.com to create a brainstorm web/mind map about what

you know and what you want to know about octopuses.

Share your web/map with the class (website share feature).

3. Read the titles of the videos (below; do NOT watch the videos at this time).

Respond to these questions on Discussion Board:

• What do you think you will learn about octopuses in Video #1? Be

specific. Why do you think that?

• In what part of the world do you think the octopus in video #2 lives? Why

do you think that?

• What do you think octopuses can do to protect themselves?

Source Title URL

Video #1

PBS

“How Smart is an Octopus?” http://www.pbs.org/video/1778564635/

Video #2

Youtube

“The Indonesian Mimic Octopus” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os6HD-sCRn8

Video #3

Youtube

“Octopus” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPzDI-X_ZqE

Part 2: Knowledge and Skills Application and Critical Thinking and Analysis

1. Watch the videos; then, create three T/F questions based on the videos. Identify

the video you used for each question (nine questions total).

Example: T or F: Octopuses learn from making mistakes and from being

successful.

Post your questions to Google Doc.

2. Read 1X: “In the dark of night, Inky the octopus makes his escape”

https://newsela.com/articles/octopus-escape/id/16623/

Read 1X: “Octopus: Overview.”

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/octopus/#

Read 1X: National Geographic, “Beautiful Octopus Pictures: Masters of Disguise

and Agile Hunters”

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/pictures/141008-octopus-

oceans-animals-science-international-day/

3

3. Answer: Why do you think the octopus in the story, “In the dark of night, Inky

the octopus makes his escape” is named Inky? Post your response on

www.linoit.com.

4. Read the articles again, and make a list of words with which you are unfamiliar.

Add three words from each article to our Word Wall (total nine words) on

http://padlet.com/debrajosephsonabrams/vrw1hdkno7if Teacher assessment

5. After you have read both articles 2X, use www.quizlet.com to create vocabulary

flashcards to use for studying. Use all the words from our Word Wall and any

additional words you choose. Use http://learnersdictionary.com/ to find the

definitions of the words. Be careful: For some words, you will find more than

one definition, and you will have to read carefully to choose the appropriate

definition. Self-assessment

6. Choose five words from our Word Wall and write five true sentences about

Inky. Class/group/partner/teacher discussion, revision, and assessment

Highlight, underline, or circle the vocabulary word in each sentence, and

identify the word’s part of speech. Class/group/partner/teacher discussion,

revision, and assessment

Choose five different words from our Word Wall and write five true sentences

about octopuses. Highlight, underline, or circle the vocabulary word in each

sentence, and identify the word’s part of speech. Class/group/partner/teacher

discussion, revision, and assessment

Go to one of the public domain graphics sites (see list below) and find an image

to illustrate each vocabulary word (10 images total). Use your imagination.

Under or next to each image, write the vocabulary word that the image matches

and identify the word’s part of speech. Explain in a few sentences why you

believe the image matches the vocabulary word. Class/group/partner/teacher

discussion, revision, and assessment

Example: slither (verb)= I chose an image of a snake for the word

slither because snakes slither, which means to slide along.

Upload your document to the Drop Box.

4

7. Use http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp

to create a crossword puzzle using the vocabulary from our Word Wall. Clues

must not be definitions: use synonyms, antonyms, questions, and statements. Post

puzzle to the Drop Box. Clue example: If a snake sees food she wants to eat, she

must ____________ to get it. Class/group/partner/teacher discussion,

revision, assessment

Reflect and respond: What did you do well on this activity? What do you need to

improve? What can you do to improve? Self-assessment

8. With your partner, use www.smore.com, OR

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/Printing_Press/ OR

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/msword_newsletter.htm

to write a collaborative fiction story about an octopus. The story must include

two or three images. Share the story with the class using the website email

feature.

Reflect and respond: What did you do well on this activity? What do you need to

improve? What can you do to improve? Peer and self-assessment

9. Watch and listen: Youtube, “Octopus’s Garden Video”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuBR4XuO0W0

Read: Metrolyrics, “Octopus’s Garden”

http://www.metrolyrics.com/octopuss-garden-lyrics-beatles.html

10. Create a video presentation (on your phone or computer, 5-7 minutes) of yourself

that answers the questions below. Use what you’ve learned from the song’s lyrics

and music to explain your answer. Teacher and self-assessment

• What do you think would happen if you visited the octopus in his garden?

• What do you think life is like in the octopus’s garden?

• If you could visit an octopus’s garden with someone, who would you

invite to go with you, and why?

• Hand-draw a picture to illustrate the song, “Octopus’s Garden.” Show

your drawing in your video and explain what you’ve drawn.

• Reflect and respond: What did you do well on this activity? What do you

need to improve? What can you do to improve?

5

• Upload your video, and scan the picture and your reflection and upload the

picture and reflection to the Drop Box.

11. For advanced level: Watch and listen to one of these two videos and write a

summary of the video. Teacher assessment

Video A

Discovery

Channel

“Aliens of the

Deep”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlnvl3_discovery-

channel-aliens-of-the-deep-sea_animals

Video B

Discovery

Channel

“Giant Pacific

Octopus”

http://news.discovery.com/animals/videos/news-

giant-pacific-octopus.htm

For Intermediate Level: Watch and listen to one of these two videos, take notes, and

have teacher-student dialogue based in content, comprehension, and extrapolation.

Teacher assessment

Video A

National

Geographic

“The Day Octopus” http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild

/videos/the-day-octopus/

Video B

National

Geographic

“Octopus Escape” http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/

octopus_cyanea_locomotion

Part 3: Critical analysis and Reflection: Teacher and self-assessment

Use instaGrok’s journal feature to respond to the following questions. Send your journal

to me.

• Of everything you’ve learned about octopuses, what do you find most interesting,

and why?

• What do you still want to know about octopuses? Where can you find the

information you’re looking for?

• Finish this statement: I think octopuses are _____________ because

______________________________________________________________.

6

• Create an acrostic for the word “octopus.” How many of our Word Wall words

can you use?

Part 4: Electronic Portfolio: Teacher and self-assessment

Part 5: Activity Assessment: Upload to Dropbox

• Circle the image that matches what you think about this activity.

• What part of this activity did you learn the most from? Explain.

• What part of this activity did you learn the least from? Explain.

• What part of this activity did you enjoy the most? Explain.

• What part of this activity did you enjoy the least? Explain.

7

Adding Graphics - Images in Public Domain (compliments of Sandy Wagner)

https://images.google.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain_image_resources (Wikipedia public domain image resources) UVICs Language Teaching Clipart Library (Royalty-free clipart collections for foreign language instruction) http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp (Freefoto.com) http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx (Microsoft Office Clipart Gallery) http://www.clipartpal.com/clipart_pd/education/textbooks1.html (Clipart Pal) http://www.computerclipart.com/computer_clipart_images/all_clipart_images.html (Computer Clipart.com) http://www.wpclipart.com/education/ (WP Clipart) http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm (Phillip Martin Clip Art) http://veezzle.com/ (free stock photos) http://www.public-domain-image.com/ (Public Domain Images) http://www.clker.com/clipart-2312.html (Clker.com) http://openclipart.org/homepage (openclipart) https://www.bing.com/images/async