The Chambered Nautilus

Summary
Students will learn facts about the chambered nautilus and its surroundings.

Objectives
• Students will understand what a chambered nautilus is.

• Students will learn vocabulary associated with the chambered nautilus.

Suggested Grades
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade

Excerpt
The chambered nautilus belongs to a group of animals scientists classify as cephalopods, which includes octopus, cuttlefish, and squid. Cephalopods have large heads and developed eyes, but in classifying animals, there are always differences. The chambered nautilus has a large head, but its large eyes are misleading. The large eye is not well developed and acts much like a pinhole camera. A pinhole camera, written about as far back as 300 B.C. by the ancient Greeks, has an extremely small hole that brings images through one small point. The animal squints to get a better picture, reducing the amount of light coming in. The eyes do not have lenses.

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