An OTTER Day on the Mississippi

River Otters are cute, playful, and fierce. Let's learn about the top predator in the river ecosystem and what adaptations give them that competitive edge in the water. Life is smooth swimming in the water, but what happens when they leave one ecosystem for another? What adaptations become a hindrance? And how have humans impacted the lives of river otters along the river?

Grades: 3-5 

Main Objective Question: What adaptations does a river otter have that allow it to thrive in a river ecosystem better than any other ecosystem?  

Main Standard(s):  
3L.3.2.1.1 - Surviving using variations in characteristics. 
3L.4.1.1.1 - Strategies animals use to survive. 
3L.4.2.1.1 - Structures that support survival.

Organization: National Park Service