Isopod

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/isopod

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Isopoda. This order is a major division within the class Malacostraca
2. What is the habitat?Global distribution across terrestrial (moist environments), marine (all depths), and freshwater ecosystems
3. What are isopods and where do they live?Isopods are tiny crustaceans that can live in water, on land, and even deep in the ocean. They are found in soil, leaf litter, rocks, coral reefs, streams, and the deep sea.
4. How do woodlice keep from drying out?Woodlice have a segmented exoskeleton and special pleopods that act like tiny lungs or gills. These help them breathe air but they still need moist places to stay alive.

Malacostraca: The largest class of crustaceans, including isopods, decapods (crabs, shrimp), and amphipods.
Detritivore: An organism that consumes dead organic matter, playing a vital role in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Conglobation: The defensive behavior of rolling into a ball, characteristic of certain terrestrial isopod families.
Oligotrophic Environment: An environment characterized by low nutrient levels, often found in deep oceans or remote lakes.