The Hard Clam
Mercenaria mercenaria
Be sure to watch this beautiful video produced by Cornell University to highlight the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project.
Clam Videos
Cornell Marine Program's Marine Minute is on the Hard Clam! Learn about how clams are important to our waters and CCE’s role in restoring them.
The Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project involves restoring clams and oysters to the waters surrounding Long Island for water quality improvement.
Mark Cappellino and Rory MacNish of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program interview Josh Perry for this week’s Digital Education Initiative topic, the clam!
Clam Activities + Family Resources
Fast Facts: The Hard Clam M. Mercinaria
Read this printable Fact Sheet and explore more about the hard clam!
Clam Scavenger Hunt
Try this Scavenger Hunt right from your house!
Fast Facts Follow Up- Crossword Puzzle
After reading Fast Facts: challenge yourself to this crossword puzzle all about clams!
Coloring Sheet 1- Clams!
Have fun coloring this heap of clams using creative colors!
Family Resources- Watch and Discuss
Watch “Ripple Effect” Then discuss what you learned and do an experiment!
Coloring Sheet 2- Inside of a Clam Shell
The inside of a hard clam shell has beautiful hues of purple!
How Do You Age a Clam Activity
Clams have rings just like trees that can help to figure out how old they are!
Bivalves in our Bays Coloring Sheet
Try this coloring sheet that compares the clam to other common bivalves.
Teacher and Student Resources
Teacher/Student Resources- Watch and Respond
Watch “Ripple Effect…”” Then respond to the questions.
Early Education- Color, Match and Trace Shellfish
Try our Early Education worksheets with your Pre-K or Kindergartner!
Clam Art Projects
How to Draw an Clam
Simple Example
Advanced Example
How to Draw a Clam Instructions
Continuous Line Drawing Exercise
Blind continuous line drawings are exercises in focusing in and paying attention to detail, something that is vital in both science and art.
By practicing this drawing exercise your are improving your observation, drawing, and hand eye coordination. The drawings are usually not very good, often looks like a big scribble, and make you laugh but it helps you to learn how to draw what you are actually seeing rather than what you think you see.
An example is the classic cotton ball tree drawing, two lines for the trunk and a round cotton ball shape on the top for all the branches and leaves. Although symbolic we all know that trees do not actually look that way but more often then not that is how they are drawn.
Get a pencil & paper, go outside in your backyard and look at a tree. Imagine that there is an ant on a new mapping expedition of walking the contour lines of the tree and your eyes must follow its every move while your hand with pencil is the map maker. You can not look down at your hand drawing because you will loose sight of the ant and then he will be lost forever. And if you lift your pencil he will hit a dead end!
3-D Clam Shell Art Project
3-D Clam Shell Art Project Instructions
Step-by-step instructions for creating a 3-D Clam shell using things you have at home!
