Assignment #2 notes This assignment should be launched with a whole class discussion about animal interactions. Begin with the question, What are some ways that different forms of life interact with each other? Encourage students to give examples of how different living things impact each other. Generate a list of animal-animal, animal-plant or plant-plant relationships. Students may need encouragement to come up with ideas beyond predator/prey relationships. If needed, give examples of other relationships, such as parasitic or symbiotic relationships. Here are some examples of parasitic relationships: fleas and dogs; remora and sharks; parasitic wasps that lay their eggs on caterpillars, allowing the larvae to live off the caterpillars; tape worms (or harmful bacteria) and humans. Here are some symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships: algae and fungi living together in lichens; E. coli bacteria in human intestines; clown fish living among sea anemones. There are other interactions students may not think of. Lions will kill cheetah without eating them because they compete for food. Catbirds rely on other bird species to raise their young. Hermit crabs live in the shells of dead mollusks. Many bacteria and beetles consume carrion or break it down into soil, thereby benefiting all nearby life forms. Remind them that plants are also living things and that there are many different plant-animal interactions, such as bees pollinating flowers, plants that rely on birds or deer for seed disbursal, or insects that use plants as camouflage or shelter. Try to generate an exhaustive list, supplying any gaps as needed. You can draw an example of a food web if desired, but try to avoid a straight, hierarchical food chain, as these are usually inaccurate and incomplete. After a wide variety of interactions have been listed, have students get out Assignment #1 and their life form drawings and get into their groups. Pass out one copy of Assignment #2 to each group. Explain that the groups need to figure out how all the life forms discovered in their group interact. Every life form must interact with at least one other life form, and collectively all the life forms must be connected somehow, but not every life form has to interact directly with every other one. Then review the requirements for the posters and pass out the presentation guidelines to the communication officers. Begin by allowing each member to show and describe their life form to their group. After all group members have presented, the group should collectively discuss and determine a web of interaction. Once again, encourage students to think beyond simple predator/prey relationships. If they get stumped, have them look over the list that was generated at the beginning of the lesson. Build Your Own Planet Final Project: Poster Presentation
Your mission is nearing completion. You and your crewmates have explored your planet and discovered new life forms. It is now time to return to Earth and show the people of Earth what you have learned about your planet and its life forms. Your crew will make a poster summarizing all you have discovered about your planet and the life on it. All the crew members will work together on it. The group commander will make sure that all the required information is included. The guidelines for making the poster are below. Before you begin work on your poster, meet with your crew members and share your life forms. Show your drawing and share the information you recorded on your Planning Sheet. Then decide how your life forms interact with each other. Your life form must interact with at least one of the other life forms discovered by your crew members. All the life forms in your group must interact with each other somehow, although not every life form has to interact directly with every other one. You might start the discussion by brainstorming with your crew members all the different ways that different species can interact. After the groups have developed their interaction webs they should begin their posters. Tri-panel presentation boards are very effective, but large white poster board is also adequate and much cheaper. Students should be given ample time to complete their posters. Two or 3 days to a week is reasonable. Some in-class time should be allotted so that group members can collaborate. In might be a good idea to review the different responsibilities before giving class time to work on the posters. Group commanders should make sure that all requirements are being covered and that everyone in the group has an opportunity to contribute. Poster Instructions All students must contribute to the group poster. Each student should draw/write about their own life form. Groups should collaborate on the interactions of their life forms. Groups can decide for themselves who will do what in describing their planet. It is the group commander s responsibility to see to it that the planet is described adequately. Posters may contain writing, drawings, designs or anything else you think will make it look good and tell people about your mission. You may write/draw directly on the poster, or you can work on paper and attach the paper to the poster. You may cut things out of magazines, newspapers, etc., or print things from the computer and attach them to the poster. Posters may include samples collected from your planet, (rocks, life forms, artifacts, whatever), but these are not required. The communication officer will briefly present your crew s poster to the rest of the class. He or she should use the Guidelines for Communication Officers to plan the presentation.
Your poster must include the following information about your crew: Name of crew; Name of individual crew members. Your poster must include all of the following information about your planet: Name of planet; Mass of nearest star, its age and its estimated life cycle; Planet s distance from nearest star; Type of surface and albedo; Type of atmosphere and greenhouse effect; Average surface temperature; Location of liquid water. Your poster must include some of the following information about your planet: (use your imagination for these) Temperature range and factors affecting the temperature range (rate of rotation, thickness of atmosphere, tilt, etc.); Other objects in the planetary system, their impact on your planet; Interesting surface features, including effects of weathering, erosion, mountain building, glaciers, etc.; Composition of atmosphere (is it breathable?) and/or oceans; Interior of planet; Plate tectonics, and/or volcanism; Orbit, rotation; Seasons, hot regions, cold regions; Impact of life on the planet and/or threats to life on your planet; Economic potential of your planet -- gold, oil, food, valuable minerals, etc.; Any other interesting discoveries about your planet that you want to share. Your poster must include all of the following information about your life form: Name of life form; Who discovered it; Where it was found, type of environment; Drawing of it; Size, weight; How your life form interacts with the life forms your crew mates have discovered. Your poster must include some of the following information about your life forms: Diet, fuel source; Predators/prey; Unusual behaviors; Reproductive cycle; Life cycle, life stages; Relative abundance (are they common or rare?); Impact on environment, or position in food chain;
Age of species, existence of fossil record; Number of genders, gender differences in appearance or behavior; Any other interesting discoveries about your life form that you want to share. Take a moment to review how the posters and presentations will be evaluated. Your poster will be evaluated on the information presented (60% of total) and the quality of its appearance (40%). The information should reflect some of the things you have learned other the course of this unit. You should include all the required information and some of the extra information. It should be neat, easy to read with correct spelling and grammar, well designed and pleasing to look at. Your group can also earn 5 points extra credit if all group members participate and cooperate with each other. A grading sheet for the poster is available in Appendix B. Presentations: In general, presentations should be kept to under a few minutes. The communications officer is responsible for presenting the poster to the class, and she/he has a form listing what information to present, but all group members should be part of the presentation and be encouraged to add any other information they think the class should know about their planet or life forms. Allow time for the group to answer questions from the class about their poster before moving on to the next presentation, but it may be a good idea to set a fixed number of questions that can be asked of any one group. Build Your Own Planet Final Project: Poster Presentation Guidelines for Communication Officers Presentations should be brief. When you present your poster to the class you should present the information listed below. If you want, you may write notes on this form to use when you present. Presentations: Required Information Names of Crew Members:,,,, Average Surface Temperature of Planet: º C / F Location of liquid water on the planet: Other information about your planet that you think is important:
Names of life forms discovered:,,,, How these life forms interact: Other information about your life forms that you think is important:
Appendix A Standards Addressed Benchmarks (Grades 3 through 5) 1A The Scientific World View Results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same. Sometimes this is because of unexpected differences in the things being investigated, sometimes because of unrealized differences in the methods used or in the circumstances in which the investigation is carried out, and sometimes just because of uncertainties in observations. It is not always easy to tell which. 1B Scientific Inquiry Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments. Investigations can focus on physical, biological, and social questions. Scientists' explanations about what happens in the world come partly from what they observe, partly from what they think. Sometimes scientists have different explanations for the same set of observations. That usually leads to their making more observations to resolve the differences. 1C The Scientific Enterprise Science is an adventure that people everywhere can take part in, as they have for many centuries. Clear communication is an essential part of doing science. It enables scientists to inform others about their work, expose their ideas to criticism by other scientists, and stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world. 5A Diversity of Life A great variety of kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features to decide which things belong to which group. 5C Cells Some living things consist of a single cell. Like familiar organisms, they need food, water, and air; a way to dispose of waste; and an environment they can live in. 5D Interdependence of Life For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. Insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal material for food. Organisms interact with one another in various ways besides providing food. Many plants depend on animals for carrying their pollen to other plants or for dispersing their seeds. Changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful.
5E Flow of Matter and Energy Some source of "energy" is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow. 5F Evolution of Life Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing. 11A Systems In something that consists of many parts, the parts usually influence one another. Benchmarks (Grades 6 through 8) 1B Scientific Inquiry Scientists differ greatly in what phenomena they study and how they go about their work. Although there is no fixed set of steps that all scientists follow, scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected evidence. 1C The Scientific Enterprise No matter who does science and mathematics or invents things, or when or where they do it, the knowledge and technology that result can eventually become available to everyone in the world. 3A Technology and Society Technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection and treatment, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information. 5A Diversity of Life Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. 5D Interdependence of Life In all environments-freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, and othersorganisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter. In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions. Two types of organisms may interact with one another in several ways: They may be in a producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship. Or one organism may scavenge or decompose another. Relationships may be competitive or mutually beneficial. Some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive without the other. 5E Flow of Matter and Energy Over a long time, matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. As in all material systems, the total amount of matter remains constant, even though its form and location change.
5F Evolution of Life Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species. 11A Systems Thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others. The output from one part of a system (which can include material, energy, or information) can become the input to other parts. Such feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole. 12D Communication Skills Make sketches to aid in explaining procedures or ideas. Benchmarks (Grades 9 through 12) 1A The Scientific World View Scientists assume that the universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are the same everywhere. The rules may range from very simple to extremely complex, but scientists operate on the belief that the rules can be discovered by careful, systematic study. 1B Scientific Inquiry Investigations are conducted for different reasons, including to explore new phenomena, to check on previous results, to test how well a theory predicts, and to compare different theories. Sometimes, scientists can control conditions in order to obtain evidence. When that is not possible for practical or ethical reasons, they try to observe as wide a range of natural occurrences as possible to be able to discern patterns. 1C The Scientific Enterprise Science disciplines differ from one another in what is studied, techniques used, and outcomes sought, but they share a common purpose and philosophy, and all are part of the same scientific enterprise. Although each discipline provides a conceptual structure for organizing and pursuing knowledge, many problems are studied by scientists using information and skills from many disciplines. Disciplines do not have fixed boundaries, and it happens that new scientific disciplines are being formed where existing ones meet and that some subdisciplines spin off to become new disciplines in their own right. 5E Flow of Matter and Energy The amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Human activities and technology can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land. 5F Evolution of Life National Standards (Grades 5-8) Understandings about Scientific Inquiry
Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models. Science advances through legitimate skepticism. Asking questions and querying other scientists' explanations is part of scientific inquiry. Scientists evaluate the explanations proposed by other scientists by examining evidence, comparing evidence, identifying faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond the evidence, and suggesting alternative explanations for the same observations. Structure and Function in Living Systems Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems. Regulation and Behavior All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment. An organism's behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species' evolutionary history. Populations and Ecosystems A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem. Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some micro-organisms are producers--they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem. The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and abiotic factors, such as quantity of light and water, range of temperatures, and soil composition. Given adequate biotic and abiotic resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase at rapid rates. Lack of resources and other factors, such as predation and climate, limit the growth of populations in specific niches in the ecosystem. Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.
National Standards (Grades 9-12) Understandings about Scientific Inquiry Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed systems function. Conceptual principles and knowledge guide scientific inquiries. Historical and current scientific knowledge influence the design and interpretation of investigations and the evaluation of proposed explanations made by other scientists. Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example, they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations or the predictions of current theories. Biological Evolution Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the interactions of (1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, and (4) the ensuing selection by the environment of those offspring better able to survive and leave offspring. The great diversity of organisms is the result of more than 3.5 billion years of evolution that has filled every available niche with life forms. The Interdependence of Organisms Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems The complexity and organization of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming, transporting, releasing, and eliminating the matter and energy used to sustain the organism. The distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle materials. The Behavior of Organisms Like other aspects of an organism's biology, behaviors have evolved through natural selection. Behaviors often have an adaptive logic when viewed in terms of evolutionary principles. Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate, about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific.
Indiana Standards Grade 5 English/Language Arts Listening and Speaking: Skills, Strategies and Applications 5.7.4 Select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view for an oral presentation. 5.7.5 Clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and examples. 5.7.6 Use volume, phrasing, timing, and gestures appropriately to enhance meaning. 5.7.10 Deliver informative presentations about an important idea, issue, or event by the following means: frame questions to direct the investigation. establish a controlling idea or topic. develop the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations. Science The Living Environment 5.4.2 Observe and describe that some living things consist of a single cell that needs food, water, air, a way to dispose of waste, and an environment in which to live. 5.4.4 Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all. 5.4.5 Explain how changes in an organism s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. 5.4.7 Explain that living things, such as plants and animals, differ in their characteristics, and that sometimes these differences can give members of these groups (plants and animals) an advantage in surviving and reproducing. Common Themes 5.6.1 Recognize and describe that systems contain objects as well as processes that interact with each other. Grade 6 English/Language Arts Writing: Writing Applications 6.5.7 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as necessary. Listening and Speaking: Skills, Strategies and Applications 6.7.4 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view, matching the purpose, message, and vocal modulation (changes in tone) to the audience. 6.7.5 Emphasize important points to assist the listener in following the main ideas and concepts.
6.7.6 Support opinions with researched, documented evidence and with visual or media displays that use appropriate technology. 6.7.7 Use effective timing, volume, tone, and alignment of hand and body gestures to sustain audience interest and attention. 6.7.11 Deliver informative presentations that: pose relevant questions sufficiently limited in scope to be completely and thoroughly answered. develop the topic with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources, including speakers, periodicals, and online information. Science The Nature of Science and Technology 6.1.2 Give examples of different ways scientists investigate natural phenomena and identify processes all scientists use, such as collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations, in order to make sense of the evidence. The Living Environment 6.4.3 Describe some of the great variety of body plans and internal structures animals and plants have that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. 6.4.8 Explain that in all environments, such as freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, and others, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter. Note that in any environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions. 6.4.9 Recognize and explain that two types of organisms may interact in a competitive or cooperative relationship, such as producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host. Common Themes 6.7.2 Use models to illustrate processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly, or are too vast to be changed deliberately, or are potentially dangerous. Grade 7 English/Language Arts Writing: Applications 7.5.7 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting style and tone as necessary. Listening and Speaking: Skills, Strategies and Applications 7.7.3 Organize information to achieve particular purposes and to appeal to the background and interests of the audience. 7.7.4 Arrange supporting details, reasons, descriptions, and examples effectively.
7.7.5 Use speaking techniques including adjustments of tone, volume, and timing of speech; enunciation (clear speech); and eye contact for effective presentations. Science The Living Environment 7.4.2 Describe that all organisms, including the human species, are part of and depend on two main interconnected global food webs*, the ocean food web and the land food web. 7.4.6 Explain how food provides the fuel and the building material for all organisms. 7.4.8 Describe how organisms that eat plants break down the plant structures to produce the materials and energy that they need to survive, and in turn, how they are consumed by other organisms. Common Themes 7.7.1 Explain that the output from one part of a system, which can include material, energy, or information, can become the input to other parts and this feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole. 7.7.3 Describe how physical and biological systems tend to change until they reach equilibrium and remain that way unless their surroundings change. Grade 8 English/Language Arts Writing: Applications 8.5.7 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as necessary. Listening and Speaking: Skills, Strategies and Applications 8.7.2 Match the message, vocabulary, voice modulation (changes in tone), expression, and tone to the audience and purpose. 8.7.5 Use appropriate grammar, word choice, enunciation (clear speech), and pace (timing) during formal presentations. Science The Living Environment 8.4.4 Describe how matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. 8.4.5 Explain that energy can be transferred from one form to another in living things. 8.4.8 Describe how environmental conditions affect the survival of individual organisms and how entire species may prosper in spite of the poor survivability or bad fortune of individuals. Biology I B.1.32 Explain how natural selection leads to organisms that are well suited for survival in particular environments, and discuss how natural selection provides scientific explanation for
the history of life on Earth as depicted in the fossil record and in the similarities evident within the diversity of existing organisms. B.1.37 Explain that the amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Recognize, therefore, that human activities and technology can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land. B.1.43 Understand that and describe how organisms are influenced by a particular combination of living and nonliving components of the environment. B.1.45 Recognize that and describe how the physical or chemical environment may influence the rate, extent, and nature of the way organisms develop within ecosystems. Environmental Science Env.1.14 Recognize and explain that the amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle organic materials from the remains of dead organisms.
Appendix B: Grading Sheet for Final Posters Final Project: Poster Grade Build Your Own Planet Names: Information: All required included (20 points possible) Extra information included (20 points possible) Information from unit reflected (20 points possible) Appearance: Neatness (10 points possible) Spelling, grammar (10 points possible) Well designed (10 points possible) Pleasing to look at (10 points possible) Extra credit points for complete group participation and cooperation: (5 points possible)