Rene Del Bosque

PBI

9-29-05

Title - Build An Animal
By - Sandra C. Haiku
Primary Subject – Biology I
Grade Level - 10
Build An Animal

Inquiry: What characteristics do an animal need to be well suited to its environment?

Concept: The diversity of organisms on Earth is staggering. However, all organisms have an important characteristic, the ability to survive in a particular environment. In order to survive, each must have certain adaptations in terms of anatomy and behavior that are suited to the environment.

Standards: Biological Evolution, Interdependence of organisms, Behavior of organisms

General Goal: The students should gain understanding of how individual organisms adapt and relate to an environment. By picking a real biome and environment, the "animal" that the students create needs to match all of its life systems to a particular area.

TEKS:

Scientific Processes

(2)  Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:

(A)  Plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses,

(D)  Communicate valid conclusions.

(10)  Science concepts. The student knows that, at all levels of nature, living systems are found within other living systems, each with its own boundary and limits. The student is expected to:

(A)  interpret the functions of systems in organisms including circulatory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, integumentary, skeletal, respiratory, muscular, excretory, and immune

Specific objectives:
1. DESIGN a hypothetical animal that could live in a particular environment and CONSTRUCT a model of it.
2. CLASSIFY your animal into a phylum of animals.
3. INFER which anatomical structures and features would help the animal to survive in the environment.

4. Describe the characteristics of at least 2 biomes.

Materials:
colored paper, string, colored clay, pins, straw, buttons, or ?????? Be creative in assembling your animal but DO NOT use materials that will spoil or bring ants.

Engagement 5-10 Minutes
Anticipatory Set: What is the strangest looking animal you have ever seen? How do you think it got that way? This project will give you a chance to go Mother Nature one better. Using the information you know about ecology and evolutionary adaptations you are to create the strangest looking animal that ever "could" be on earth. Be creative, let your imagination flow and have fun.

Exploration 20 min.
1. Review information on biomes (land & water), classification of animals, and adaptations needed to survive in each environment.
2. Select an environment for your animal and decide what adaptations the animal would have and record it on a data record.
3. Decide what the animal would look like and sketch a picture of the animal.
4. Name the animal using proper Genus and species format and classify it in a REAL (appropriate) phylum.
5. Use any materials to create a model of your animal. This is where you need to be creative!! The stranger the animal the better as long as it lives in a real biome and has adaptations suited to that area.
6. Answer the analysis questions and write a conclusion. The model of the animal as well as the report is due in __ weeks.
7. On the day you bring your animal to class be prepared to write about another student’s model and where it might live. (See analysis #4)

Teacher Questions Why do animals live in different environments, what adaptations make those animals best suited for those environments	Student Responses Students will describe the diversity of life, and that animals such as whales are well suited for the ocean because they have flippers and have a torpedo shape.
What are some other things that animals need to survive in their environment?	Animals need a food source, living space, ability to breed and safety
Describe the animal's behavior, including the way it obtains food, the kind of dwelling it lives in, reproduction, its defensive behavior, and how it moves and gets oxygen.	Students will record all information in an organized fashion

Explanation 10min.
Analysis Questions and Conclusion:
1. DESCRIBE the specific physical conditions that exist in your animal's environment including climate and land forms. (Temp, wind, rain, soil & sunshine)
2. For each of the conditions mentioned above, describe a characteristic of your animal that makes it well suited to the environment.
3. State the characteristics that enable you to CLASSIFY the animal in the phylum you selected.
4. On the basis of what you saw when you looked at another student’s animal model, formulate a HYPOTHESIS about the environment to which the animal is adapted. EXPLAIN your answer.

Elaboration 10-15min
What are some problems your animal could encounter based on the environment you selected?

What are some ways that your animal will deal with these problems?

The main goal for a population is to pass on is to survive and pass on its traits? How will your animal deal with this?

Evaluation

Assessment Based on Objectives:
1. Points will be awarded based on rubric; students will write a research paper that covers all main points of rubric to receive full credit
2. Adaptations for students should be on a case by case basis. The important focus should be creating a hypothetical animal that could live in a real environment and be named in a real phylum with correct description of all main points such as animal adaptations to environment, feed strategies, mating rituals if applicable, defenses against predators and daily activity patterns. The final paper must be in MLA format and should contain resources that support the animal’s environment.

3. Paper should be 4-5 pages in length not including resources or title pages.

10 School Days for Final Paper

Name:

Date:

Grade:

	1	2	3	4
Design Animal and Construct Environment	No Design or Construction	Not Adequate Environment for Animal Ex)Fish on Land	Completed Design and Construction	Very Well Supported Description of Environment with Animal Design
Classifying Animal to Phylum	No Classification	Wrong Classification	Correct Classification no justification	Correct Classification with justification
Description of Animal Behavior	No description			Detailed description of animal’s role in the environment and how it interacts with other organisms (e.g., getting food, mating, etc.,)
Animal Physiology	No Physiological Description	Incorrect Physiological Description	Physiological Description with errors	Physiological Description
Paper Completion	Not assigned length w/ incorrect format	MLA Format but incomplete not long enough	Complete Paper, MLA Format, some grammatical and informational errors	Complete Concise Paper, MLA format minimal errors grammatically
				Total