Information Literacy



Survival of the Fittest

Collaborative Unit Plan

By Janice Murray

Summer 2009

I have chosen to develop a collaborative unit plan to conduct with a high school biology teacher. The target grade for students is tenth grade and the age range is from fifteen to seventeen years. The ability level of students should be that of a tenth grade level but a range from eighth to twelfth grade levels is possible as ability range may increase some with larger class sizes or inclusion classes.

The theme of the unit is “Survival of the Fittest.” The theme incorporates the evolutionary process, including a history of Charles Darwin, and information on the affects of evolution and natural selection from the past and into the future. The unit incorporates a lesson on mimicry as an example of adaptation as a means for survival.

The unit also includes information pertinent to relatively local habitats including the Northern Atlantic and the woodlands and forests of the Northeastern United States. Local habitats are used in the lessons to help increase student interest as they learn about plant and animal life that they are most likely to encounter near their homes. Means of survival for humans lost in these habitats are also included in the lessons to show that our species is not immune from the affects of natural selection and that “survival of the fittest” also applies to us.

The general goals and objectives for the unit are focused around the questions “How have evolution and natural selection, as theorized by Darwin, helped to develop the world we live in today and how will they continue to change our world throughout the future? What various roles do humans play in the process of natural selection in today’s world?” Students will understand the theory of evolution and the process of natural selection and how they have affected and continue to affect life on Earth. Students will be able to recognize various plant and animal life in different habitats and identify the natural roles they play. Students will understand how humans fit into the process of natural selection and how we are affecting other life forms. Students will also gain basic skills of survival and the skills to gather information for their survival if stranded in the wilderness.

The biology teacher and the LMS will work together to present the unit. The LMS will be responsible for some readings and the readings of various literature excerpts. The LMS will also pass out handouts and worksheets. Both the teacher and LMS will be responsible for monitoring computer use and research. The teacher will be responsible for the majority of the presentation of scientific information including facts about plant and animal life. The roles of the teacher and LMS are also included in lesson plans when needed.

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan Title: Lesson 1- Evolution and Natural Selection

Concept / Topic to Teach: The concept of Evolution as presented by Charles Darwin. The Theory of Natural Selection.

 

Learning Standards Addressed:

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

 

Standard 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes

Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.

 

Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

  

 

General Goal(s): Students will gain an understanding of who Charles Darwin was and his effect on modern science. They will learn about evolution and natural selection.

 

Specific Objectives: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the theory of evolution and of natural selection and how they relate to living organisms of today.

 

Required Materials: Evolution, by David Burnie. A TV and VHS player to show. A February 2009 edition of National Geographic or use of the website to print out the articles from the issue, Darwin's First Clues, by David Quammen, and Modern Darwins, by Matt Ridley. Nature, Nurture, and Nostalgia, by Louis Mihalyi. Construction paper and crayons.

 

Anticipatory Set (a lead-in, introduction, “attention-getter”): Students will read the book Evolution, by David Burnie before the lesson.

 

Step-By-Step Procedures:

A. Students will discuss with the teacher as a class Darwin, the theory of evolution, and natural selection to gain a better understanding of the contents of the text.

B. The Teacher will read selections of each of the National Geographic articles to the class. A printed copy of the articles should be passed out to students so they can follow along.

C. The LMS will read Chapter 14: Eat or be Eaten, from Nature, Nurture, and Nostalgia, by Louis Mihalyi.

 

 

Plan for Independent Practice: N/A. Students should finish reading Evolution if they have not already done so.

 

Closure (should reflect anticipatory set): Students will watch the PBS film Evolution as a class.

 

Assessment (should be based on objectives): Students will draw a food chain based upon their own general knowledge and what they have learned about natural selection. Students will also write a brief paragraph discussing what they have learned from the lesson about Darwin and evolution.

 

Possible Adaptations (for students with learning disabilities): There is no plan for independent practice. Students with learning disabilities could use this time to get help with the reading or read with the LMS.

 

Possible Connections to Other Subjects: Art, as the students will be using their artistic abilities to draw the animals in a food chain.

 

 

 

Lesson Plan Title: Lesson 2- The Art of Deception

Concept / Topic to Teach: Survival and Natural Selection based on Mimicry and Camouflage techniques

 

Learning Standards Addressed:

 

Standard 2: Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

 

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

 

Standard 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes

Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.

 

 

General Goal(s): Students will gain an understanding of the concepts of mimicry and camouflage for survival.

 

Specific Objectives: Students will be able to give examples of mimicry and camouflage techniques used by animals in the wild and understand how it benefits the animal. Students will also be able to demonstrate an understanding of how these techniques can help humans.

 

Required Materials: National Geographic August 2009 Edition for article The Art of Deception. (Printed copies of the article for students). Computers for use by students to use National Geographic Website. Smartboard to display images from website to students.

 

Anticipatory Set (a lead-in, introduction, “attention-getter”): Students will use computers and be asked to log on to National Geographic website and participate by clicking the Interactive: Find the Mimic link. Activity to be monitored by LMS and Biology Teacher.

 

Step-By-Step Procedures:

A. Students will observe the images of deceptive creatures presented and discussed by the teacher on the Smartboard.

B . The teacher will lead a discussion of other animals that students may be familiar with that also use camouflage techniques to survive and will relate camouflaging to Darwin's idea of natural selection. Students should be encouraged to contribute knowledge of animals they know that camouflage or mimic.

 

 Plan for Independent Practice: Students will use computers to look up examples of mimicry and camouflage techniques developed to benefit humans and will provide a written paragraph in statement of their findings.

 

Closure (should reflect anticipatory set): Students will again use the National Geographic website and complete the quiz on the page by following the Quiz link.

 

Assessment (should be based on objectives): Students will be asked to meet with the Biology Teacher on an individual basis and asked to have a two minute dialogue with the teacher about what they have learned.

 

Possible Adaptations (for students with learning disabilities): Students with learning disabilities can complete activities with assistance from LMS or in pairs with other students.

 

Possible Connections to Other Subjects: Social Studies or History as students are likely to research and discuss ideas of camouflage suits used by the military during wartime.

 

Lesson Plan Title: Lesson 3- Ocean Life

Concept / Topic to Teach: Plant and animal life present in the Northern Atlantic and a brief overview of ocean survival techniques.

 

Learning Standards Addressed:

 

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

 

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

 

Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

 

General Goal(s): Students will develop a basic understanding of general plant and animal life they may see off the Northeast Coast. Students will have a basic understanding of how the natural selection process has affected local marine life and what they may do to help their own survival if stranded in the ocean.

 

Specific Objectives: Students will be able to identify species common to the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the affects of natural selection on sea life in the past and in the present by linking extinct and present species and by identifying endangered marine species.

 

Required Materials: Computers for Discovery Channel Website game and for Discover Channel Planet Earth site. Beneath the North Atlantic, by Jonathan Bird. Wonders of the Sea, by Louis Sabin.

 

Anticipatory Set (a lead-in, introduction, “attention-getter”): Life or Death: Lost at Sea game on Discovery Channel Website. Students will play the game individually.

 

Step-By-Step Procedures: Students will hear a presentation by LMS and teacher from the book Beneath the North Atlantic, by Jonathan Bird. LMS and Teacher will each present half of the information. They will give introductions to each of the ten types of marine life included in the book, as divided in the table of contents, and will give examples and show pictures from the book.

 

Plan for Independent Practice: Students will return to computers and will access the website of the Discovery Channel's Planet Earth series at . Students will be asked to gather information on marine life in the sections titled "Deep Oceans" and "Shallow Seas." Students will be asked to record information regarding the location in which the species thrives, its conservation status, and its outlook for the future.

 

Closure (should reflect anticipatory set): Students will reflect with the class and LMS and Teacher as a discussion on what they learned about survival in the oceans. How would they survive if lost at sea and what could they possibly do to aid in the survival of endangered and protected species?

 

Assessment (should be based on objectives): Students will take a brief quiz. They will be asked to list five species specific to the Northern Atlantic and five others. Students will also be asked to write a short paragraph answering the question “Name at least one animal affected by humans. How has Natural Selection for that animal been affected and what are possibilities for the animal in the future?"

 

Possible Adaptations (for students with learning disabilities): Students with learning disabilities can have longer periods of time to do the work. Also, they can read or use the book Wonders of the Sea, by Louis Sabin as it is an easier reading level.

 

Possible Connections to Other Subjects: English, as the Plan for Independent Practice requires some research and the Assessment asks students to use that research to tie into scientific theory.

 

Lesson Plan Title: Lesson 4- Woodlands of the Northeast

 

Concept / Topic to Teach: Plant life and animals present in the woods of the Northeast, i.e. What is safe/unsafe to eat or touch?

 

Learning Standards Addressed:

Standard 2: Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

 

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science

 

Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

 

General Goal(s): Students will be able to relate the theory of natural selection to plant and animal life in the Northeastern United States. Students will have a basic knowledge of survival techniques that could help them if they were to get lost in local wood and forest land.

 

Specific Objectives: Students will be able to identify specific plants that are dangerous to touch or to eat. Students will be able to identify plants that are edible and could help them survive if lost in the woods. Students will be able to recognize local animal prints.

 

Required Materials: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. "Northern Forest Biomes: Ecology of the Northeast Forest" Slides and Guide produced by Educational Images, LTD. Animal Prints worksheet. Wild Flora of the Northeast, by Anita and Spider Barbour. Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, by Christopher Nyerges. Scats and Tracks of the Northeast, by James Halfpenny and Jim Bruchac

 

Anticipatory Set (a lead-in, introduction, “attention-getter”):   Students will read excerpts from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer with LMS.

 

Step-By-Step Procedures:

A. Students will discuss with LMS their thoughts and what they would have done in Chris McCandless' position.

B. Students will watch a slide presentation and follow along with a guide sheet given by the biology teacher on the "Ecology of the Northeast Forest."

C. Students will then divide into pairs. Each pair will be given a sheet of paper with ten different regional animal prints and will compete against other pairs to identify the prints correctly using materials found in the School Library Media Center. Students may use the internet. The identification process will be monitored by LMS and Biology Teacher.

 

Plan for Independent Practice: Students will have access to three books; Wild Flora of the Northeast, by Anita and Spider Barbour, Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, by Christopher Nyerges, and Scats and Tracks of the Northeast, by James Halfpenny and Jim Bruchac. With the books students will look up various plants and animals local to the region and create a brief narrative of what they would survive on and how it would benefit them in their own version of Chris McCandless’ wilderness experience.

 

Closure (should reflect anticipatory set): Students will discuss with LMS their plans for survival in the woods of the Northeast and compare their ideas to their previous thoughts on Chris McCandless’ experience.

 

Assessment (should be based on objectives): Students will take a short lesson Quiz. There will be seven plants pictured. Students will be asked to identify five of them by name and edibility. They will also be given a list of five animal prints to match to their respective animals. Each question will be worth two points.  

 

Possible Adaptations (for students with learning disabilities): Students will be given the option to identify all seven plants for extra credit. Learning disabled students will be paired with non learning disabled students for the animal print worksheet so they can work together to find the answers.

 

Possible Connections to Other Subjects: English and literature as the reading of Into the Wild incorporates literature into the unit and the Plan for Independent Practice encourages students to do a small amount of research and write a brief narrative.

Text Set

Angier, N. (2009, August). The Art of Deception. National Geographic. Retrieved from .

This article from National Geographic is very interesting and informational. It discusses different types of mimicry and relates it to evolution. It is not a long article but it is at a rather high reading level that students with learning disabilities may have trouble with.

 

Barbour, A. and Barbour, S. (1991) Wild Flora of the Northeast. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press

This book is full of photographs as well as narratives about wild plants in the Northeast. There are many images, both photographs and illustrations of a large variety of wild plants. The narratives categorize the plants by season of growth and explain the conditions in which the plants thrive.

 

Bird, J. (1996). Beneath the North Atlantic. East Hartford, CT: Tide-mark Press Ltd.

This book contains information about a variety of sea life that is present in the North Atlantic Ocean. The species are categorized by types of sea life ranging from simplest, including plankton, to the most complex marine mammals. The images and their captions are very interesting and would be good to share with the class.

 

Burnie, D. (2002). Evolution: A Beginner's Guide to how Living Things Survive and Adapt. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc.

Evolution is an age appropriate text to familiarize students with the history and process of evolution. It explores natural selection and looks at the past and into the future of the selective evolutionary process. It includes a brief background of some of the major players in the scientific world including Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins, as well as quotations by various scientists. The book also has illustrations that are very supportive of and help explain the text.

 

Discovery Channel. (2009). Lost at Sea: Life or Death Game. [Web Game]. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved from .

This is an interactive web game that can be used to test ones knowledge of sea survival techniques. Users are asked to answer questions that move them on to the next round and, hypothetically, keep them alive. The game explains the reasons for the right or wrong answers and is informative about possible survival tools and essentials.

 

Discovery Channel. (2009). Planet Earth Animal Guide. [Interactive Website]. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved from .

The website for the Planet Earth TV series on the Discovery Channel offers an interactive page that users can click to discover and learn about various animals according to their habitats. It provides the location in which the species thrives, a photo image, behavior patterns, conservation status, and information regarding its outlook for the future. It is an easy site to maneuver that is full of easy to grasp and interesting information.

 

Educational Images, Ltd. (1999). Northern Forest Biomes: Ecology of the Northeast Forest. [Slide set and guide]. Retrieved from .

The slide set and guide display various plant and animal species typical to coniferous hardwood forests of the northeast. The slides include a range in life from strawberries to bobcats and students can follow along with the guide if the teacher chooses.

 

Halfpenny, J. C. and Bruchac, J. (2001). Scats and Tracks of the Northeast: A Field Guide to the Signs of Seventy Wildlife Species. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press.

This is a very useful field guide to animals of the Northeast. It includes for each animal represented, the name, binomial name, a description of size, weight, and appearance, a description and illustration of its track and trail left behind a map of where the animal can be found, description of its feces, similar species, and other signs of the animal's presence. There is also an introduction to tracking methods and a visual key to assist with tracking. The animal tracks are divided by types of animals to make tracking and look-up easier.

 

Krakauer, J. (1996). Into the Wild. New York, NY: Anchor Books.

This book is good to incorporate into the unit to add literature to the unit. It also adds a real life example of how important it is to know and understand your surroundings if you are ever stuck in the wilderness. The book is well written and a movie was also released recently so many of the kids may have seen it or heard of it and may therefore be interested in the book.

 

Mihalyi, L. (1985). Chapter 14: Eat or be Eaten. Nature, Nurture, and Nostalgia (pp. 32-34). Copyright Louis Mihalyi.

This chapter is good because it describes the reality of the food chain cycle. Mihalyi uses examples of the animals from its own garden to explain the importance of one organism to another and does so in a way that makes eating and being eaten seen as the very natural and healthy process that it is.

 

National Geographic. (2009). Mimicry. [Interactive Website and Quiz]. National Geographic Society. Retrieved from

This interactive website offers a lot for students. It has a link for students to follow an interactive learning module about mimicry to find the hidden animal and it tells about the animal. It also has a multiple choice quiz that students can take after the lesson that asks details about certain animals' mimic techniques.

 

Nyerges, C. (1999). Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.

This book contains a lot of information about edible and helpful wild plants. There is a black and white photo of each plant addressed. It describes the shape and size of each plant and its various parts and provides information regarding its benefits, medicinal uses, and its detrimental properties. It includes location and season of growth of the plant and also incorporates other facts about the plant's use in books, movies, history, and even recipes.

 

Olicker, J. (Producer & Director). (2001). Evolution Volume 1, Darwin's Dangerous Idea. [Film Documentary]. South Burlington, VT: WGBH Boston Video.

This documentary explores Darwin's life and his scientific and theoretical findings. It provides information on current evolutionary discoveries and explains the importance of evolution and natural selection on today's world and that of the future.

 

Quammen, D. (2009, February). Darwin's First Clues. National Geographic. Retrieved from .

This article is good because it describes Darwin's voyage on the Beagle. The author discusses other stops he made on his journey and what other clues to evolution and natural selection he discovered along the way before reaching the Galapagos Islands. The other examples, such as fossils, provide other evidence to evolution that students may not have considered.

 

Ridley, M. (2009). Modern Darwins. National Geographic. Retrieved from .

 

 

Sabin, L. (1982). Wonders of the Sea. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Associates.

This book is introductory but very informative. It may be useful for students with lower reading levels and learning disabilities. It introduces a wide range of sea life from sea anemone and plankton to the blue whale. It includes pronunciations for some words and even incorporates discussion of some of the animals' role in the food chain.

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