title proto-zoo-ology: a problem-based protist inquiry

Cate Colangelo - 2012 Kenan Fellow “Cell Science—A 21st Century Approach”

Title Proto-ZOO-ology: A Problem-Based Protist Inquiry Unit Lesson 3: It’s A Zoo Out There!

Introduction Protists are used easily to examine classification systems, population diversity, life-sustaining processes, stimulus/response in the environment, and many other “big” concepts that are repeated when studying larger, more complex organisms. A strong foundation in these concepts at the unicellular level will improve student understanding throughout the life science/biology learning progression. The conceptual lens used throughout this unit is the student development of a zoo exhibit for protists. Lesson 3 specifically addresses the diversity of protists, as AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) assessment data indicates that less than 30% of middle school students correctly identify that some living things can be made of only a single cell and different cells can vary in size and shape.

Learning Outcomes

1. Lesson Outcome: Students will familiarize themselves with the diversity of protists through the development of a classification system based on provided images and written information.

2. Lesson Outcome: Students will familiarize themselves with the four representative protists (amoeba, euglena, paramecium, volvox) through the creation of a labeled Foldable.

3. Unit Outcome: Students will create a poster that demonstrates the organelles, abilities, and importance of protists.

Curriculum Alignment/ Framework

NC Science 2009 Essential Standards 7.L.1 Understand the processes, structures and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce and carry out the basic functions of life. 7.L.1.1 Compare the structures and life functions of single-celled organisms that carry out all of the basic functions of life including: -Euglena -Amoeba -Paramecium -Volvox

Common Core ELA/Literacy Standards for Science

Key Ideas and Details • Making and Supporting Inferences • Determining Central Ideas or Themes

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas • Integrating and Evaluating Content

Presented in Diverse Formats

21st Century Skills Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

• Reason Effectively • Make Judgments and Decisions • Solve Problems

Communication & Clarification • Communicate Clearly • Collaborate with Others

Leadership & Responsibility • Be Responsible to Others

NC Professional Eval. Instrument Standard II: Respectful Environment for Diverse Learners Standard III: Content Knowledge Standard IV: Facilitation of Learning: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Variety of Assessment Methods

Classroom Time Needed

Lesson 3: 2 Class Periods: approximately 120 minutes, although class size will affect the timing of some activities

Teacher Preparation

The teacher should also have previously discussed the six characteristics of life with these students. The teacher should print and laminate a set of classification cards per group The other materials needed should also have been gathered ahead of time.


Materials Needed

“Shoes” illustration, 9 protist classification card “mug shots” per group, chalk or blackboard paint markers, chart paper, “Four Protists” Foldable,

Technology SmartBoard/LCD/Overhead projector for student viewing and student directions; video clips like “Kingdom Protista” from United Streaming

Prerequisite Knowledge/ Skills for Students

From the two earlier lessons, students should be aware of the six characteristics of living things. Students also should have demonstrated classification skills previously. If the teacher has elected to skip the first two lessons, then the teacher must provide opportunities for students to demonstrate this knowledge/skill or must scaffold for its development.

Pre-Activities Exploration Time Frame 10 minutes

Day One

1. (5 min) The teacher will project the “Shoes!” classification picture and present the following scenario to the students: “You have been asked to organize this pile of shoes, however you have not been told what criteria you must use. Write down as many different ways that can you organize these shoes as possible in three minutes.”

2. (5 min) Discuss the different ways that students classified the shoes: size, color, use, height, gender, materials, left vs. right, closure

Activities Model System Time Frame Day One: 45 minutes

1. (5 minutes) The teacher will explain that after its “close call” with the fake protist from Lesson 2, the NC Zoo Board has decided it needs to better familiarize itself with common protists. The following “protist mug shots” have been provided by a microbiologist. The teacher should then hand out a set of “mug shots” to each group of four students. Allow students to spread out the “mug shots” in their group so that they can all see the great variety of protists. The teacher should then continue to explain that due to budget constraints, the Zoo has a limited amount of space available for this exhibit. As a result, this diverse population of protists must be broken down into several groups of similar characteristics. The Board will then choose several protist “representatives” to highlight in the exhibit. Students are to group the protist “mug shots” and record their reasoning.

2. (10 min) If black top lab tables are available, students can use chalk or blackboard paint markers to quickly change their groupings and rules by wiping them down with a wet paper towel. If not, provide laminated poster board and dry erase markers.

3. (5-10 min) The teacher will allow students to “gallery walk” the groups’ table classifications or verbally share their results with the class. The class should specifically note similarities and differences in the classification systems designed by each of the groups. Often, student group results will be very similar the first time they classify the cards. This may be a result of students focusing solely on the word section of the cards and grouping the protists by their water environments (fresh, salt, both) or a general impression of the organisms according to their illustrations.

4. (10 min) Challenge students to create an additional classification system


Content Wrap-Up: Day One 5 minutes Content Wrap-Up: Day Two 50 minutes

that has not been previously discussed using the same process as before. 5. (5-10 min) The teacher again will allow students to “gallery walk” the

groups’ table classifications or verbally share their results with the class. The class again should specifically note similarities and differences in the classification systems designed by each of the groups. More diversity in classification systems should occur this time, including size in microns, shape, specific organelles, environment, metabolic process, reproduction methods, etc.

(5 min) The teacher should state that the classification process of protists is constantly evolving as our understanding of them improves. Protists are often nicknamed the “junk drawer” kingdom because they do not fit into any of the other “drawers” of classification, but also don’t easily fit together. In the past, scientists have grouped them according to how they move, get their energy, go through their life cycles & reproduction processes, and, most recently, by their DNA code similarities and differences. As a result, we tend to focus on “representative” protists, just like the NC Zoo Board is requiring.

Day Two

1. The teacher should state that the four representative protists used will be the amoeba, euglena, paramecium, and volvox.

2. Students should be given a Foldable (see Appendix) with illustrations of the four protists, on which students will label the organelles, methods of movement, metabolic process, and reproduction method(s) using the classification cards and other text resources.

3. (5 min) The teacher will need to model one of the four protists’ flaps to promote student understanding of the process. It is recommended that the teacher assists with the Volvox flap, as many texts do not include this protist. Video clips like “Kingdom Protista” from United Streaming are also useful.

4. (30 min) Students will complete the labeling of the remaining protists. 5. (15 min) The teacher should then review the correct answers for the

remaining flaps to verify student accuracy.

Guided Practice Day Two: 10 min

Using their Foldables, students should answer the “Which Protist Is It?” questions about the four representational protists (see Appendix).

Independent Practice Day Two:

Students should create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting any two of the four representational protists.

Lesson Modification Opportunities

1. Consider providing ELL students with the appropriate translation dictionary, as well as a “translation buddy” if available. The illustrations on the “mug shots” should be helpful to those with limited English, and the accompanying statements should be brief to limit potential time issues. The Foldable could also be given to the student in CLOZE format


to ensure both participation and accurate information. 2. For EC students, the illustrations and short statements should also

minimize some potential reading issues. The kinesthetic nature of the activity should also be helpful, but consider limiting the number of cards given if students are easily overwhelmed or lose focus when presented with this much information at once. The Foldable could also be provided in CLOZE format to ensure participation and accurate information.

3. Consider allowing more advanced students to write a dichotomous key for their classification system.

Summative/Alternate Assessments

Student consideration/inclusion of the 6 characteristics when designing their zoo exhibit posters for protists; Written unit test Page Keeley “Pond Water” probe from Uncovering Student Issues in Life Science Vol. 1 pg 33 (available at NSTA.org) or a similar formative assessment. This probe is designed to determine if students fully understand that microbes do not have the same organs as animals (levels of organization/form to function), even though similar life-sustaining processes are performed in unicellular as multicellular organisms. http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/k12/cedarswamp/resources.html offers students the opportunity to write fables for each of the protists found in the Atlantic White Cedar Swamps along the East Coast of the US. These fictional narratives must include factual information about the protists’ characteristics.

Supplemental Information

Classification cards like the “mug shots” described here are available from several distributors (SEPUP, CIBL, etc.), but in many cases, they also contain examples of viruses and bacteria which would be inappropriate for this lesson. Instead, consider making your own using the websites listed below.

Critical Vocabulary

Representative species, amoeba, euglena, paramecium, volvox

Websites

http://nsdl.org for the National Science Digital Library for more info on protists http://starcentral.mbl.edu/eutree_workshop/protistiary/rarbur/rarbur_01.htm for protist animations http://starcentral.mbl.edu/microscope/portal.php for protist info and illustrations http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/index.html for protist info and illustrations using a “pond dip” simulation in a glass jar http://www.slideshare.net/arholder/interactive-science-notebook-full-version for research supporting the use of interactive notebooks, as well as step-by-step instructions for teachers and students for their set-up and use http://assessment.aaas.org/ for Project 2061 test data bank items classified by topics, sub-ideas, and misconceptions for 6-8 and 9-12 grade levels

Comments Further emphasis can be placed on the diversity of protists by asking students what purpose all of their different adaptations serve and why that would be important. Correlations may then be drawn to the diversity of other organisms, including humans, and diversity’s benefits (disease resistance, generational adaptations, etc.)


Author Info Cate Colangelo, M.Ed. Science Education, NBCT Early Adolescence Science North Johnston Middle School Science Lead Teacher 17 years teaching experience Class of 2012 Kenan Fellow This lesson is part of my unit being developed for my NC DPI Kenan Fellowship implementing the 2009 Science Essential Standards. Kenan Fellowship Mentor: Mary Russell, NCDPI REGION 3 Professional Development Lead, Office of Educator Recruitment and Development


“Shoes!” Classification Picture

http://www.ragnewyork.com/blog/5-footwear-products-that-everyone-should-own/


Guided Practice: Which Protist Is It?


Answer Key for Guided Practice


Front of Protist 4-Flap Foldable

Illustrations hand drawn by Cate Colangelo


Inside of Protist 4-Flap Foldable

AMOEBA

1. cytoplasm

2. cell membrane

3. food vacuole

4. nucleus

5. pseudopod

6. contractile vacuole

AMOEBA

Movement:

Pseudopods extend to allow amoeba to ooze

Metabolism:

Heterotrophic (animal-like hunter)

Reproduction:

Asexual & sexual (rare)

VOLVOX

1. colony

2. daughter colony

3. flagella

4. cell membrane

5. nucleus

6. eyespot

7. chloroplast

VOLVOX

Movement:

Flagella of individual cells work together

Metabolism:

Autotrophic (plant-like producer) Reproduction:

Asexual & sexual

EUGLENA

Movement:

Flagella pulls like a propeller

Metabolism:

Mixotrophic (producer and hunter) Reproduction:

Asexual only

PARAMECIUM

Movement:

Cilia move like rowing oars

Metabolism:

Heterotrophic (animal-like hunter) Reproduction:

Asexual & Sexual

PARAMECIUM

1. cilia

2. oral groove

3. micronucleus

4. cell membrane


6. food vacuole

7. macronucleus

8. anal pore

EUGLENA

1. flagella

2. eyespot


4. cell membrane

5. nucleus

6. chloroplast

7. cytoplasm

title proto-zoo-ology: a problem-based protist inquiry

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