GRADE LEVEL: 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two or three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: Using segments from the PBS program NATURE: “Moment of Impact, Part 2: Jungle,” students will learn about skills and features that help species survive in the jungle. In the Introductory Activity, students will play a game where they are challenged to match species to adaptations which help them survive in the jungle. Students will create a definition for “adaptation” and revise the definition throughout the lesson, based on new information that they learn. In the Learning Activities, students will learn about the panther chameleon and the adaptations that help it survive. In an optional extension activity, students will examine the lyrics to “Karma Chameleon,” using their new knowledge of chameleons and will create a poem or song lyrics about chameleons. Students will also learn about the different layers of the jungle and the species that inhabit them, as well as how species get their prey and defend themselves from predators. In the Culminating Activity, students will create models illustrating the adaptations/skills different species use to survive.

SUBJECT MATTER: Science

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
o Provide a definition for an “adaptation” and describe different adaptations that help species capture prey and protect themselves from predators.
o Describe a panther chameleon and list at least 3 adaptations that help it survive in the jungle.
o Discuss the different layers of the jungle, species that reside in each and adaptations that help them survive.
o Create a diagram and/or 3D model to explain an adaptation that helps a species survive.
o Describe one jungle species in detail and explain the features/ skills that help it survive.

STANDARDS
National Science Education Standards

Grades 9-12:
Content Standard C: Life Science
Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:
• The Interdependence of Organisms
o 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.
• The Behavior Of Organisms
o Multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior. Nervous systems are formed from specialized cells that conduct signals rapidly through the long cell extensions that make up nerves. The nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific excitatory and inhibitory molecules. In sense organs, specialized cells detect light, sound, and specific chemicals and enable animals to monitor what is going on in the world around them.
o Organisms have behavioral responses to internal changes and to external stimuli. Responses to external stimuli can result from interactions with the organism’s own species and others, as well as environmental changes; these responses either can be innate or learned. The broad patterns of behavior exhibited by animals have evolved to ensure reproductive success. Animals often live in unpredictable environments, and so their behavior must be flexible enough to deal with uncertainty and change. Plants also respond to stimuli.
o 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.
o Behavioral biology has implications for humans, as it provides links to psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

MEDIA COMPONENTS
NATURE: “Moment of Impact, Part 2: Jungle,” selected segments
Note: Clip 1 is used in Learning Activity 1. The other clips can be used by students, as they create their culminating projects.

Clip 1: “Panther Chameleon”
An overview of what skills/features help the colorful panther chameleon survive in the jungle.

Clip 2: “Amazonian Boa”
An overview of the features that help the Amazonian boa capture prey and survive the jungle.

Clip 3: “Antsy on the Forest Floor”
A close look at the leafcutter and carnivorous trap-jaw ants.

Clip 4: “Bats”
A close look at bats and how they use sound to locate prey.

Clip 5: “Cuban Crocodile”
A look at the bioengineering of the Cuban crocodile and how it navigates in water and on land.

Clip 6: “The Lizard and the Butterfly”
A close look at a basilisk lizard’s surprise attack on an unsuspecting blue morpho butterfly.

Clip 7: “Monkey Business”
An overview of the spider monkey and how it moves through the jungle.

Clip 8: “Osprey”
A brief look at the osprey and how its body design is well-suited for spotting and capturing fish.

Clip 9: “Paradise Tree Snake”
A look at how the paradise tree snake escapes danger by “snaking” through the air.

Clip 10: “Red Eyed Tree Frog”
A look at how the paradise tree snake escapes danger by “snaking” through the air.

Clip 11: “Tiger”
A look at what makes the tiger a successful hunter.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Websites:
o Supporting Resources for the Lesson
The following sites are resources which can be helpful for students to use when conducting research during the following portions of the lesson:
Introductory Activity
• The BBC Virtual Jungle website
This website features a variety of information about the structure of the jungle and the plants and animals living there.
• Rainforest Alliance
This website contains a variety of information about rainforests, including a section about rainforest species (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/resources.cfm?id=species_profiles) which could be helpful to students in this lesson.
Note: Both of these websites can also be used by students as resources throughout the lesson.

Learning Activity 2:
• Jungle Journey
In this section of the Nature website, students can explore the different layers of the jungle and the wildlife that inhabits each.

• The Layers of the Rainforest

This page contains info about the 4 rainforest layers, which can be used in Learning Activity #2. (This page is within the rainforest section of the California Institute of Technology’s Space Radiation Lab website)

• Mongabay.com
This website features a variety of information about wild lands and wildlife, including information about rainforests: http://rainforests.mongabay.com.

The following sections can be used to help students explore the layers of the rainforest in Learning Activity 2:
o The Canopy
o The Forest Floor

Optional Extension Activity:
• Karma Chameleon Lyrics
These lyrics to Boy George’s “Karma Chameleon” can be used in the optional activity.

Culminating Activity:
• Additional Resources Page
This page on the Nature website includes links to resources about blue morpho butterflies, tigers, trap-jaw ants, spider monkeys, snakes, Cuban crocodiles, tigers and other species, which could be used by students in the culminating activity.
• Animals of the Rainforest
This page provides details about different rainforest species including the blue morpho butterfly and spider monkey. (This page is within the rainforest section of the California Institue of Technology’s Space Radiation Lab website: http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/serve_home.html)
• Rainforest Connection
This Montclair State University website includes information about various species of mammals that live in the rainforest, including bats and spider monkeys, which students can use in the culminating activity. To directly access this information, students can go to the mammal index.

o Optional related website:
• Jungle Survival Game
This Discovery Channel Game challenges visitors to make decisions to help them survive in the jungle.

MATERIALS
For the class:
o Computers with internet access.
o Computer, projection screen and speakers (for class viewing of online/downloaded “Panther Chameleon” video segment).
o 1 copy of the “Adaptations Game” answer key.” (download here)

For each group of 5-10 students:
o 1 copy of the “Adaptations Game” (download here).

PREP FOR TEACHERS
Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and websites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer(s) or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.
Bookmark any websites that you plan to use in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.
Print out one copy of the “Adaptations Game” for each group of 5-10 students.

Print out one copy of the “Adaptations Game Answer Key.”

In the “Adaptations Game,” cut out each species card along the dotted lines and paper clip each set of 10 species cards to the corresponding box in the adaptations sheet.

Next: Proceed to Lesson Activities

Excerpts from the NATURE episode, “Moment of Impact: Part 2, Jungle”
Panther Chameleon
An overview of what skills/features help the colorful panther chameleon survive in the jungle.
(View full post to see video)
Amazonian Boa
An overview of the features that help the Amazonian boa capture prey and survive in the jungle.
(View full post to see video)
Antsy on the Forest Floor
A close look at the leafcutter and carnivorous trap-jaw ants.
(View full post to see video)
Bats
A close look at bats and how they use sound to locate prey.
(View full post to see video)
Cuban Crocodile
A look at the bioengineering of the Cuban crocodile and how it navigates in water and on land.
(View full post to see video)
The Lizard and the Butterfly
A close look at a basilisk lizard’s surprise attack on an unsuspecting blue morpho butterfly.
(View full post to see video)
Monkey Business
An overview of the spider monkey and how it moves through the jungle.
(View full post to see video)
Osprey
A brief look at the osprey and how its body design is well-suited for spotting and capturing fish.
(View full post to see video)
Paradise Tree Snake
A look at how the paradise tree snake escapes danger by “snaking” through the air.
(View full post to see video)
Red-eyed Tree Frog
A look at how the red-eyed tree frog changes its appearance to avoid danger.
(View full post to see video)
Tiger
A look at what makes the tiger a successful hunter.
(View full post to see video)

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Video Clips
1. Panther Chameleon
An overview of what skills/features help the colorful panther chameleon survive in the jungle.

2. Amazonian Boa
An overview of the features that help the Amazonian boa capture prey and survive in the jungle.

3. Antsy on the Forest Floor
A close look at the leafcutter and carnivorous trap-jaw ants.

4. Bats
A close look at bats and how they use sound to locate prey.

5. Cuban Crocodile
A look at the bioengineering of the Cuban crocodile and how it navigates in water and on land.

6. The Lizard and the Butterfly
A close look at a basilisk lizard’s surprise attack on an unsuspecting blue morpho butterfly.

7. Monkey Business
An overview of the spider monkey and how it moves through the jungle.

8. Osprey
A brief look at the osprey and how its body design is well-suited for spotting and capturing fish.

9. Paradise Tree Snake
A look at how the paradise tree snake escapes danger by “snaking” through the air.

10. Red-eyed Tree Frog
A look at how the red-eyed tree frog changes its appearance to avoid danger.

11. Tiger
A look at what makes the tiger a successful hunter.

2. Explain that today you are going to explore species living in the jungle and the adaptations and skills that help them survive. Ask students to brainstorm what they think an “adaptation” is. Write down all answers. (Possible points to raise during the discussion: An adaptation is a physical feature, behavior or skill, developed over the course of many generations, which helps a species survive. Adaptation also refers to the evolutionary process by which a species becomes better suited to its habitat.)

3. Ask students to list some animal adaptations. Write down their responses. (Answers might include camouflage, long necks to grab food in high places, etc.)

4. Let students know they will be playing a game where they will learn about various adaptations that help species survive in the jungle. Divide the class into groups of 5-10 students each. Give each group an “Adaptations Game.” (download here)

5. Challenge each group to match each species to an adaptation that helps it survive. Encourage students to use print and/or online resources to help them complete this task.
Note: Some of the featured adaptations are used by more than one of the species listed on the “Species Cards” and some of the species have more than one of the adaptations listed on the “Adaptations Sheet.” For this activity, challenge students to place only one species on each adaptation.

6. Once each group has successfully matched a species to an adaptation, encourage students to work alone or in pairs to gather information about each adaptation and how it helps the species survive. Each student or pair of students should select one adaptation to research. Encourage students to use a variety of print and/or online sources, including the BBC’s Virtual Jungle website . Give students about 15 minutes to conduct their research.

7. After the groups have collected their information, ask them to share their findings with the rest of the class. Lead a discussion about the adaptations featured in the game. Refer to the “Adaptations Game Answer Key,” as needed. During the discussion, talk about how each adaptation helps the species survive in the jungle. Refer to the table below for possible items to include in the discussion.

8. Review your description and examples of an “adaptation” that the class brainstormed earlier. Work with the class to revise the description. Encourage students to add more details to the definition of the adaptation. (For example: An adaptation is a physical feature or a skill, developed over the course of many generations which helps a species to find, capture and kill prey and to defend itself.)

9. Add additional examples of adaptations to the list, based on information gathered in the first activity. Create a three-column list, like the one shown below, to record student responses. (Leave room in the chart for students to add more information later in the lesson.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
1. Summarize that there are a variety of adaptations that help species defend themselves and find food in the jungle. FRAME clip #1, “Panther Chameleon,” by explaining that students will now learn more about a species called the panther chameleon and the adaptations that help it survive in the jungle.

2. Ask students to share information they know about chameleons. Write down the students’ responses. (Possible answers might include that they change color.) If students mention chameleons change color, ask them to brainstorm why they think this happens.

3. Explain that you are now going to show a video segment from the PBS program NATURE: “Moment of Impact, Part 2: Jungle.” Provide a FOCUS for the clip, asking students to list 3 different skills that help the panther chameleon survive and describe how each skill helps them in the jungle.

4. PLAY Video Segment #1, “Panther Chameleon.” After playing the clip, FOLLOW UP by asking students to list some adaptations (including special skills and physical features) the panther chameleon uses to survive and describe how each of those adaptations helps it. Access the video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.
The discussion can include the following:
o How and why its color changes.
• How its color changes: The color change takes place below transparent outer skin. Chromatophores (stretchable pigment cells) are ringed with muscle fibers. When the fibers contract, they pull on the chromatophores, quickly spreading their color. The upper layer handles red and yellow tints. Another layer of cells below reflects blue light.
• Why its color changes: Panther chameleons don’t change color to camouflage their presence from surroundings. They change color to communicate. Coloring reflects their mood when sparring with other males or when attracting attention of females.

o Special skills/ features:
• Tongue: When extended, the panther chameleon’s tongue is longer than its body. The tongue enables the chameleon to quickly catch a prey. The sticky tip grabs the prey and its skin flaps keep it in place.
• Eyes: Each eye can rotate and focus separately. With a pinhole in the center, each eye has a full 360 degree view.
• Hunting Strategy: The chameleon edges toward the prey, but doesn’t chase it.

Optional Extension Activity
1. Share “Karma Chameleon” lyrics with students and play the song for the class to hear.

2. Ask students to reflect upon and discuss the lyrics in relation to what they know about chameleons. Ask students to look at the bolded words and phrases below. Ask students to conduct additional research about chameleons to see how accurately the bolded words and phrases (such as “cling” or “come and go”) describe chameleons:

When we cling our love is strong
When you go you’re gone forever
You string along, you string along

Karma karma karma karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream
Red gold and green, red gold and green
Every day is like survival
You’re my lover, not my rival
Every day is like survival
You’re my lover, not my rival

3. Challenge students to write their own poem or song lyrics to the tune of “Karma Chameleon,” another existing song or an original composition, with words that accurately describe the panther chameleon’s adaptations. Here are two sample verses (to the tune of the last two “Karma Chameleon” verses listed above):
Panther, panther, panther, panther, panther chameleon
You move so slow, you move so slow
Your eyes keep movin’ & turnin’ around and around
You’re on the hunt, but don’t make a sound

Your hue is ever changing
Where you are we do not know
Your hue is ever changing
Where you are we do not know

4. After students have written their poems/verses, ask them to present and discuss them with the group.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
1. Divide students into four groups. Assign each group to one of the four layers of the jungle:
1) forest floor, 2) understory, 3) canopy and 4) emergent layer.

2. Give each group 15-20 minutes to research their assigned section of the jungle. Specifically, ask students to find out the following:
o Names of species living in the layer.
o Adaptations that help the species protect themselves and find food.
Encourage students to use online and print resources to gather the information. Here are some websites that could be helpful:
• The PBS Jungle Journey website
• The BBC Virtual Jungle website
• Mongabay.com’s rainforest information: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/:
•The Canopy
•The Forest Floor
• Layers of a Rainforest

3. Ask each group to present information about the layer it studied, the species that inhabit it and the adaptations that help them survive.

4. Lead a discussion with the group about the challenges of living in each of the layers of the jungle. Here are some possible items to include in the discussion:

5. Review the class’ 3-column chart of adaptations and add additional adaptations to the list.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY
1. Explain to students that, working in pairs or small groups, they will select a species that lives in the jungle, find out information about that species and create a 3-dimensional model or computer-animated model to illustrate how it seeks prey and/or defends itself in the jungle.

2. Ask students to review a few of the “Moment of Impact, Part 2: Jungle” video segments listed for this lesson in order to select the species they would like to research. (Access the video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.) Ask each group to select one of the following species:
o Amazonian boa
o basilisk lizard
o bat
o Cuban crocodile
o leafcutter ant
o blue morpho butterfly
o osprey
o panther chameleon
o paradise tree snake
o red-eyed tree frog
o spider monkey
o tiger
o trap-jaw ant

3. Once students have selected their species, ask them to watch the corresponding segment again and record information about the highlighted adaptations. Encourage students to conduct additional research to find out more about their species.

4. Ask students to pick one or more adaptations to highlight in their project and to brainstorm the best ways to illustrate how that adaptation works. For example, if they have selected the panther chameleon, they could create a 3-d model of a panther chameleon that includes a “tongue” that extends to a length larger than the chameleon’s body, a body that changes color and/or eyes that each rotate 360 degrees.

5. The completed project could include a diagram, 3-d model and/or computer-generated animation and must include the following:
o Information about adaptations/features that help the species get food and/or defend itself against predators.
o A diagram, 3-d model or computer-generated video, created by the students, which demonstrates one or more skills/adaptations that help the species to survive. Here are some examples of adaptations that can be highlighted for each species:

6. Ask each group to present its work to the class and to lead a discussion about what it discovered about the species and its adaptations during the process.

7. Lead a discussion with the class, encouraging students to share facts they learned about the jungle, its species and their adaptations. Review the class’ definition of an “adaptation” and revise, as needed. Ask students to look at the class’ 3-column chart of adaptations and add new information learned during the lesson.

(Click here for a printer-friendly version of this lesson.)

GRADE LEVEL: 9-11

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three 45-minute periods

OVERVIEW: This inquiry-based lesson plan will challenge students to design and conduct scientifically valid experiments to evaluate hypotheses regarding an animal’s expected behavior in response to changes in its environment.

Students will first view and analyze video segments from the NATURE film “Earth Navigators” as they begin to think about animal behavior as a response to stimulus in the environment. The video clips feature many different animal species reacting to changes in the environment by migrating from one part of the earth to another. Students will predict the reasons for these migrations and will determine the stimuli that actually trigger the animals to migrate.

Following the video exploration, students will conduct reading and research to learn about isopods (commonly known as pill bugs or roly polies). The students will use the information they gather to formulate research questions having to do with the isopods’ expected response to environmental stimulus. The students will design experiments that can be conducted in the classroom to test their hypotheses. They will conduct the student-designed experiments, collecting data and reporting their findings and conclusions. They will also make suggestions for future improvements in the experimental protocol.

SUBJECT MATTER: Living Environment/Biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Draw connections between the migratory behavior of different animals and seasonal changes on Earth;
• Describe migration as an instance of behavioral response to stimulus;
• Using anatomical and environmental information, create a research question about an isopod’s behavior in response to environmental stimulus;
• Create a hypothesis that addresses the research question;
• Design and conduct an experiment to evaluate the hypothesis;
• Collect data from the experiment, describe results, and evaluate conclusions.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

CONTENT STANDARD A: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop:

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD C: Life Science. As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understandings of:

• Behavior of Organisms.

New York State Regents Core Curriculum Alignments
Living Environment Core Curriculum
STANDARD 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering designs, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions

Key Idea 2: Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity.

Performance Indicator 2.1: Devise ways of making observations to test proposed explanations.

Performance Indicator 2.3: Develop and present proposals including formal hypotheses to test explanations; i.e., predict what should be observed under specific conditions if the explanation is true.

Performance Indicator 2.4: Carry out a research plan for testing explanations, including selecting and developing techniques, acquiring and building apparatus, and recording observations as necessary.

Key Idea 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into natural phenomena.

Performance Indicator 3.1: Use various methods of representing and organizing observations (e.g., diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations, matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data.

STANDARD 4: Students will understand and apply scientific principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.

Performance Indicator 5.3: Relate processes at the system level to the cellular level in order to explain dynamic equilibrium in multicelled organisms.

5.3a Dynamic equilibrium results from detection of and response to stimuli. Organisms detect and respond to change in a variety of ways both at the cellular level and at the organismal level.

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Performance Indicator 6.1: Explain factors that limit growth of individuals and populations.

6.1f Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of unlimited size, but environments and resources are finite. This has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE: Earth Navigators, selected clips

Clip 1: “Planetary Moves”

Introduction to four species’ migratory patterns.

Clip 2: “Monarch Migration”

The start of the monarch butterfly’s northward trek.

Clip 3: “Hungry Beasts”

Wildebeest and locusts on the move.

Clip 4: “Arctic Summer”

Many birds summer in the arctic.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web Sites

FOSSWEB: Isopods
Includes general information on isopods and useful tips on how to find and keep pill bugs for the classroom

Isopod, Pillbug, Sow bug information
Includes general information on isopods

NCES Graphing Tutorial
This tutorial from the National Center for Education Statistics explains the various kinds of graphs and demonstrates how to build them.

MATERIALS

For the classroom:

• Computer and projection system for showing video clips
• Several computers for student use
  Chalkboard or whiteboard
• Isopods (pill bugs) in a terrarium or other classroom habitat (enough specimens for at least 15-20 per student group)
• Isopod Research Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

Materials to be used in pill bug experiments (several of each):

• Paper towels or filter paper
• Eye droppers
• Portable Lamps
• Heat Packs
• Cold Packs
• Card stock or construction paper
• Substrate materials, e.g. sand, gravel, dirt, shredded paper, bark, etc.
• Thermometers

Per group of 3-4 students:

• Stopwatch
• Materials to make “test chambers”: Petri dishes or small disposable bowls or plates – enough for approx. 5 or 6 per group
• Roll of masking tape
• Scissors or art knife
• Paper cup
• Data Collection Chart
• Graph paper

Per student:

• Isopod Research Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Isopod Experiment Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Isopod Experiment Assessment Rubric (PDF) (RTF)
• Paper and pen

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Procure live isopods (pill bugs) for the students to observe and use. Isopods are very easy to care for in the classroom, and can either be collected in the wild or ordered from a biological supply company. For more information on collecting, rearing, and keeping isopods in the classroom, see the two Isopod references mentioned in the “web sites” section.

Familiarize yourself with accepted guidelines for the safe and responsible handling of live animals in a classroom setting. The NSTA’s Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research’s Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education are good general resources. Also check to see if your state or district has special animal handling guidelines or requirements.

Make copies of the Isopod Research Organizer and the Isopod Experiment Organizer for each student.

Next: Proceed to Activities

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-10

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: The structure of an organism is related to its function and the role it plays in its environment. Many structural differences can be found within a species. These structural differences are often adaptations that allow organisms to better survive in their particular environment. These evolutionary adaptations develop through the process of natural selection.

This lesson explores different adaptations and variations in birds, using the NATURE episode “Extraordinary Birds.” It focuses on bird beaks, migratory patterns, and birds’ ability to co-exist with humans. Students will define key concepts from the lesson, discuss and explore different adaptations of birds, and analyze relationships between the concepts learned. This lesson can be taught independently, or it can be used as a precursor to the New York State Core Curriculum “Beaks of Finches” lab. Students must have a basic knowledge of evolution and natural selection in order to successfully complete this lesson.

SUBJECT MATTER: Biology/ Living Environment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Discuss and define key concepts from the lesson, including adaptation, migration, and interaction between humans and birds;
• Describe how particular characteristics of bird beaks reflect birds’ adaptations to their particular environments;
• Explain how different environmental factors can affect the migration cycle of the Rufous Hummingbird;
• Demonstrate understanding of how adaptations in different species of birds assist their interactions with humans;
• Create a concept map using different adaptive traits of birds.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards:

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understand about scientific inquiry. To develop scientific inquiry skills students must actively participate in scientific investigations and they must actually use the cognitive and manipulative skills associated with the formulation of scientific explanations.

CONTENT STANDARD C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop understandings of:

• Biological Evolution
• Interdependence of organisms
• Behavior of Organisms

Students’ understanding of biology will expand by incorporating more abstract knowledge, such as the theories of evolution.

NEW YORK STATE CORE CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTS

Living Environment Core Curriculum:

STANDARD 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering designs, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process.

Performance Indicator 1.2: Hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts.

1.2a. Inquiry involves asking questions and locating, interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources.

Key Idea 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into natural phenomena.

Performance Indicator 3.1: Use various methods of representing and organizing observations (e.g., diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations, matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data.

3.1a Interpretation of data leads to development of additional hypotheses, the formulation of generalizations, or explanations of natural phenomena.

STANDARD 4: Students will understand and apply scientific principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.

Performance Indicator 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

3.1g: Some characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing, and the advantaged offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. The proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will increase.

3.1h: The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions.

3.1i: Behaviors have evolved through natural selection. The broad patterns of behavior exhibited by organisms are those that have resulted in greater reproductive success.

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment

Performance Indicator 6.1: Explain factors that limit the growth of individual populations

6.1g: Relationships between organisms may be negative, neutral, or positive. Some 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 cause disease in, scavenge, or decompose another.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, Extraordinary Birds, selected segments:

Clip 1, “A Variety of Hummingbirds.”

Describes different traits and adaptations in various species of hummingbirds.

Clip 2, “Little Brain, Big Journey.”

Shows the migratory patterns and habits of the Rufous hummingbird.

Clip 3, “The Pigeon Express.”

Profiles a small business in which homing pigeons play a central role.

Clip 4, “Birds of Kundha Kulam.”

Demonstrates birds’ extraordinary impact on the agriculture of a small Indian community.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Bird Adaptations – Beaks
An interactive Web site featuring the beaks of nine different species of birds, with descriptions of their characteristics and what they are best adapted for. It also includes a similar page for adaptations of birds’ feet, and worksheets to assess student comprehension.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• Rufous Hummingbird Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Beak Characteristics Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Vocabulary Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Practice Regents Questions (PDF) (RTF)

For each pair or group of students:

• For the Gallery Walk Activity: one pen or marker (a different color for each group)
• For the Concept Map Activity: two flip chart pages or large sheets of paper, one pad of sticky notes, one pen or marker
• Computer with internet access

For the class:

• Computer with internet access, projector and screen
• For the Gallery Walk Activity: flip chart pages with the following vocabulary terms written at the top of the page (one word per page): variation, natural selection, adaptation, competition, environment
• Teacher Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Sample Concept Map (PDF)
• Scenarios for Vocabulary Terms – 2 copies (PDF) (RTF)
• Hat or bag (to hold Vocabulary Term scenarios)
• Regents Questions Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Prepare all classroom materials. Print out and make copies of the student organizers and answer keys. Prepare for the Gallery Walk activity by writing the following vocabulary terms at the top of flip chart pages or large pieces of paper (one term per page): Variation, Natural Selection, Adaptation, Competition, and Environment. Post the flip chart pages around the room. If you are not familiar with conducting a “Gallery Walk” in your classroom, review the procedure at the “How to Use Gallery Walk?” Web page.

For the Culminating Activity: Print two copies of the Scenarios for Vocabulary Terms sheet. Keep one sheet for teacher reference, and cut up the other sheet so that each scenario is on a separate slip of paper. Do not include the right-hand column (Vocab Key Code) on the cut-up slips. Put all the slips of paper into a hat or bag and mix well.

Next: Proceed to Activities

My duties now were all about supporting the crew as much as they needed: filling the ATVs and generator with fuel; filling cooking stoves with fuel; putting hot water in the thermos flasks; water fetching; battery charging; tiding; making breakfasts, brews and dinners; ensuring everyone has their polar bear protection on them and that they know how to use it; and anything else concerning the safety side of things, of which there are daily considerations.

In short, chief bottle washer, cook and camp nag!

The crew was eager to get on with the filming and so during the next few days we made all sorts of plans and changed them according to what was working or appropriate, or not.

We moved a hide in to film the snowy owls on their nest. I saw some of the “rushes” which looked fantastic (apparently this term originates from when they used to get the film processed overnight and “rushed” back to the studio for people to watch).

We were all laughing because Mrs snowy owl – I think I’ll call her “Sally” – looked as though she was doing a sort of shake-your-bottom dance as she spread out all over the eggs to keep them safe and warm.

She’s obviously going to be a great mother, carefully rolling and tending to each one of her clutch of seven, in turn.

I took Jonny off to “show him the estate”, well eastward anyway, down to River 2, including the dreaded Jim’s Drift so that he knows where to cross the river if they are in hot pursuit of the wolves as they go out hunting.

The river itself has subsided a bit but is fed by a number of melt-water mountain rivers so will take a long time to diminish to a trickle like so many of the others, if indeed it does at all.

On occasion, the weather has been absolutely awful: dark skies with swirling, incessant wind and quite heavy rain – more of that 6cm annual average.

The rain fell as snow on the mountains just east of our encampment, reminding me of Scotland again.

We saw one wolf returning from hunting, all on his own. He was very anxious to find the others and was howling for them to come back. I’m reading in another book that their howls mean things and I’m sure this one was saying: “Where are the rest of you? Come home, I’m lonely!”

Mark managed to get some footage of it.

Background:
Cattle originally evolved over millions of years through a process of natural selection-also known as “survival of the fittest”-which made them adaptable to a wide variety of environments, including most of those inhabited by another highly adaptable species: humans. Once humans discovered how to domesticate cattle about 4,000 years ago, they began to selectively, or “artificially,” breed them for specific desired traits like meat and milk production. This resulted in animals fit less for survival in the wild than the satisfaction of human needs, but in purely genetic terms, the arrangement has proven highly successful for cattle. Cattle now thrive throughout the world in over 800 different breeds, each more or less successfully adapted to their environment and the needs of their human caretakers.

The excerpted clips from the NATURE episode “Holy Cow!” illustrate some of the naturally evolved and artificially selected attributes of cattle.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: A Cow’s Digestive System

1. What role do microbes serve in a cow’s rumen?
2. Does this clip illustrate naturally or artificially selected attributes?
3. Why would a cow’s ability to eat grass make it ideal for human domestication?

Clip 2: Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle

1. How many different breeds of cattle have humans created?
2. Would the qualities that make good beef cattle help them survive in the wild?
3. Besides milk and meat production, what other traits might humans wish to breed in cattle?

Clip 3: Different Breeds of Cattle

1. What might indicate that a cattle breed is adapted to cold climates like Scotland?
2. What do the different breed names refer to?
3. Why might “adaptability” be a desirable trait in a specific breed?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To downoad a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…” On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1, “A Cow’s Digestive System”

Clip 2, “Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle”

Clip 3, “Different Breeds of Cattle”

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: Cattle evolved through the slow process of natural selection until human domestication, which rapidly accelerated their development as an artificially selected species fit less for survival than to satisfy human needs. This lesson focuses on how and why humans have been so successful in selectively breeding cattle to suit these needs, while also exploring the limitations and consequences of this success.

Natural selection describes the process by which organisms best adapted to their environments are the ones that survive and reproduce. The Introductory Activity helps students understand that some traits, such as the ability to digest grass, made certain species more desirable for domestication by humans. The Learning Activities explore how, by nurturing and protecting animals that might not have survived in the wild, human domestication interrupted the process of natural selection. Reproductive success was no longer primarily determined by an animal’s most naturally adaptive survival traits, but rather by its artificially selected traits desirable to humans (primarily milk and meat production). The culminating activity presents a case study in which students consider the consequences of losing the naturally selected attributes of breeds less adapted to domestication.

Students should already be familiar with the concepts of evolutionary adaptation, natural selection, and DNA/genetic engineering.

SUBJECT MATTER: Biology/ Living Environment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe the traits of cows that make them suitable for domestication.
• Explain how the cow’s digestive system has adapted to its environment.
• Compare and contrast natural and artificial selection.
• Describe various breeds of selectively bred cattle and their desirable traits.
• Discuss some limitations and negative consequences of selective breeding.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

From the National Science Standards for Science Content, Grades 9-12.

CONTENT STANDARDS C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop understandings of:

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.
• Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life forms, as well as for the striking molecular similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.

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.

New York State Core Curriculum Alignments
From the Living Environment Core Curriculum.

STANDARD 4: Students will understand and apply scientific principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

Performance Indicator 2.2: Explain how technology of genetic engineering allows for human to alter genetic makeup of organisms.

2.2a: For thousands of years new varieties of cultivated plants and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding for particular traits.

2.2b: In recent years new varieties of farm plant and animals have been engineered by manipulating their genetic instructions to produce new characteristics.

Key Idea 3: Individuals and species change over time.

Performance Indictor 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

3.1e: Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life-forms as well as for the molecular and structural similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.

3.1f: Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the Interaction of (1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers… (4) the ensuring selection by the environment of those better able to survive…

3.1j: Behaviors have evolved through natural selection. The broad patterns of behaviors exhibited by organisms are those that have resulted in greater reproductive success.

3.1k: Evolution does not necessitate a long-term progress in some set direction. Evolutionary changes appear to be like the growth of a bush: Some branches survive from the beginning with little or no change, many die out altogether, and others branch repeatedly, sometimes giving rise to more complex organisms.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, Holy Cow, selected segments:

Clip 1, “A Cow’s Digestive System”

Clip 2, “Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle”

Clip 3, “Different Breeds of Cattle”

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Breeds of Livestock
An Oklahoma State University Web site featuring photos and descriptions of various breeds of cattle from around the world.

World Climate Map
A map of the world showing different climate zones.

Genetic Engineering
A Regents’ preparatory Web site featuring a description of how the meaty English Shorthorn cow was selectively bred with the heat-resistant Brahman cow to produce the Santa Gertrudis, a hybrid which possesses the positive characteristics of both parent breeds.

Punnett Squares
An interactive Web-site which explains how Punnett squares can be used to determine the likelihood that certain traits will be passed on to future generations.

A Dying Breed
A New York Times article which discusses the pros and cons of increasing hybridization by Bahiman cattle ranchers in Uganda of their native Ankole cattle with Holstein cattle from the United States.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Traits of Ankole and Holstein Cattle” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)

For each group:

• “Man’s Best Friend?” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)
• “Cattle Breeding” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)
• “Finding the Balance” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)

For the class:

• “Traits of Ankole and Holstein Cattle” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Man’s Best Friend?” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Cattle Breeding” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Finding the Balance” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• Computer with Internet access, projector, and screen

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Next: Proceed to Activities.

Background:
Grizzly bears were once scarce in Yellowstone National Park and on their way to extinction. After becoming designated as an Endangered Species over three decades ago, governmental protections have allowed these natural predators to make a comeback. But the grizzly’s success has come at a destructive and often dangerous price for people living nearby. These clips from the NATURE episode “The Good, The Bad and the Grizzly” examine how human exploitation endangered the grizzlies in the first place, how human intervention helped restore their numbers, and how delicately humans coexist with the resurgent grizzlies today.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Bears’ Lunch Counter

1. What was the effect of Yellowstone’s former policy of feeding the bears?
2. What was the eventual solution to the problem of dwindling bear populations?

Clip 2: This is Their Land

1. What is a “bear jam” and why are they dangerous?
2. Why is it so important for bears’ safety to design garbage bins that they can’t break into?

Clip 3: Bears Don’t Recognize Boundaries

1. Why is livestock so vulnerable to bears?
2. When do bears do most of their hunting?

Clip 4: Bears in the Schoolyard

1. What is the biggest attraction for bears in Wapiti?
2. How do Wapiti residents try to minimize this problem?

Clip 5: Bear Necessities

1. What are the four major foods for bears in Yellowstone?
2. When these foods are scarce, where will bears come to seek food?

Clip 6: To List or Not To List:

1. How would taking bears off the endangered species list change their habitat?
2. Who might be most interested in taking bears off the endangered species list?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: to download a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1, Bears’ Lunch Counter

Clip 2, This is Their Land

Clip 3, Bears Don’t Recognize Boundaries

Clip 4, Bears in the Schoolyard

Clip 5, Bear Necessities

Clip 6, To List or Not to List

Background:
An earthquake is caused by a sudden rupture or movement in the earth’s crust, usually due to the release of tectonic stresses which have accumulated over time. Seismic waves radiate from an earthquake’s epicenter as energy from the rupture is transferred and dissipated through the earth. When this rupture occurs underwater, water is also displaced, creating massively destructive waves called tsunamis. These clips from the NATURE episode “Can Animals Predict Disaster?” examine the tsunami of December 26, 2004. They challenge students to theorize about how animals’ greater sensitivity to seismic waves might have given them a lifesaving warning about the disaster which claimed over a quarter million human lives.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Destructive Forces

1. What are some possible historical instances of animals fleeing an upcoming natural disaster?
2. What might be some explanations for these flights?

Clip 2: Waves of Destruction

1. What causes a tsunami?
2. Why would the seismic waves traveling though the earth move so much faster than the tsunami’s waves of water?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To downoad a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…” On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1: “Destructive Forces”
Clip 2: “Waves of Destruction”