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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

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

GRADE LEVEL: 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: The traditional view of animal behavior is that it is driven by inherited, innate instincts, but recent scientific research is revealing a larger role for complex cognitive processes among many species. The lesson will explore some of the more commonly accepted indicators of animal intelligence as demonstrated by the most brainy of all birds-the raven.

Students will first explore a series of science Web sites to compile a list of certain animal behaviors and abilities that indicate higher intelligence. They will then find and analyze examples of these behaviors and abilities as demonstrated by ravens in selected clips from the NATURE episode “Ravens.” Based on what they learn, students will then work in groups to create a theoretical intelligence-challenging “obstacle course” for ravens.

This lesson could be used following (or in conjunction with) the lesson “Symbiotic Strategies.”

SUBJECT MATTER: Living Environment/Biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Compare “classical” and “modern” views of bird brain anatomy and function, and compare bird brains to human brains;
• Describe various raven behaviors and abilities that indicate intelligence;
• Explain why many of these behaviors indicate cognitive intelligence rather than simple inherited instinct;
• Assemble a realistic sequence of intelligence-testing challenges for ravens.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards

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

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ORGANISMS

• Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years.
• Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.

THE BEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS

• 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.
• 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.
• Behavioral biology has implications for humans, as it provides links to psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

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

NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

• Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate, about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific.
• Because all scientific ideas depend on experimental and observational confirmation, all scientific knowledge is, in principle, subject to change as new evidence becomes available. The core ideas of science such as the conservation of energy or the laws of motion have been subjected to a wide variety of confirmations and are therefore unlikely to change in the areas in which they have been tested. In areas where data or understanding are incomplete, such as the details of human evolution or questions surrounding global warming, new data may well lead to changes in current ideas or resolve current conflicts. In situations where information is still fragmentary, it is normal for scientific ideas to be incomplete, but this is also where the opportunity for making advances may be greatest.

NEW YORK STATE CORE CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTS

Living Environment Core Curriculum

Standard 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, 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 1.1: 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.

Standard 4: 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.

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

Performance Indicator 1.1 Explain how diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems.

1.1a Populations can be categorized by the function they serve. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers carrying out either autotropic or heterotropic nutrition.

1.1b An ecosystem is shaped by the nonliving environment as well as its interacting species. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a variety of environments.

1.1c In all environments, organisms compete for vital resources. The linked and changing interactions of populations and the environment compose the total ecosystem.

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.

6.1g 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: Ravens, selected segments:

Clip 1: “Raven Adaptability”

Ravens are the most intelligent birds in the crow family.

Clip 2: “Feeding Time”

Ravens’ smarts can be observed in many situations.

Clip 3: “The Roost”

Why do ravens gather together?

Clip 4: “Testing Intelligence”

Scientific experiments test how ravens think.

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

Web Sites

Bird Brain
A site from PBS’s NOVA exploring the most current understanding of bird brain physiology, revealing a less instinctive and more cognitive brain structure than has traditionally been thought.

Measuring Intelligence
A site from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park addressing some of the basic difficulties in determining bird intelligence.

The Animal Mind
A NATURE site from PBS describing the intelligent behavior of four different species.

Symbiosis
A site from North Carolina State University featuring descriptions of the different types of symbiotic relationships among animals.

Nutcrackers
A PBS site exploring intelligent behavior in various bird species.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Raven Reason” Student Organizer. (PDF) (RTF)
• Computer with Internet access

For the class:

• “Raven Reason” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Computer with Internet access and projection system for showing video clips
• Blackboard or whiteboard

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 tools 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.

Gather the necessary materials listed above in advance of teaching the lesson. Download and print the “Raven Reason” student organizer and make copies for each student in your classroom.

Note that the computer requirements in the “Materials” section reflect an ideal arrangement. You may find it necessary to divide the class into a number of groups equal to the computers available, adjusting the lesson instructions accordingly.

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

Background:
The traditional view of birds was that they simply acted by a set of inherited instincts, but new scientific research is revealing a larger role for complex cognitive processes in their behavior, including communication, counting, memory, and basic problem solving. These excerpts from the NATURE episode “Ravens” demonstrate several of these commonly accepted indicators of animal intelligence as demonstrated by the most brainy of all birds-the raven.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Raven Adaptability

1. What makes ravens so adaptable?
2. Ravens eat meat but they don’t kill it themselves. What kind of animal does this make them?
3. How might ravens’ relationship with coyotes indicate their intelligence?

Clip 2: Feeding Time

1. What skill does the raven demonstrate at the dumpster?
2. When and why might a raven puff out its feathers?
3. How might ravens’ caching behavior indicate intelligence?

Clip 3: The Roost

1. What’s one theory about why young ravens roost together?
2. How might one raven be able to tell if another knows where food is?
3. Why would a young raven, having found food, call over other ravens to help eat it?

Clip 4: Testing Intelligence

1. Why is it so difficult to measure intelligence in animals?
2. Why is it important that the ravens have never been exposed to the experiment before?

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: “Raven Adaptability“

Clip 2: “Feeding Time“

Clip 3: “The Roost“

Clip 4: “Testing Intelligence“

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:
The earth’s landscape is naturally shaped by the forces of weathering and erosion. Weathering refers to the breakdown of rocks at or near the surface of the earth, either by chemical processes (e.g. limestone being dissolved by water) or physical processes (e.g. rocks cracking because of temperature extremes). The movement of weathered rock fragments-also called sediment-by forces including wind, water, or gravity is called erosion. Human activity may both accelerate erosion (for example by removing vegetation which stabilizes soil), or prevent it (through reinforcement of erosion-prone areas like beaches, riverbanks, and hillsides).

These video clips, excerpted from the NATURE episode “Violent Hawaii,” illustrate how erosion has dramatically shaped Hawaii’s highly weathered landscape, and explore some measures being taken there to limit the sometimes dangerous processes of erosion.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Hawaiian Coastal Cliffs

1. Why couldn’t these cliffs have been created by wave erosion?
2. What geologic feature offers clues that the cliffs were been formed by massive landslides?
3. What might have caused the landslides?

Clip 2: Water Erosion

1. Why might heavy rainfall accelerate erosion?
2. Is the steel mesh being draped across the hillside intended to prevent weathering or erosion?
3. What other types of erosion management can you think of?

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: “Hawaiian Coastal Cliffs”

Clip 2: “Water Erosion“

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

GRADE LEVEL: 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45 minute classes

OVERVIEW: This lesson discusses the processes of weathering and erosion and how they work together to shape the earth’s landscape. An online game introduces students to the basic modes of erosion. The processes of chemical and physical weathering that enable erosion are then explored in detail using online media and hands-on laboratory experiments. Next, video clips from the NATURE episode “Violent Hawaii” are used to revisit in greater detail the causes and effects of erosion in the real world, and human attempts to limit it. The lesson culminates with an online game that reinforces students’ understanding of the lesson’s vocabulary and concepts.

SUBJECT MATTER: Geology/Earth Science

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Differentiate and describe the processes of weathering and erosion
• Differentiate and describe the processes of mechanical and chemical weathering
• Model the process of mechanical and chemical weathering, drawing conclusions from their results
• Determine which environments and climates are most likely to promote different types of weathering and erosion
• Describe various human attempts to limit erosion

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards

CONTENT STANDARD D: Geochemical cycle

All students should develop an understanding of:

GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

• The earth is a system containing essentially a fixed amount of each stable chemical atom or element. Each element can exist in several different chemical reservoirs. Each element on earth moves among reservoirs in the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere, and organisms as part of geochemical cycles.
• Movement of matter between reservoirs is driven by the earth’s internal and external sources of energy. These movements are often accompanied by a change in the physical and chemical properties of the matter. Carbon, for example, occurs in carbonate rocks such as limestone, in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas, in water as dissolved carbon dioxide, and in all organisms as complex molecules that control the chemistry of life.

New York State Regents Core Curriculum Alignments:

Physical Setting: Earth Science Core Curriculum

STANDARD 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, 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, creative process.

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.

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

STANDARD 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information, using appropriate technologies.

Key Idea 1: Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information as a tool to enhance learning.

STANDARD 4: 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.

Key Idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.

Performance Indicator 2.1p: Landforms are the result of the interaction of tectonic forces and the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Performance Indicator 2.1s: Weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of rocks at or near Earth’s surface. Soils are the result of weathering and biological activity over long periods of time.

Performance Indicator 2.1t Natural agents of erosion, generally driven by gravity, remove, transport, and deposit weathered rock particles. Each agent of erosion produces distinctive changes in the material that it transports and creates characteristic surface features and landscapes. In certain erosional situations, loss of property, personal injury, and loss of life can be reduced by effective emergency preparedness.

Performance Indicator 2.1u The natural agents of erosion include:

-Streams (running water): Gradient, discharge, and channel shape influence a stream’s velocity and the erosion and deposition of sediments. Sediments transported by streams tend to become rounded as a result of abrasion. Stream features include V-shaped valleys, deltas, flood plains, and meanders. A watershed is the area drained by a stream and its tributaries.

- Glaciers (moving ice): Glacial erosional processes include the formation of

U-shaped valleys, parallel scratches, and grooves in bedrock. Glacial features include moraines, drumlins, kettle lakes, finger lakes, and outwash plains.

- Wave Action: Erosion and deposition cause changes in shoreline features, including beaches, sandbars, and barrier islands. Wave action rounds sediments as a result of abrasion. Waves approaching a shoreline move sand parallel to the shore within the zone of breaking waves.

-Wind: Erosion of sediments by wind is most common in arid climates and along shorelines. Wind-generated features include dunes and sand-blasted bedrock.

-Mass Movement: Earth materials move downslope under the influence of gravity.

Performance Indicator 2.1v Patterns of deposition result from a loss of energy within the transporting system and are influenced by the size, shape, and density of the transported particles. Sediment deposits may be sorted or unsorted.

Performance Indicator 2.1w Sediments of inorganic and organic origin often accumulate in depositional environments. Sedimentary rocks form when sediments are compacted and/or cemented after burial or as the result of chemical precipitation from seawater.

STANDARD 6: 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.

Key Idea 1: Through systems thinking, people can recognize the commonalities that exist among all systems and how parts of a system interrelate and combine to perform specific functions.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, Violent Hawaii, selected segments:

Clip 1: “Hawaiian Coastal Cliffs”

Explains the geologic forces beind the creation of Hawaii’s dramatic shoreline.

Clip 2: “Water Erosion”

Demonstrates the erosive action of water on the Hawaiian landscape, and human efforts to limit it.

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

Web sites:

Shape it Up!
An interactive game from the American Association for the Advancement of Science that challenges students to correctly identify geological processes that shape the Earth’s surface.

Types of Mechanical Weathering
Interactive Web site from the University of Kentucky featuring animations of the different varieties of mechanical weathering.

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

Erosion and Weathering
Web site from the National Science Digital Library describing different causes and effects of erosion, and human efforts to limit it.

Relationship between Transported Particle Size and Water Velocity
Earth Science Reference Tables from the New York State Education Department charting the relationship between sediment particle size and the velocity of water necessary to transport it.

Weathering & Erosion Jeopardy
Interactive “Jeopardy” style vocabulary game based on the New York State Regents’ Earth Science Standards, with answers to each question found by scrolling to the bottom of the page.

MATERIALS:

For each student:

• “Mechanical Weathering” student organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• “Erosion” student organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Printout of page 6 of the Earth Science Reference Tables.

For each group:

• “Weathering and Erosion Jeopardy” student organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• “Chemical Weathering” student organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• 6 effervescent antacid tablets
• 1000 ml beaker (filled with hot tap water)
• 250 ml beaker
• stopwatch
• thermometer
• graph paper

For the class:

• “Weathering and Erosion Jeopardy” student organizer answer key (PDF) (RTF)
• “Mechanical Weathering” student organizer answer key (PDF) (RTF)
• “Chemical Weathering” student organizer answer key (PDF) (RTF)
• “Erosion” student organizer answer key (PDF) (RTF)
• a hammer
• plaster of Paris (available at art or hobby supply stores, or from your art department)
• a small balloon
• two empty pint milk cartons (bottom halves only)
• a freezer
• 2 effervescent antacid tablets
• Blackboard or whiteboard

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.

Download and make copies of student organizers and handouts as outlined in “Materials.”

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”