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Part 2: Build Your Own Planet Assignment #1 notes Students often take drawing assignments less seriously than others. This assignment is not about drawing a mean-looking space alien. Rather, it should reflect all the ideas discussed in the preceding lessons, lessons 5 – 8 in particular. That is why students are expected to discuss the assignment in their groups and fill out the planning sheets before beginning their final drawing, although they should be encouraged to attempt some rough, preliminary sketches anytime during the planning process. Each student should have a copy of this assignment. They will each fill it out their own copy, even though they are expected to collaborate on questions 1 – 5. If the class has an art class together it is often helpful to let the art teacher know about the assignment in advance. The art teacher may be willing to cooperate and incorporate the lesson into their plans, providing extra guidance and motivation for the students to take the assignment seriously and produce a quality drawing. Build Your Own Planet Assignment #1: Discovering a Life Form Amazing! You have discovered life on your planet or moon! This is a major event in the history of mankind, and you and your crewmates are all heroes! You will share your discovery with your crewmates and eventually with the people back on Earth. For now you want to learn as much as possible about the life you have discovered. Assignment: Make a drawing of your life form. Use unlined paper, 8½ x 11 inches or larger. Try to fill the entire page, even if your creature is very small. A color drawing is preferred. Before you begin your drawing, meet with your group and share some ideas about what life on your planet might look like. Keep in mind how varied life on Earth is: microscopic bacteria, plants, insects, animals and humans are just some of the life forms that live together on our planet. Life can be found on Earth in the oceans, on the land, and in the sky. When discussing possible life forms with your crewmates, think about some of the things we have learned about life on Earth. In particular, you should think about some of the conclusions you reached completing lessons 5, 6, 7 & 8. Get with your crewmates and discuss the following questions. Record notes in the spaces under the questions. Everyone should keep their own notes for this assignment. 1) Refer to lesson #5. What are some habitats on your planet that might support life? Part 2: Build Your Own Planet ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2) How might life forms adapt to these different habitats? What special abilities or behaviors might help them survive? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3) Refer to lesson #8. Has life on your planet evolved in the same way and at the same rate as on Earth? If not, what on your planet has caused it to evolve differently? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4) How much has life evolved on your planet? Is life there very simple or complex? Is there likely to be a great variety of life forms? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5) Are life forms large enough to see without a microscope likely to be found on your planet? ____________________________________________________________ 6) Are any “intelligent” creatures likely to be found on your planet? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Part 2: Build Your Own Planet After the groups have completed their discussion (approximately 10 to 15 minutes), have students return to their regular seats and begin filling out their planning sheets. The assignment can be completed in class or as homework. Planning Sheet for Life Form After discussing all of the above questions, complete the following questions on your own. You may want to make some rough sketches of your life form as you are answering these. 7) Choose one of the habitats mentioned in question #1 for your creature to live in. Describe it. Include where it is on your planet, the temperature, the size of the habitat, possible food sources and special difficulties for life posed by the habitat. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 8) How has your creature adapted to its habitat? Describe any special behaviors, skills and adaptations that help it to survive. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 9) What does it use for fuel or nourishment? What does it eat? _____________ _________________________________________________________________ 10) Does it hunt or is it hunted by anything? ____________________________ 11) Does it have any unusual social or reproductive behaviors? _____________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 12) How can you tell that your life form is living? (Think about Lesson 6.) Part 2: Build Your Own Planet _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 13) Is your life form microscopic or macroscopic? (Think about Lesson 7.) _________________________________________________________________ 14) Is your life form simple or complex? Is it more or less complex than Earth’s life forms? (Think about Lesson 8) _________________________________________________________________ 15) How large is it? How much does it weigh? __________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 16) What is the name of your life form? (Since you discovered it, you get to name it.) _______________________________________________________ 17) Describe its life cycle. Does it go through any stages or form changes? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 18) Are there both males and females? Do they look the same? _____________ __________________________________________________________________ Now that you’ve thought about and answered these questions, do your final drawing. Take your time and do a nice job. Remember to fill the entire page and to use color. You may add labels and short descriptions to your drawing if you want. Part 2: Build Your Own Planet Appendix Standards Addressed Benchmarks (Grades 3 through 5) 1A – The Scientific World View Results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same. Sometimes this is because of unexpected differences in the things being investigated, sometimes because of unrealized differences in the methods used or in the circumstances in which the investigation is carried out, and sometimes just because of uncertainties in observations. It is not always easy to tell which. 1B – Scientific Inquiry Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments. Investigations can focus on physical, biological, and social questions. 1C – The Nature of Science Clear communication is an essential part of doing science. It enables scientists to inform others about their work, expose their ideas to criticism by other scientists, and stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world. 5C – Cells Some living things consist of a single cell. Like familiar organisms, they need food, water, and air; a way to dispose of waste; and an environment they can live in. 5D – Interdependence of Life For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. 5E – Flow of Matter and Energy Some source of "energy" is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow. 11B – Models Geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, and stories can be used to represent objects, events, and processes in the real world, although such representations can never be exact in every detail. 12A – Values and Attitudes Offer reasons for their findings and consider reasons suggested by others. 12D – Communication Skills Make sketches to aid in explaining procedures or ideas. Benchmarks (Grades 6 through 8) 5A – The Diversity of Life Part 2: Build Your Own Planet One of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants, which use sunlight to make their own food, and animals, which consume energy-rich foods. Some kinds of organisms, many of them microscopic, cannot be neatly classified as either plants or animals. Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. 5D – Interdependence of Life In all environments-freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, and othersorganisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter. In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions. 5E – Flow of Matter and Energy Energy can change from one form to another in living things. Animals get energy from oxidizing their food, releasing some of its energy as heat. Almost all food energy comes originally from sunlight. 5F – Evolution of Life Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species. 12E – Critical Response Skills Recognize when comparisons might not be fair because some conditions are not kept the same. Benchmarks (Grades 9 through 12) 1A – The Scientific World View Scientists assume that the universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are the same everywhere. The rules may range from very simple to extremely complex, but scientists operate on the belief that the rules can be discovered by careful, systematic study. 5A – The Diversity of Life The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions, and a great diversity of species increases the chance that at least some living things will survive in the face of large changes in the environment. 5E – Flow of Matter and Energy The amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Human activities and technology can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land. 12D – Communication Skills Part 2: Build Your Own Planet Participate in group discussions on scientific topics by restating or summarizing accurately what others have said, asking for clarification or elaboration, and expressing alternative positions. 12E – Critical Response Skills Be aware that there may be more than one good way to interpret a given set of findings. National Standards (Grades 5-8) Understandings about Scientific Inquiry Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models. Science advances through legitimate skepticism. Asking questions and querying other scientists' explanations is part of scientific inquiry. Scientists evaluate the explanations proposed by other scientists by examining evidence, comparing evidence, identifying faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond the evidence, and suggesting alternative explanations for the same observations. Structure and Function in Living Systems Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems. Reproduction and Heredity Reproduction is a characteristic of all living systems; because no individual organism lives forever, reproduction is essential to the continuation of every species. Some organisms reproduce asexually. Other organisms reproduce sexually. Regulation and Behavior All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment. An organism's behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species' evolutionary history. Populations and Ecosystems The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and abiotic factors, such as quantity of light and water, range of temperatures, and soil composition. Given adequate biotic and abiotic resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase at rapid rates. Lack of resources and other factors, such as predation and climate, limit the growth of populations in specific niches in the ecosystem. Diversity and Adaptation of Organisms Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological Part 2: Build Your Own Planet adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment. Nature of Science In areas where active research is being pursued and in which there is not a great deal of experimental or observational evidence and understanding, it is normal for scientists to differ with one another about the interpretation of the evidence or theory being considered. Different scientists might publish conflicting experimental results or might draw different conclusions from the same data. Ideally, scientists acknowledge such conflict and work towards finding evidence that will resolve their disagreement. National Standards (Grades 9-12) Understandings about Scientific Inquiry Scientific explanations must adhere to criteria such as: a proposed explanation must be logically consistent; it must abide by the rules of evidence; it must be open to questions and possible modification; and it must be based on historical and current scientific knowledge. Results of scientific inquiry--new knowledge and methods--emerge from different types of investigations and public communication among scientists. In communicating and defending the results of scientific inquiry, arguments must be logical and demonstrate connections between natural phenomena, investigations, and the historical body of scientific knowledge. In addition, the methods and procedures that scientists used to obtain evidence must be clearly reported to enhance opportunities for further investigation. 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. Matter, Energy and Organization is Living Systems The distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle materials. As matter and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems--cells, organs, organisms, communities--and between living systems and the physical environment, chemical elements are recombined in different ways. Each recombination results in storage and dissipation of energy into the environment as heat. Matter and energy are conserved in each change. 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 Part 2: Build Your Own Planet 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. 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. Indiana Standards Grade 5 English/Language Arts – Listening and Speaking 5.7.1 – Ask questions that seek information not already discussed Science – Scientific Thinking 5.2.8 – Recognize when and describe that comparisons might not be accurate because some of the conditions are not kept the same. The Living Environment 5.4.2 – Observe and describe that some living things consist of a single cell that needs food, water, air, a way to dispose of waste, and an environment in which to live. 5.4.4 – Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all. 5.4.7 – Explain that living things, such as plants and animals, differ in their characteristics, and that sometimes these differences can give members of these groups (plants and animals) an advantage in surviving and reproducing. Common Themes 5.6.2 – Demonstrate how geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, and stories can be used to represent objects, events, and processes in the real world, although such representation can never be exact in every detail. Grade 6 English/Language Arts – Listening and Speaking 6.7.6 – Support opinions with researched, documented evidence and with visual or media displays that use appropriate technology. Science – Diversity of Life Part 2: Build Your Own Planet 6.4.3 – Describe some of the great variety of body plans and internal structures animals and plants have that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. 6.4.8 – Explain that in all environments, such as freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, and others, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter. Note that in any environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions. Grade 7 English/Language Arts – Listening and Speaking 7.7.1 – Ask questions to elicit information, including evidence to support the speaker’s claims and conclusions. Science – The Nature of Science and Technology 7.1.4 – Describe that different explanations can be given for the same evidence, and it is not always possible to tell which one is correct without further inquiry. The Living Environment 7.4.6 – Explain how food provides the fuel and the building material for all organisms. 7.4.9 – Understand and explain that as any population of organisms grows, it is held in check by one or more environmental factors. These factors could result in depletion of food or nesting sites and/or increased loss to increased numbers of predators or parasites. Give examples of some consequences of this. Grade 8 English/Language Arts – Listening and Speaking 8.7.1 – Paraphrase (restate) a speaker’s purpose and point of view and ask questions concerning the speaker’s content, delivery, and attitude toward the subject. Science – Scientific Thinking 8.2.7 – Participate in group discussions on scientific topics by restating or summarizing accurately what others have said, asking for clarification or elaboration, and expressing alternative positions. The Living Environment 8.4.4 – Describe how matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. 8.4.8 – Describe how environmental conditions affect the survival of individual organisms and how entire species may prosper in spite of the poor survivability or bad fortune of individuals. Environmental Science, Advanced Env.1.14 – Recognize and explain that the amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle organic materials from the remains of dead organisms. Part 2: Build Your Own Planet Biology I B.1.37 – Explain that the amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Recognize, therefore, that human activities and technology can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land. B.1.43 – Understand that and describe how organisms are influenced by a particular combination of living and nonliving components of the environment. B.1.45 – Recognize that and describe how the physical or chemical environment may influence the rate, extent, and nature of the way organisms develop within ecosystems.