Download Flanagan Contextual Teaching Assignment

BSC 307 5-E Model Lesson Plan
Title:
Mimic, Mimic on the Wall
Grade Level:
9th Grade
Objectives:
TSWBAT
… Describe mimicry and its different forms
…Describe how mimicry arises through natural selection and co-evolution
…Create an organism that demonstrates the principles of mimicry
Illinois Learning Standards:
Stage I 12A 5 Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to explain
tests of evolutionary evidence, analyzing acceptance of geologic and fossil
records, researching comparative anatomy, embryology, biochemistry and
cytology studies of analogous and homologous structures.
Stage I 12B 1 Apply scientific inquiries or technological design to explain
population growth, density factors in ecosystem change and stability and
biodiversity: researching population model studies to determine limiting factors
and mathematical patterns of population growth in real-world situations,
investigating biotic and abiotic factors of ecosystems, or identifying the roles
and relationships of organisms in their community in terms of impact
on populations and the ecosystem.
Engagement:
The students will watch a 2 minute video about a species of Octopus that mimics
several different species. The video is located at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygh1-ul6E94. The students will be engaged
by this unique and fascinating creature.
Exploration:
The students will be given a worksheet (attached below) that will guide them
through research on different mimic species. The worksheet will provide the
mimic species and the students will have to identify what the species is
mimicking and why. This worksheet is intended to be more of a “scavenger”
hunt than an assessment, so the students will be encouraged to find as many as
possible but completion is not necessary.
The group will reconsolidate to discuss the worksheet. During this time students
who did not complete the entire worksheet would be able to fill in the missing
answers.
Explanation:
The Teacher will conduct a lecture about Mimicry. The lecture would define
mimicry, discuss the different purposes of mimicry as well the different types of
mimicry. The lecture will also discuss the evolutionary origin of mimicry as well
as the significance of mimicry within populations. (Outline below)
Elaboration:
The students will be given an assignment to create a mimic species. They will
draw a habitat, a lifestyle/purpose for mimicry and the type of mimicry. The
three purposes for mimicry and the 6 types of mimicry that will be discussed in
class are listed in the lecture outline. If students draws a set of criteria is
illogical then they will be allowed to trade it out for one that makes sense (e.g.
drawing a purpose of defense and a type of mimicry be aggressive). Students
will be required to create an organism that exhibits some sort of mimicry. They
will have to create a physical representation (picture, cartoon, model, etc) of
their creature and present it in class about a week later. (Rubric below)
Evaluation (Assessment Strategies):
First we will go over the mimic scavenger hunt as a class. This will provide a
formative assessment for the teacher and a chance for the students The mimic
creation project will be graded based on a rubric which will be provided to the
students. Topics covered will also be covered in the unit exam. These two
assessments will serve as summative assessments.
Rationale:
This lesson will engage the students by introducing the class to one of the
world’s best mimics, the Indonesian Mimic Octopus which can mimic at least 15
different organisms. The students will be given time to research some mimics
before sitting through a lecture. This is a fun way for the students to learn about
mimicry, and co evolution. It is also a good way to revisit natural selection and
homology, analogy and homoplasy from a slightly different perspective. Finally,
this lesson will examine how a mimic can affect population dynamics by looking
at how mimicry can increase fitness, affects the species that it mimics, and
affects other organisms that the mimic interacts with.
P.S. This lesson would be a great lesson to do around Halloween, a few simple
modifications in the presentation could allow the mimics to be presented as
creatures in disguise (costume).
Resources:
Illinois State Board of Education. (2010). Illinois State Learning Standards. [Online].
Retrieved October 19, 2010. Available:
http://www.isbe.net/ils/science/stage_I/descriptor.htm
YouTube. (2009). Mimic Octopus. [Online]. Retreived on October 17, 2010. Available:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygh1-ul6E94
Name: ___________________________
Hour:________
Mimic, Mimic on the Wall (Part 1)
Below is a list of species that exhibit mimicry in order to survive, hunt, reproduce etc. Your job
is to determine what the species mimics, and what advantage it provides to the species.
Species
Milk Snake
Burrowing Owls
Flat-tailed Horned Lizard
Water Dragon
Orchid Mantis
Katydid
Some Male Cichlids (Fish)
Ophrys apifera (type of
Orchid)
Syphrid Fly
What does it Mimic?
Why does it Mimic?
Mimicry
A. Mimicry
1) Can be used to trick any of the senses. The most commonly tricked are
sight, sound and scent.
2) Allows the mimic to gain an advantage by confusing the other organisms
that it interacts with (Prey, Competitors, Predators)
B. Functions of Mimicry
1) Defense
2) Predation
3) Increase Reproduction
C. Types of Mimicry
1) Camouflage: Mimics the surroundings
2) Batesian: A “non-dangerous” organism mimics a dangerous one
3) Mullerian: “Dangerous” organisms mimic each other
4) Protective decoys: Especially in plants, Create a decoy of a fungus or
insect eggs that would make the plant more undesirable.
5) Aggressive: A “dangerous” species mimics a harmless species
- Can also take the form of luring or bating
6) Sexual mimicry
i. Female Flowers mimic Male Flowers
ii. Flower mimics females of insect species
iii. Within a species, one gender mimics the other gender
7) Auto mimicry: One part of the organism mimics another part of the
organism
D. Origin of Mimicry
1) Natural Selection (Review from past few weeks)
2) Co-evolution- two or more species evolving together
3) Does mimicry support the theory of evolution by natural selection?
4) Are mimicries Homologies, Analogies or neither?
E. Effect on populations and the Ecosystem
1) How does a mimic affect the population of the mimic?
2) How does a mimic affect the populations of other organisms?
Name: ___________________________
Hour:________
Mimic, Mimic on the Wall (Part 2)
Now it is your turn. You need to create an organism that is adapted as a mimic for your assigned
environment, lifestyle, and purpose. You will create a visual representation of your organism that
demonstrates its adaptations. This can be a well drawn picture or a model. Your model/picture
does not need to be life size.
You will also prepare a 5-10 minute presentation in class to explain your organism, what
it mimics, and how that mimicry increases the fitness of the organism. You will turn in your
model and this grading rubric at the time of your presentation.
0
1
2
Organism fits none of
the assigned traits
Organism fits one of
the traits
Organism fits two of
the three traits
Model is not well
thought out and/or is
not representative of
the three traits
Presentation is not
organized, is
over/under time, and
does not accurately
describe the organism
Neither model nor
rubric is present at the
time of the
presentation and the
presentation is late.
Model/Picture
exhibits some thought
and is somewhat
representative.
Presentation meets
one of the three
criteria.
Model/ Picture is
fairly thought out and
mostly representative
of the three traits.
The presentation
meets two of the three
qualities
One of the criteria is
met
Two of the criteria are
met
3
Organism fits the
assigned environment,
lifestyle, and mimicry
type
Model/picture is well
thought out and
representative of the
three traits
Presentation is
organized, fits within
the time limits, and
accurately describes
the organism
Model and rubric are
present at the time of
presentation and the
presentation is on
time.