Download Due Date: ______ ____ Adaptations Performance Task Research a

Due Date: _________________________________________________________________
Adaptations Performance Task
Research a project that actively studies a specific animal or animals
Use the following guidelines to plan and create your Adaptations Performance Task. You may
choose to create a research paper, PowerPoint, Prezi, poster board, tri-fold brochure, 3-D
model, or a short video segment.
Be creative, but be sure to address all of the components. Your performance task must
answer the questions listed below.
Possible Research Projects:
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Kalahari Meerkat Project (http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com)
The Penguin Project (AKA Penguin Sentinels) (http://mesh.biology.washington.edu/penguinProject/)
Ganung Palung Orangutan Project (http://people.bu.edu/orang/index.html)
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (http://sarasotadolphin.org/)
Koala Research Centre of Central Queensland (http://www.cqu.edu.au/research/researchorganisations/institutes/resource-industries-and-sustainability/centres2/centre-for-environmentalmanagement/koala-research-centre-of-central-queensland)
International Elephant Foundation (http://www.elephantconservation.org/)
Cheetah Conservation Fund (http://www.cheetah.org/)
**If you choose your own, make sure that it is an organization that actively
performs research on a specific animal or animals.**
Basic Project Information
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What is the name of the project?
When and where was the project founded?
Is the organization associated with a university or larger organization?
Who does the research? (can give names of important researchers and/or explain what kind of people
do the research)
Project Research
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What animal(s) do they research?
Where does the research take place?
What specifically are the researchers studying? Be specific!
Has the project published research? If so, what are the names, dates, and locations of the
publications?
The Animal(s)
 What are at least 5 things you learned about this/these animal(s) from reading about this project?
**Include at least 2 adaptations in your 5 facts.**
Adaptations Performance Task Criteria
Component
Explanation
A title telling what information your project will address
Title
Resources:
Basic Project
Information
Points
Possible
/5
A list of where you gathered your information. (i.e. Web
address, book title, magazine name with article title) Cite at
least two sources correctly.
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What is the name of the project?
When and where was the project founded?
Is the organization associated with a university or
larger organization?
Who does the research? (can give names of important
researchers and/or explain what kind of people do the
research)
/10
/30
Includes at least 1 paragraph of writing
Project Research
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What animal(s) do they research?
Where does the research take place?
What specifically are the researchers studying? Be
specific!
Has the project published research? If so, what are the
names, dates, and locations of the publications?
/30
Includes at least 1 paragraph of writing
The Animal(s)
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What are at least 5 things you learned about this/these
animal(s) from reading about this project?
Include at least 2 adaptations in your 5 facts.
/25
Includes at least 1 paragraph of writing
Illustrations:
Neatness and quality
of work (effort):
2 or more pictures that contain useful information about your
animal and project (Pictures may be drawn, clipped from
magazines, or printed)
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All text must be typed.
Use of headings, borders, backgrounds, or other
means to set apart each section of your project
Correct capitalization, grammar, and spelling
/10
/15
Adaptations Performance Task Frequently Asked Questions
1. What if I don’t have a computer with Internet?
You can access the Internet at the public library, on a smart phone with a data plan, at a friend
or family member’s house, or at school during free time or before or after school.
2. What if I don’t have a printer?
For a fee, you can print at the public library or copy shop (like Kinko’s). You can also print from
some school computers or at a friend or family member’s house.
3. How do I turn in a digital assignment, like a video or PowerPoint?
Go to the website Dropbox.com and type in Ms. Beaith’s username and password.
Select your class period and then upload your document.
SAMPLE
The Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER)
In Oceanside California, there is an organization called The Pfleger Institute of
Environmental Research (PIER), which studies seven different species of fish. PIER
was founded in 1998 by Mr. Tom Pfleger, who continues to play an active role in the
organization’s projects. PIER works with the National Marine Fisheries Service and
other management agencies. Mr. Tom Pfleger is chairman of the board for PIER, and
research is supervised by Chugey Sepulveda, a PhD and Senior Research Biologist,
and Scott (Scootch) Aalbers, a Research Biologist. Other researchers are Tom Fullam
and Diego Bernal, a PhD from the University of Massacusetts.
PIER researches seven fish species: swordfish, wahoo, thresher sharks, mako
sharks, white sharks, white seabass, and roosterfish. PIER is based in Oceanside, and
they also have a field station in Costa Rica. PIER’s project for Winter 2012 involves
testing gear for catching swordfish, without catching other extra fish. An example of a
past project was tracking California sheephead and kelp bass to see if current marine
reserve locations and sizes protected these fish. The two most recent publications from
PIER are “Archival tagging of subadult and adult common thresher sharks off the coast
of southern California” and “Depth distribution and temperature preferences of wahoo
off Baja California Sur, Mexico” in Marine Biology.
I learned from this project that each fish species has specific movement patterns.
For example, tresher sharks lengthen their caudal fin to catch prey. I also learned that
some sharks have such unique appearances from one another that they can be
tracked using photos; this is how PIER tracks white sharks, without tagging them. I
wanted to learn more about white sharks, so I did further research. White sharks are
the largest predator fish on Earth. They are able to hide from prey because their back
in dark and belly in white, helping them blend in with the bottom and top of the ocean.
http://www.pier.org/index.shtml
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/
*does not include
pictures, which
are required for
the assignment