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Unit Cover Page

Unit Title:

Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior

Time Frame: 10 days


Course:

Science

Grade Level: 8th

CURRICULUM/STANDARDS
List all appropriate national, state or district curriculum or standards that align to this unit:
Arizona Science Standards:
PO 1. Explain how an organisms behavior allows it to survive in an environment.
PO 2. Describe how an organism can maintain a stable internal environment while living in a constantly changing
external environment.
PO 3. Determine characteristics of organisms that could change over several generations.
PO 4. Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an ecosystem (e.g., lichen,
mistletoe/tree, clownfish/sea anemone, native/non-native species).
PO 5.

Analyze the following behavioral cycles of organisms:


hibernation
migration
dormancy (plants)

PO 6.

Describe the following factors that allow for the survival of living organisms:
protective coloration
beak design
seed dispersal
pollination

KEY THEMES/QUESTIONS
List the key themes/questions that are guiding this unit:
Students will be able to explain how an organisms behavior allows it to survive in an environment
Students will be able to explain how natural selection occurs and why this happens to better suit animal fitness
Students will be able to explain what hibernation, migration and dormancy is and why it is important for plants
and animals for survival
Students will be able to perform in lab and demonstrate how non native species can harm and effect native
species in an environment

ASSESSMENT
List the assessments that will be used to gauge student learning. This may include traditional quizzes or
exams, as well as major learning activities such as simulations, labs, etc.
HW: Online home work called study island will help the students learn about the material and then have a quiz
over the material. The homework is worth 25 points.
Quiz: The quiz will be over the home work assignment and power point presentation on adaptation. This is a 10
question multiple choice quiz worth 100 points.
Lab: The lab is over food webs and how an introduced or exotic species can affect native species and the
environment. This lab is worth 50 points.
Research paper on diversity: The students will turn in a 2-4 page typed research paper worth 100 points.
Test: The test is at the end of the unit over the topics of diversity, behavior, and adaptation. This test is worth
100 points and is 20 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions

RESOURCES/MATERIALS
List all resources (copyrighted or otherwise) that you will need to teach this unit. This should be a
comprehensive list of all resources you will need to create or borrow (including textbook chapters, additional
readings, videos, power points and teaching notes, handouts, assessments, etc.)

Activity:
Pictures of birds and foods they eat. The students must match the bird beak with the appropriate food choice
through logic and reasoning in a group of four.
Power Point:
Adaptation(handout, graphic organizer)
Diversity (handout, graphic organizer)
Behavior (handout, graphic organizer)

Review power point for the unit test


Assessment:
HW: Online study island on adaptation
Quiz: Over adaptation
Research paper: Over diversity
Test: Over diversity, adaptation, and behavior
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PhMoBkrKY (Bill Nye Evolution)
Lab:
http://sciencespot.net/Media/pondfoodwebinfo.pdf
Lab worksheet
Lab materials:
Copies of life in a pond cards for each group
Scissors & glue
Large sheets of construction paper
Copies of student worksheets

Unit Calendar
(For each class period, list the topic of the day, as well as main learning activities. You may list standards if you
choose.)
(Insert or delete days of the week as appropriate for your school district calendar. Add or delete weeks depending
on the length of your unit.)

MONDAY
November 17th
Activity: To start the
class students will be
put into groups of four
and given pictures of
birds and pictures of

TUESDAY
November 18th
Power point
presentation on
adaptation
HW: study island
(online HW) due by

WEDNESDAY
November 19th

THURSDAY
November 20th

FRIDAY
November 21st

Power point
presentation on
behavior
(graphic organizer
given to help students

Library day: students


will begin to research
a diversity topic they
are interested in and
write a 2-4 page

Quiz review the first


half of class
quiz on Adaptation
100 point quiz
10 questions, multiple

foods, the students


must try to reason
what bird beak goes
with what food type.
Power point
presentation on
Diversity
(graphic organizer
given to help students
follow along with the
notes)
November 24th
Library day: students
will have class time to
work on their diversity
paper. This will be the
last class day the
students will have in
the library to work on
the paper

December 1st

Friday morning 6am,


follow along with the
over the topic
notes)
adaptation
(graphic organizer
given to help students
follow along with the
notes)

November 25th

November 26th

Food Web lab


Students will do a lab
and explore how
introduced or exotic
species can effect a
food web
Lab worksheet : 50
points

Video: Evolution and


adaptation
(Early out day)
Students are
responsible for taking
at least 1 page of
hand written notes
worth 20 points

December 2nd
Students will have a
The Diversity research test over the topics:
paper is due and is
Diversity, adaptation,
worth 100 points
and behavior. This
Review game to get
test will be worth 100
students prepared for points (25 questions,
the test on the unit
multiple choice, and

paper on the topic

Thanksgiving No
School

choice

No School

diversity, behavior,
and adaptation

short answer)

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