AP Biology 12
Animal Form and Function Mini-Lessons!
Names:______________________
______________________
______________________
Assessed By: ___________________________
Date:________________________
Block:_____
Topic:_________________________________
Purpose: To teach one of the topics of animal form and function in an engaging and interactive way so that your AP colleagues
understand the learning intentions of the topic and you are and expert.
Instructions: Your group will have 20 minutes to teach your topic to the class. Your mini-lesson must include:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
A “Hook” – something for your colleagues to connect to at the beginning of your lesson…
Clear learning goals/intentions – What do you want your colleagues need to know/be able to do at the end of 20
minutes? What might they need to know/be able to do on their own time if they so choose?
Try These! – Three interactive question at beginning, mid, and end of your lesson to check if your colleagues are
understanding the learning intentions you have chosen.
Activity – You need to devise a way for your colleagues to apply the concepts. This could be a hands-on activity.
Visuals – (ppt/images/videos/overhead/board/acting out)
Clear communication that addresses multiple learning styles (visual,auditory, kinaesthetic..)
A connection to at all three of the four BIG IDEAS:
 Big Idea 1: Evolution - The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
 Big Idea 2: Cellular Processes: Energy and Communication - Biological systems utilize free energy and
molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
 Big Idea 3: Genetics and Information Transfer - Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to
information essential to life processes.
 Big Idea 4: Interactions - Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex
properties.
Resources: Campbell textbook, CDrom, Holtzclaw, Campbell Online, your creative self.
Criteria: Performance-Based Assessment:
Beginning
Developing
Accomplished
Exemplary
Hook, Overall Goal,
and specific
Learning Intentions
Overall goal and
learning intentions are
missing.
Overall goal and specific
learning intentions are
communicated out loud,
but not written down on
board.
Overall goal and specific
learning intentions are
written on the board;
however overall goal or a
specific learning intention is
unclear, or there is no
“Hook.”
Overall goal and specific
learning intentions are
written on the board. It is
clear what is being learned
in this mini-lesson. Lesson
starts with an interesting
“Hook.”
Try This/Interactive
Questions
Questions do not relate
to learning intentions
Questions assess
learning intentions, but
focus on rote
memorization
Questions assess learning
intentions. At least one
of the questions cause
deep thinking as opposed
to rote memorization
Questions assess
learning intentions. At
least two of the
questions cause deep
thinking as opposed to
rote memorization
BIG IDEAS
There are no clear
connections to the Big
Ideas of AP Biology.
There is an attempt to
connect to three Big
Ideas, but two of the
connections are weak or
unclear.
Two of the connections to
the Big Ideas are clear,
but one connection is
weak or unclear.
There is a clear
connection made to at
least three of the Big
Ideas.
Activity
There is no activity.
Activity is attempted,
but does not relate to
any specific learning
intention.
Activity addresses at least
one of the learning
intentions, but does not
require any “hands-on”
learning.
Activity is “hands-on”
and directly addresses at
least one of the learning
intentions.