LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
LHS Academic Biology:
UNIT 1 PROJECT
OBJECTIVES:
Solve a problem/challenge that involves Unit 1 concepts, digital media, and publishing to a webpage.
UNIT 1 Topics
1) Basic Bio Principles
2) Homeostasis & Transport
3) Chemical Basis of Life
BACKGROUND
The search for/study of life on planets other than Earth, has been underway for many years – by humans.
Imagine if alien civilizations existed. Don’t you think they would seek out and study life that was alien to their
own – like ours?
In this project, YOU ARE A YOUNG ALIEN XENOBIOLOGIST STUDYING EARTH for your first
assignment. It’s really a test of your knowledge and ability to manage a challenge. XENOBIOLOGY is greek:
“xeno” means “other”, or “foreign”, “bios” means life, and “logos” means study.)
Below are your responsibilities. Good luck!
RESPONSIBILITIES
Part I – BASIC BIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
A. __ PRINCIPLES (concepts/ideas) TO EXPLAIN
o. __ Collect digital photographs of at least 5 living specimens, previously unknown to
you. Use a digital camera, such as on a cell phone. (Email it to yourself.)
a. __ One specimen must be collected from the Plant, Animal, Fungus, and Protist
Kingdoms
b. __ Specimens must be collected from different sources/locations
- only one may be a picture taken from the internet
- no photos may be taken in/from our classroom
c. __ You may collect more specimens from any kingdom.
i. __ Identify your Specimens
a. __ Make and record enough important qualitative and quantitative observations
of each of your specimens in order to identify your each.
b. __ Find and record the Common name & Scientific Name for each specimen
c. __ Find and record List the biological classification for each specimen (Kingdom,
Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, and Species)
ii. __ Explain the Characteristics of Life shared by all living things
a. __ Identify (list) and briefly Explain each of the characteristic of life
b. __ Provide examples of each of the characteristics, from your specimens
iii. __ Explain the “Levels of Complexity” in living things, using your specimens
a. __ Identify and Explain each level of complexity
b. __ Include a diagram/image showing all levels
c. __ Provide an example for each from your specimens, with an image
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
iv. __ Water & The Organic Chemicals of Life
a. __ Explain the Chemical Structure of water (H2O); provide an image
b. __ List the properties (characteristics) of water that make life on Earth possible
c. __ Explain “organic” and why the element Carbon (C) makes life possible.
d. __ List the four categories of organic chemicals of living things
e. __ Compare the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins. &
nucleic acids (DNA, RNA)
i. __ list the main sub-types
ii. __ list the major examples
iii. __ provide an image of the chemical structure
iv. __ Explain the major functions
f. __ Explain the structure, function, & importance of enzymes
v. __ The Two Types of Cells of which life on Earth is made: Prokaryotic &
Eukaryotic [pro- carry-ah-tick] & [you-carry-ah-tick]
a. __ Identify (name), diagram, and label the parts of each type of cell
b. __ Provide examples of both “Proks” and “Euks” from your specimens
c. __ Explain the similarities & differences between Prok cells and Euk cell
structure and functions
vi. __ Explain how an Organism’s “Structure relates to (allows) its Functions”.
a. __ Discuss cell parts (organelles) and membranes found in each cell type
b. __ Explain the advantages given by organelles and membranes
c. __ Explain which cell type – and which of your specimens – you think is better
designed for life and survival?
B. __ JOURNALING (Data Recording): Keep a Journal of all of your Activities
i. __ For each step above, create a Journal Entry in your Project notebook.
Include the following each time:
a. __ Journal Entry # and a Heading Explaining the Journal Entry (from the steps above)
b. __ Location & Time of entry
c. __ Source of Information (if its from someone else’s work)
d. __ And any notes or information you discovered from the source.
Exemplar:
Journal Entry # 1: Collect Digital Photographs
a. Picture of a caterpillar
b. Saucon Park, Sat., Oct 4, 2014
c. Not required. [pictures don’t require this]
d. I found the caterpillar waling on the ground, in the woods
Journal Entry #2: Collect Digital Photographs
a. Picture of a deer
b. Lehigh Athletic Fields, Sat., Oct 4, 2014
c. Not required. [pictures don’t require this]
d. I saw the deer walking in a field
C. __ DIGITAL MEDIA: Responsibilities will be provided next class.
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
C. __ Digital Media Requirements
i. All pictures should be taken from a digital camera, such as in a cell phone.
ii. Email pictures to your BASD Gmail account.
ii. If you can not access a camera, a signed note is required from a parent.
* Remaining instructions to be provided later.
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
Part II - Homeostasis (Maintenance of Stability) and Cell Transport of Materials
Principles to Explain
i.
__ Diagram the Cell Membrane, Endocytosis, Exocytosis, Diffusion, and Osmosis
ii.
__ explain the chemical structure and function of the cell (plasma)
membrane
iii.
__ contrast Active Transport and Passive Transport
iv.
__ explain how Vesicles transport materials within cells
v.
__ explain two examples of how organisms maintain homeostasis
Journaling (Data Recording)
Digital Requirements
DRAFT
1. Alien Xenobiological Study: “It’s UH-LIVE!!!!”
Introduction:
You are a young, alien, biologist and your first assignment is to study life on another planet – Earth, in
this case. (This area of biology is called Xenobiology: “xeno” is Greek and means “other”, or
“foreign”.)
Areas of Your Study of Earth Life:
Your skills in three areas are being assessed:
1) Basic Biological Principals of Life
2) Homeostasis (internal stability) and Cellular Transport
3) The Chemical Makeup (structure) of Life
Specific Ideas to Investigate & Explain (checklist):
1) STUDY AREA: Basic Biological Principles of Life
DO  Collect living specimens from Earth in order to Explain and Illustrate these five ideas:
vii. __ the characteristics that all living things share,
viii.
__ the levels of complexity in living things,
ix. __ the types of cells of which they are made, and
x. __ the similarities & differences of prokaryotic (bacteria) and eukaryotic cell structures
and functions
xi. __ Explain how structure relates to/allows important functions.
2) STUDY AREA: Homeostasis (Maintenance) and Cell Transport of Materials
DO  Illustrate (with diagrams) and Explain how materials in Earth creatures are transported
(a) into/out of cells AND (b) within cells in these four ways:
i. __ explain the chemical structure and function of the cell (plasma)
membrane
ii. __ contrast Active Transport and Passive Transport
iii. __ explain how Vesicles transport materials within cells
iv. __ explain mechanisms (ways) organisms maintain homeostasis
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
3) STUDY AREA: The Chemical Makeup of Life on Earth
i. __ Explain levels of chemical organization in living things (atoms, molecules, &
macromolecules)
ii. __Explain the Chemical Structure of water (H2O)
ii. __ Explain how the properties (characteristics) of water make life
possible
iii. __ Explain importance of the element Carbon (C) in organic
molecules.
iv. __ Compare the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins. & nucleic acids (DNA, RNA)
v. __ Explain the structure, function, & importance of enzymes
a. Journal for your Studies.
o On Google Drive, create a digital word-processing document titled “Earth Xenobiology
Journal”. You will use this journal to document all of your studies of the samples you will
choose for your xenobiological (alien) study.
o On Google Drive, create a folder for this project and save this and all of your work
there! (Include your block number and your FULL name in the title of all folders & docs.)
o In your journal, for your first journal entry, define all of your vocabulary words. (Be sure to
clearly separate each journal entry, so each is easy to identify. Start with Vocabulary 1.)
o For your second journal entry, list all of the characteristics common to living things – “The
Characteristics of Life” (COL), according to current (Earth) biology.
b. Choose Your Specimens to Study.
o Samples: Choose at least 4-5 unfamiliar “samples” in and around your home and
neighborhood of things that you believe are alive.
 ONLY two samples may appear to be “animals”;
 Title your samples with your initials first, the letter “s” (for sample”, and then a
whole number (in sequence), starting from one: ie, gz:s1, gz:s2, gz:s3, etc.
o Photographs: Take - and save - at least three digital pictures of each. (Title your pictures
 Title your pictures with the sample number (from above) PLUS a “p” for picture and
a number, like above: ie, gz:s1-p1, gz:s1-p2, gz:s1-p3, gz:s2-p1, gz:s2-p2, gz:s2-p3,
etc.
c. Observe Your Specimens for the Characteristics of Life (COLs) - to Determine if they are Living or
Non-living; Record your Observations.
o For each sample, make at least one quantitative observation and one qualitative observation.
o For each sample, make observations for each of the five COLs. (So, you should have 10
observations for each sample: 1 quant. obs. and 1 qual. obs. (2) for each of the 5 COLs,
which equals 10 total. [You might create a data table in your digital journal.]

For example, ask yourself, “Does each use energy?” and “How can I tell?”
 Then observe if it moves or grows and record your observations in your
journal.
 Repeat for each of the five (5) COLs.
o Write a journal entry for each of your samples and include all of your pictures.
o Summarize in a journal entry which are living and which are non-living.
o Find the common and scientific (two part, Latin) Earth names of each organism.
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
e. Levels of Organization:
o Create a section in your journal with the above title.
o In your journal, list and define the levels of organization existing among living things, from
simplest to most complex, according to current Earth biology.
o For each sample, determine the levels of organization in each of your samples by studying
current Earth research
o Include a diagram of each specimen illustrating each level of organization.
o
f. Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic: Compare and report back about the [characteristics] of Earth’s main
types of organisms: Proks and Euks.
o Identify the living things you have identified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic.
o Explain your identifications by using the differences between them to explain your reasoning.
Post a data table as an addendum to your report, classifying your objects as either living
or non-living.
g. Multimedia Report to Publish your Findings.
o Create a Glog of your samples with one picture, a description as “Living” or “Non-living”,
and the common and scientific names of each living thing (organism).
o Create a Wiki: Include “Xenobiological Study” and “Earth” in your title. (You may add
creatively to it, otherwise.)
o Post your Glog to your Wiki on its own page.
o Post your Journal to your Wiki on its own page.
h. Argument before and Written Report to the “Council on Earth Studies”:
o Prepare to make a verbal statement before the council summarizing your findings and
arguing for the superiority of one of your specimes.
Prior to your verbal presentation, prepare a written “Report to the Council on Earth Studies”,
written according to proper Earth English format, summarizing your findings.
Including the following in your written report:
The Characteristics of Life (COLs) that all of your specimens demonstrate;
A picture of each specimen you discovered;
The common and scientific Earth identifications (names) of each;
The classification as Prokaryote or Eukaryote for each;
The Earth Kingdom for each;
The levels of organization exhibited (shown) by each, along with a basic diagram
demonstrating each;
A statement as to which organism is superior, supported by your studies.
Title your report as you did your Glog (above). Include in your report an introduction, one
body paragraph for two of your samples, and a conclusion. (Include an explanation why you
chose the two samples and the specific location at which you found them. Also include how
to access the Glog and journal of your study should also be mentioned.)
o Post your report to its own page on your Wiki.
LHS Academic Biology
Name: _________________________ Block: ___________
Date Rcvd: ___________
o Include “Proof of Life: the Characteristics of Life” in the title of this page.
i. Prepare to argue before an intergalactic court for/against the superiority of one or the other of the
two.
-----------------Concepts
 Characteristics of life
 Compare and Contrast Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
 Levels of biological organization (organelle to multicellular organism)
 Relationship between form and function
Vocabulary
atom, molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, prokaryotic, eukaryotic,
unicellular, multicellular, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), chromosome,
chromatin, cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion, chloroplast, vacuole, Golgi apparatus,
lysosome, cell wall, centriole, nucleus, plasma membrane, vesicle, nucleolus, endosymbiosis
Essential Skills
 Describe the common characteristics exhibited by all living things-both prokaryotic and eukaryotic
 Compare cellular structures and their functions in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
 Describe and interpret relationships between structure and function at the organelle, cell, tissue, organ,
organ system and multicellular organism level of organization.