Operation: Discovery!
The year is 2030 and resources around the world (food, building supplies,
land, clothing material, etc.) are beginning to become scarce. You are a biologist,
hired by the United States government to discover, breed, or improve upon an
organism that MUST help supply the earth with sustainable and replenishable
resources that people can use. The government has not limited you to
discovering or breeding plants, animals, or insects, but ANY organism which can
create usable resources for mankind. Upon discovering or breeding the new
organism, the government is requiring you to 1. submit an electronic report of
specific information about the organism. This may be submitted through an
electronic presentation such as power point, BUT, a detailed chart should also
be created through Microsoft Excel. 2. The government is also requiring you to
submit pictures or specimens of the organism in it's natural environment. This
may be submitted through photographs, detailed drawings or physical models.
The government will use this information to decide if this organism will truly
benefit mankind and supply necessary resources for the human race to continue.
To convince the government if the organism you have discovered/bred/improved
upon is truly beneficial, you must present your discoveries and findings to a panel
of farmers, community members, and city council member who will listen and
determine the usefulness of the organism.
The government is requiring you to submit the following information about the
newly discovered, bred, or improved upon organism in a detailed Excel chart. It
may then be presented in a digital format you choose :
1. If the organism was discovered, where and how was it discovered? Do you
believe it to have been discovered in its natural habitat?
2. If the organism was bred in a lab, what other organism was bred together
to produce this new organism?
3. Is the organism multicellular or unicellular?
4. Is the organism composed of prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells? How do you
know?
5. Is the organism classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic? Why?
6. Is the organism autotrophic or a heterotrophic? How does it consume or
receive energy to live, grow, and reproduce? Describe this process as
specifically as possible.
7. Does the organism reproduce sexually or asexually?
8. What domain is your organism classified under? Why would not fit into
other known domains?
9. What kingdom is your organism classified under? Why would not fit into
other known kingdoms?
10.Describe (in detail) the ecosystem in which the organism lives.
11.What are the biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem in which the
organism lives? How does the organism interact with it's ecosystem?
The following information should be included in a 2 page typed and
illustrated report:
12. Diagram the levels of organization in which the organism lives including:
the organism itself, it's population, it's community, and ecosystem. Please
be specific to the other types of organism and surroundings that surround
the new organism being discussed (example: heavily wooded evergreen
trees, the common raccoon, brown thrashers, and catbirds).
13. What does the organism specifically do or have to provide mankind with a
usable, sustainable, replenishable resource?
14. How will you guarantee the survival or the organism so it can continue to
help provide resources for all people. (example, submit a request to the
government to set aside land for organism)
15. A detailed physical description of the organism.
Also, photographs, colored diagrams, or models of the organism in it's natural
habitat need to be provided to provided during your presentation.
Standards covered:
6.12a - understand that all organisms are composed of one or more cells.
6.12b - Recognize the presence of a nucleus determines whether a cell is
prokaryotic or eukaryotic
6.12c - Recognize that the broadest taxonomic classification of living organisms
is divided into currently recognized domains.
6.12d - Identify the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic or
eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular, autotrophic or heterotrophic, and mode
of reproduction, that further classify them in the currently recognized kingdoms.
6.12e - Describe biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem in which the organisms
interact.
6.12f - Diagram the levels of organization within an ecosystem, including
organism, population, community, and ecosystem.