California Science Project
Day 1 July 12, 2001
Announcements- Field trip for tomorrow, bring shoes don’t mind getting wet and might get wet
up to knees at times so suggestion is to wear shorts.
Outline
I. Overview
A. Introductions
B. Cards
C. Notebooks
D. Textbooks
II. Biodiversity
A. Slide show of representatives of all domains of life
B. Lecture on Biodiversity
1. Definitions
a. Genetic diversity
b. Species diversity
c. Ecological diversity
2. Evolution as it applies to biodiversity
3. Classification system
C. What do these species represent? Slide show
1. Think-Pair-Share activity
2. Lecture continued
a. Solutions
III. Computer Activity
A. CalAlive (Software)
1. Introduction
2. Individual exploration of the program
IV. Cell Activity
A. Introduction to assignment
B. Web searching
What I need to Bring:
1. Cards
2. Computer CalAlive
3. Laser disc
4. Notebooks
5. Textbooks
6. Overheads
I.
II.
Introduction
A. Myself
1. Research interest and a little on my teaching background and position here at
Northridge
B. Themselves
1. Name one experience of a great field trip you did with your students or name a field
trip that you would love to go on…
C. Cards
1. Numbers represent answers of multiple choice questions that you can ask
your students as a way of reviewing and of judging how well they are
understanding what you are addressing in the class.
2. Ask a question about myself that they can then answer
D. Overview of next days
E. Notebooks
F. Textbooks
Biodiversity
A. Define
1. The range of variation and differences in the living world
2. Includes …… representatives from all Kingdoms (three domains) (overhead)
a. Of course that is now a debatable topic some scientists divide living organisms
into as many as 8 kingdoms…..
B. Show slide show
C. Now it is common to divide biodiversity into three aspects
1. Genetic diversity
a. ultimately relates to the variation that is found at the nucleotide level and we
will talk a bit more about that next Tuesday
b. for now it refers to the variation we see at the gene level that translates into the
phenotypic level and results in differences that can ultimately be selected on.
There is no selection at the nucleotide level per se only at the phenotypic level.
i.
genotype is the genetic code represented by letters For example, TT or tt
or Tt.
ii.
phenotype is the outward appearance or the end result of what the
genotype represents. Represented by descriptive words. Example, short
and tall, blue and brown etc….
c. Also remember that many genes that code for very important parts of important
processes like the genes involved in cellular respiration show very little
variation. Much of the variation we see at the phenotypic level is actually
attributable to very few genes at the genotypic level.
2. Species diversity
a. This is usually the way we think of biodiversity in terms of all the living species
out there and sometimes more specifically as the number of species in a certain
habitat or area.
b. To date 1.7 million species have been described though estimates of actual
species range from five to 100 million. Many agree that there are about 12.5
million.
.
c. Most are insects and microorganisms (the longest living organisms on Earth)
and these are often the most neglected species
d. Usually the diversity of a habitat or area conseders not only the number of
species within but also how closely related the species are to each other. The
more different they are to each other the more diversity that habitat possesses.
For example, if you are looking at a habitat that has many similar types of ferns
and and some redwood trees and comparing that to a habitat that has only one
type of fern and two types of conifers and a type of lizard, a type of deer and a
few types of lichen even though the latter has fewer species it would be
considered more diverse or as diverse because of the types of species and the
range.
i. these cases are not only looking at diversity but also at the evolutionary
significance of the diversity.
3. Ecosystem diversity
a. this is not as common a way to measure diversity because usually hard to
determine exactly what t measure in an ecosystem since most ecosystems also
include the abiotic factors as well as the biotic factors of an ecosystem.
b. Often look at the vegetative aspects of the habitat first then look at what else
exists in the ecosystem.
D. Maintaining diversity within an ecosystem becomes difficult if trying to address all
aspects of diversity.
A. Can you think of a way that you might preserve species diversity but ignores genetic
diversity? THINK-Pair share.
E. Activity : get into order according to your birthday month January at this end
and December at this end... Take five minutes and decide how to further divide
your group...
Discuss diversity and classifying....
F. Classification of living organisms: The diversity of living things is
tremendous, however as discussed above, relationships among the diverse
organisms can be recognized. Biologists try to order this diversity in a way
that takes into account both the diversity and the known relationships among
organisms.
1. The Kingdom is the largest group in classification. (overhead) Currently
we recognize six
distinct kingdoms of organisms. Each kingdom is outlined here, but will be
discussed in more detail in the units that follow.
1. Kingdom Archaebacteria contains species of bacteria that grow in very harsh
conditions. All members of this kingdom are prokaryotic, are unicellular and
have a very ancient origin.
a. Examples include, thermophilic bacteria (living in hot springs and thermal
vents on the ocean floor), halophiles (living in extreme high saline or salt
environments), and methanogens (the methane producers, living in
anaerobic regions such as our digestive tracts).
2. The Kingdom Eubacteria contains the more common prokaryotic organisms
found in all environments. Eubacteria are single celled or may be colonial.
All are more modern in form and biochemistry than the archaebacteria. These
are classified by their mode of living into three groups.
a. Aerobic heterotrophic (meaning to eat other things) bacteria all break
down organic material for energy and many use oxygen in aerobic
respiration similar to the eukaryotes.
b. Anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria also known as fermenting bacteria break
down organic compounds in the absence of oxygen.
c. Autotrophic (meaning to make its own food) bacteria produce their own
organic compounds from carbon dioxide using energy from chemicals
(chemoautotrophs) or light energy (photoautotrophs).
i. The most common photoautotrophs are the cyanobacteria or Blue-green
algae which produce much of the oxygen released in our atmosphere.
3. The Kingdom Protista contains mostly single celled organisms and some
colonial organisms that are all eukaryotic. Most are free-living forms (some
are parasitic) with some organisms that are animal-like and heterotrophic
while others are plant-like and autotrophic. The animal-like protists are
commonly called protozoa while the plant-like protists are often called algae.
a. Examples include Amoeba, Paramecium, red, green and brown algae,
Euglena, and parasites such as Trypanosoma (causes sleeping sickness)
and Plasmodium (causes malaria). Now it is divided into three kingdoms.
4. The Kingdom Fungi contain multicellular eukaryotic organisms that have
chitinous cell walls and are heterotrophic or saprotrophic (meaning to eat
dead things). Many fungi are important decomposers of dead organic
material.
a. Examples include yeast, mushrooms, molds and mildews.
5. The Kingdom Plantae are multicellular eukaryotic organisms that all perform
photosynthesis and therefore are autotrophic. They all have cell walls
composed of cellulose. Plants are important primary producers that contain
some of the oldest and largest organisms to be found on earth today.
a. Members of the Plantae include liverworts, ferns, gymnosperms such as
cycads and pines, and angiosperms (flowering plants) such as the grasses
(monocots) and broad-leaf plants (dicots).
6. The Kingdom Animalia contain all multicellular eukaryotic organisms that do
not have any type of cell wall and are heterotrophic.
a. Examples include all the invertebrate animals such as worms, insects and
the vertebrates such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
B. The Phylum is the next division below the Kingdom.
1. Humans belong in the phylum Chordata.
C. The Class is the division below the Phylum.
1. Humans are in the class Mammalia.
D The Order is the division below the Class.
1. Humans are in the Order Primates.
E. The Family is the division below the Order.
1. Humans are in the family Hominidae
F. The Genus is the division below the Family.
1. Humans are in the genus Homo.
G. The Species is the smallest classification we use to name organisms.
Subcategories under species can include terms such as breed or race.
1. Humans are species sapiens.
H. Linneaus also proposed a system of unique names for each individual species. The
unique name includes two epitaphs, the Genus name AND the species name. This
is known as the Binomial System of Nomenclature and is the universal way we
name all organisms. There are two rules for naming a species.
1. The genus name is always capitalized while the species is in lower case.
2. The complete name (genus and species) is either italicized or underlined in
writing.
3. An example of a name is the common dog; Canis familiaris.
I. Endangered species
1. Show last bit of slide show
2. What do all of these species have in common?
a. Think-Pair share activity
3. Talk about what to so about endangered species and effect it has on biodiversity
Humans are now trying to resolve some of these problems through
conservation and government regulation.
a. One attempt by the government to assist in the problem is by passage of
the Endangered Species Act.
i. This act in the US also has impacts around the world, outlawing the
killing of populations/species that are on the brink of extinction. It also
limits what types of activities can be done on the lands these
populations live on. The act covers both plant and animal species.
b. Another attempt to assist is through public and private setting aside os
lands to maintain biodiveristy.
i. Parks have been established all over the world with the goal of
maintaining biodiversity.
ii. Preserves seek to create corridors between lands that allow animals to
migrate between patches of protected lands.
c. Another attempt to assist is through limiting development.
i. Land developers in the US must have building and construction plans
approved by the public prior to the start of a project and this usually
includes an endangered species assessment.
4. Law of Unintended consequences
E. Activity
III. Computer activity-in Mac lab
A. CalAlive (hand outs)
B. Habitats
C. Introduction of habitats and possibilities of schoolyard habitats and how to integrate all
the interdisciplinary
IV. Cell Activity
C. Introduction to assignment (see notebook)
D. Web searching