Name _______________________________________
Discovering Protists. 2014
Activity: Discovering Protists
Goal: To observe and describe the basic characteristics of members of the
Kingdom Protista (Protists).
Directions: Rotate through the various stations and complete the indicated activity for
each station. Use the packets at each station, your text book (pages 86-89), or the
hyperlinks in this document as resources.
A. Plant-like Protists
Station 1: Euglena
1. Observe a prepared slide of a Euglena under both low and high power.
2. Make a drawing of this plant-like protist using the best magnification. Be sure to
include the magnification and answer the questions. Use page 87 in your text
book, the handout at your station or the hyperlink, Euglena as resources.
______ X
a. Describe how this organism moves?
b. What is the function of the eyespot in a Euglena?
c. What structures do these organisms have that helps them make food?
Station 2: Live Multicellular Algae/Seaweed
1. Observe the samples of algae in the containers. These are examples of plantlike protists.
2. Use the table that follows to illustrate and describe a special characteristic of
each type of seaweed. Refer to pages 88-89 in your textbook.
3. Website: http://www.seaweed.ie/index.php
A. Table
Type of Algae/Seaweed
Illustration
Description of a Special
Characteristic
Green Algae or Clorophyta
Example:
Sea Lettuce (Ulva Lactuca)
Red Algae or Rhodophyta
Example:
Irish Moss (Chondrus Crispus)
Brown Algae or Phaeophyta
Example:
Rockweed (Fucus vesiculosis)
Station 3: Video Segment: Red Tides
Watch the video segment about red tides and answer the following questions:
1. What single-celled microorganisms cause red tides?
2. Why are red tides dangerous?
3. How are scientists attempting to control red tides?
B.Animal-like Protists
Station 4: Paramecium
1. Observe a prepared slide of Paramecium under both low and high power.
2. Make a drawing of this protist. Be sure to include the magnification and answer
the questions. See text book page 83, Protozoans with Cilia or use the hyperlink,
Paramecium.
______ X
a. Describe how this organism moves.
b. What is the purpose of the contractile vacuole in this organism?
Station 5: Amoeba
1. Observe a prepared slide of Amoeba under both low and high power.
2. Make a drawing of this protist. Be sure to include the magnification and answer
the questions. Use text book pages 81-82, Protozoans with Psuedopods, the
handout at your station or the hyperlink, Amoeba.
_____ X
a. How does this organism move?
b. In what environment are you likely to find this organism?
Station 6: Video Segment: Malaria
Watch the video segment about malaria and answer the following questions.
a. What animal-like protist causes malaria?
b. Which insect spreads the protist from one human to another?
c. Which organ of the human body does malaria affect?
d. How many people worldwide die from malaria each year?
B. Fungus-like Protists
Station 7: Slime Mold in its Amoeboid Stage
1. Observe the specimen under all three magnifications.
2. Decide which magnification offers you the best view of this protist and draw what
you see. Be sure to include the magnification and a fact about the organism. For
an image of the organism and factual information use the hyperlink, Physarum
polycephalum.
Fact:
_______ X
Station 8: Video Clip: Irish Potato Famine
1. Watch the video clip describing the Irish Potato Famine and read the handout
about water molds.
2. Answer the following questions based on the handout and the video clip.
a. What happened in 1845 to Ireland’s potato harvest?
b. What organism caused the famine called the “great hunger?”
c. Why was the potato crop so important to the Irish peasants?
d. How do you think this impacted the U.S. population shortly after 1845?
Note: If the video is not available read use the following hyperlink, Irish Potato Famine.