Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
Mr. Pinkerton- Biology
Fourth Quarter Project
Each student will create an in depth study of one organism found in a particular biome or
ecosystem of the teacher’s choice. Drafts will be required each week and returned with
appropriate feedback in order for the student to revise their work before the final project is
submitted.
Project Outline
Introduction
Biome or ecosystem
Scientific Name
Common Name
Artistic interpretation of the organism
1. Ecology
a. Write a description of the organism’s habitat and range.
Describe the abiotic and biotic factors that influence the organism
Describe one of the organism’s symbiotic relationships with another
organism(mutualism, parasitism or commensalism).
b. Create a food web that incorporates your own organism plus 4 others
c. Create an energy pyramid that includes your organism and identify each organism’s
trophic level (producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, etc.)
d. Draw a diagram of the organism’s contribution to the carbon or nitrogen cycle
e. Describe how the organism interacts with humans.
2.
a.
b.
c.
Cell Biology/Biochemistry
Draw, label and identify the function of 10 organelles found in the organism’s cell.
Analyze how 3 of the organelles work together to perform a certain task in the cell.
Biochem: describe how the organism obtains and uses oxygen.
3. Genetics
a. Identify the number of chromosomes found in the organism’s nucleus.
b. Draw a diagram of the beginning and end result of meiotic and mitotic cell division. Your
drawing must include interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.
Identify homologous chromosomes, diploid, haploid, the number of cell divisions, start
and final number of chromosomes.
c. Choose an inherited trait of the organism (assuming sexual reproduction). Identify the
parental genotypes, create a Punnett square, and identify the outcome’s genotypic and
phenotypic frequencies and/or ratios
d. Molecular: describe a protein this organisim produces and explain, in general terms, how
this protein is produced.
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
4. A&P
a. Describe and analyze the function and structures of two of your organism’s body system
and describe how they work together to maintain homeostasis.
b. Describe and analyze the function and structures of the same two systems above (or
similar in the human body) and describe how they work together to maintain
homeostasis.
c. Extension Question: Compare and contrast the functions and structures found in your
organism’s body system with that of a human. You must compare at least three
structural and functional differences in each system.
5. Evolution and Classification
a. Describe two favorable adaptations of the organism.
b. Create a story board for each favorable adaptation that assumes the trait evolved via
natural selection.
c. Create a taxonomy table of the organism that describes the characteristics of each
domain.
6. Current Research
a. Identify and describe two pieces of current research that involve your organism (2000Present).
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
Project Graphic Organizer
Introduction
Organism’s Name
*Scientific Name
Biome
Artistic expression of the
organism
Due: ________________
Make sure you draw a picture of your organism on the front page!
Section 1: Ecology
Due: ________________
A *Description of the organism’s habitat and range:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
*3 abiotic factors that influence the organism:
1.
2.
3.
*3 biotic factors that influence the organism:
1.
2.
3.
*Describe 1 symbiotic or competitive relationship with another organism:
1.
Resources Used to Obtain this information in Section 1a:
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
B
* What does your organism eat?
_________________________________
*What organisms eat the organisms you listed above?
_________________________________
Create a food chain from the organisms you listed above:
C Create an energy pyramid of the organisms above. Label each trophic level
(producers, primary consumers, etc.)
Resources used to obtain information in Section 1b and c:
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
D Draw a diagram of the carbon cycle or nitrogen cycle that includes your organism
and its contribution to the cycle.
Resources used to obtain information for Section 1d:
E *Describe two ways your organism interacts or is affected by humans?
1.
2.
Resources used to obtain information for Section 1e:
F
Answer to Extension Question:
Name: _________________________________
Section 2: Cell Biology and Biochemistry
A
Organelle
1
Organism Name: _____________________
Due: ________________
Function
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Make sure you draw a picture, label and define the function of the organelles in
your final draft!
Resources used to obtain information for Section 2a:
B
Answer to Extension Question:
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
Section 3: Genetics
Due: ________________
A *How many chromosomes are found in one of your organism’s cells?
Resources used to obtain this information in Section 3a:
B
.
Draw a diagram of the beginning and end result of meiotic and mitotic cell division.
Your drawing must include interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and
telophase.
Identify homologous chromosomes, diploid, haploid, the number of cell divisions,
and the number of chromosomes at the beginning and end of each cell division.
Mitosis
Meiosis
Name: _________________________________
Organism Name: _____________________
C
*Choose an inherited trait of the organism (assuming sexual reproduction).
__________________________________
Identify the parental genotypes, create a Punnett square, and identify the outcome’s
genotypic and phenotypic frequencies and/or ratios
Genotypic frequencies:
Phenotypic frequencies:
Resources used to obtain information in Section 1c:
D
Molecular genetics problem
E
Extension Question:
Name: _________________________________
Section 4: A&P
A. *Organism body system 1:
Organism Name: _____________________
Due: ________________
*Organism body system 2:
How do these two systems work together to maintain homeostasis?
Resources Used to Obtain this information in Section 4a:
B.
Human Body System 1:
Human Body System 2:
How do these two systems work together to maintain homeostasis?
Resources Used to Obtain this information in Section 4b:
C
Answer to extension question:
Name: _________________________________
Section 5: Evolution and Classification
Organism Name: _____________________
Due: ________________
*Two favorable
A adaptations
1..
2.
Resources used to obtain this information in Section 5a:
B.
Create a story board for each favorable adaptation that assumes the trait evolved
via natural selection. Make sure to show one of Darwin’s four postulates in each
box and describe what is happening in each scene.
Adaptation #1: __________________________________
Overpopulation
Variation
Reproduction
Survival
Adaptation #2: _____________________________________
Overpopulation
Variation
Reproduction
Survival
Name: _________________________________
C.
Organism Name: _____________________
*Create a taxonomy table of the organism that describes the characteristics of
each domain.
Domain
Organism
Description
Kingdom
Animalia
P
Class
O
Family
G
S
Resources used to obtain information in Section 5c:
D
Extension Question:
Name: _________________________________
Section 6: Current Research
Organism Name: _____________________
Due: ________________
*
Section 7: Bibliography
Due: ________________