Top Secret FBI Organism Investigation
Due Date:_______
Overview: Your goal is to investigate an organism of your choice and become an expert on
that organism. As an FBI investigator you will need to know your organism at the
macroscopic and microscopic level.
Investigation Requirements….
1. Front Cover: Clever title, picture or creative coloring of your organism, Your Name, Class Period
2. Backside of Front Cover: Organism Profile (FBI Profile) that includes picture of organism, common
name and scientific name of organism, ecosystem that it is part of, and organism classification (Domain
 Species).
3. Page 0: Table of Contents (means your pages should be numbered throughout the booklet)
4. 1st to 2nd Page: Food Web
a. a food web with your organism in it that is drawn on top of the ecosystem scene (food web: 2
producers, 2 herbivores, 1 carnivore, 1 omnivore and 1 decomposer)
b. All parts of picture need to be labeled with these words (heterotrophs, autotrophs, producer,
consumer, and decomposer)
c. Title for the type of ecosystem that your organism lives in above the food web picture.
rd
5. 3 to 4th Page: Cycles in Ecosystems
a. A scene from the ecosystem that your organism lives in with a producer, consumer and
decomposer.
b. the cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur), make a key
c. All parts of the picture need to be labeled with arrows showing direction of what is going in
and out. These are some of the appropriate labels (H2O, CO2, N2, PO4, S2, Evaporation,
Condensation, Precipitation)
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th
6. 5 to 6 Page: Cell Basics
a. A drawn picture of one of the autotrophs or your organism(if your organisms is an autotroph)
in your food web and then a zoomed in picture of a single cell from that organism with all of
the labeled organelles
b. A drawn picture of one of the heterotrophs or your organism(if you organism is a heterotroph)
in your food web and then it zoomed in picture of a single cell with all of the labeled organelles
c. A table describing the functions of each organelle
d. A table identifying all the processes of how nutrients get into a cell and wastes/proteins leave
the cell. For each process describe what characteristics of molecules are transported, what
organic molecules are needed, and if energy is required.
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7. 7 and 8th Page: How My Organism Gets Energy and Mass/Matter
a. Draw the organelle that is responsible for transforming light energy into chemical potential
energy.
b. Show the steps/phases of the reaction occurring in this organelle
c. Label all reactants and products with arrows in each organelle
d. Write out the full balanced chemical equation
e. Explain the 2 possible outcomes that this chemical energy can be used for.
f. Draw the organelle that is responsible for transforming this chemical potential energy into a
usable form.
g. Show the steps/phases of the reaction occurring in that organelle
h. Label all the reactants and products with arrows in each organelle
i. Write out the full balanced chemical equation
j. Explain 3 processes that the cell can use this usable energy for
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8. 9 and 10th Page: How My Organism Develops from Fertilization to Adult
a. Draw a picture of the general life cycle of your organisms
b. Draw meiosis occurring in one of the parents, be sure to label if cells are diploid or haploid
c. Describe the 3 ways that makes the offspring genetically different from their parents
d. Explain the process of fertilization, include the words diploid and/or haploid
e. Draw the process of your organism going from one cell to being multicellular, include words
like diploid, haploid, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis.
f. Name and describe the process that passes on genetic information to new cells
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9. 11 and 12th Page: How My Organisms Functions and Shows it Characteristics
a. Explain the 2 processes involved in cell differentiation and expression of genes
b. Draw 2 cells that have been differentiated from stem cells in your organism, identify which body
system that these differentiated cells belong to.
c. List 3 adaptations (helpful traits/characteristics) that your organism has to help it survive in its
ecosystem and explain why each is important.
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10. 13 Page (Back of Book): References
a. List out all references used
i. Author
ii. Year Published
iii. Title of Book/Title of Website/Title of Article
iv. URL or web address
Timeline of Events:
 Day 1 - Day 2: Choose an organism and begin making notes and collecting all information (3 days to
collect all info)
 Day 3 – Day 5: Make Rough Draft of Pages using journals or lined paper
 Day 6 - Day 8: Get 4 white copy paper pages, fold pages, staple together & make final copy of book
 TURN-IN on Day 9!
Grading Point System
Book Part
Cover (1.5)
Criteria & Total Possible Points Earned for Page
____Clever Title (0.5 pt)
____Clever Pic of Organism (0.5 pt)
____Your Name & Class Period (0.5 pt)
Organism Profile
Page (Back of
Front Cover) (4)
_____”Mug Shot” or Pic of Organism (0.5 pt)
______Common Name (Everyday Name) (0.5 pt)
______Scientific Name (Genus Species) (1 pt)
______Ecosystem that it lives in (1 pt)
______Scientific Classification (Domain  Species) (1 pts)
Table of Contents
(3.5)
_____Title on Page “Table of Contents” (0.5 pt)
_____Topic of Pages on Left Side, Page Numbers on Right Side (2
pts)
_____Neat and Readable (1 pt)
Food Web
_____Background of Page is a Scene from the Ecosystem (2 pts)
(12.5)
_____Food Web (2 producers, 2 herbivores, 1 carnivore, 1
omnivore and 1 decomposer) (7 pts)
_____Arrows in Food Web are in Correct Direction (1 pt)
_____Organisms are labeled either producer/autotroph or
consumer/decomposer/heterotroph (2 pts)
_____Title of ecosystem on Page (0.5 pt)
Cycles of
Ecosystems
(28)
_____Background on Page is a Scene from the Ecosystem (2pts)
_____A producer, consumer and decomposer are drawn in but
not connected with arrows (3 pts)
_____ Water Cycle – 3 major parts with arrows, labels, chemical
formula (3 pts)
_____Carbon Cycle – 3 major parts with arrows, labels, chemical
formula (3 pts)
_____Nitrogen Cycle – 5 major parts with arrows, labels,
chemical formula (5 pts)
Your Points
_____Phosphorous Cycle – 5 major parts with arrows, labels,
chemical (5 pts)
_____Sulfur Cycle – 6 major parts with arrows, labels, & chemical
(6 pts)
_____Key is Made – use different colors for each cycle (1 pt)
Cell Basics (22)
____ Picture of autotroph (1pt) and cell are present (1pt), all 10
organelles are labeled (1pt)
____ Picture of heterotroph (1pt) and cell are present (1pt), all 7
organelles are labeled (1 pt)
____ Table describing each organelle’s function (10 pts)
____ Membrane transport table is present and complete, should
have 6 ways to transport with energy requirements (6 pts)
Flow of Energy &
Matter (20)
____ Photosynthesis: light dependent and light independent
reactions are shown (6pts), organelle name (0.5pts), and
complete balanced equation is present (1pt)
____ Two possible outcomes for the photosynthesis product are
explained (1pts)
____ Cellular Respiration: 3 steps are present in correct locations
with the amount of ATP repaired (6pts), correct reactants and
products can be seen at each step (1pt), organelle name (0.5),
complete balanced equation is present (1pt)
____ Explain three processes that this produced energy can be
used for in the cell (3pts)
Fertilizations to
Adulthood (21.5)
____ Life cycle of organism is drawn and labeled (2pts)
____ Meiosis is drawn in ten steps, haploid and diploid are
identified (11pts)
____ 3 ways offspring differ from parents (1.5pts)
____ General explanation of fertilization includes diploid and
haploid (3pts)
____ Organism going from single celled to multi-cellular using
mitosis, diploid/haploid are present as appropriate (3pts)
____ Name and describe the process of duplicating DNA during
the “S” phase (1pt)
Differentiation &
Specialization (13)
____ Explain the two connected processes the cell uses to
become differentiated, include steps in the process, where they
occur, and intermediates involved (6pts)
____ Two differentiated cells from organism are drawn and
explained (4pts)
____ Three adaptations of your organism are explained (3pts)
References (3)
____ References are present and completed with required
information (3pts)
Overall Quality
____ Work is of excellent quality, complete, no writing is in
and Creativity (10) pencil, all pages are colored, and work is creative (5pts)
____ Work is on time (5pts), after one week half credit
Total Points:_______________
Grading Comments (written by teacher)