Chelsie Netzer
Organism
Classification
Standards
Comprehe
nsion
Strategies
Literature
Content Area
Vocabulary
Assessm
ent
Tools
Essential
Question
s






How has organism classification changed over
time?
How are animals classified?
What main characteristics separate each
phylum of animals?
Who are the main historical figures that
advanced our current perception of animal
organization?
How do animals change over time?
What causes animals to change over time?
Main page











Hotseat: participation rubric
RATA: journaling
Think-aloud checklist
Graphic Organizers
Note taking
Discussion
Essay questions
Short answer questions
Venn diagram:Venn diagram
Concept Map: Concept Map
Matrix: Matrix
Main Page
Non Fiction/Articles
Textbook
Fiction
Websites/ Media
Main Page




Planet Earth is a documentary about planet earth, which
takes viewers from the depth of the ocean to the mountain
streams. They tell stories about ecology, animals, and
preservation.
Taxon Lift is a website create to let users view a wide variety
of organisms. It let users pick an organism, find out the
classification of that organism, and find other resources
about that organism. It is in depth, and very informative
Animal Classification was a website I decided to use
because it is user friendly informative, and has good media
resources. It breaks down the classification system, but gives
information for the characteristics of each group of animals
as well. Students can also quiz themselves about how well
they know a phylum of animals
Webquest
Literature




I choose to include the evolution webquest into my thematic unit
because evolution is a key component in animal classification, and
this webquest not only integrates learning about evolution but
also incorporates technology into the unit.
Students must create a website about what they have learned
about evolution. It has them define, describe, the theroy of
evolution, and explain other theories, and misconceptions about
evolution.
This webquest also lets the students be creative about their
website, and how they organize their thoughts
Evolution WebQuest
Website/Media


Animal Classification. Ed. Anne Fondorf. 20
Oct. 2008
<http://www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Classifica
tion.html >.
http://www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Animals.ht
ml
Websites/Media


Taxon Lift. 2008. University of California
Museum of Paloentology. 20 Oct. 2008
<http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/taxafo
rm.html >.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/alllife/eukar
yotasy.html
Websites/Media
Planet Earth. Narr. David Attenborough. 2006. DVD. BBC, 2007.
Websites/Media

Glencoe Science. Life Science . McGraw-Hill,
2004
Literature
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Webster, Stephen . The Kingfisher Book of Evolution. New York: Kingfisher
Publications, 2000.
Wooding, Stephen , and Lynn Jorde. "Genetic Variation, Classification, ‘Race’."
Nature Genteics Supplement Nov. 2004: 528-33.
Boyle, Alan . "Real-Life Furbys Rediscovered." Msnbc technology and science.
2008. 7 Nov. 2008 <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27786771/ >.
Hoff, Lars . "The Tree of Life Has Lost a Branch." Apollon University of Oslo.
2008. 12 Oct. 2008
<http://www.apollon.uio.no/vis/art/2007_4/Artikler/The_Tree_of_Life>.
"Colossal Squid First In Depth Look." National Geographic News. 2008. National
Geographic Society. 15 Nov. 2008
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/photogalleries/colossalsq
uid-pictures/index.html >.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Smith, Chris. "Harvester Ant Castes." The Science Teacher (2008): 14.
"Neanderthal Not So Dumb." Science and Children 4.6 (2008): 11-13.
Ocean: The World’s Last Wilderness Revealed. New York: Museum of Natural
History, 2006
Literature

Pfeffer , Susan B. As We Knew It . Orlando:
Harcourt Books, 2006
Literature
B.12.3
F.12.6
F.12.5
A.12.4
Main Page


Biology
Sophomore level
Main Page
Questioning
Making
Predictions/Inferences
Connecting to
Background
Knowledge
Vocabulary
Organizing
Monitoring
Comprehension
Main Page
Question Tree and Sea
Hot Seat
Strategies
Picture Packet
Cloze Connections
Strategies
Venn Diagram
Concept Map
Strategies
Matrix
Jigsaw
Strategies
Self Selected Vocab Quiz
New Words Context Chart
Strategies
RATA
Think Aloud Checklist
Strategies













Cell
Eukaryote
Prokaryote
Darwin
Linnaeus
Geologic Time
Natural Selection
Heredity
Species
Extinction
Evolution
Organelle
Adaptation
•Kingdom
•Phylum
•Gene
•Mutation
•DNA
•Reproduction
•Vertebrate
•Invertebrate
•Wegner
Main Page
•
•
•
•
Reproduction: can be sexual, or asexual; where
a new organism is created by (a) parent
organism
Vertebrate: any organism with a backbone
Invertebrate: any organism lacking a backbone
Wegner: geologist who first theorized
continental drift, leading to our current views
of plate tectonics, and speciation
Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
Kingdom: the highest taxonomic rank, there are five
kingdoms (Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Monera)
Phylum: Second highest taxonomic rank, grouping
animals based on general body plan, and internal
organization
Gene: the basic unit of heredity, and each gene codes
for a specific trait
Mutation: changes to the genetic material of an
organism, which can be detrimental to an organism, or
lead to adaptive qualities, when expressed due to
natural selection
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid contains the genetic
instructions used in the development of all known
living organisms
Vocabulary



Evolution: changes in inherited traits of a
population of organisms over time, and is
caused by genetic drift, and natural selection
Organelle: specialized subunit within a cell that
has a specific function much like an organ in
the body, and are only found in eukaryotic
cells
Adaptation: a characteristic (trait) of an
organism that has been favored by natural
selection and increases its reproductive success
Vocabulary



Heredity: genetic traits passed on from a parent
organisms to it offspring. These traits can lead
to diversity among a species, and can be caused
by, natural selection, sexual selection, genetic
variation, or mutation
Species: a group of organisms capable of
interbreeding and producing fertile offspring,
and is the basic unit of biological classification
Extinction: the death of the last individual of
that species, due to an extinction event,
competition, or natural selection.
Vocabulary




Darwin: English naturalist who, after an
expedition on the U.S.S. Beagle wrote the book
The Origin of Species, and founded the theory of
evolution
Linnaeus: Swedish zoologist who created the
binomial nomenclature naming scheme, by which
we name and classify all organisms
Geologic Time: using the rock history of Earth,
scientist can correlate past events with either the
rock or fossil record
Natural Selection: process by which organisms
with favorable traits, are reproductively more
successful then those organisms of the same
species with out those traits; and as time goes on
organisms without successful traits will eventually
become extinct
Vocabulary



Cell: the basic structural unit of all organisms,
usually a microscopic structure enclosed by a
membrane.
Eukaryote: any organism having a cell that
contains specialized organelles in cytoplasm, a
membrane-bound nucleus enclosing genetic
material.
Prokaryote: any cellular organism that has no
nuclear membrane, no organelles in the
cytoplasm, and has its genetic material as a
loop, not bound inside an organelle
Vocabulary