A Collaborative Effort
Title: Endotherms and Exotherms
Class: Environmental Science
Grade: 11-12
Timeframe: 1 47 minute block
Knowledge Gap Topic
Temperature effects on water animals daily and seasonal activity
Subject Matter/
Key Vocabulary
Endotherm, exotherm, respiration rate, heart rate, p value, significance
Essential Question/
Over-Arching Concept/
Key Understanding
Essential Question 2: How human activities influence stream?
Essential Questions 5: Connectivity (temperature versus activity of
stream animals)
Curriculum Connections
 OGT standards
 Local standards
Life Science Standards (9-10), Benchmark D:
Explain the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through biological and
ecological systems (cellular, organismal and ecological).
Instructional Objectives
O1) Students will record the heartbeat of several daphnia at both warm
and cool temperatures
O2) Students will use “t” test analysis and p values to determine if
temperature significantly affects daphnia heartbeats.
Materials
Additional Documents
Introduction
 focus event
 varies with teacher
Eduweb Lab subscription and a computer.
Daphnia HeartBeats and Body Temperatures Eduweb Lab
Begin discussion by talking about how a frog cannot be dropped in a
boiling pot without trying to get out, but can be boiled to death without
awareness if the environment is slowly changed
Development
 major parts of unit/
lesson
1) Define exotherms and endotherms and give examples
2) Do EduWeb Lab on Daphnia Heartbeat
3) Assign high temperatures and low temperatures to groups and have
them collect both temps on 5 daphnia each.
4) Compare two groups using Students “t” Test
A: None
B: Relate this activity to real-world by discussing daphnia …. Helpful to
have a real one for kids to observe if possible.
C: Use of “t” test to determine significance
D: Students produce evidence to show that temperature does indeed
affect the heartbeats in Daphnia with statistical significance
Students show p values to demonstrate statistical significance.
Rigor/Relevance Quadrant(s)
 link to rigor/relevance
document
Product/Artifacts/Student
Evidence of Understanding
Accommodations
 plan B
 differentiated instruction
Formative
Assessment/Feedback
 measure of progress
This can be done with real daphnia … if so, care must be taken to test
one, then treat with colder or warmer water and retest after about 5
minutes.
I ask students to show me their first two readings just to make sure data
makes sense.
Designing Watershed-based Education and Extension Efforts through a Mental Models Research Approach
USDA-CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program
Final Evaluation
 project rubric
 oral or paper quiz/test
 portfolio
Teacher Reflection
 complete after lesson
Students show work on collected data and then their calculations for p
values from the “t” test. This is turned in as a lab. They must present
evidence to show that changing temperature of water does indeed
significantly change the heartbeat of the daphnia
Lab is a winner. Data comes out well, “t” tests typically show excellent
significance. So students not only see there is a difference in heartbeats,
but they can provide statistical evidence to prove that the temperature is
significantly affecting things!
Designers/Email: Fred Donelson (fdonelson@gjps.org)
Additional Comments: An easy way to demonstrate how environmental temperature affects exothermic body
processes, as well as an easy way to introduce or reinforce significance testing in your course.
Designing Watershed-based Education and Extension Efforts through a Mental Models Research Approach
USDA-CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program
Daphnia HeartBeats and Body Temperatures Eduweb Lab
Names:
Part I: Collect Daphnia Heart Rates for one minute at the following temperatures:
5, 10, 15, and 20 degrees C. Then draw a best fit line that describes the data. Be sure to include an R2
value to show goodness of fit. Be sure to try different types of regressions to find the closest fit!
Part II: Using the forecasting/trendline function, predict what the daphnia’s heartbeat would be at the
following temperatures (these can be estimates based on the graph):
1
_____
25
_____
30
_____
Part III: Define the following terms:

Endotherm

Exotherm

Poikilotherm
Part IV: Print out your table and graph and attach it to this form. Don’t forget labels and titles!!
Designing Watershed-based Education and Extension Efforts through a Mental Models Research Approach
USDA-CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program