Diversity of Life - Unit 2
FOSSWEB.com This Link will take you directly to the Website for the Diversity of Life unit of study.
The following outline shows the order in which students will be completing investigations and their respective titles. For more resources, scroll down.
What is life?
- Life scientists agree that life on earth has existed for about 3.5 billion years. Humans have been on earth foe a very short time in comparision to all other life.
- The cell is the chalice of life.
- Cells are aquatic, even in terrestrial organisms.
- Cells all have the same basic requirements for survival.
- Life is diverse.
- MOST life is single-celled.
- ALl organisms MUST adapt to their environment for survival.
Lab Notebook - Student copies of lab worksheets.
1) What is Life?
i) Living or Nonliving
What is Life? (Lab page 1)
ii) Is Anything Alive Here?
Five Materials Observation/Life in Different Environments (Lab pages 3 & 5)
Life on Earth (reading)
2) Introduction to the Microscope
i) Meet the Microscope
Microscope Care and Use (Lab page 7)
Microscope Images (Lab page 9)
Microscope Use Video Clips on FOSSWeb
ii) Exploring the Microworld
Field of View Magnification (Lab page 11)
Focal Plane (Lab page 12)
Notes Pages (for 2.2 and 2.3)
Virtual Microscope on FOSSWeb
iii) Microscopic Life
Brine Shrimp ALive! (Lab page 13)
3) Microscopic Life
i) Discovering Cells
Elodea and Paramecia lab sheet pages 15, 16, 17, and 19
ii) Paramecia
Use of same lab sheets given in 3.1
iii) Microworlds
Lab Sheets 20, 21, 23, and 25
4) The Cell
i) Human Cells
Cheek Investigation lab page 27
ii) Ribbon of Life
Ribbon of Life lab pages 28 and 29
Cell: The Basic Unit of Life (Reading)
5) The Seeds of Life
i) Lima Bean Dissection
Seed Dissection lab page 30
ii) Sprouting Monocots and Dicots
Roots and Shoots lab page 31 and Secret Garden lab page 33
iii) Root Cells
Microscopic View of Roots lab page 35
Seeds and Roots (Reading)
Section for Review for Absent Students
Seeds Video (ginger.conant password: room252)
The video shows the 3 main pairs of the 2 types of seeds and their functions.
Above: Picture of a dissected lima bean.
Monocots and Dicots are included
Full video of How Plants Grow (19:00)
6) Transpiration
i) What Happened to the Water?
Celery Investigation Plan and Results lab pages 36-37
ii) Looking at Leaves
Leaf and Stem Observations lab page 39
iii) Trees and Shrubs
Stems and Leaves (Reading)
Section for Review for Absent Students
Above: Picture of stomata and guard cells where waste leaves the plant
7) Plant Reproduction
i) Flower Dissection
Flower Dissection lab pages 42-43 and Response Sheet lab page 45
Flowers to Seeds (Reading)
ii) Seed Dispersal (we will not be completing this section - no standard in the 6th grade for this investigation)
Seed-Hunt Card lab page 47
Seeds on the Move (Reading)
Section for Review for Absent Students
Plant Reproduction Video will help you to understand how flowering plants reproduce.
In class, we did not use the lab sheets, instead, we used Note Pages for 7.1.
Seed Dispersal Video, called How Seeds Disperse: Here, There, and Everywhere, will help you understand how seeds are dispersed. We are not completing the lab in class because it is not a standard, but we are reading and watching this video only if we have time after investigation 10.
8) Snails
i) Meet the Land Snail
Snails lab page 49
ii) Snail Habitats
Snail Investigation Plan and Results lab pages 50-51
Gliding Through Life lab pages 52-53
Gliding through Life: The Snail (Reading)
iii) Snail Comparisons
Notes Pages for Investigation 8
Section for Review for Absent Students
At fossweb.com, you can explore the Multimedia Garden where you can view everything snails. The snails section, combined with the PPT and reading, will help you to understand the snails even though you may not have any in hand.
DE Video will help you to understand the mollusk family.
In class, we did not use lab sheets, instead, we investigated using Note Pages only which is reflected in the PPT. You can use the lab sheets and videos instead.
9) Roaches
i) Introducing Insects
Insect Adaptations lab pages 56-57 to be used with reading piece
The Insect Empire (Reading)
ii) Cockroaches
Cockroach Investigation Plan and Results lab pages 62-63
Those Amazing Insects (Reading)
iii) Cockroach Habitat
Insect Mysteries lab pages 64-65
Section for Review for Absent Students
The Incredible World of Insects will help you to get a close up look at the world of insects. The habitat lab will not be required for make up, but do complete readings, adaptations excercise, and go through the PowerPoint.
10) Kingdoms of Life
PPT
i) Bacteria and Fungi
ii) Exponential Growth
iii) Microbes We Eat
Section for Review for Absent Students