Name of Unit: The Diversity of Life

Grade: Senior-level high school biology or AP Biology

Topic: An investigation of the representative kingdoms of life.

Length: Three weeks

Objectives or Goals:

Produce an overview of the kingdoms of life. Relate classification to diversity.

Procedures or Processes:

Working a class and in small groups we will investigate the kingdoms of life. We will use the
text as one resource and rely heavily on images and video found online. The class will work
together to produce a phylogenetic tree on one page of the class PBWorks site. Each group will
produce a page, linked to from the phylogenetic tree, that contains the following information
about their assigned kingdom:

a summary of the information found in the text

what type of organisms are included in the kingdom
what are the unique characteristics of organisms in the kingdom
describe the structure, anatomy and reproduction of a representative species of kingdom
explain the diversity of organisms in the kingdom
explore interesting attributes of the species included in the kingdom
additional questions or topics specific to the kingdom (assigned by instructor)*

Each group is responsible for an expert presentation to the class using Prezi or Google
Documents or another, approved method of delivery. The presentation must be included in the
class webpage.

Resources:

Presentation methods: http://prezi.com/

Google documents
http://mmapbio2010public.pbworks.com/

Informational resources: found and documented by students as they find and

evaluate for inclusion in their project

Assessment:
A checklist (above) will be used to evaluate the completeness of the project. Peer evaluation,
with a rubric, will also be used. Each group will present to the class and lead a discussion on the
topic.

*Additional information, by kingdom:

Prokayrotes and Viruses:

Investigate archebacteria and eubacteria. Compare differences and similarities. Explain the
cellular energetics and environments of methanogens, chemoautotrophs, thermophiles,
halophiles and photosynthetic autotrophs. Find images that help you explain their environment.

Do all bacteria use oxygen in the same way? What are obligate aerobes, obligate anaerobes,
facultative anaerobes? What allows or prevents the use of oxygen in these organisms?

How do prokaryotes and viruses reporduce? Explain transformation, conjugation and

transduction.

Protists:

Find images of representative species, features and video of locomotion. Include in your
presentation.

Group the protists by their similarity to plants and animals.

Plants:

Identify the key structural or anatomical adaptations that allow plants in each phyla to succeed in
an environment.

Relate the development of plants (from fossil evidence) to the place each phylum has on the
phylogenetic tree. Explain how each “new” anatomical feature allowed the plant to exploit a
new environment.

Examine and illustrate the reproductive cycle of each phylum.

Fungi:

Identify the key structural or anatomical adaptations that allow plants in each phyla to succeed in
an environment.

Examine and illustrate the reproductive cycle of each phylum.

Invertebrate animals:

Identify the key structural or anatomical adaptations that allow animals in each phyla to succeed
in an environment.

Relate the development of animals (from fossil evidence) to the place each phylum has on the
phylogenetic tree. Explain how each “new” anatomical feature allowed the animal to exploit a
new environment.

Find images of a representative species from each phyum to include in your presentation.

Examine and illustrate the reproductive cycle of each phylum.

Explore how the animal kingdom is classified using the following criteria:
symmetry
cephalization
tissue complexity
body cavities (or “body plans”)
Protostome development and deuterostome development

Vertebrate Animals:

Explore the similarities and differences of the following phyla: pices, amphibia, reptilia, aves and
mammalia. Specifically, what structures are common to all the groups? What structures
differentiate each group?

Compare the differences and similarities among the groups according to

-nervous systems (brain anatomy and complexity)
-reproductive systems (external vs. internal fertilization, anatomy, behavior, egg-laying
vs. live birth, placental mammals and marsupials.)
-anatomical adaptations for locomotion, protection, heat regulation (fins in fish, birds and
mammals; skin, scales, feathers and hair; appendages and the invasion of land)
-respiratory and circulatory systems (relate complexity of the systems to environment)

Why are marsupials and monotrems geographically isolated? Are there exceptions?