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 * Animal Science Wiki Diamond Award:**


 * The recipients for the Diamond Award for the year 2012 are ....... Rita, Sheenin, Eojin and Noam. Congratulations!**


 * Task 3: Free Response**
 * Read the article below carefully and use all the lenses in our inquiry to carefully digest the information contained in the article.**
 * By lenses I mean animal relationships (predator-prey, consumerism, symbiosis), living and non-living conditions of ecosystems, roles of organisms in their ecosystem and finally adaptation. You are advised to print it out, black and white, and carefully write down notes and your thoughts and responses. You may refer to your test notes on the test day ( 6A - Thursday ,Thursday, 6B - Thursday and 6C - Thursday ). There will be a range of free response questions and to score a higher grade, you need to respond carefully and analytically to the thinking questions. You can draw arrows to show relationships and diagrams to show your understanding.**



__**Please download the free response questions here**__:


 * This task assesses criterion C - knowledge and understanding**


 * Task 2: Research and discuss the advantages, disadvantages (ethical concern) and limitations of zoo as a place for animal research, reproduction, protection and tourism.**


 * This task assesses criterion A - One World**


 * Links: [[file:Zoos’ Bitter Choice_NYT.pdf]](Thanks Suzannah and of course NYT)**

How to find resources: Try New York Times and Google search. See examples below.





Choose an easily researched animal and explain how the animal lives, interacts, adapts and reproduces in it's environment. You will be using the grade 6 science wiki to manage, track, write, illustrate and produce your work.
 * Task 1:**

Please spend at least 30 mins a week to work on your wiki page. __You are strongly encouraged to spend an hour working on your animal science wiki page__. Check this page regularly to check on new instructions, clarifications or updates. DO NOT plagiarize!

Brainpop ID: tislibrary, Password: eresource. Brainpop is not accessible after 5.30pm.


 * This task will assess criterion B and C. Please complete your animal science wiki by 28th May. Gold and diamond awards will be awarded for highly organized, professional and quality science wiki. (new)**

Depending on the quality of work and effort put into this task, two types of awards may be awarded - gold or diamond*. Only 3 Diamond Award* will be given out after the 28th of May and it's a recognition of science work of the highest standard. These are how the Gold Award looks like:


 * The endorsement for the Diamond Award is still being considered. The picture will appear when it has been endorsed.

Make a checklist, such as choose a well researched animal or explore the features of wikispace. Quick research on the internet or the library for resources. Write good questions that you will work on later, such as how my animal adapts to it's environment? or how my animal fits into a food chain or food web? Make a vocabulary table for science words relevant to the unit, such as environment or adaptation. Make plans to give references.
 * Objectives 1 and 2:**

Make an illustration of your animal in it's food chain and food web. Do this through a poster. Take a photo of your food web and include it into your science wiki page.
 * Objective 3**:

In your wiki page, do the following:
 * Describe role of decomposer. (At least one paragraph)
 * Give examples of decomposers, with appropriate pictures. (at least 3 examples, including microorganism)
 * Respond to 'Are there differences between parasites and decomposers?' (new)

These are the instructions to begin and complete your food web poster:
 * List animals and organisms in your animal's habitat. Classify them according to a) primary, secondary, tertiary consumers, etc b) carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, decomposers
 * Describe habitat and your animal's habitat.
 * Draft out a food web.
 * Make a well illustrated food web poster (with labels). A corner of your poster should describe your animal's habitat.
 * When your food web poster is complete, take a good picture and paste it into your science wiki.

Role of bacteria in food chains: Is this bacteria a decomposer? (new)

Interesting link: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyd8NmLJwcM&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Describe and illustrate your animal's environment. Is there a suitable picture of your animal in it's environment that you could print and label? Have a good understanding of the term environment before working on this task.
 * Objective 4a:**

'The environment is something you are very familiar with. It's everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth—the air we breathe, the water that covers most of the earth's surface, the plants and animals around us, and much more.'- http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0775267.html

'Our Environment is our surrounding. This includes living and non-living things around us. The non-living components of environment are land, water and air. The living components are germs, plants, animals and people.' - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_environment.

'The **environment** is the world around us. It includes everything, living and non-living. Sunlight, water, soil, rock, air and all living things are included in the environment.

An **organism** is a living thing, such as plants and animals. A **habitat** is where an organism lives.

A **condition** is a variable in a habitat that can be measured; for example, temperature, light level and rainfall. '- Catalyst

1) In your animal science wiki, describe your animal's environment: 'These are the conditions in my animal's environment: temperature, light, level and rainfall, etc'.

2) Organize the non-living factors of your environment into a table and explain how your animal adapt to the non-living factors.(new) E.g. Polar bear adapts to extreme cold weather (non-living environmental factor) in the North Pole by having thick fur and body fats.

1. Give a general description of ecosystem.
 * Objective 4b:**
 * In your science animal wiki page:**

2. Describe the ecosystem of your animal. Include an appropriate and labelled picture of the ecosystem.

Describe the features of your animal that allow it to adapt well to it's environment and explain how these features help it to survive. There are two types of features - external and internal. The fur of an artic fox would be external and the cow's 4 parts stomach would be internal feature.
 * Objective 5:**

e.g. The Arctic Fox has thick white fur. This feature helps it....

Describe your animal as either __diurnal__ or __nocturnal__ animals. Describe the feature that allow your animal to adapt as __diurnal__ or __nocturnal__ animal.
 * Objective 6:**

Describe the season your animal is living in; 4 seasons or tropical. Describe how your animal is adapted to seasonal changes; winter vs summer and wet vs dry.
 * Objective 7:**

Describe the feeding and symbiotic (parasitism, mutualism, etc) relationship that your animal has with organisms in it's habitat. E.g. Leeches have parasitism relationship with.... Watch 'symbiosis' from brainpop.
 * Objective 8:**

Resource: @http://www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/great_barrier_reef/great_barrier_reef.htm

Describe the features of your animal that identify it as a species. If possible, describe variations between members of your species, for example polar and brown bear.
 * Objective 9:**

Describe how variations are **inherited** or caused by **environment**.
 * Objective 10:**

Classify organisms in your animal's environment according to a) types of living things: animals, plants, microorganisms and fungi b) vertebrate or invertebrate c) types of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish or invertebrates: jellyfish, starfish, roundworms, segmented worms, molluscs and arthropods.
 * Objective 11:**

Describe the features of your body that allow you to adapt so well to your environment.
 * Objective 12:**
 * No || Non-living factors || Adaptation ||
 * 1 || Internet || Use for research and data gathering. Criminals may use it for entrapment ||

Good sample: @http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwepecosystems.htm

Web resource:

@http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/animal_names/scientific_name.html- article about the importance of scientific names