Lesson Plan for the Week of May 5, 2014

Monday:  Students will use a Geologic Time Scale to answer questions over Earth's history (MBC)

Tuesday:  Students will take notes while viewing a Power Point presentation over human evolution.

Wednesday:  Students will complete a chapter review over Chapter 12 (MBC).

Thursday:  Test:  Chapter 12
 After the test, students will be introduced to arthropods and learn how to use a dichotomous key to investigate the five classes of arthropods.

Friday:  Lab:  Arthropod Hunt

Lesson Plan for the Week of April 28, 2014

Monday:  Introduction to fossils.  Students will research five types of fossils and how they are formed.
Students will complete sketch of natural selection and work with a partner on the packet "Comparing Vertebrate Skeletons."

Tuesday:  Following a discussion of how scientists determine the age of fossils through relative and absolute dating, students will complete the PL221 math assignment "Radioactive Decay and Half-Life."

Wednesday:  Video/Report:  Bill Nye:  Greatest Discoveries in Evolution

Thursday:  Students will use a Geologic time scale to answer questions about the history of life on Earth. (include extinctions)

Friday:  Lab: outdoor plant diversity or indoor "Darwin's Finches"

Lesson Plan for the Week of April 21, 2014

Monday:  Students will be given a grade check for the 1st three weeks of the nine weeks.  (Any student who needs to complete the frog dissection should do so today after school, or Tuesday or Wednesday before school, after school, or during SSR. Frogs will be disposed of after that time.)
Students will revisit their study site in the nature center and make observations over changes since their last visit.

Tuesday:  Students will view a Hank Green video over evolution (MBC).  After a discussion of Darwin's theory of evolution, students will hear about the evolution of the speckled moth before and after the industrial revolution.  Students will be provided an outline of a butterfly.  They will need to color the butterfly to blend in to the classroom environment.

Homework:  Students will color an outline of a butterfly to bring to class tomorrow.  Students should NOT cut out the butterfly until they get to class.

Wednesday:  Activity:  Butterfly Hunt.
Students will investigate one animal for a variation that has allowed them to survive in their environment.  Students will then sketch the four steps of natural selection using their chosen animal (Textbook, page 442.)

Thursday:  Due:  Sketch of Natural Selection.
Biological evidence of evolution will be discussed.  Students will view and compare the embryological development of several vertebrates, included humans.  Students will then complete the packet "Comparing Vertebrates."

Friday:  Due:  "Comparing Vertebrates"
Students will take a mental field trip of Indiana during the Ordovician time period.  Students will then begin the lab "Fossil Find."

Lesson Plan for the Week of April 14, 2014

Monday:  Introduction to dissection:  Students will view a Power Point presentation over the rules and expectations of frog dissection.  Students who have not completed frog plates will continue to color.
(All frog plates must be completed before students begin frog dissection.)

Tuesday:  Lab:  Frog Dissection Day 1 - Students will identify external features of the frog and begin skinning the frog.

Wednesday:  Lab:  Frog Dissection Day 2 - Students will locate and identify 8 muscles.

Thursday:  Lab: Frog Dissection Day 3 - Students will locate and identify organs of the mouth and digestive system.

Friday:  Lab: Frog Dissection Day 4 - Students will locate and identify organs of the circulatory, respiratory, and urogenital systems. 

Can You Name these Central Indiana Frogs?

Small to medium size frog/sticky toes

Large frog/ ridge down back

Medium frog/organized spots

Medium size frog/robbers mask

Small frog/X on back

Medium frog/unorganized spots

Small frog/Abundant in nature center

Largest IN frog/ridge around ear

Lesson Plan for the week of March 31, 2014

Students will need colored pencils each day this week as they work on frog plates.  All frog plates must be completed before students begin dissection on April 14th.

Monday:  Quiz over amphibians and the difference between frogs and toads.
After a review of the 10 frogs and toads of Indiana, students will use data to create a graph of frog calls.
(Students who have not completed Frog Plate II and III will do so during class and complete the graph as homework.)

Tuesday:  Practice quiz over IN frogs and toads by sight/sound.
Students will complete the vocabulary for Chapter 12. 
(Students who have not completed Frog Plate VII will do so during class and complete the vocabulary assignment as homework.)

Wednesday:  Students will take a mental tour of Indiana as it existed 400 million years ago. Following will be a class discussion of the formation of fossils.
Students will then continue to work on frog plates.

Thursday:  Video/Report:  What Darwin Never Knew

Friday:  Quiz:  IN frogs sight/sound
Lab:  Fossil Find

Lesson Plan for the Week of March 24, 2014

Students will need colored pencils each day this week as they work on frog plates.  All frog plates must be completed before dissection (beginning April 14th).  All frog plates must be completed during class.

Monday:  Video/Report: Toad Skin Spell

Tuesday:  Introduction to amphibians:  Students will take notes over characteristics of amphibians.  Students will then research the differences between frogs and toads.

Wednesday:  Students will take notes over the large and medium frogs of central Indiana.

Thursday:  Students will take notes over the small frogs and toads of central Indiana

Friday:  Students will use frog data to create a graph.