Zoology Course Outline
Unit I: overview kingdom animalia
Describe the animal Kingdom
§ Learn all the major phyla names: porifera, cnidaria, platyhelminthes, annelida, echinodermata, arthropoda, mollusca, chordate
§ Invertebrate v. Vertebrate v. Chordate
§ Animal comparison via skulls and adaptations
§ Dichotomous keys
Unit II: Biomes and Animals (overall focus on invertebrates)
AQUATIC BIOMES
Freshwater Biome : protozoan (not an animal), sponges, platyhelminthes, fish, mollusks, arthropods
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
o Focus on protozoa, sponges, and platyhelminthes
§ Unicellular v. multicellular
§ Asymmetry v. bilateral symmetry
§ Cephalization à first hunter
o Video: Freshwater Invertebrates
Freshwater Wetland Biome: arthropods, amphibians, some mammals
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Open circulatory system; exoskeleton
o Lab: Survey Health of Ipswich River Ecosystem
§ Engineering Design Process- have students determine the best way to determine ecosystem health
§ Students individually research ways to test ecosystem health for hw
§ Students are broken up into groups and asked to design a plan to test system health
§ Student in-class field trip to IRP to test Ecosystem
o Field Trip: Canoe
§ How are invertebrates used to test water quality?
o Focus on arthropods
§ Research an endangered animal and engineer a solution to keep the species alive
Marine Biome: sponges, cnidarians, agnathans, echinoderms, mollusks, some mammals
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Focus on echinoderms
§ Focus on mollusks
o Video: ocean emergencies
o Video: Blue Planet
o Video: Shape of Life Video Series
o Engineering Design Process: students design a penguin enclosure
o Coral reef: fish, cnidarians, echinoderms, mollusks
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Focus on cnidarians
o Research and Engineer a solution to coral bleaching
Comparative Anatomy
o dissection of invertebrates
January End of Unit: Field trip to Aquarium??
3rd and 4th Quarter....
Esturaries: reptiles, fish, some mammals
o Ectothermic v endothermic
Unit III: biomes and animals (overall focus on vertebrates)
TERRESTRIAL BIOMES
Tundra: birds, mammals
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on mammal carnivores and penguins
Rainforest: mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on amphibians
o Frog Malformations
o Watch Corwin’s Chytrid Investigation
Desert: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on reptiles
Savanna: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on marsupial mammals (plantigrade)
Taiga: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Temperate forest: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on birds
Temperate grassland: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Engineering Project: Design the best Dog DayCare facility (must include community research)
Alpine: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Chaparral: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Unit IV: Capstone Project
Describe the animal Kingdom
§ Learn all the major phyla names: porifera, cnidaria, platyhelminthes, annelida, echinodermata, arthropoda, mollusca, chordate
§ Invertebrate v. Vertebrate v. Chordate
§ Animal comparison via skulls and adaptations
§ Dichotomous keys
Unit II: Biomes and Animals (overall focus on invertebrates)
AQUATIC BIOMES
Freshwater Biome : protozoan (not an animal), sponges, platyhelminthes, fish, mollusks, arthropods
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
o Focus on protozoa, sponges, and platyhelminthes
§ Unicellular v. multicellular
§ Asymmetry v. bilateral symmetry
§ Cephalization à first hunter
o Video: Freshwater Invertebrates
Freshwater Wetland Biome: arthropods, amphibians, some mammals
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Open circulatory system; exoskeleton
o Lab: Survey Health of Ipswich River Ecosystem
§ Engineering Design Process- have students determine the best way to determine ecosystem health
§ Students individually research ways to test ecosystem health for hw
§ Students are broken up into groups and asked to design a plan to test system health
§ Student in-class field trip to IRP to test Ecosystem
o Field Trip: Canoe
§ How are invertebrates used to test water quality?
o Focus on arthropods
§ Research an endangered animal and engineer a solution to keep the species alive
Marine Biome: sponges, cnidarians, agnathans, echinoderms, mollusks, some mammals
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Focus on echinoderms
§ Focus on mollusks
o Video: ocean emergencies
o Video: Blue Planet
o Video: Shape of Life Video Series
o Engineering Design Process: students design a penguin enclosure
o Coral reef: fish, cnidarians, echinoderms, mollusks
o Introduction to Biome and animals via PowerPoint Presentation
§ Focus on cnidarians
o Research and Engineer a solution to coral bleaching
Comparative Anatomy
o dissection of invertebrates
January End of Unit: Field trip to Aquarium??
3rd and 4th Quarter....
Esturaries: reptiles, fish, some mammals
o Ectothermic v endothermic
Unit III: biomes and animals (overall focus on vertebrates)
TERRESTRIAL BIOMES
Tundra: birds, mammals
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on mammal carnivores and penguins
Rainforest: mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on amphibians
o Frog Malformations
o Watch Corwin’s Chytrid Investigation
Desert: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on reptiles
Savanna: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on marsupial mammals (plantigrade)
Taiga: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Temperate forest: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Focus on birds
Temperate grassland: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
o Engineering Project: Design the best Dog DayCare facility (must include community research)
Alpine: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Chaparral: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates
o Introduction to Biome
Unit IV: Capstone Project
Additional Class materials and worksheets from class can be found on the class resources page.