*This project has been adapted from Melody Shaws Designer Animal www.melodyshaw.com/files/DESIGNER_ANIMAL.

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Create a Vertebrate Project Instead of taking a test over our unit on Ecosystems and Animal Adaptations, students will complete a project that will include multiple components to show what you have learned about ecosystems, food chains, and animal adaptations. The following pages will help you plan your project. Some of the elements will be completed at home and some will be completed at school. This project will be worth two grades in science and one grade in English for the essay portion. Background Information: Imagine that it is the future, the year 3000, and it is now possible for humans to build planets, and genetically engineer or create plants and animals to live on that planet. You are one of the scientists working on the animals, and it is your job to design and create an animal that will be perfectly suited to its environment on this new planet. You will present your ideas at a science convention in front of an audience of your peers. The task: You need to choose one of the following environments (or create one of your own) and invent an animal that is going to be strong enough to survive in that environment. You need to consider the animals physical features, what it is going to eat, how it is going to get its food and water, and how it is going to protect itself to make sure it survives. Your animal must FIT INTO the existing food chain - it cannot be the ultimate predator (the one which can eat everything else and nothing can eat it). ENVIRONMENTS Select 1 of the following or create one of your own: _____1. This ecosystem is dark and cold most of the time. It is very mountainous. It rains almost all day. Because of the wet, dark conditions, the only plants that grow well are small mosses and fungi. Animals in this ecosystem include a type of mouse, a nocturnal hunting large cat, fish, and a variety of insects. _____2. This ecosystem is dry and hot. Most of the environment is flat. Water is found in underground streams but there is little water on the surface. Most of the surface is covered in sand, although there are patches of dry grass. When plants can get their roots down into the water table, they grow into tall trees with leaves at the top but not along the trunk. Plants which are not connected to the water table are small and dry, but they are edible. Animals in this ecosystem include insects, a species of birds, which roost in the high trees, a sand-colored lizard and a type of rat.

_____3. This ecosystem is tropical: wet and hot. Most of it is covered by rainforest. It is very flat. Water collects in large pools and lakes which have water in them all year 'round. A species of poisonous plant grows thickly on the ground. The spines of this plant are poisonous, and any animal which steps on one is sure to die. The vegetation is plentiful, and includes leaves, fruits and nuts. Animals include carnivorous snakes, varieties of insects, monkeys, fish and birds. _____4. This biome has a moderate climate. It never gets very hot or very cold, but stays mild all year 'round. It rains for part of the year and the water forms pools and lakes which dry up towards the end of the year and then the ecosystem is very dry. It is partly mountainous and partly flat. Vegetation includes tall trees with high leaves and fruit, and a smaller plant which bears nuts. However, these nuts are inside hard shells which need to be removed before the nut can be eaten. Animals include rats and mice which live underground, insects, birds that nest in the tall trees, slow moving mammals which also live in the trees and a species of carnivorous nocturnal wolf. _____5. This water ecosystem is comprised of salt water. The water is warm near the surface where sunlight is available. The floor of this body of water is sandy and very cold because light cannot penetrate to these depths. Most of the plants are edible, but there are poisonous plants that can be found on the surface of the water. Animals include many species of small fish, a large carnivorous mammal that stays close to the surface to breathe, insects, small reptiles, and a species of birds that spends time in the water. Part 1: The Essay (Rough Draft) Complete at HOME. Due Thursday, November 21st. Students should use the planning page to write a four paragraph essay (on your own notebook paper) that describes the vertebrates physical features, habitat and shelter, eating habits, and adaptations for survival. Students may paraphrase one of the included ecosystems or create one of their own. Be sure to describe the environment using your own words. The revised and edited rough draft is due by November 21. We will type the published copy at school. Part 2: The Ecosystem Complete at HOME. Due Monday, November 25th. Students should create a visual representation of the ecosystem where the animal lives. Students may choose one of the following: Diorama (use a shoebox along with pictures and craft supplies to represent the ecosystem) Collage (use pictures/magazine cut outs/words to represent the environment)

 Poster (draw a picture and color) Students need to be sure to include landforms, plants (at least 3), animals (at least 3), their created vertebrate and the animals shelter in their project. Part 3: The Model/Drawing Complete at HOME. Due Monday, November 25th Students will create either a drawing or 3D model of their vertebrate. The model/drawing should include all of the physical features that are described in the essay. Students may obtain construction paper from school. Find other creative supplies to complete your model. Suggestions include: clay, popsicle sticks, foam pieces, pipe cleaners, etc some materials will be available at school. Part 4: The Food Web Complete at SCHOOL. Due Tuesday, November 26th. Students will create a food web for their ecosystem which includes their vertebrate. Students will name the plants and animals that live in their ecosystem and identify different food chains within the food web.

Part 5: The Presentation Complete at SCHOOL. Due Monday, December 2. Students will present all parts of their project at a convention. They will present their essay, ecosystem, vertebrate model, and food web. Students will answer questions posed by fellow scientists about their creation.

Essay Planning Page Physical Features How would you classify your animal? ____________________ (mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish) Describe your animals body covering? (This should match with your animals classification. ____________________(scales, smooth skin, fur, hair, feathers) What color is your animal?____________________ How would you describe your animals size? (You dont have to use numbers). ____________________ (medium, large, etc) What are some of your animals special features? ____________________ (spots, stripes, long legs, horns, tusks, long neck, pointed ears, etc) Habitat How would you describe the climate of your ecosystem? ____________________ (cold, dry, wet, hot, tropical, etc) What kinds of landforms are found in this ecosystem? ____________________ (mountains, flat ground, rivers, lakes, caves, etc) What kinds of vegetation (plants) grow in your ecosystem? ____________________ What kinds of animals share the community with your animal? ___________________ Where does your animal find shelter? ____________________ (trees, caves, burrow in the soil, under rocks, etc). Eating Habits What type of consumer is your animal? ____________________ (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger) What does your animal eat? ____________________ (Be specific. Make sure this food can be found in the ecosystem you described.) What adaptations does your animal have to help it get food? ____________________ (sharp teeth, claws, pointed beak, long neck) Adaptations for Survival What adaptations does your animal have that help protect it from predators? ____________________ (poison, camouflage, run fast, ) What adaptations does your animal have that help it move? ____________________ What adaptations does your animal have that help it stay warm/cool?____________________ (bask in the sun, pant, hibernate, migrate)

Grading Rubrics Content Requirements Physical Features _____class (5 pts) _____body covering (5 pts) _____color (5 pts) _____size (5 pts) _____special features (5 pts) Habitat _____ climate (5 pts) _____landforms (5 pts) _____vegetation(5 pts) _____animals(5 pts) _____shelter(5 pts) Eating Habits _____type of consumer (5 pts) _____types of food (5 pts) _____adaptations to get food(5 pts) Adaptations for Survival _____protections from predators (5 pts) _____movement (5 pts) _____staying warm/cool (5 pts) Essay Rubric Points Possible Points Earned

25 pts

25 pts

15 pts

15 pts

Capitalization Punctuation Spelling Focused Paragraphs Complete Sentences Points Possible 100

Editing 4 4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3 3

2 2 2 2 2

1 1 1 1 1 Total Points Earned

Ecosystem Rubric _____Ecosystem matches description(5pts) _____landforms included(5pts) _____3 plants included (5pts) _____3 animals included (5pts) _____shelter included (5 pts) _____created vertebrate included (5pts) _____Effort/neatness (5 pts) Model Rubric _____Model matches description (5pts) _____Effort/Neatness (10 pts) 15 pts Total Points Earned Total Points Earned 25 pts

Food Web Rubric _____ Food web is complete and includes all organisms described in ecosystem (5 pts) _____Food web shows overlapping food chains (5pts) _____Food web starts with a producer (5 pts) _____Organisms are labeled (5 pts) _____Arrows are drawn from prey to 35 pts predator (5 pts) _____Vertebrate creation is included in food web (5 pts) _____Effort/Neatness (5 pts) Presentation Rubric _____Presents all parts of the project (10 pts) _____Looks at audience often (5 pts) 25 pts _____Speaks loudly and clearly (5 pts) _____Effectively answers questions from fellow scientists (5 pts)

Total Points Earned

Total Points Earned

Final Grades Essay Total Multimedia Total