Taxonomy and Classification Unit Part 3: Protista Lesson Bundle

This unit a fantastic introductory unit for any life science classroom. This unit includes 7 Lessons (50 minutes each) and 15 page printable work bundle. The Work Bundle has students fill-in critical notes (red slides), conduct exciting hands-on activities, neat change the school mascot to a protist project, answer questions, includes games, built-in quizzes, and much more. The work bundles chronologically follow the detailed and interactive set of slideshows. A Quiz Game concludes for a great review and additional assessment. Answer Keys, video links, digital version of the work bundle, crosswords, built-in quizzes, and much more are provided. Everything you need to run a fantastic learning experience is provided. Everything arrives in editable format if you want add in your own slides and activities, and the slideshows and work bundles can easily be converted into Google Slides / docs for friendly Google Classroom learning. Please see the specifics about each part of this one of a kind learning experience.

Brief Description of the Unit

Lesson #1 Group Protista and Algae (50 Minutes): The slideshow begins describing Eukaryotic cells, and the Protista group is introduced. The word Kingdom is crossed off, and the newer grouping of polyphyletic group, or derived from more than one ancestral lineage discussed. After a definition with images of a Protists, students are presented a series of challenges to determine which picture is a Protist. One of the pictures will have a clip art tissue of some type so obviously the other picture is the Protist. The students then get good at pointing out the Protist. Plant like Protists are covered in a series of slides with visuals and names, green algae, brown algae, and red algae. The importance of algae is discussed and video link to biofuels. Students also learn the differences between algae, plants and cyanobacteria. A link with video short about Protists on YouTube is provided. The lesson ends with the chance to make wet mount slides of algae if you have microscopes. Most any freshwater body will contain algae for sampling. Luckily the elementary teacher down the hall has a less than clean fish tank.

Lesson #2 (50 Minutes) The Plant-Like Protists: The slideshow begins with a picture of diatoms and students are asked if they put diatoms in their mouth. The next side shows how diatoms are a part of most toothpaste. Amazing pictures of diatoms are shown, and biomineralization defined, as well as their importance in the world. A video link is provided. The Alveolates and dinoflagellates are then covered and some animated .gifs of the flagella. HAB's harmful algae blooms are addressed and supportive video. All videos are just a few minutes long. Euglenas are covered and students get introduced into autotrophic and heterotrophic again and then mixotrophic is added. The aquatic food chain is described and the importance of phytoplankton. Students learn the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Lesson #3 The Animal Like Protists (50 minutes): The animal-like Protists are then discussed and some of the members of this group. A page in the work bundle has students record information next to each. The pictures correspond so the students don't get their protists all crossed up. Ciliates are covered and some animated .gifs of cilia provided. Amoebas and their pseudopods are described. The entire time students are continuing to fill in notes and add information to their work bundle. Parasitic amoebas are mentioned with visuals. Foraminifers (amazing looking) are also defined and visuals support. The Sporazoan's wrap-up the animal like protists.

Lesson #4 Fungi Like Protists (50 Minutes) The Fungus-like Protists are then discussed and video link is provided. Slime molds are introduced. A neat set of slides have students figure out which picture is dog vomit slime mold and which is something else like runny eggs for example. A neat video looks at if slime molds are intelligent with how they navigate a maze to find food. Water molds are described. Next is a really neat true false quiz where students stand and make symbols. I supply a link to some music to keep it fun. Students have to make educated guesses as to which picture is which Protist. They stand to represent true or false with different arm positions. A series of review slides conclude the slideshow.

Lesson#5 Wrap-Up and Project (50 minutes with likely some additional time to complete project) Two neat activities are provided at the end. One activity has students research a Protist and create a poster / bulletin to change the current school mascot to a Protist with pictures and facts (Just for fun - Not an actual task unless it is in fact time for your mascot to go). The other option is to create a song about a Protist to sing to the class that must include Protist information. Both activities are always student favorites.

Lesson#6 Crossword Puzzle and Review Game (50 minutes to complete, likely another day for the answer version and self assessment of the work bundle). A crossword puzzle with word bank reviews the learning. The teacher can remove the word bank to make more challenging. Also provided is a 20 questions Review Game that is a nice review and assessment of learning. An answer version is provided so the students can self assess. An answer version of the work bundle is also provided so the teacher can go over the bundle and the students can self assess again.

This is a neat and informative set of slideshows about the difficult world of the Protist that will challenge and excite your students.

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