Lesson 1: Is being tough enough?

Learning objectives:
As a result of this demonstration students should:
 Begin to generate an opinion on what makes an environment “extreme”
 Communicate the concept that even if an organism can survive in an extreme
environment does not mean that it doesn’t need to rely on other organisms.
Assessment criteria:
Students will be assessed through the use if an “idea sheet” where they will record their
personal predictions and responses to the demonstration. This will be used later by the educator
as a way to gauge previous knowledge at the beginning of the unit.
Benchmark/Standard:
 The Living Environment
 The Interdependence of Life
○ All organisms, both land-based and aquatic, are interconnected by their
need for food. This network of interconnections is referred to as a food
web. The entire earth can be considered a single global food web, and
food webs can also be described for a particular environment. At the base
of any food web are organisms that make their own food, followed by the
animals that eat them, then the animals that eat those animals, and so
forth. 5D/M4

Relationship to the driving question:

This lesson is critical to developing an initial foundation of knowledge and vocabulary
for the rest of the unit. Before discussing the interdependence of life in extreme environments,
student need to address their preconception of what “extreme” is in an environment. I.E. “What
Makes an Environment Extreme”?
Prior Knowledge/Prior Conceptions:
Students should be able to describe the basic components that make up an environment.
They should also have some basic
Instructional strategies:
This lesson is centered on a teacher-led demonstration that spans the class period in
several distinct blocks.
Instructional resources used:
Background information on water bears (Tartigrades) taken from:
http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/tardigrade/resources.html
Materials and set-up needed:
-3 small beakers
-hot plate
-Tartigrade (can be purchased from Carolina supply:
http://www.carolina.com/product/water+bear+(tardigrade),+living.do?
keyword=water+bears&sortby=bestMatches
-Microscope with digital projector attachment or pro-scope
-A PowerPoint with photos of Tartigrades and possibly a video of their locomotion
-Three digital thermometers
Pre-class set up:
Tartigrades are unique animals that can survive freezing temperatures, boiling water, and
extremely dry conditions (among other extremes). Before class, take some of the Tartigrades in
water and freeze them in a small beaker overnight. Have two other small beakers of Tartigrades
ready, one will remain at room temp and the other will be heated in class.
Time required:
This demonstration can be conducted over the course of one class period.
Cautions:
Caution should be taken with the hot plate as it will be used to boil water.
Instructional sequence:
1. Introducing the lesson:
 Before class set up the beakers containing the frozen dry, and boiling
Tartigrades. By the time the students enter, they should see the three beakers
with water at the front of the class: one frozen, one heated, and one at room
temp.
 Hand out student “think sheets”
 When class is settled, ask the simple question “What does it mean to be
extreme”?
o Have the students individually take a min or two to write down their
own response on their “think sheet” and then ask the class for
examples.
 Narrow the topic of discussion of “extreme” to environments.
o What does it mean for an environment to be extreme?
o What is changing in these extreme environments?
2. Representing the content:
Once the class has written their own responses to these questions on their think-
sheet, several minutes should have passed with the heated beaker boiling, the frozen
beaker beginning to melt, and the room temp beaker remaining the same.
At this point, draw the attention of the students to the front of the class and inform them
that before the beakers were frozen and heated, you placed a microscopic organism called
a Tartigrade into each one. Explain that Tartigrades are small animals that live on moss
and lichen and are found all over the world, even in your back yard. They need water to
survive, and get it from tiny droplets trapped in the moss and lichen.
During this discussion, it may be helpful to show a few photos of Tartigrades as
well as a video of a Tartigrades moving under a microscope slide. Have the students write
down predictions of what might be happening to the Tartigrades in each beaker. Ask for
some predictions.
 Are the Tartigrades that were added dead? Will they have survived in one
beaker and not the other?
At this point, remove the heated beaker from the hot plate and allow it to begin
cooling. Let the students know that you will now use the proscope to search for signs of
life in each beaker. Starting with the room temp beaker, take a drop of water and create a
slide to put under the proscrope. Search with the class for any evidence of Tartigrades,
they should be easy to distinguish and highly mobile.
Next take a drop of melted water from the frozen beaker. Have the class write
down what they think will be visible on the proscope. There should be enough Tartidages
in the melted ice to make finding a few relatively easy. Tartigarades can survive extended
period at -200 C, so the ones in the frozen beaker should be alive and well.
 We found some living Tartigades in the ice water! Is this what you expected?
o For now simply look for a “yes” or “no” answer
Next carefully take a drop of water from the heated beaker. Tartigrades can also survive
water temperatures of over 150 C, so again you should find some alive and well.

3. Wrapping up the lesson:

 Once an example of a living Tartigrade is found in each beaker, ask the
students what they think is going on. How are these organisms able to
survive?
o After a few student responses, explain that scientist studying
Tartigrades have found them to be one of the toughest organisms on
the planet. They have even been exposed to the vacuum of space and
survived!
  To wrap up the lesson and to deliver the idea of interconnectedness among
organisms, ask if the toughness of the Tartigades gaurantees their survival.
o What else does a Tartigrade need besides the ability to survive extreme
hot and cold?
 Food! Water!
 Tartigrades, while being tough, still rely on plants to provide
them with a food source. No matter how tough they are, they
are still connected to other organisms in their environment
 Also ask the class if they think the Tartigrades could be food
for other organisms.
4. Evaluating learning:
 Review of the student completed “think sheets” should show progression of
thought throughout the class. Concepts of extreme, organism, and predicting
the outcome of the Tartigrades in each beaker should be present.

Design Rationale:
This lesson is structured in such as way as to be teacher led, yet still involve a high
degree to student reflection. The concept of extreme biology is a difficult topic to demo, and the
charismatic and durable nature of the Tartigrade makes them an ideal way to introduce some of
the concepts that will be elaborated on throughout the rest of the unit.