Adaptations using CER

 

 Adaptations using CER

I went to a seminar this past weekend and I got to meet Julie Jackson who is the author of The Science Toolkit. She does amazing interactive word walls and bulletin boards that students create or contribute to. You can see more of her work here: http://www.thesciencetoolkit.com/

I went to the first portion of her seminar and learned about interactive word walls that I will be working on implementing and I will post more later, then I stayed for the second part which was labeled CER. The "C" stands for Claim, the "E" stands for Evidence and the "R" stands for Reasoning. The CER technique has the students make a claim about something, then they provide evidence to support their claim and finally they give the reason why their claim is right based on that evidence. You can learn more about CER here: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/science-inquiry-claim-evidence-reasoning-eric-brunsell

I really loved the thought provoking nature of this technique so I decided I would attempt it when working on my next adaptation activity. 

Once we have completed our butterflies I have the students create an adaptation that shows a possible drastic change in the organism. Since this is the first time the students have been introduced to CER I modeled the whole process for them, so I created my own iguana, I wrote my own claim, I provided evidence and then I gave reasoning. (see picture above)

In order to keep the project from being too confusing or from getting out of hand I provided the students with only four options of environmental changes that I was sure they would understand the adaptations for. I also provided the students with a picture of an iguana and how it looks right now, I copied it on only one side of the paper so they could fold the paper over and trace the iguana, then they simply had to erase certain sections and add to them.

Once they had drawn their iguana I had them color the iguana to match their environment or to go with the adaptations they had chosen. I also had them label the adaptations they had chosen. I have one special education student who is unable to read no does he write well but he was able to draw his iguana and then he narrated to me what should be written for his adaptations. The students were very excited by this assignment and they had a lot of fun creating iguanas.

Once the students were finished with their drawings then they had to create the CER portion of the assignment. Since I had modeled this on the board I simply had them follow my format: 

I claim that my iguana is adapted to ____________ environment because they have (name specific adaptation here: gills, webbed feet, extra layer of fat, camouflage, etc.).  I know I am right because (provide reason why the evidence supports the claim: in order to live in water an animal needs gills, etc.).

 I had the students write their CER statements inside the paper so other students could see what they had to say and compare. Then they taped their iguana to the environment they were best adapted to and I hung them out in the hallway for all the middle school students to see. After this we will move on to Selective Breeding.

 

Animal Camouflage

Animal Camouflage

In Texas we teach animal adaptations to our 7th grade students. I normally begin the unit with reading passage worksheets from Super Teacher Worksheets that talk about camouflage, migration, and hibernation. The worksheets are on a 3-5 grade reading level and I use them to help remind them of concepts they should have learned in elementary school. Once we have a foundation we move on to our butterfly camouflage activity.

I provide the students with 2 blank butterflies. First the students are tasked with coloring a butterfly so that it can blend in with something in the classroom. The only rules are that the butterflies cannot be a single color and they cannot be hiding behind anything in the classroom. My room is covered in posters so they have a pretty easy time finding a spot that is more than one color. I have even had students put them on the ceiling tiles. Students are very creative. 

Once they have completed their butterfly I have them write a short description in their notebook of what their butterfly was camouflaged to in case their butterfly is lost or taken by another classmate. I tell them if it gets taken then it must not have been camouflaged well and a predator ate it so we learned that predators can find you if your camouflage is not good.

Once they have completed this portion of the assignment we watch a YouTube showing some amazing real life camouflage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGtN-igCu8

After they have watched this video I then ask them to create a butterfly that is camouflaged to an actual environment. (I am sorry I did not take pictures of these) The students are asked to write a short description of what their butterfly camouflage is and what environment it would be able to live in. Then they glue their butterfly into their journal next to the description.

Finally they are asked to write a short paragraph explaining what would happen to their butterfly if their environment changed drastically. Then I normally show them the released STAAR question about the butterflies that adapted due to industrialization.

Once they are done we move to another type of adaptation. (See the blog post on CER)