Evolution+of+the+Australian+Biota



= = = 31/7/2012 =

Today's syllabus dot point.

 * ** Identify and describe evidence that supports the assertion that Australia was once part of a landmass called Gondwana, including: **
 * ** Matching continental margins **
 * Use the following cut and paste activity to provide a visual representation of the landmasses on Earth.
 * ** Fossils in common on Gondwanan continents, including Glossopteris and Gangamopteris flora, and marsupials similarities between present-day organisms on Gondwanan continents **
 * Using the land mass cut and paste activity students to mark/label where the Glossopteris and Gangamopteris flora are located.
 * Using the following bird species (Cassowary, Kiwi, Emu, Ostrich, Rhea) and animal species (possum opossum) students to mark their location on the map provided.
 * Describe how these pieces of evidence strengthen the idea of a single land mass on Earth.


 * __//Learning Prep://__** Students to complete describe question, bookwork criteria self assessment and lesson summary.

= 1/8/2012 =

Today's Syllabus Dot Point.

 * ** Identify and describe evidence that supports the assertion that Australia was once part of a landmass called Gondwana, including: **
 * ** Identify the position of mid-ocean ridges **

media type="youtube" key="ryrXAGY1dmE" height="315" width="560" align="center"


 * ** Spreading zones between continental plates **
 * Students to view the following presentation on the plate boundaries and discuss the image below.
 * __//Learning Prep://__** Complete questions 1-3 and 5-7 page 217 of the text and Lesson summary.

= 3/8/2012-6/8/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Today's Syllabus Dot Point.

 * **Identify data sources, gather, process and analyse information from secondary sources and use available evidence to illustrate the changing ideas of scientists in the last 200 years about individual species such as the platypus as new information and technologies became available.**
 * Students to read the information provided.
 * Highlight and summarise and then along with the internet and various other secondary sources complete the questions attached.

= 7/8/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p and discuss.

Today's Syllabus Dot Point.

 * **Discuss current research into the evolutionary relationships, including megafauna and extant australian species.**
 * In order to understand this syllabus dot point we need to break it down into parts.
 * What does it mean to be extinct?
 * What does it mean to be extant?
 * What are megafauna?
 * What is the current research we need to discuss?
 * What do scientists do with the current research and what can it tell them?
 * Students to use the information provided to answer the following questions.
 * 1) What is the difference between extinct and extant species? Provide an example of each.
 * 2) Define megafauna and provide 2 Australian examples.
 * 3) Using the research identify sites where megafauna fossils have been excavated.
 * 4) Choose one piece of evidence found in the information. What information can this fossil tell us about the past?
 * 5) How is the extinct //Wynyardia// related to the extant australian species?
 * 6) Name some species which survived the extinction of the megafauna.
 * Using the worksheet students are to answer the revision questions in the space provided.

= 8/8/2012 =

Today's syllabus dot points.

 * **Discuss examples of variations between numbers of a species**
 * Humans, dogs, cats. How do these things vary and what can cause this to happen?
 * **Identify the relationship between variation within a species and the chances of survival of species when environmental change occurs.**
 * Using a bacteria and a human students are to explain how chances of survival can be increased when environmental changes occur.

= 13/8/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Today's Syllabus Dot Point.

 * **Gather, process and analyse information from secondary sources to develop a timeline that identifies key events in the formation of Australia as an Island continent from its origins as part of Gondwana.**
 * Using the information provided students are to create a timeline of Australia's history.
 * NOTE: In order to understand the scale and grandure of the change timelines __**must**__ be drawn to scale.
 * **Discuss assessment task 3 and answer any questions.**

= 14/8/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Today's Syllabus Dot Point

 * **Identify areas within Australia that experience significant variations in temperature and water availability.**
 * **Identify changes in the distribution of Australian species, as rain forests contracted and sclerophyll communities and grasslands spread, as indicated by fossil evidence.**
 * Students to use Scan page 224-228 of the textbook.
 * Using pages 226 and 228 students to summarise information under the following headings.
 * Distribution of the major Australian Ecosystems
 * Rainforest Ecosystems
 * Sclerophyll forest ecosystems
 * Woodland Ecosystems
 * Semi-Arid and Arid Ecosystems.
 * Students to complete questions 1-5 on page 228.

= 15/8/2012 - 20/8/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Today's Syllabus Dot Point

 * **Discuss current theories that provide a model to account for these changes.**
 * Students to read, highlight and answer the questions on the worksheet provided.
 * In small groups students choose one of the theories expressed and extract all the important information.
 * Using a think, pair, share students to combine with another group and express to the class their information.
 * Using the information gathered students to complete the following response question: //__Describe two theories which explain the change in species distribution in Australia.__//
 * **Discuss Darwin's observations of Australian flora and fauna and relate these to his history of evolution.**
 * Using the investigation titled Darwin's Experiment pages 269 and 270 of the text
 * Complete questions 1 and 2 page 270
 * Complete the following response question: __//Describe two observations made by Darwin when he was in Australia and discuss how these observations are part of his theory of evolution by natural selection.//__

//__**Learning Prep:**__// Students to complete the questions and responses.

= 27/8/12 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Today's Syllabus Dot Point
//__**Learning Prep:**__// Students to complete and catch up the lesson summary sheet.
 * **Present information from secondary sources to discuss the Huxley - Wilberforce debate on Darwin's theory of evolution**.
 * Class discussion: Background information: What was life like in 1860? How would Charles Darwin's theory have shaken up the world at that time?
 * Working in pairs students to use secondary sources to:
 * Research Darwin's theory of natural selection and provide a summary of its key points.
 * Research who Thomas Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce were. Provide background information.
 * Research their debate: What were they arguing? What are some of the underlying issues that they were trying to get across?
 * Find accounts of the Wilberforce - Huxley debate. Are they all alike? Which do you think is the most convincing? Explain why?
 * What impact has this debate had on the development of evolution?
 * Can the debate be won?
 * With this information students to present their information in the form of a key note.
 * **Perform a first hand investigation to gather information of examples of variation in at least two species of living organisms**.
 * Using Darwin's finches students to complete the discussion activity.
 * How does the theory of natural selection relate to these finches?



31/8/2012 Today's Syllabus Dot Point. = =
 * **Distinguish between the processes of meiosis and mitosis in terms of the daughter cells produced.**
 * As a class define the following SST's: Mitosis, Meiosis, Homologous Pair, Haploid, Diploid.
 * Class discussion: How does the process work and how is it related to sexual and asexual reproduction?
 * Using the images below and unit 4.8 of the textbook students to complete the worksheet provided.



3/9/2012 Today's Syllabus dot points.
 * **Compare and contrast external and internal fertilisation.**
 * Class Discussion and define: Internal and external fertilisation.
 * As a class we will compare and contrast what is happening.
 * Students to use the table below to complete the second half of the worksheet provided.



**Learning Prep: Students to complete worksheet provided and the following question.****(4 marks) Discuss the success of internal and external fertilisation with relation to terrestrial and aquatic environments.** =

12/9/2012 = Today's Syllabus Dot Point. Students to complete the following questions.
 * **Describe some mechanisms found in Australian flora: Pollination, Seed Dispersal, Asexual Reproduction, with reference to local examples.**
 * **Pollination:**
 * What is pollination and how can it get there?
 * Wind Pollination, Pollination through animals, Pollination through insects.
 * What have plants evolved in order to achieve this? (Bright colours and attracting scents)
 * **Seed Dispersal**:
 * What is seed dispersal?
 * How does a seed differ from pollen?
 * Wind Dispersal, Seed dispersal through animals (Humans spreading bindies, Animals spreading seeds in paddocks), Seed dispersal using insects (harvester ants)



= 14/9/2012 = Today's Syllabus Dot Point:
 * **Describe some mechanisms found in Australian fauna to ensure fertilisation and survival of the embryo and young after birth.**
 * **Explain how the evolution of these reproductive adaptations has increases the chances of continuity of the species in the Australian environment.**
 * **Describe the conditions under which asexual reproduction is advantageous, with reference to Australian examples.**
 * Heading in book: Reproduction of Australian Animals.
 * Summarise pages 254-257 under the following headings.
 * **Marsupial Reproduction**
 * **An Unpredictable Environment**
 * **Alternative Reproduction Strategies**
 * **Asexual Reproduction**
 * Students to complete questions 1-10 page 257.
 * //__Learning Prep:__//** //__Students to complete questions and summary.__//

=

= = 17/9/2012 = Recap last lesson Check l/p

Todays syllabus dot point:

 * ** Describe the conditions under which asexual reproduction is advantageous, with reference to Australian examples. **
 * Class discussion: What is pathogenesis?
 * Using the information on the sheet provided students to highlight and complete the following questions:
 * When is asexual reproduction advantageous?
 * What is pathogenesis?
 * Describe two specific Australian examples of asexual reproduction.
 * ** Explain the importance of the study of past ****environments in predicting the impact of human activity in present environments.**
 * Class discussion: How does the fossil record provide evidence of changes in an ecosystem?
 * How can we use this evidence to change our habits in the future?
 * Students to use the information on the worksheet provided to answer the questions below.
 * What is a mass extinction?
 * Explain the importance of the study of past environments in predicting the impact of human activity in present environments.