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QUICK FIX ......

ever cover ism as a Do you wish that you could member of that group. This helps more material in your class but you run to introduce or reinforce the concepts of out can of ? Then this quick fix classification and observation. We then help! The "mystery organism of the day" discuss : where the organism can be used in any course that includes , what it eats, its size, and if it has over . been impacted by (e.g., or In course has other direct connections my for fishing) we cover a to health non-majors, variety of topics (e.g., dinofiagellates and red ). My students' guesses Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/71/3/139/54919/27669394.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 from the 's physical environment, me are marine to show where they trouble , and , up and having on envi the learned in including human impacts the applying a ronment. is to create class. For example, if they think that One of my goals are coral is a sponge, we discuss how scientifically-literate students who they can tell the two interested in the world around them. groups apart. Figure 1/'Mystery Organism" is a The "mystery organism of the day" The students apply critical thinking use to start in exer quick discussion item that I and hypothesis testing this short semester stu off the class and help students begin think cise. As the progresses, the as a ing about biology. dents, group, have better hypotheses and rationales than they at a a did the They also have better This exercise begins by showing snazzy color picture of the beginning. general understanding an as more to as a to of organism and its environment information is covered. "mystery organism" the class. The class group needs fig ure answers to This exercise gets all the students to It is an easy way out the following questions: participate. to in a bring the interesting and atypical members of group that an or What is it? Specifically, is it , , , might otherwise be skipped. My mystery organisms range from else? something to sea ctenophores the obscure solar powered slugs which steal Where does it live? Marine students tend to source. Biology guess, from their algal we on "It lives in the ocean," and through discussion decide My students enjoy this exercise and often ask, "Where is the the most oceanic zone probable (e.g., intertidal). if it is not at mystery organism?" the beginning of class. This is answer can a to What does it eat? This get quite creative and the simple way include interesting organisms and get students are explanations great! excited about the diversity of and biology.* so stu How big is it? Most pictures don't have scale bars, an as to size dents make educated guess the general of the organism. ELIZABETH C. DAVIS-BERG is Assistant of a O Professor, Department After two-to-three minute discussion, I display the "answers." m and , Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL 60605; e-mail: I list the of the group (, phylogenetic placement , [email protected]. and phylum) and explain how students could identify this

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THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER MYSTERY ORGANISM 139