Red Tide Activity 2: Is it a plant cell or an animal cell?
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Purpose:
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To show that some organisms have adapted both plant and animal characteristics
in order to survive.
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Time Required:
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20 minutes (after a lesson reviewing the basic parts of a cell)
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Safety issues:
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None
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Materials:
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Procedure:
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Read to students or have them read the magazine article on plankton.
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Students should have a basic understanding of the typical parts of a
cell in order to complete this activity.
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Give each student a copy of the "Typical Dinoflagellate" worksheet.
Have the students complete it independently or as a group.
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Discuss how the tiny algae have both plant and animal characteristics.
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Discuss how these characteristics help them survive when conditions
change, or they are carried to new areas by ocean currents.
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Assessment:
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Check for correct answers
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protective plates, cell wall, chloroplasts
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mitochondria, flagella
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golgi bodies, nucleus, chromosomes
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Cell walls can protect dinoflagellates from changes in salinity, chemicals
in the water, changes in temperature, etc.
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Flagella are used for movement.
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Answers may vary. They are classified as plant-like protists.
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You may wish to discuss with the class how successful dinoflagellates
appear to be and how we are just learning about how they impact the environment.
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Extensions:
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Have students look up different types of dinoflagellates to see how
they affect the environment.
Use the internet
to study ocean current patterns and how they carry plankton around.
Internet Links:
Use this gallery
of phytoplankton images to test the students' ability to identify parts
of a phytoplankton cell.
Rutgers University - Project
Tomorrow (marine-based science activities).
Background:
This activity requires a student to be familiar with basic cell structure.
It also requires a some knowledge of plant and animal characteristics in
cells.
Key Words
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Dinoflagellate - One type of single-celled organism known as phytoplankton
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Pusule - Specialized vacuole opening through the cell in the area of
the flagella.
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Plates - Armor around the cell that is composed of cellulose and sugar
