symbiotic relationship assignment answer key

Symbiosis introduces students to the concept of symbiotic relationships between certain animals. Students will learn the three types and be able to list examples of each. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to define and explain the concepts.

You will find a number of ideas listed in the “Options for Lesson” section for additional activities or alternatives for the lesson. One suggestion is to assign students a single type of symbiosis to represent in the activity. Another idea is to have students “invent” two new organisms and create a new symbiotic relationship between them.

Description

Additional information, what our symbiosis lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Symbiosis teaches students about three types of relationships that certain animals have with each other. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to define and explain what each type of symbiotic relationship entails. They will also be able to provide examples of animal relationships that fall into each category. The lesson is for students in 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand.

Options for Lesson

In the “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page, you will see several suggestions for additional activities or alternatives for the lesson. One option is to assign students only one type of symbiosis to represent for the activity instead of all three types. You could also assign students one animal or organism and have them identify examples of symbiosis for that animal. Another option is for students to “invent” two organisms and create a new symbiotic relationship between them. A final idea is to have students create cards for animals and organisms and then play a game trying to match the animals with their symbiotic relationships.

Teacher Notes

The paragraph on the teacher notes page provides a little extra guidance and information about the lesson. It notes that students are generally excited to learn about animals, so it could be fun to teach this lesson in conjunction with other lessons that also relate to animals. Use the blank lines to write down any other ideas or thoughts you have for the lesson.

SYMBIOSIS LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

What is symbiosis.

The Symbiosis lesson plan includes three pages of content. It introduces this concept by explaining that there are many types of human relationships, such as parent to child, brother to sister, or teacher to student. There are also relationships between other living organisms, like plants and animals. The food chain among living organisms involves unidirectional relationships, meaning that they simply go in one direction. People eat plants, but plants don’t eat people.

However, there are also multidirectional relationships that are more complex. Students will discover that these are called symbiotic relationships. The word symbiosis comes from two Greek words that mean “living with.” These relations occur when two unlike organisms from different species become closely associated with each other, and at least one of the organisms benefits from the relationship. The relationships people have with each other are not considered symbiotic because they are of the same species.

The Three Types

This lesson discusses the three main types of symbiotic relationships: commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism. With commensalism, one organism benefits while the other remains unaffected. It is, essentially, a one-sided relationship. An example of commensalism is the relationship between cattle and the cattle egret. An egret is a type of heron that eats insects that have been disturbed as cattle search for food. Nothing happens to the cattle, but the egrets get food.

Parasitism occurs when one organism benefits from a relationship, but the relationship harms the other organism. This makes it a one-sided relationship as well. Tapeworms are an excellent example of this. A tapeworm harms its host because it feeds on the digested material in the host’s intestines, which takes nutrition from the host.

With mutualism, both organisms benefit from the relationship, not just one. These can even be long-lasting relationships. For instance, clown fish and anemones share a mutualism symbiotic relationship. The clownfish receives food scraps from the anemone and in return cleans the anemone. In addition, the anemone protects the clownfish and absorbs nutrients from it.

Other Relationships

The last page describes the difference between endosymbiosis and ectosymbiosis. Endosymbiosis involves a relationship in which one species lives inside another species, such as protozoans that live inside termites and help them digest wood. Ectosymbiosis involves a relationship in which one species lives on the surface of another species. An example of this is lice that feed on the skin, blood, or oil secretions of its host. With these types of symbiosis, the organisms partner together and live like a single organism. A final type of symbiosis involves competition, in which both members of the association fight over food or other needs. Examples include different species fighting over the best food or nesting area.

The beginning of the lesson asks students to think about whether or not a human and their pet, such as a dog, represent a symbiotic relationship. At this point, they may realize that the answer is yes! Humans provide food, shelter, and love to the animal. The animal provides companionship, protection, and comfort to the human. It represents an instance of mutualism.

Here is a list of the vocabulary words students will learn in this lesson plan:

• Unidirectional: a relationship that goes one way, such as is the case with the food chain
• Multidirectional: a relationship that is more complex and can go in multiple directions
• Symbiosis: a term meaning “living with” that describes relationships in which one or both organisms benefit from the relationship
• Commensalism: a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
• Parasitism: a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed
• Mutualism: a relationship in which both organisms benefit
• Host: a term to describe the organism that a parasitic organism attaches to and harms in a parasitic symbiotic relationship
• Endosymbiosis: a relationship in which one organism lives inside of another
• Ectosymbiosis: a relationship in which one organism lives on the surface of another
• Competition: a relationship in which two organisms of different species fight over something

SYMBIOSIS LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Symbiosis lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. These worksheets will help students solidify their grasp on the concepts and material they learned throughout the lesson. The guide on the classroom procedure page outlines when to hand out each worksheet to your students.

THREE POSTER ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

For the activity, students will create posters or displays that describe each of the three types of symbiosis. They will draw pictures or use images they find online or in other resources. There are three empty boxes on the worksheet that they can use as rough drafts for their posters. The final drawings should include text that explains the type of symbiosis and other details that will help viewers understand. When all the students finish, they can share their work with the class.

SYMBIOSIS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

The practice worksheet contains two sections. The first section lists 12 definitions. Students will match the definitions to the correct term in the word bank. For the second section, students will read through 8 descriptions that represent different types of symbiosis. They will write whether or not the statement reflects commensalism (C), parasitism (P), or mutualism (M).

TRUE OR FALSE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Similar to the practice worksheet, there are two sections of the homework assignment. The first section lists 10 statements that students must decide are true (T) or false (F). The second section requires students to respond to four prompts that ask them to explain a how a certain scenario can represent symbiosis.

Worksheet Answer Keys

The last two pages of the lesson plan are the answer keys for the practice and homework worksheets. The answer key for the practice worksheet shows the correct responses in red for both sections. On the homework, the true or false section also has the correct responses in red. However, the second section provides sample answers. Students’ responses will vary from these answers. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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The teacher will help to clear misconceptions about symbiosis. A major misconception is that students think a symbiotic relationship can be argued to be in more than one category. If this occurs, have students justify their reasons and accept them if they have a good argument. You will find various sources that list examples differently.

Estimated Class Time for the Engagement: 20-30 minutes

EXPLORATION

This student-centered station lab is set up so students can begin to explore symbiosis. Four of the stations are considered input stations where students are learning new information about symbiosis and four of the stations are output stations where students will be demonstrating their mastery of the input stations.  Each of the stations is differentiated to challenge students using a different learning style.  You can read more about   how I set up the station labs here .

EXPLORE IT!

Students will be working in pairs to better understand symbiosis. In this station, students identify the types of symbiosis involved in each of the pictures. Students will follow the steps and record their observations on their lab sheet.

WATCH IT!

At this station, students will be watching a short video explaining symbiotic relationships. Students will then answer questions related to the video and record their answers on their lab station sheet. For example: Define symbiosis. What are the three types of symbiosis? What is an example of each type of symbiosis?

RESEARCH IT!

The research station will allow students to explore an interactive web page that helps them to understand symbiosis. Students will be instructed to complete a few tasks and record answers on their lab sheets.

READ IT!

This station will provide students with a one page reading about symbiosis. There are 4 follow-up questions that the students will answer to show reading comprehension of the subject.

 ASSESS IT!

The assess it station is where students will go to prove mastery over the concepts they learned in the lab.  The questions are set up in a standardized format with multiple choice answers.  Some questions include: What type of symbiosis occurs between a deer and a tick? What type of symbiotic relationship occurs between a zebra and rhino? Bacteria digesting food is what type of symbiotic relationship? Barnacles on a whale represent which type of symbiotic relationship?

WRITE IT!

Students who can answer open-ended questions about the lab truly understand the concepts that are being taught.  At this station, the students will be answering three task cards: Explain symbiosis, including the three different types: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Give an example in each category.

ILLUSTRATE IT!

Your visual students will love this station. Students are to draw a picture that demonstrates their knowledge of symbiosis. Their drawing will include real animals for each type of symbiotic relationship.

ORGANIZE IT!

Students at this station will match the sets of cards. Sets include scenarios that match the label for the correct type of symbiotic relationship. Once students have completed their organization, the teacher will check their understanding.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 1-2, 45 minute class periods

EXPLANATION

The explanation activities will become much more engaging for the class once they have completed the exploration station lab.  During the explanation piece, the teacher will be clearing up any misconceptions about symbiosis with an interactive PowerPoint, anchor charts, and notes. The symbiosis lesson includes a PowerPoint with activities scattered throughout to keep the students engaged.

The students will also be interacting with their journals while taking notes from the PowerPoint. If you have students that need modified notes, the 5E lessons come equipped to help give every student access to the lesson.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods

ELABORATION

The elaboration section of the 5E method of instruction is intended to give students choice on how they can prove mastery of the concept.  When students are given choice the ‘buy-in’ is much greater than when the teacher tells them the project they will have to create.  The elaboration project will allow students to create a flow chart of their choosing that will include icons, vocabulary, words to explain and pictures that help describe symbiosis.

Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods (can also be used as an at-home project)

The final piece of the 5E model is to evaluate student comprehension.  Included in every 5E lesson is a homework assignment, assessment, and modified assessment.  Research has shown that homework needs to be meaningful and applicable to real-world activities in order to be effective.  When possible, I like to give open-ended assessments to truly gauge the student’s comprehension.

Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: 1, 45 minute class period

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Exploring Symbiotic Relationships Project-Based Learning Unit

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A Comprehensive NGSS-Aligned Lesson on Symbiotic Relationships

Research and explore the 3 types of symbiotic relationships, dive into the biotic and abiotic factors in symbiosis, compare and contrast parastic activity in humans and other organisms, and make a stop-motion movie about "zombie ants" in this life science PBL unit.

Your students will learn all about symbiosis in this complete project-based learning unit on symbiotic relationships for middle school life science. They'll research mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, learn hands-on how to compare and contrast different types of symbiotic relationships, create a "public health advertisement" warning insects against parasitic organisms, and make a stop-motion movie about "zombie ants" that demonstrates their understanding of symbiosis.

What's Inside

Packed with hands-on inquiry-based activities, extensions and enhancements, cross-curricular independent and group work, and engaging and interactive challenges, this 55-page project-based unit comes complete with:

• For the Teacher: A complete symbiotic relationships Lesson Plan with step-by-step instructions for all activities, teaching tips, assessment guidance, and inquiry questions.
• For Students: A full-color Student Pack complete with all of the printables and instructions students need for the research, experiments and activities - just print (or share) and teach!

A complete, ready-to-teach Teacher Pack that includes:

• Teacher versions of all the student printables with step-by-step annotations and notes for teaching symbiotic relationships;
• Formative and summative assessments, answer keys, and a full project rubric;
• Instructions and guidance for the extension activities and project enhancements;
• Materials and resources lists, links to articles and videos, plus additional resources for lecture and presentation.

What's Included

Lesson Plan - Step-by-Step Project Guide

• Milestone 1: Building Background Knowledge About Symbiotic Relationships
• Milestone 2: Biotic and Abiotic Factors of the Rainforest
• Milestone 3: Three Types of Symbiotic Relationships
• Milestone 4: Human Parasites
• Milestone 5: Show What You Know About Symbiotic Relationships

Teacher and Student Resources

• List of Books About Symbiotic Relationships
• Scientific American Zombie Ants Article Answer Key
• Live Science Zombie Ants Article Answer Key
• Biotic and Abiotic Factors of a Rain Forest Answer Key
• Email Template
• What Are Symbiotic Relationships? Answer Key 
• Important Definitions Answer Key
• Symbiotic Relationships Quick Quiz 
• Symbiotic Relationships Quick Quiz Answer Key
• Human Parasites Video Answer Key
• Symbiotic Relationships Summative Assessment
• Symbiotic Relationships Summative Assessment Answer Key
• Symbiotic Relationships Project Rubric
• Extension Activities Choice Board
• Scientific American Zombie Ants Article
• Symbiotic Relationships Project Guidelines
• Project Notes
• Milestone #1 Inquiry Question 
• Public Health Brochure Planning
• Live Science Zombie Ants Article
• Biotic and Abiotic Factors of a Rain Forest 
• Milestone #2 Inquiry Question
• What Are Symbiotic Relationships?
• Important Definitions
• Stop Motion Studio Guidelines
• Milestone #3 Inquiry Question
• Advertisement Planning 
• Human Parasites Video
• Milestone #4 Inquiry Question
• Movie Marathon
• Zombie Snails, Bees, and Mice Summary
• Milestone #5 Inquiry Question

• Project Overview

This project-based learning lesson is designed to support and reinforce the concepts taught as part of a lesson on Symbiotic Relationships. It is built around 5 inquiry-based milestones that incorporate cross-curricular hands-on projects, formative and summative assessments, independent and group activities, and extensions.

STUDENT/GROUP OUTPUT:

In the course of this project-based learning unit, students will:

• Research and document the unique characteristics of the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis  fungus that creates "zombie ants" as background knowledge for the rest of the project;
• Research and document the biotic and abiotic factors of a rainforest habitat to further understanding of symbiosis;
• Synthesize knowledge by creating a "public health advertisement" for ants warning them against Ophiocordyceps unilateralis ;
• Learn about the 3 types of symbiotic relationships and explain how they work in the human body;
• "Show what they know" by making a stop-motion movie about "zombie ants" that demonstrates synthesized knowledge of symbiotic relationships.

SUGGESTED SUBJECT PREREQUISITES:

Students will acquire necessary background knowledge of symbiotic relationships as part of this project, and instructional materials for providing that background are included in the Teacher Pack.

SEQUENCE AND PACING

This project-based unit is divided into 5 milestones. The minimum suggested duration for completing this project-based unit is 5 class periods. However, the unit is completely flexible can be lengthened or shortened as necessary or desired, based on available class time and interest level.

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (suggested):

• Internet access
• Stop Motion Studio app

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

These activities support the following NGSS curriculum standards:

• MS-LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
• MS-LS2.B Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
• MS-LS4.B Natural Selection
• MS-LS4.C Adaptation

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