http://blonde-doctor.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] blonde-doctor.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-10-10 08:43 am
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Biology, Period 2, Tuesday, Oct. 10

The students have gotten an e-mail telling them to meet in the Danger Shop today -- and to dress for warm weather; when they gather, the doors open on a tropical rain forest scene, with trees rising high above their heads, frogs leaping from leaf to leaf, and the occasional black-and-white streak of a badger rushing through the undergrowth. Elliot's tied her hair back into a ponytail, and she's dressed casually, in a T-shirt and khaki slacks.

"Hi, guys. Today we're talking about evolution and natural selection, and I thought that to show it off, we'd take a little fake trip to one of the most genetically diverse environments in the world -- the Amazon Rainforest.

"I want you to have most of the class to explore, so I'm going to keep my lecture short. The natural selection chapter in your textbook has a lot more information and you should probably read it before the midterm. But basically, natural selection is the way that animals or plants that are well-adapted to their environment get to live to the next generation and pass on their traits."

She reached down and scooped up two frogs, one red and one greenish-yellow, only wincing a little as she did so. "For example, these frogs are very differently colored, because they fill different niches. But if they were suddenly in an environment that was all red or all green, one would be able to camouflage itself and the other would probably be someone's dinner -- not mine, ew -- pretty fast. And the one that isn't dinner gets to have more tadpoles and pass on its genes."

Elliot released the frogs and wiped her hands on her pants. "What I want you to do today is to go into the rainforest -- alone or with a partner -- to observe and pick an animal or plant that's adapted to this environment, and write down 100 words about why the being might survive in the rainforest. Look at everything about the being, from structure to size to diet to coloration. And don't worry about getting lost; I'll hit the button to make the whole rainforest go away at the end of class."

She leaned against a tree trunk and waited for the students to disperse into the rainforest.

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"So why the fascination with Pirahanas?" Jamie asked as he pushed his way through the foilage. "Just like the idea of man-eating fish?"

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"Did you know they can bite through steel fishhooks?" Zack sounded far too happy about that.

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's a frightening tidbit of information," Jamie replied. "And you know this how?"

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Read it." Zack all but started bouncing. "But I'm hoping we could do a field test."

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Jamie stopped and looked at Zack. "Hopefully you're talking about a steel hook because I'm stepping foot in any pirahna infested waters."

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course," Zack said. "The two have different densities, it's be useless for a scientific comparision."

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Jamie blinked and decided it was best to keep moving. "I don't suppose you keep hooks on you just for scenarios like this?"

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"You never know when you might need something like this."

Re: Explore the rainforest, Bio, 10/10

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Why? Are you a spontaneous fisherman?"