Animal Behavior and Zoology
Syllabus
Course Essential Questions
- How does the process of natural selection explain the vast diversity of animal life on our planet?
- What are the complex factors that drive an animal's behavior, and how do those behaviors ensure its survival and reproductive success?
- How do the interactions between different species—from predator and prey to cooperation—shape the balance and health of an ecosystem?
- What can the study of animal behavior teach us about human society and our role in the natural world?
Course Learning Objectives
- Explain how the process of natural selection leads to new adaptations and the diversity of animal species.
- Analyze the principles of animal classification and taxonomy to explain the evolutionary relationships and vast diversity of animal life.
- Evaluate how a range of animal behaviors—including innate responses, learned actions, feeding strategies, and social structures—contribute to an individual's survival and reproductive success.
- Analyze the roles animals play within their ecosystems by examining key interspecific interactions and their impact on ecological stability.
- Synthesize information from modern zoological research to evaluate current issues in animal science and explore potential career paths in the field.
Week 1: Introduction to Zoology
Learning Objectives
- Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of you as a contributing member of our learning community
- Begin to build community by sharing important information with your teacher and classmates about yourself and your school, and creating a social contract together for guidelines on interacting throughout the class
- Develop your skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools
- Give examples of topics in zoology.
- Identify characteristics of zoology that separate it from other areas of science
- Explain how animal behavior relates to zoology
Week 2: Animal Diversity and Classification
Learning Objectives
- Define animal diversity and give example
- Review different types of systems of classification
- Categorize evidence used to classify animals.
- Relate the science of classification to evolution.
Week 3: Animal Adaptations
Learning Objectives
- Describe what adaptations are, and how they relate to the evolution of a species.
- Make predictions about future adaptations in a changing climate.
- Give examples of adaptations and how they increase fitness of an individual.
- Observe animals and describe visible adaptations and suggest a reasoning for its evolution.
Week 4: Vertebrates and Invertebrates
Learning Objectives
- List at least 5 characteristics that differentiate vertebrates from invertebrates.
- Identify an animal as either a vertebrate or invertebrate.
- Explain the roles vertebrates and invertebrates have in their ecosystems.
Week 5: History of Behavior
Learning Objectives
- Organize the important events and people that played major roles in the history of animal behavior.
- Describe the changes in our understanding of animal behavior and how we study it.
- Investigate how zoologists study animal behavior.
Week 6: Animal Behavior: Innate vs. Learned Behaviors
Learning Objectives
- Compare the differences between innate and learned behavior.
- Evaluate the influence of genetics and environment on animal behavior.
- Analyze how human understanding of behavior affects our view of animal behavior.
Week 7: What’s Love Got to Do With it?
Learning Objectives
- Understand evolution of mating behaviors.
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to mating.
- Describe sexual dimorphism and compare male vs. female choice.
Week 8: Parenting Behaviors
Learning Objectives
- Explain the variety of factors parents need to invest in raising their babies.
- Compare and contrast how different animal parents raises their offspring
- Determine why some species over-reproduce and others produce few offspring
Week 9: Habitat Selection and Niche
Learning Objectives
- Explore how animals choose a favorable combination of space and resources to inhabit.
- Categorize relationships within a species and between species.
- Report how survival and reproductive success depends on the selection of habitats in which to settle.
Week 10: Finding Food
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
- Assess the nutritional and digestive requirements of animals.
- Explore the evolution of different feeding methods.
Week 11: Social Behaviors
Learning Objectives
- Analyze altruism, kin selection, eusociality, and reciprocity
- Investigate species of animals that live in societies
- Justify how social behavior increases an animal's fitness.
Week 12: Animal Communication
Learning Objectives
- Differentiate how species communicate with their own species and other species.
- List and define different communication methods.
- Understand how communication behaviors increase an organism's likelihood of surviving and reproducing.
Week 13: Human Behavior
Learning Objectives
- Address human behavior from an evolutionary perspective.
- Compare how genetics and the environment influence human behavior.
- Evaluate human personality tests and determine your personality type.
Week 14: Human Interaction with Other Species
Learning Objectives
- Research human relationships with animals.
- Appraise positive and negative human impacts on animal species.
- Discover careers in animal science.
Week 15: Wrap Up
Learning Objectives
- Support the preservation of animal species.
- Evaluate what you have learned about animals.
- Summarize your experience in the course.