Connecting to Place: Indigenous Organisms of BC Project Part One

Hello Everyone,

We are doing some research on indigenous organisms of British Columbia, to be more connected to the place we live in.

Our purpose in doing the research is to become familiar with the organism, to practice finding information about classification, and to also have details we can use to make an art project, which will be part two of the project.

I provided a list of BC organisms (plants, animals, and fungi), and everyone chose one to work on. Everyone is working on a different organism so we can broaden what we find out as a class, and information can be shared with all of us about the biodiversity of B.C.

First, do some research on your organism, after you have read the background handout I provided on the ecoprovinces of B.C.

Answer these questions in your journal:

  1.  What is the scientific name for the organism?  (Latin name)
  2.  How would we classify the organism?  (Kingdom, Phylum, etc.)
  3.  Where would we find the organism in BC?  (biome, ecoprovince, ecosystem, towns, areas)
  4.  What are some of the unique adaptations and characteristics of your organism?
  5.  Is there an Indigenous name for your organism? Any Indigenous stories you can find about your organism?
  6.  Is there a use for your organism by other organisms including humans? Do Indigenous Peoples of BC have a use for it?
  7.  Is the organism an autotroph or heterotroph? How specifically does your organism get its energy?
  8.  Does the organism have a relationship with other organisms (symbiotic, parasitic, etc.)?
  9.  Is your organism a consumer, producer, or decomposer?
  10.  How would I identify this organism in the wild if I was looking for it? What are its key features to look for?
  11.  Is this organism endangered at all? Are there any problems it has currently?

 

Please put the notes from these questions in your journal. You do not need to write all of the sources of the information, but do make sure you use legitimate websites and be critical thinkers about whether your resources are good ones! Part two to come after we do this research!

This research is due May 19th, Friday, so we can move on to the next step.

 

Ms. D