Transcript What Is a Species?

Vocabulary
Species
Think-Pair-Share
In your own words give your best definition
of what a species is.
-Write it down on a note card.
-Share with partner.
-Write definition on board.
Darwin’s Definition
“I look at the term
species, as one
arbitrarily given for the
sake of convenience to
a set of individuals
closely resembling
each
other.”
Charles Darwin
Text Book Definition
“Species: A group of
organisms that
can interbreed with others
of the
same type; individuals
within a
species possess similar
anatomical
characteristics.”
-BSCS Biology:
An Ecological
Approach, 10th edition
Your Task
• Read the following cases and use the
definition of a species to decide if the
organisms described are a true species or
not.
• Work with your partner to fill in the
worksheet with your ideas.
Case 1: Mules
Is the mule a separate species from the horse and
donkey?
Why?/ Why not?
Case 2: Ligers
Is the liger a separate species from the lion
and tiger?
Why?/ Why not?
Case 3: Peakapoo
Is the “Peakapoo” a separate species from
the Poodle and Pekingese?
Why?/ Why not?
Frayer Model
• Use the Frayer Model to
revise your definition of a
species.
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Definition
Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
• Think-PairShare…Transfer to
Butcher Paper
Case 4: Indigobirds
• Discussion questions
• 1. Are the two populations
of indigo birds separate
species? Why or why
not?
• 2. What do you predict
will happen to these two
populations in the future?
Credits
• Lesson: What Is a Species? Adapted
from BSCS, © 2006
• Source:
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversit
y/lessons/pagelessons.pdf