Apex Predators: Beast VS Beast (Flex Schedule)

Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight, one on one, between a lion and a tiger?  Wonder no more!  

In this four part course, learners will compare and contrast two Apex predators each week, for a total of 8 Apex predators during this four week course.  What is an Apex predator?  It is any animal that is at the very top of the food chain, and one which has no natural predators, aside from other Apex predators.  Every predator has their strengths and weaknesses, and we will have fun discovering who would win in a 1-on-1 battle!  We will explore each predator in detail, covering everything from habitat to their methods of attack, and everything in between!  

The themes for each week will be:

Week One:  Lion VS Tiger

Week Two:  Alligator VS Crocodile

Week Three:  Great White Shark VS Killer Whale

Week Four:  Grizzly Bear VS Polar Bear

***Please note that there are NO live sessions for this class.

The best part about Flex classes is that learners can participate during the days and time that works for them!  However, to get the most out of class, students should be an active participant in the process.  We will be working both independently and in a group setting.  Each Sunday afternoon, a pre-recorded video of class will be posted for learners to watch.  In addition, fun activities, online discussion questions, and optional homework assignments will be posted throughout the week!

Students will benefit from participating in the online discussion throughout the course, as it allows for everyone to grow a sense of community with their peers, as they discuss ideas, concepts and questions with their peers from all around the world!  Classroom discussion will be monitored and guided.

How is this course interactive?
1) Students are encouraged to participate in discussions with their classmates by sharing their questions and ideas.  The more involved they are, the more they will connect to the material.  I will post discussion prompts throughout the week.
2) Mid-week, I will post an optional challenge in the classroom where students can respond and brainstorm the answer.
2) Each Friday, I will post a fun little quiz (similar to Kahoots!, but not the same company) which will allow the students to test their newly acquired knowledge!  Quizzes are provided via an external website (Quizizz).  No registration or account required! Details will be posted each Friday in the classroom.


Optional:

For a more enriched learning experience learners can:

1) Submit their K-W-L Chart (attached in the welcome post) to me with the first two sections (K-W) completed before class.  

What is a K-W-L chart?  

K = What you already know
W= What you want to know that you don't know yet
L= What you have learned 

2)  After class, learners can fill in the 3rd section (L) and submit the completed handout before the end of the week for feedback.

3)  After each class, learners can decide which of the two predators discussed is their favorite, and they are encouraged to post a short paragraph in the classroom thread explaining which animal they chose, and at least two (but preferably three) reasons why. I will respond to posts daily.

For example:

The lion (or tiger) is my favorite of the two predators we discussed today because (reason 1), (reason 2), and (reason 3).  

At the conclusion of our 4 weeks together, learners can choose their two favorite Apex predators from the course, and pit them against each other!  They can create a poster with a predator on each side, with their stats (bite strength, claws, teeth, agility, aggressiveness, etc...), and they can take a photo of their poster and upload it in the classroom.  They can add an explanation of which predator they think would win in a battle to the death, backing their opinion up with their reasons why!

I look forward to meeting everyone!

Class cover photo by blende12 from Pixabay