Intro to the Modern Mammalia: Monotremes, Marsupials, and Placentals (Extended Flex Ages 7-12)

This unit study will introduce students to the three primary lineages of modern mammals: the monotremes, the marsupials, and the placentals. Included in this survey will be basic evolutionary history and classification; the shared characteristics of all three groups which distinguish mammals from other animals; and the differing features which distinguish each group from the others.  We will focus on the striking differences in reproductive system strategies which are the main hallmarks of each group: the extended pregnancy of the placental mammals, the (usually) pouched marsupial mammals, and the egg-laying (!) monotreme mammals.

SYLLABUS
WEEK 1: overview: introduction to the modern mammalia
WEEK 2: in focus: the monotremes
WEEK 3: in focus: the marsupials
WEEK 4: in focus: the placentals

>>>This is a guided and more in-depth ***FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE*** unit study version of the original live class!!!<<<

*ASYNCHRONOUS CLASSROOM: 
-This class has NO pre-scheduled live meetings or pre-recorded video meetings. However, requesting an "office hours" live Zoom meetup is always an option. 
-All class materials will be distributed via the classroom board with commentary and discussion questions posted, and it is up to each individual student to download/view the materials and then participate in classroom board communication with both the instructor and any other students enrolled in the same session.
-New material will generally be posted at the beginning and middle of each week (varies by class), with the classroom board open for daily discussion and Sundays serving as weekly checkpoints.
-I will also be available throughout the session via the classroom, direct message, and email to answer any questions you have -- I strive to respond to all contacts within 12 hours (and usually much sooner!).

While there may be supplementary notebooking pages/worksheets and optional quizzes provided as part of the weekly lesson materials in any given flex class, these will not be collected or graded unless the student/parent requests it. If you want/need a formally graded course, this can be arranged ahead of time -- otherwise, this will be run as a fun (but thorough!) unit study. 

*IMPORTANT NOTE ON AGE LEVELS: Please note that I have two different age cohorts set up for this course, 7-12 and 13-18, in order to comply with Outschool's five-year age difference policy; however, this is essentially the same course that the older students will be doing. When designing these sorts of unit studies, I generally prefer to give *all* interested learners open access to the same general resources and knowledge base, without prejudging age as a limiting factor to understanding -- I know full well there are plenty of younger children out there who can comprehend general audience science, and who know more about their favorite animals than most adults do! ;) If there are bits in this unit study which are beyond one's scope of understanding or just not of interest, it can be entirely at the discretion of each individual student/family to take what they want from the lesson materials provided, and just leave the rest. (However, I will always be available and happy to help explain anything, and, if necessary, provide simplified/substitute materials for you!)