Week one will be an introduction to the Animal Kingdom. The following Animal Phyla will then be covered in the remaining weeks: Sponges, Cnidarians, Flatworms, Roundworms, Mollusks, Annelids, Arthropods, Echinoderms, Fish, Amphibians, Birds, Reptiles, and Mammals. We will study phyla in order of simplest-most complex by looking at body systems, or what each animal phyla uses for a “system”. For example, “How can jellyfish breathe when they don’t have lungs/respiratory system?” The answer lies in discovering what breathing truly consists of! Through this type of exploration, students will broaden their knowledge by thinking critically about how basic bodily functions are carried out in even the simplest animals. Focus will be on the building complexity as we cover each animal phyla.

I will go through a presentation during our live session each week. Students will be given fill-in notes to follow along with and will be encouraged to ask questions. Some weeks have videos or other activities to complement the material! Each week will focus on 1-2 animal phyla. 

What background knowledge is required? 
-Classification system: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
-Basic ecological terms: autotroph, heterotroph, etc.
-Basic cellular biology: organelles, multi- vs. single-celled
-Basic anatomical terms: heart, lungs, stomach, etc.

Students will be given a review assignment after each meeting to emphasize the key aspects that were covered. I will provide feedback for all assignments turned in to me. At the end of 8 weeks, students will be given a summative test to reflect on what they have learned!