Our favourite coloured living organisms - Part 1
Students had to answer the question set in the blog, that is write a few sentences about their favourite colourful living organism, and then upload an image on the following padlet:
The Tragopan
What is a Tragopan? How are the male species different from the female species?
The following poster, prepared by Michela Cassar, explains why the male species are beautifully coloured unlike the female species:
Are Bacteria coloured?
A group of Biology students were curious about the colours observed in Bacterial images. Are they naturally coloured or are they stained to be observed better under the microscope. They presented their research using Piktochart.
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Why are chicken eggs found in different colours?
Egg colour is determined by the genetics of the hens. The breed of the hen will indicate what colour eggs she will produce. One indication of the colour of the egg shell is the colour in their ear lobe. For example a white ear lobe will produce white shells. Whatever, all egg shells start their journey as white.
The following poster, prepared by Michela Cassar & Elyse Baldacchino, describes how brown shells get their colour.
Colour & Camouflage
The following are the result of a collaborative HW, using Google slides, whereby Form 3 students had to research how colours may help to camouflage organisms. Upon opening the link provided, each student found her name linked to a particular animal. Each student had to research how the organism's colour helps it to camouflage, and hence survive. The following are 3 typical slides prepared by the students.
The following is the final result, all slides included, in the form of an eBook
Our favourite coloured living organisms - Part 2
As a continuation to what was started in part 1, Sarah Galea and Jody Morris researched some information about each colourful animal. The following is the result of their work:
Why are butterflies so colourful?
The colours of butterfly and moth wings may serve several purposes. Colours are often used in courtship, so that male and female butterflies recognize each other as the correct species. Bright colorus may also serve to warn birds or other predators that a particular butterfly, such as a Monarch or a Pipevine Swallowtail, is bad-tasting. Other butterflies and moths, although perfectly edible, may have colours that "mimic" the bad-tasting species and thereby gain protection for themselves. Finally, certain colour patterns may help the butterfly or moth blend into its background and be protected from birds or other would-be predators by background resemblance. These protective colours can be bright and other species are dull in colour.
http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/faq/appearance/2
The following is the first poster to be prepared on butterflies. It was done by Jody and Sarah.
For the Viceroy butterfly, colours do matter! Francesca will explain why in her poster...
A group of Form 3 students researched other examples of butterflies that mimic other species for safety reasons:
Another group of Form 3 students researched the goatweed leafwing butterfly, and how its wings protect it from predation.
Types of Camouflage in Animals
Biotic and abiotic factors are discussed at Form 3 level. Competition and predator-prey relationships are two important biotic factors that nature uses in order to maintain a balance in the ecosystem. The following presentaion was used in class to discuss examples of camouflage and mimicry making use of specific examples.