Year 7 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 03
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Find the mistake
Read the student's answer below carefully. There are several scientific errors. Find them, correct them, and explain the thinking behind each mistake.
A student wrote this answer
"Invertebrates are less advanced than vertebrates because they don't have a backbone. This means they are simpler organisms that have fewer adaptations to their environments. Insects, for example, are basically just tiny vertebrates without bones. Also, since invertebrates are simpler, they were all probably around before vertebrates evolved — so they are just an older, less developed version of the same animals."
1. Identify at least two scientific mistakes in the student's answer.
2. Write a corrected version of the student's first two sentences. Use evidence from the lesson (e.g. number of species, specific adaptations).
3. Explain why describing invertebrates as "less advanced" or "less developed" is scientifically problematic. Why is this kind of thinking easy to fall into?
1. Insects make up more species than all vertebrate classes combined. Using evidence from the lesson, explain how this is possible if vertebrates are considered the "more complex" animals. What does this suggest about using complexity to judge success in nature?
2. A dichotomous key is used to identify whether an unknown Australian animal is a reptile or an amphibian. Write the first three yes/no questions you would include in this key. Explain why the order of your questions matters.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?