MINDS ON
Amazing Creatures are All Around Us!!
Click on the image below of the Pacific Northwest tree octopus to learn more about this endangered species!
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The elusive tree octopus in its natural habitat. by www.zapotopi.net |
CRAAP Resources!
As you move through this course, there will be a number of opportunities to incorporate information from scientific journals and news articles into your learning. This is an expectation – not just random internet searches that lead to things on Ask Jeeves, Wikipedia, etc that can be written and editted by anyone!
Thousands of articles are published every month. Many of these articles claim remarkable breakthroughs and life-altering discoveries, only to be revealed later as having stretched the truth about some less than amazing data. It is very easy to find misleading information on the Internet.
Like that Pacific Northwest tree octopus. It sounds pretty real but doesn’t actually exist!
With all this fake or embellished science news, how can someone possibly determine which articles are truly based on legitimate science? Well, CRAAP is your answer!
What is CRAAP?
The CRAAP test is a way to evaluate the reliability of the information found in articles and websites. As you look at this interactive that describes the CRAAP process, think about how each step helps us to determine if a source of information is reliable.
Take a minute to watch the video of how to apply CRAAP and take some notes on what it is! and this site too – https://www.lib.uwo.ca/tutorials/evaluatingsources/
Task 1: CRAAP Article
Armed with your knowledge of CRAAP, find a quality article that relates to the diversity and vastness of life in a particular Canadian biome or ecozone that interests you. For example, you may find an article on the appearance of a new species or the disappearance of another. Be sure to choose an article that is appropriate for a Gr. 11 Biology course. No need for a university level research article here! Resources such as science magazines, newspapers, Canadian mainstream media, and university websites are a good place to start. You may access the library resource in Brightspace (links that have username and passwords in them that will enable you to locate quality resources) or through the CSS Library icon – Destiny’ on your desktop (on board computer!).
Create a citation reference for your article using the American Psychological Association (APA) style. In addition to your citation, use good self-regulation skills as you include a brief explanation of the factors that convinced you that your article is a quality resource.
Share your citation, explanation, and a link to the article in the comment section below.
**It will not publish right away as it will go into moderation first.
If you need to brush up on your APA formatting, refer to OWL Purdue – APA formatting.
Remember, having low quality or incorrect information is worse than having no information at all, so always think “CRAAP” whenever you are asked to do research.
CRAAP Collaborative Resources
You have just collaboratively created a resource list full of CRAAP articles that focuses on the diversity of Canada! Take a look at your classmates’ articles and keep note of any that interest you in your use in this class. You will find these resources useful as you work through this unit.
Task 2: Ligers and Tigons and Grolar Bears, Oh My!
OK, maybe this image is Photoshopped, but truth can often be stranger than fiction! Click on the cat-bird image above to explore a list of hybrid animals that are said to actually exist.
**For each one please state where you would place it in your classification system and why – is it closer to the paternal or maternal species? Is it a subspecies or a new species on its own?
Submit these to the Teams submission box
Even if that cool cat-bird doesn’t exist, scientists are continually learning more about the species with which we do share the planet. This is one of the reasons why a robust classification system is so important in Biology. Not only does the system need to include information we already know, but we have to ensure that new information can be incorporated, as well.
Did You Know?
About 18,000 species are discovered and named each year. Unfortunately, we lose many species each year, as well. With this constant change, you can appreciate why a robust classification system is so important. The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) releases a Top 10 New Species list every year. Take a look at their website to see what is new this year!