Elementary Biology and the Tree of Life
You teach biology for kids and therefore you know about the five kingdoms of life: prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. But, can you explain the difference between “bacteria” with a lower-case “b” and “Bacteria” with an upper-case “B”?What about the comparisons between Archaea and Bacteria? Where do Monera come into the picture? And, what do Protists have to do with any of this?
If this seems potentially confusing to your students, consider a new biology text created specifically to better deal with the complexities and wonders of biological organization and classification, Kingdoms of Life Connected. This new book by Priscilla Spears is a teacher’s godsend when the confusing and difficult details of teaching the interelations and interconnectedness of life is your priority.
This highly acclaimed new book presents the order and organization of life in a new perspective and in an entertaining manner so that your students will open their books with excitement instead of with sighs and groans. The structure of the book is designed to keep the teacher always a step ahead of even the brightest student.
After you go through spirochetes, cyanobacteria, hyperthermophiles and methanogens, with all their variety and amazing abilities, your students will move into even more interesting questions. For example, what is the significance of bacteria and its interaction with beans, linen, chocolate, or copper? The book offers a variety of hands-on activities and experiments to reinforce the lessons learned.
Your students will be eager to learn about the first eukaryotes after they have studied the prokaryotes and protists. This is a fascinating group that is mind-boggingly different from plants and animals. Some can be viewed with the naked eye, while others are excellent subjects for microscopic examination. By the time you guide your students through the story of protists in Kingdoms of Life Connected, you may have produced converts to serious study of biology even before you get to plants and animals.
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