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6
Research
Preparation time: 45 min
Teaching time: 95 min

Decision-making strategies in the natural world

Students will research and produce a presentation about the strategies used by different organisms in the natural world to make decisions. They will meet a neuroscientist to learn about the influence of the different parts of the brain on decision-making, and a speech therapist will explain the connection between brain function and decision-making in people with ADHD or learning disabilities.

Format

  • Discussion
  • Group work
  • Presentation

Age

  • 14-15

What

The possible connections with your curriculum

  • Biology

Who

The people who take up the teacher role

  • Expert
  • School students

Where

The locations where learning takes place

  • Classroom

With

The community stakeholders to collaborate with

  • Community services

Ready for action?

Resources

Web links

Downloadable Resources

Tangible Resources

Computers, projector screen

Human Resources

Neuroscientist, speech therapist

Preparation

Printing out/organising worksheets, arranging experts to speak to students.

Goals, messages & concepts

Specific goals

  • Learn about how various life-forms make decisions.
  • Experience a process of independent learning which includes searching for information and critical reading.
  • Present information to an audience in a clear, concise, and interesting manner.

Specific messages

  • All organisms, from fungi to birds and mammals, make decisions and do not act randomly.
  • The decisions of organisms in the natural world affect their survival.
  • Finding reliable and trustworthy information, assessing its relevance and consistency, and processing it effectively enables you to draw conclusions and formulate an informed opinion.

Main terms

  • Swarm behaviour

Practices & skills

STEM practices

  • Analysing and interpreting data
  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
  • Asking questions and defining problems

Soft skills

  • Teamwork and collaboration

Management skills

  • Planning
  • Use of resources

Course of activity

step 1

Students will research how living organisms make decisions. Each group will be given a worksheet (see Resources) and will be required to search for reliable information on the internet to complete the task. The unit addresses both animal / plant / fungi decision-making and biomimicry (new materials or technologies inspired by the natural world). Students will use this advice about searching for reliable sources on the internet.

step 2

Each group will present their findings to the class using a PowerPoint and verbally. It is important to summarise the material, emphasising the fact that in nature, an organism's decisions are crucial to the survival of the species, a fact that is not always relevant to humans.

step 3

Students may then meet a brain researcher who will talk about the influence of the different parts of the brain on decision-making. (optional)

step 4

They may also meet with a speech therapist who investigates the connection between Default mode network and decision-making in people with ADHD or learning disabilities.