Maintaining Thermal Regulation

In this lesson, learners investigate endothermy and ectothermy. Four sets of images measuring infrared radiation are provided and, using a Web-based, customized version of ImageJ, students compare body temperatures of a snake and rat before and after exposure under a heat lamp.

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Relevant standards

NSES Standard: Science as Inquiry, Grades 5-8, Content Standard A
• USE APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO GATHER, ANALYZE, AND INTERPRET DATA: The use of tools and techniques, including mathematics, will be guided by the question asked and the investigations students design. The use of computers for the collection, summary, and display of evidence is part of this standard. Students should be able to access, gather, store, retrieve, and organize data, using hardware and software designed for these purposes.

NSES Standard: Life Science, Grades 5-8, Content Standard C
• Regulation of an organism's internal environment involves sensing the internal environment and changing physiological activities to keep conditions within the range required to survive.

NCTM Standard: Measurement, Grades 6-8
Instructional programs should enable students to understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement:
•  understand relationships among units and convert from one unit to another within the same system.

NETS Standard: Grades 6-8
• Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations (e.g., environmental probes, graphing calculators, exploratory environments, Web tools) to support learning and research.