Curriculum Connection

Experience 1 - The Redhead Extinction Debate

Language Arts: Listening and Speaking Skills (Grade 10)
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
Indiana Academic Standard
10.7.3 - Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms (including the introduction, first and second transitions, body, and conclusion) in formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate.

Information Literacy Standards

Standard 2 The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and

completely. (all indicators)

Standard 3 The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. (all indicators)

Given the question, “Do you think redheads will go extinct?”, students will be involved in a guided inquiry, were the media specialist will provide selected resources on the subject of redheads, extinction, and genetic theories. Students will examine the materials, pull out main theories and point, and synthesize their thoughts into a persuasive speech. The product will be in the form of a series of debates between the students. Students will write their speech in the prescribed form, modeled by the instructor. Additionally, the class could vote on which argument was the most effective and why.

If taking an interdisciplinary approach, biology classes could also be involved in this assignment as an audience or participant and they could critique the debates on the basis of their knowledge of genetics and evolution. Some of the topics covered in the debate might be how red hair is genetically produced, how it is a recessive trait, how redheads could be going extinct because of natural selection. The Indiana Academic Standards that would relate to this assignment are:

Genetics
B.1.21 - Understand and explain that the information passed from parents to offspring is transmitted by means of genes which are coded in DNA molecules.
B.1.22 - Understand and explain the genetic basis for Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment.
B.1.28 - Illustrate that the sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction results in a great variety of possible gene combinations from the offspring of any two parents. Recognize that genetic variation can occur from such processes as crossing over, jumping genes, and deletion and duplication of genes.

Evolution
B.1.31 - Describe how natural selection provides the following mechanism for evolution: Some variation in heritable characteristics exists within every species, and some of these characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing. Understand that the advantaged offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. Also understand that the proportion of individuals in the population that have advantageous characteristics will increase.

Experience 2 - Fractions with Hair Color

Math - Standard 1 (Grade 3)
Number Sense

Students understand the relationships among numbers, quantities, and place value in whole numbers* up to 1,000. They understand the relationship among whole numbers, simple fractions, and decimals.

Indiana Academic Standards
3.1.8 - Show equivalent fractions using equal parts.

3.1.9 - Identify and use correct names for numerators and denominators.

3.1.10 - Given a pair of fractions, decide which is larger or smaller by using objects or pictures.

Information Literacy Standards

Standard 3 The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. (all indicators)
Standard 9 The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.
Indicator 1. Shares knowledge and information with others.
Indicator 2. Respects others’ ideas and backgrounds and acknowledges their contributions.

In this curriculum connection, the instructor will divide the students into groups by hair color. Weather or not their is a redhead group, the instructor would explain that red is the rarest color of hair in the world and that only about 4% of the world's population has red hair. The instructor would review numerator and denominator with the class and show how 4% equals 4/100, then explain how 4/100 is an equivalent to 1/25. The groups of hair colors would work together to (1) figure out what fraction of the total class their hair color makes up (i.e. 10/25) and (2) how to reduce that fraction to an equivalent (2/5) and (3) compare that number with the number of redheads in the world and see which fraction is bigger/smaller. If there is a redhead group in the class, they can see if their fraction comes out the sames as the fraction for the world's population of redheads - 1/25 is about right!

In this exercise, students would have an authentic way to apply fractions using demographics of the classroom. They would also have a chance to learn from each other in a group setting. For example if one student is having trouble understanding the concept, another student could try to explain from a peer point of view.