Fern Life Cycle and Biodiversity ft. Smithsonian Scientist Eric Schuettpelz
Description:
Meet Dr. Eric Schuettpelz, a botanist who studies ferns and fern biodiversity at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. During this webcast, which originally aired on April 19, 2018, Eric helps students understand the fern life cycle. Using models and a microscope, Eric shows students fern spores and the different life stages of ferns. Eric helps viewers understand what features have allowed ferns to persist on Earth for millions of years, while adapting to new conditions. Eric also provides a glimpse of what it's like to be a field biologist, sharing stories and photos of the field work he's conducted in the remote Marquesas Islands, to explore the profusion of ferns on islands. This program is part of the Smithsonian Science How webcast series, whcih is designed to bring natural history science, research, and experts to upper-elementary and middle-school students. Learn more here: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/distance-learning. NGSS Alignment Life Science MS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes MS-LS1-4: Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. MS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics MS-LS2-2: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. MS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity MS-LS4-4: Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.