Biology: Watch the Birdie Breathe

Objectives

• Students will analyze a mathematical model for the graphical representation of a data set.
• Students will develop an understanding of the relationship between environmental temperature and animal metabolism.

Vocabulary

• dependent variable
• ectotherm
• endotherm
• independent variable

About the Lesson

This lesson involves students using TI-Nspire technology to analyze a graph of data representing the relationship between the environmental temperature and the resulting metabolism of an endothermic animal.
As a result, students will:

• Draw conclusions about how temperature affects metabolism.
• Compare the temperature effects on both endothermic and ectothermic animals.