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| Conceptual Framework |
| Marine life in general and invertebrates in particular are interesting topics of study. The diversity among marine invertebrates is very great and the four representative organisms presented cannot adquately represent all marine organisms. This learning system uses diagrams of a sponge, a sea anemone, a clam, and a Sea Star, however, it is important for the user to keep in mind that there is not one type of marine invertebrate that can adequately represent the different types of invertebrates found in the earth's oceans. |
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To understand the Animal Kingdom and learn the basic characteristics of the major groups of organisms classified in this category one usually starts with invertebrates, or animals without backbones. The simplest of all animals now living is the sponge, which has two cell layers and feeds by filtering water through its body. More complex than sponges are members of the Phylum Coelenterata, some of which have a primitive diffuse nerve system or nerve net. Mollusks, usually enclosed within a hard outer shell, have even more complex internal organs and three cell layers. Animals in the Phylum Echinodermata show evidence, through a comparison of certain of their larvae to the larvae of more complex animals, that more complex animals probably evolved from some primitive echinoderm. The Phylum Porifera consists of over 4000 species of largely marine sponges which were formerly used in homes and industry for their absorbant qualities. With the advent of synthetic materials to produce "sponges," organic sponges are much less in demand. Sponges lack the general characteristics of the animal kingdom and are considered by many zoologists to be a dead end phylum in the evolutionary sense, since no higher forms of animal life are believed to have evolved from them. The presence of a digestive cavity, a nerve net and related sense perceptors put this phylum in the evolutionary mainstream. Coelenterates inhabit deep ocean waters as well as shallow coasts. There are fifty thousand or more species of Mollusks, and over six thousand species of Echinoderms. In the course of studying biology, the student develops higher order thinking skills. In order to successfully analyze, synthesize and evaluate, a student needs a solid base of scientific information. This program provides students an opportunity to acquire such a base of knowledge, and thus become better prepared for the challenges of life in a technological society. Teachers can help students develop a genuine ability to solve scientific problems. The Marine Life learning system utilizes computer technology to provide students with a means of accessing detailed anatomical information. Motivation for learning the anatomical information is provided in the form of quizzes and games. |
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