Protists

Teachers Guide
Grades 5-9
Editors:
Brian A. Jerome, Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
Assistant Editors:
Heidi Berry
Stephanie Rogers
Anneliese Brown
Graphics:
Dean Ladago
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Reviewers: Reviewers:
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Use and Copyright: Use and Copyright:
Use and Copyright: Use and Copyright: Use and Copyright:
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce or
duplicate, in whole or in part, this teachers guide and the blackline master
handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video, Protists.
The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any reproduction
or duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student masters for any
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The video and this teachers guide are the exclusive property of
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62501a
Mary Cahill
Potomac Middle School
McLean, Virginia
Susan Hurstecalderone
Our Lady of Lourdes
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Wasim Chowdhury, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
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Table of Contents
A Message From Our Company 5
National Standards Correlations 6
Student Learning Objectives 7
Assessment 8
Introducing the Video 9
Video Viewing Suggestions 9
Video Script 11
Answers to Student Assessment and 16
Activity Masters
Assessment and Student Activities Masters 18
Page
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Viewing Viewing
Viewing Viewing Viewing
Clearances Clearances
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The video and accompanying teachers guide is for
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of the program beyond a single classroom but within a single
campus. Institutions wishing to utilize the program in
multiple campuses must purchase the multiple campus version
of the program, available at a slightly higher fee.
Discounts may be granted to institutions interested in
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A Message from A Message from
A Message from A Message from A Message from
our Company ... our Company ...
our Company ... our Company ... our Company ...
Dear Educator:
Thank you for your interest in the educational videos produced by
the Visual Learning Company. We are a Vermont-based, family owned
and operated business specializing in the production of quality
educational science videos and materials.
We have a long family tradition of education. Our grandmothers
graduated from normal school in the 1920s to become teachers.
Brians mother was an elementary teacher and guidance counselor,
and his father was a high school teacher and superintendent. This
family tradition inspired Brian to become a science teacher, and to
earn a Ph.D. in education, and lead Stephanie to work on science
educational programs at NASA.
In developing this video, accompanying teachers guide, and student
activities, our goal is to provide educators with the highest quality
materials, thus enabling students to be successful. In this era of more
demanding standards and assessment requirements, supplementary
materials need to be curricular and standards based - this is what we
do!
Our videos and accompanying materials focus on the key concepts
and vocabulary required by national and state standards and goals.
It is our mission to help students meet these goals and standards,
while experiencing the joy and thrill of science.
Sincerely,
Brian and Stephanie Jerome
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Standards Correlations Standards Correlations
Standards Correlations Standards Correlations Standards Correlations
National Science Education Standards
(Content Standards: 5-8, National Academy of Sciences, c. 1996)
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should
develop:
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science - Content Standard C:
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should
understand that:
All organisms are composed of cells-the fundamental unit of
life. Most organisms are single cells; other organisms,
including humans, are multicellular.
Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life.
They grow and divide, thereby producing more cells. This
requires that they take in nutrients, which they use to
provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the
materials that a cell or an organism needs.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy
(Project 2061 - AAAS, c. 1993)
The Living Environment - Cells (5c)
By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:
All living things are composed of cells, from just one to many
millions, whose details usually are visible only through a
microscope.
Cells continually divide to make more cells for growth and
repair.
Within cells, many of the basic functions of organisms-such
as extracting energy from food and getting rid of waste-are
carried out.
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Student Learning Student Learning
Student Learning Student Learning Student Learning
Objectives Objectives
Objectives Objectives Objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student
activities, students should be able to do the following:
Understand that protists belong to the Kingdom Protista
and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Define protists as single-celled or multicellular organisms
that contain a nucleus.
Differentiate between plant-like protists, animal-like
protists, and fungus-like protists.
Identify and describe the major features of euglenas,
diatoms, and dinoflagellates.
Provide examples of how algae are utilized in everyday
life.
Describe the major characteristics of ciliates, zooflagellates,
and sporozoans.
Explain the major characteristics of fungus-like protists.
Differentiate between and describe the characteristics of green,
red, and brown algae.
Describe harmful diseases that are caused by protists , such as
giardia and malaria.
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Assessment Assessment
Assessment Assessment Assessment
Preliminary Test: Preliminary Test: Preliminary Test: Preliminary Test: Preliminary Test:
Video Review: Video Review: Video Review: Video Review: Video Review:
Post-Test: Post-Test: Post-Test: Post-Test: Post-Test:
The Preliminary Test, provided in the Student Masters section, is an
assessment tool designed to gain an understanding of student preexisting
knowledge. It can also be used as a benchmark upon which to assess
student progress based on the objectives stated on the previous pages.
The Video Review, provided in the Student Masters section, can be used as
an assessment tool or as a student activity. There are two main parts. The
first part contains questions titled You Decide that can be answered during
the video. The second series of ten questions consists of a video quiz to be
answered at the conclusion of the video.
The Post-Test, provided in the Student Masters section, can be utilized as an
assessment tool following student completion of the video and student
activities. The results of the Post-Test can be compared against the results of
the Preliminary Test to assess student progress.
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Introducing the Introducing the
Introducing the Introducing the Introducing the
Video Video
Video Video Video
Video Viewing Video Viewing
Video Viewing Video Viewing Video Viewing
Suggestions Suggestions
Suggestions Suggestions Suggestions
The Student Master Video Review is provided for distribution to students.
You may choose to have your students complete this Master while viewing
the program or to do so upon its conclusion.
The program is approximately 20-minutes in length and includes a ten-
question video quiz. Answers are not provided to the Video Quiz on the
video, but are included in this Teachers Guide. You may choose to either
grade student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in
class.
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason,
you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss new
terminology and concepts.
Before showing the video, ask students what is a protist? Write their
thoughts on the board. As a class, have students brainstorm ideas about
some of the protists that affect their everyday lives. Leave their answers on
the board while viewing the video. After watching the program and
completing the video quiz, add new examples of protists to the list, as well
as refining the list of protist characteristics. Review your examples and
decide whether the protists are beneficial or harmful to humans. As a
homework assignment or in small groups, have students create a chart
outlining the major groups of ciliates and their characteristics.
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Student Assessments Student Assessments
Student Assessments Student Assessments Student Assessments
and Activities and Activities
and Activities and Activities and Activities
Assessment Masters: Assessment Masters: Assessment Masters: Assessment Masters: Assessment Masters:
Student Activity Masters: Student Activity Masters: Student Activity Masters: Student Activity Masters: Student Activity Masters:
Preliminary Test
Video Review
Post-Test
Amoeba and Paramecium
Pond Water
A Deadly Disease
Vocabulary of Protists
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Video Script: Video Script:
Video Script: Video Script: Video Script: Protists Protists
Protists Protists Protists
1. The ocean is home to all kinds of living things, including...
2. this seaweed found along the shore,...
3. this giant kelp living in deep water,...
4. this starfish living in rocky tidal pools,...
5. and these sea anemones with their numerous tentacles,...
6. as well as hundreds of species of fish,...
7. and larger animals, such as sharks
8. and seals.
9. While all these living things are easily seen, . . .
10. ...the oceans contain thousands of other organisms that are invisible to the naked eye.
11. The kingdom Protista contains a group of organisms called protists.
12. What are protists?
13. What do they look like and how do they go about living?
14. During the next few minutes we are going to explore many of the fascinating
characteristics of protists...
15. and take a look at how they affect our lives.
16. Graphic Transition - Protists
17. You Decide!
18. What similarities do you see between these protists?
19. If you said that they are small, then you are right.
20. Although they are all small, protists come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and
colors.
21. So what makes a protist a protist?
22. Protists are single-celled or multicellular organisms that contain a nucleus and are
therefore known as eukaryotic cells.
23. Protists tend to live in wet environments such as the ocean,...
24. lakes,...
25. or wetlands.
26. While many protists, such as this paramecium, live a solitary existence,...
27. others, such as Volvox, live in groups or colonies.
28. Some protists, like this euglena, have the ability to create their own food via the
process of photosynthesis,...
29. while other protists, such as this amoeba, eat other organisms for sustenance.
30. Still other protists, such as this slime mold, survive by decomposing once living
organisms.
31. Protists, therefore, can be plant-like, animal-like, or fungus-like.
32. Lets first take a look at the plant-like protists.
33. Graphic Transition - Plant-like Protists
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Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
Script (cont.) Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
34. You Decide!
35. What organisms produce the color patterns seen here in this image of the
Earths oceans?
36. Phytoplankton, microscopic plants floating on top of the ocean, produce the
computer enhanced color patterns.
37. Phytoplankton consist of a wide variety of plant-like organisms that serve as the base
of the food chain in oceans and lakes.
38. Most life, directly or indirectly, depends on these plant-like protists. In fact,
phytoplankton contribute over half of the worlds oxygen supply.
39. When you swim in an ocean or lake, you are swimming in millions of
phytoplankton!
40. Plant-like protists, also known as algae, have the ability to create food from sunlight.
Some algae, such as this cell, are unicellular,...
41. while others, such as this kelp, are multicellular.
42. There are six main groups of algae. Lets now take a look at them.
43. Graphic Transition - Euglenas, Diatoms and Dinoflagellates
44. This amazing little creature, called a euglena, is part plant and part animal.
45. It contains green chloroplasts that enable it to carry out photosynthesis.
46. When light is not present, however, it also has the ability to eat other organisms for
use as food and energy.
47. A whip-like structure called a flagellum enables this euglena to move through water.
48. Believe it or not, when you use toothpaste to brush your teeth you are using protists
called diatoms.
49. Diatoms are photosynthetic, one-celled algae.
50. They take on a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
51. The shells of diatoms contain glassy silica, giving toothpaste its slightly gritty
texture.
52. Diatoms have long existed in large numbers in the oceans. Over thousands of years,
dead diatoms have accumulated on the ocean floor forming large deposits that we mine
today.
53. Today, diatoms are used to make such things as reflective road paint...
54. and polishing creams, such as car wax.
55. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to eat clams or mussels - animals that live
inside shells.
56. Among other things, these animals feed on microscopic plant-like organisms called
dinoflagellates, which they filter from the water.
57. Often called fire algae, some types of dinoflagellates contain a red pigment.
58. Occasionally, certain kinds of dinoflagellates, carrying poisonous toxins, reproduce
so quickly that they become a threat to other organisms like fish and shellfish.
59. When eaten by humans, severe illness may result.
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Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
Script (cont.) Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
60. This overabundance of poisonous dinoflagellates is referred to as red tide
poisoning.
61. Most dinoflagellates possess a cell wall that looks like plates of armor.
62. They also have hair-like flagella that propel them through water.
63. Graphic Transition - Green, Red and Brown Algae
64. You Decide!
65. What gives this sea water its greenish color?
66. Thats right - thousands of microscopic green algae.
67. There are over 7,000 species of green algae worldwide, found mostly in oceans, lakes
and rivers.
68. Some algae, however, can live on the moist bark of trees...
69. and even in the fur of animals, such as this sloth, found in the rainforest.
70. While many kinds of algae are single-celled, other green algae,...
71. such as volvox, live in groups or colonies that may include several thousand cells.
72. Still others, like this spirogyra, form long chains.
73. Do you enjoy eating ice cream or pudding? If so, then you are eating a substance
which contains a compound derived from another type of algae - red algae.
74. This red algae, called Irish moss, is found along ocean shores. It produces a
compound called carrageenan, which is used as a thickener in many foods such as ice
cream.
75. Red algae is so named because it contains a pigment that gives it a reddish color.
76. You Decide!
77. What kind of algae is this kelp?
78. If you said brown algae, then you are right!
79. Kelp, a large brown algae, can form tall kelp forests. Often found along the
California coast, kelp forests provide habitat for a wide variety of ocean animals.
80. Brown algae produce a compound called algin, often used to give marshmallows
their thick texture.
81. Graphic Transition - Animal-like Protists
82. This type of protist, called a protozoan, exhibits many animal-like characteristics.
83. Protozoa have a nucleus, but do not have a cell wall.
84. They are heterotrophs, meaning that they need to eat other organisms for energy and
survival.
85. There are four main groups of protozoa. Lets first take a look at the group called
sarcodines.
86. This strange looking creature is a type of sarcodine called an amoeba.
87. Amoebas have no definite shape. They have the ability to extend their cell
membranes and cytoplasm into foot-like extensions called pseudopods.
88. Amoebas use pseudopods to move and engulf food.
89. One problem that many sarcodines encounter is the continual seeping of water into
their cells.
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Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
Script (cont.) Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
90. This is where a structure called a contractile vacuole helps. It collects
excess water and then squirts it back outside the cell.
91. Graphic Transition - Ciliates and Zooflagellates
92. You Decide!
93. What small structures cover this ciliate?
94. If you said tiny hairs, or cilia, then you are right.
95. A group of protists called ciliates possess small hairs called cilia.
96. The cilia act like oars on a boat, propelling the ciliate through water.
97. This paramecium uses cilia to move and to sweep food into its mouth, called the oral
groove.
98. Another group of animal-like protists are the zooflagellates. Zooflagellates move by
means of a whip-like flagellum.
99. One zooflagellate with which you may be familiar is this organism, know as
giardia.
100. Giardia causes intestinal problems by attaching to the walls of the small intestines.
101. People often swallow the giardia zooflagellate when drinking lake or stream water.
102. While the water may look and taste clean, it could possess harmful giardia.
103. Therefore, it is a good idea to bring your own water with you while hiking or
camping, no matter how clean the water may look.
104. Graphic Transition - Sporozoans
105. Sporozoans are parasites that feed on the bodies of host animals, causing harm to
the host.
106. You have probably heard of a disease called malaria. Believe it or not, over 200
million people worldwide are still affected by this protist.
107. Malaria is caused by a sporozoan called plasmodium.
108. Sporozoans are protists that, at one point in their lives, form cells called spores.
109. In the case of malaria, the plasmodium spores inhabit mosquitoes, which transmit
the disease by biting people.
110. The spores infect the liver and blood cells, resulting in a high fever and chills. If
medical attention is not received immediately, death can result.
111. Graphic Transition - Fungus-like Protists
112. Irelands Great Potato Famine of 1845 and 1846 caused the deaths of 1/3 of
Irelands people, and forced hundreds of thousands more to leave the island.
113. You Decide!
114. What damaged the potato crop?
115. A type of fungus-like protist, referred to as water mold, is the parasite responsible
for destroying most of the Irish potato crop.
116. Slime molds are another type of fungus-like protists that you might have seen
growing on dead logs or plants in the forest.
117. Slime molds commonly appear in beautiful, bright colors, as seen here.
118. Slime molds reproduce by creating a fruity body that contains spores. Each spore
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Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
Script (cont.) Script (cont.) Script (cont.)
has the capability to develop into a new organism.
119. Graphic Transition - Summing Up
120. During the past few minutes weve explored many different
characteristics of protists.
121. We studied what makes a protist a protist
122. ...and what kinds of environments protists live in.
123. We looked at the structures of different protists.
124. We also learned that there are different kinds of protists,
125. ...including plant-like,
126. ...animal-like,
127. ...and fungus-like protists.
128. We discovered that protists can be harmful,...
129. like the ones that cause red tide,
130. but they can also be helpful in things such as reflective paint and car wax.
131. So the next time you go swimming,
132. brush your teeth,
133. or think about drinking from a stream,.
134. remember the many ways protists affect our lives.
135. You just might look at life a little differently.
Video Quiz Follows
Fill in the correct word when you hear this tone. Good luck and lets get started.
1. Protist cells contain a _______.
2. Protists tend to live in ___ environments.
3. _____________ are plant-like protists living on the ocean surface.
4. _______ are one-celled algae containing silica.
5. Some dinoflagellates cause harmful ______ _____.
6. Green, red and brown _____ are common in lakes and oceans.
7. _________ exhibit animal-like characteristics.
8. This common sarcodine is an ______.
9. Ciliates possess small _____.
10. Malaria is caused by a ________.
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Answers to Answers to Answers to Answers to Answers to
Student Assessments Student Assessments Student Assessments Student Assessments Student Assessments
Preliminary Test
Video Review
You Decide:
Video Quiz:
1. nucleus
2. moist or wet
3. phytoplankton
4. diatoms
5. red tide
6. algae
7. protozoans
8. amoeba
9. cilia or hairs
10. sporozoan
Post Test
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. F
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F
10. F
11. dinoflagellates
12. phytoplankton
13. silica
14. sporozoan
15. chloroplasts
16. pigments
17. cilia
18. eukaryotic
19. fungus
20. protozoans
1. eukaryotic
2. phytoplankton
3. chloroplasts
4. silica
5. dinoflagellates
6. pigments
7. protozoans
8. cilia
9. sporozoan
10. fungus
11. F
12. T
13. F
14. F
15. T
16. T
17. F
18. T
19. T
20. F
A. They are all small.
B. phytoplankton
C. thousands of microscopic green algae
D. brown algae
E. tiny hairs, or cilia
F. A fungus-like protist called water mold
destroyed most of the Irish potato crop.
Answers to Answers to Answers to Answers to Answers to
Student Activities Student Activities Student Activities Student Activities Student Activities
Protists
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Amoeba and Paramecium
Amoeba:
1. nucleus
2. cell membrane
3. pseudopod
4. food vacuole
5. cytoplasm
Paramecium:
1. cilia
2. food vacuole
3. oral groove
4. macronucleus
5. micronucleus
6. contractile vacuole
Pond Water Protists
A Deadly Disease
Vocabulary
1. c, euglena
2. a, amoeba
3. i, ciliates
4. f, sporozoans
5. j, diatoms
6. b, phytoplankton
7. e, giardia
8. g, slime molds
9. d, carrageenan
10. h, protist
Part I:
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. D
Part II:
1. F
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. T
Part III:
Answers will vary.
1. Microorganisms that produce their own
food tend to be greenish in color because
they contain chloroplasts. Consumers may
possess special structures needed to capture
and engulf prey.
2. Paramecium or other ciliates are probably
the fastest moving organism due to their
cilia.
3. Producers in the pond ecosystem produce
their own food through photosynthesis and
then act as a food source for the
microorganisms (consumers) that eat them.
Assessment Assessment
Assessment Assessment Assessment
and Student and Student
and Student and Student and Student
Activity Activity
Activity Activity Activity
Masters Masters
Masters Masters Masters
Protists
Name___________________
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Preliminary Test Preliminary Test
Preliminary Test Preliminary Test Preliminary Test
Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible
answers is provided at the bottom of the page.
1. Protists contain a nucleus and are therefore called _____________ cells.
2. __________________ are microscopic plant-like organisms that float on lakes
and oceans.
3. Structures called _____________ enable plant-like protists to produce food
using light from the sun.
4. The shells of diatoms contain _____________.
5. Red tide poisoning is caused by some types of __________________.
6. The different colors in algae are caused by _____________.
7. _____________ exhibit animal-like characteristics.
8. Paramecium are covered with tiny hairs called _____________.
9. Malaria is caused by a type of protist called a _____________.
10. Slime molds have many _____________ -like characteristics.
pigments phytoplankton
protozoans chloroplasts
eukaryotic silica
dinoflagellates cilia
fungus sporozoan
animal euglena

Protists
Name___________________
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Preliminary Preliminary
Preliminary Preliminary Preliminary
Test Test
Test Test Test
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
Directions: Decide whether the answer is True (T) or False (F).
11. Protists do not have a nucleus.
12. Protists tend to live in moist environments.
13. Protists come in one main shape.
14. Red tide is caused by green algae.
15. Amoebas have no definite shape.
16. Heterotrophs need to eat other organisms for energy.
17. A paramecium is an example of a sarcodine.
18. Amoebas use pseudopods to move and obtain food.
19. Giardia, a microorganism found in some water, causes
severe intestinal problems when ingested.
20. Malaria is transmitted by wasps.
T F

Protists
Name___________________
21
Video Review Video Review
Video Review Video Review Video Review
Directions: During the course of the program, answer the You Decide
questions as they are presented in the video. Answer the Video Quiz questions at
the end of the video.
You Decide:
A. What similarities do you see between these protists?
B. What organisms produce the color patterns seen here in this image of the Earths
oceans?
C. What gives this sea water its greenish color?
D. What kind of algae is this kelp?
E. What small structures cover this ciliate?
F. What damaged the potato crop?
Video Quiz:
1. Protist cells contain a _______.
2. Protists tend to live in ___ environments.
3. _____________ are plant-like protists living on the ocean surface.
4. _______ are one-celled algae containing silica.
5. Some poisonous dinoflagellates cause harmful ______ _____.
6. Green, red and brown _______ are common in lakes and oceans.
7. _________ exhibit animal-like characteristics.
8. This common sarcodine is an ________.
9. Ciliates possess small _____.
10. Malaria is caused by a __________.

Protists
Name___________________
22
Post Test Post Test
Post Test Post Test Post Test
Directions: Decide whether the answer is True (T) or False (F).
1. Amoebas use pseudopods to move and obtain food.
2. Malaria is transmitted by wasps.
3. Protists do not have a nucleus.
4. Protists come in one main shape.
5. Heterotrophs need to eat other organisms for energy.
6. Giardia, a microorganism found in some water, causes
severe intestinal problems.
7. Amoebas have no definite shape.
8. Protists tend to live in moist environments.
9. Red tide is caused by green algae.
10. A paramecium is an example of a sarcodine.
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F
T F

Protists
Name___________________
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Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible
answers is provided at the bottom of the page.
11. Red tide poisoning is caused by some types of ________________.
12. _______________ are microscopic plant-like organisms that float on
lakes and oceans.
13. The shells of diatoms contain _____________.
14. Malaria is caused by a type of protist called a _____________.
15. Structures called _____________ enable plant-like protists to produce food
using light from the sun.
16. The different colors in algae are caused by _____________.
17. Paramecium are covered with tiny hairs called _____________.
18. Protists contain a nucleus and are therefore called _____________ cells.
19. Slime molds have many _____________ -like characteristics.
20. _____________ exhibit animal-like characteristics.
pigments phytoplankton
protozoans chloroplasts
eukaryotic silica
dinoflagellates cilia
fungus sporozoan
animal euglena
Post Test Post Test
Post Test Post Test Post Test

Protists
Name___________________
24
Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium
Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium
Objective: In this lab, students will label the parts of two protists: an amoeba and
a paramecium.
Background: Amoebas and paramecium are classified in the group Protozoa. These
protozoans cannot produce their own food. They are heterotrophs and need to eat other
living things. One difference between paramecium and amoebas are their body shape.
Amoebas do not have a definite body shape, whereas the body shape of paramecium is
well defined. Amoeba have false feet called pseudopods which allow them to move
and constantly change shape. Paramecium are covered with small hairs called cilia
which propel them through water.
Directions: Identify the structures of the amoeba using the descriptions provided below.
food source food source food source food source food source
1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
4. 4. 4. 4. 4.
3. 3. 3. 3. 3.
2. 2. 2. 2. 2.
Cytoplasm: fluid-like mixture containing organelles
Food Vacuole: surrounds, engulfs, and digests food
Pseudopod: extension from body that propel the protist
Cell Membrane: decides what enters and exits the protist
Nucleus: control center of the cell containing hereditary material
5. 5. 5. 5. 5.

Protists
Name___________________
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Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium
Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium Amoeba and Paramecium
(cont.) (cont.)
(cont.) (cont.) (cont.)
Directions: Identify the structures of the paramecium using the descriptions provided
below.
1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3. 3. 3.
4. 4. 4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5. 5. 5.
6. 6. 6. 6. 6.
Macronucleus: the larger of the parameciums two nuclei
Oral Groove: food particles are swept into the groove by cilia; a food vacuole waits at
the end of the groove where it then engulfs the food and brings it into the
paramecium
Cilia: hair-like threads that propel the paramecium through the water
Contractile Vacuole: rids cell of excess water and some wastes
Micronucleus: controls protein synthesis, respiration, and reproduction; the smaller of
the two nuclei
Food Vacuole: digests food that enters the paramecium

Protists
Name___________________
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Pond Water Pond Water
Pond Water Pond Water Pond Water
Objective: In this lab you will investigate the different microorganisms found in
pond water and differentiate between the movements of different types of protists.
You will also determine the role microorganisms play in a freshwater ecosystem.
Materials:
Microscope
Pond water sample
Cover slips
Slides
Medicine dropper or pipette
Biology textbook and encyclopedia
Procedure: You will receive a sample of pond water from your teacher. Other samples
may be used to perform this lab, such as samples from an aquarium, a lake, or a marsh.
1. Prepare three slides of a pond water sample.
2. Observe your slides under low and high power.
3. On the back of this page or on a separate piece of paper, make a chart of the
microorganisms that you observed. Make three columns with the headers labelled:
Microorganism, Movement, and Classification.
4. Using the diagrams on the following page and any outside sources, identify the
different protists in your slides. Record them in the column labelled Microorganisms.
You may also observe different invertebrates, such as Cyclops and Daphnia.
5. Observe the movement of the microorganisms. Record your observations in the
column labelled Movement.
6. Classify the protists on your chart by the way they move. Sarcodines move via
pseudopodia (false feet); ciliates move by using their tiny hair-like structures called
cilia; flagellates move by using a whip-like tail called a flagella; and sporozoans
have no physical method of movement. Record in the column labelled Classification.
Conclusions:
1. Try to determine which microorganisms are producers and which are consumers.
2. Of the microorganisms you observed, which moved the fastest? What may be a
reason for this microorganisms fast movement?
3. Describe the roles microorganisms play in the pond community? Use the terms
producer and consumer in your answer.

Protists
Name___________________
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Pond Water (cont). Pond Water (cont).
Pond Water (cont). Pond Water (cont). Pond Water (cont).
Vorticella Vorticella Vorticella Vorticella Vorticella
Euglena Euglena Euglena Euglena Euglena Paramecium Paramecium Paramecium Paramecium Paramecium
Amoeba Amoeba Amoeba Amoeba Amoeba
Slime Mold Slime Mold Slime Mold Slime Mold Slime Mold
Volvox Volvox Volvox Volvox Volvox
Daphnia Daphnia Daphnia Daphnia Daphnia
Stentor Stentor Stentor Stentor Stentor
Cyclops Cyclops Cyclops Cyclops Cyclops
Spirogyra Spirogyra Spirogyra Spirogyra Spirogyra

Protists
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A Deadly Disease A Deadly Disease
A Deadly Disease A Deadly Disease A Deadly Disease
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Malaria is a devastating disease that commonly affects people in the tropical regions of
the world, and less often in other parts of the world. Malaria is the number one cause of
death in children under the age of five worldwide. Unlike many insect-related diseases,
malaria is not caused by a virus, but by a parasitic protist called Plasmodium. Plasmo-
dium is transmitted by the bite of the female mosquito, Anopheles. There are four forms
of Plasmodium that cause malaria. The most deadly form is Plasmodium falciparum.
How does this parasite infect a person? The illustration below shows how a person can
contract malaria.
Malaria remains one of the most serious epidemics we face today. A cure has not been
discovered, nor is a vaccine available. Efforts to control the spread of malaria have
largely failed. A drug called Chloroquine that is used to treat malaria is no longer
completely effective because Plasmodium have developed a resistance to the drug.
Insecticides such as DDT, a chemical that was banned in the United States because of its
detrimental effects on the food web, are used to kill the Anopheles mosquito. But the
mosquitos have developed immunities to insecticides. Efforts to develop more effective
drugs and a vaccine continue. There may be hope for a cure. A drug called Malarone was
recently developed and has proven to be effective in treating malaria. Hopefully this drug
will continue to be effective and save millions of lives.
7.) The merozoites break out of
the red blood cells, causing the cells
to burst. The symptoms of malaria
are produced. These symptoms
include high fever, chills, nausea
and vomiting, headaches, diarrhea,
and anemia.
5.) The spores invade the cells in the
persons liver and develop into merozoites.
6.) Merozoites migrate to the
persons red blood cells where
they reproduce.
1.) A female Anopheles mosquito bites a person
previously infected with malaria and ingests
Plasmodium gametes into its
blood.
2.) Plasmodium gametes reproduce in the
mosquitos digestive tract and in 10-14
days release spores.
3.) These spores travel to the
mosquitos salivary glands.
4.) The mosquito bites another
human victim and infects them with
plasmodium spores.
8.) Some merozoites remain in the
blood as gametocytes, ready to be
passed to a mosquito and start the
cycle over again.

Protists
Name___________________
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A Deadly Disease (cont) A Deadly Disease (cont)
A Deadly Disease (cont) A Deadly Disease (cont) A Deadly Disease (cont)
Directions: Part I: Circle the correct multiple choice answer.
Part II: Decide whether the statement is True (T) or False (F).
Part I:
1. The symptoms of malaria occur in a human during which stage:
A. After Plasmodium spores invade a humans liver
B. After merozoites cause a humans red blood cells to burst
C. During reproduction of merozoites
D. When Plasmodium gametes enter a humans red blood cells
2. A new drug which has recently been developed and may be effective in treating
malaria is called:
A. Chloroquine B. Sporozoa C. Malarone D. DDT
3. Malaria is difficult to treat because:
A. Pesticides are not being used to control the mosquito population
B. Plasmodium has developed a resistance to the drug Chloroquine
C. Plasmodium has developed a resistance to the drug Malarone
D. Drugs are not used to treat malaria
4. Plasmodium are:
A. deadly viruses B. female mosquitos C. insecticides D. parasites
Part II:
1. Malaria is caused by a virus called Plasmodium. T F
2. The male mosquito transmits Plasmodium into a person. T F
3. The pesticide DDT was banned in the United States T F
4. The most deadly form of Plasmodium that causes malaria is called T F
Plasmodium anopheles.
5. Chloroquine is losing its effectiveness in treating malaria. T F
Part III: Research the different efforts that are underway to treat malaria and control its
spread. Find at least two different efforts, such as new treatments for malaria or methods
for controlling the mosquito. Write a one-page report on your findings.

Protists
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Vocabulary of Vocabulary of
Vocabulary of Vocabulary of Vocabulary of
Protists Protists
Protists Protists Protists
1. ____ gnlueae
2. ____ bmaeao
3. ____ aiictlse
4. ____ zroonsaspo
5. ____ imadsto
6. ____ pyknlptonotah
7. ____ gdiraai
8. ____ miesl dmsol
9. ____ erergnanaca
10. ____ rtptios
a. a type of protist with no definite shape
b. plant-like organisms that float on or
near the surface of lakes and oceans
c. a microorganism that is part plant and
part animal
d. a compound found in some algae that is
used as a thickener in foods
e. a zooflagellate found in fresh water that
can be harmful to humans
f. parasites that feed on the bodies of host
animals
g. colorful fungus-like protists
h. single-celled or multicellular organisms
containing a nucleus
i. a group of protists covered with small
hair-like projections
j. a type of algae that possess a shell
containing silica