Names: ___________________________

Period: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________

Characteristics of Living Things In-Class Project

Project description:
You and a partner will be putting together an informational poster about a living organism of your
choice. On this poster you will be explaining how this organism demonstrates three of the characteristics of
living things.

Research:
You and your partner will have all of class on Wednesday (9/27), some time on Thursday (9/28), and
Monday (10/2). Use the graphic organizer to organize your information! On Wednesday and Thursday you
will have laptops to do research, and on Monday you should focus ONLY on creating your poster. The
research should be about your living organism.

Flyer:
The end product for this project is a flyer about your organism. It should be an advertisement for your
organism. It should be colorful and neat. There should be no pencil marks or spelling errors.

Due date:
This project will be started in class on Wednesday and will be due at the end of class on Monday (10/2).

Requirements for flyer:

FRONT OF FLYER:

Picture of the organism

Scientific name of the organism
Common name of the organism
Characteristics you are researching
Evidence that this organism meets the characteristics

Checklist for when you turn in assignment:

Check box ()
Graphic Organizer
Poster
Rubric (and you read the rubric to make sure you followed all guidelines)
Use the following graphic organizer to organize your information about your organism.

Common name of organism:

Scientific name of organism: Name of website where you got

this information:

Characteristic 1 Characteristic 2 Characteristic 3

How this organism demonstrates How this organism demonstrates How this organism demonstrates
this: this: this:

Name of website where you got the Name of website where you got the Name of website where you got the
information on characteristic 1: information on characteristic 2: information on characteristic 3:
Snake example:
- Make and use energy: Snakes need to eat in order to get food to break down for energy. Some snakes hunt
their meals while other sneak up on their prey. Some snake swallow them alive, others strangle their prey.
Snakes eat by swallowing their prey whole. They have teeth but they are use to grip the prey and hold on to it,
they are not used for chewing. Once in the stomach section of their bodies the food is digested. Once the food is
digested it can be used in other parts of the body to make energy for the snake.

- Reproduction: Snakes reproduce like all living things. Snakes reproduce sexually. It takes two snakes to
reproduce. In places that get cold and snakes hibernate for the winter mating usually happens in the spring when
snakes come out of hibernation. In places where it is warm all year round, mating can happen at any point
during the year. Some snakes have live births others lay eggs.

- Maintaining homeostasis: Ex: temperature. Snakes are cold blooded animals. Their body temperature changes
to the temperature of the environment they are in. At times the environment is colder or warmer than the snakes
internal organs should get so to cool themselves down they hide in the shade, the mud, or the water and to warm
themselves up they sun themselves in the sunlight.
Grading Rubric:
Name of Student 1____________________________________________ Total Grade: _______/20
Name of Student 2____________________________________________ Grade Letter: _______
Characteristics of Living Things Poster
Rubric

Category 4 3 2 1
Coverage of the Details on the Details on the Details on the Details on the
Topic and Correct poster captures the poster include poster relate to the poster have little or
Information important important topic but are too nothing to do with
information about information but the general or main topic. Uses all
the topic and audience may need incomplete. The of the
increase the more information to audience needs characteristics of
audiences understand fully. more information living things to
understanding. Uses Uses 1/3 of the to understand. Uses describe organism
3 characteristics of characteristics of 2/3 of the incorrectly.
living things to living things to characteristics of
describe organism describe organism living things to
correctly. incorrectly. describe organism
incorrectly.
Use of Graphics All graphics are All graphics are All graphics relate Graphics do not
related to the topic related to the topic to the topic. relate to the topic.
and make it easier and most make it There is a graphic
to understand. easier to that is inappropriate
Graphics are understand. on the poster.
appropriate.
Organization Information is very Information is Information is The information
organized with organized with organized, but titles appears to be
clear titles and titles and and subheadings disorganized.
subheadings. subheadings. are missing or do Graphic organizer
Students used Students skipped a not help the read was not turned in.
graphic organizer. few items on the understand. Half of
graphic organizer. the graphic
organizer is not
filled out.
Layout and Design All information on Most information Most of the Much of the
the poster is in on the poster is in information on the information on the
focus and can be focus and the poster is in focus poster is unclear or
easily viewed and content easily and the content is too small.
identified from 6 viewed and easily viewed and
feet away. identified from 6 identified from 4
feet away. feet away.
Mechanics No grammatical, Almost no A few grammatical, Many grammatical,
spelling or grammatical, spelling, or spelling, or
punctuation errors. spelling or punctuation errors. punctuation errors.
punctuation errors.