1. Survive the Zombie Apocalypse!!
Natural Selection and Adaption End-of-Unit Project

2. It is the year 2114 and a viral disease has spread across the world
It is the year 2114 and a viral disease has spread across the world. This disease attacks the brain and turns people into what today we know as…ZOMBIES! The zombie virus is spread through saliva. This means that the disease is spread when a zombie bites a human and breaks the skin and the zombie saliva enters the blood stream. Scientists have been working hard to try to find a cure to the disease or a vaccine that will prevent the spread, but so far have had no luck. You are on a research team that is working on a different kind of innovation. You are researching how to genetically modify a human that has a better chance at surviving in the zombie apocalypse. People are doing their best to survive by changing how they live and some of their behaviors, but their efforts are falling short. This is where your team comes in.

3. Your Task…
You need to research different adaptations that might help humans survive a zombie attack or prevent that attack. All adaptations must come from plants or animals and you must have a valid reason for why a human would benefit from this trait. You will genetically modify a human to have these traits that will help it survive.

4. Project Requirements Progress grades
We will give you tasks to complete each day
You must be actively working on the tasks for the ENTIRE class period to receive your points
Presentation
Speak clearly and loudly (so everyone can hear) for 2-3 minutes
Explain all three modifications and how those modifications help your human
Model
Drawn clearly and neatly (no eraser marks, no cross-outs)
All three modifications are shown on your human or depicted somehow in your model
Model is colored to show what your human would like if it was actually built

5. Paper Requirements: 3 Modifications to your Human
For EACH modification:
What is it?
What organism did the trait come from?
What does that organism use the trait for?
How will this trait help your human survive the zombies?
The students is able to Synthesizes knowledge of the adaptations needed for the human to survive and demonstrate consistent, understanding
Orally communicates interdisciplinary understanding of the creation of their human with  generally organized  and coherence. Recognizing appropriate forms of media
Document relevant sources using a MLA
Student demonstrates adequate reflection and interdisciplinary understanding
The students can explain the limitations and benefits of working on a common theme in English and Science

6. Mrs. Damm’s Example
My humans would have big ears so that she could hear the zombies coming from far away and would have a better chance at avoiding them.
I would take this trait from the Fennec Fox. The Fennec Fox uses its big ears to hear prey and predators.
My human would smell like Lilacs so that the zombies could not smell her to hunt her.
I would take this trait from the Lilac Bush. Lilacs have this trait so that they can attract insects to them that help them to pollinate and reproduce to make more bushes.
My human would have thick armor-like skin that would protect the her from the zombie bites.
I would take this trait from the alligator. The alligator uses his think skin to protect itself from cuts, scratches, and bites.

7. Research About Adaptations
You will need to brainstorm the kinds of traits that you want your human to have
What kinds of traits would help the humans avoid zombies?
What kinds of traits would protect the humans from the bite of the zombies?
Once you have decided on the kinds of traits that you want to the human to have, you need to research different plants and animals that have those traits
Make sure you know what the animal or plant is
Make sure you know how that trait helps the animal or plant to survive

8. How to Find a Credible Source
Let’s look at an example: The Tree Octopus
Things to think about when you are deciding if you should trust the information on a website….
Is it a credible news source? Like the NY Times, CNN, etc.
Is the author an expert? Are they a doctor (Dr. or PhD), a researcher, do they have a degree or experience in the subject they are writing about?
Do they cite other sources?
Is it a .gov or .edu site?
Is it an educational source like National Geographic, Animal Planet, or NASA?

9. MLA Citations
You need to have a minimum of three sources cited in CORRECT MLA format
The correct way to cite in MLA is below:
Author (if available). Name of Site. Name of organizations associated with the cite, the date the page was created (if available). Web. Date that you looked at the website.
Example: Zapato, Lyle. The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Web. 9 December 2014.

10. MLA Citation
Use the following link for a quick and easy way to complete your citations in the right format!
Son of Citation Machine