Interview with an Invertebrate
Project Goal + Timeline
In this project, we will be reviewing your knowledge of invertebrates by role-playing interviews with six invertebrate characters and recording them as a podcast series. Work in groups of two to four.
Directions
Role-play and record six short podcast interviews, each 3 to 5 minutes long. This podcast will require group members to role-play interviews with six different invertebrates from the same marine coral reef community.
For each interview, one group member will role-play as an invertebrate from a marine coral community. Another member will role-play as the podcast host. Prepare for these podcasts with these steps:
Step 1. Work together to create an invertebrate character from each of the following categories. For each category, pick a representative species. Then, create a character for each, giving each character a unique name. The categories are:
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Sponges
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Corals, jellyfish, or sea anemones
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Flatworms, nemerteans, or rotifers
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Mollusks or annelids
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Nematodes or tardigrades
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Arthropods
Step 2. Next, work together to create a host character. The host can be any species you want and should have a name. If the role of the host is to be alternated from one episode to another, then every group member can make their own host character.
Step 3. Plan and record your interviews using the following guidelines:
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The host should begin each episode with a brief introduction statement, such as "Hi, I'm (blank), your host this evening for Episode 1 of Interview a Coral Community Member."
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Then, the host should introduce the character. First, state the character's species and fictional name. Then, the podcast host should briefly describe the interviewee's unique anatomical and morphological features. (Basically, explain what the character looks like.)
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Then, the podcast host should ask the character to introduce themself by explaining which invertebrate phylum they belong to and ask them to state some identifying characteristics of this phylum.
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Finally, the host should ask each character one of the interview questions in the following list. Plan these questions in advance of the interview. The point of this project is not to surprise group members with random questions; the point is to pick questions that best represent this species. The entire group is responsible for the answers, not just the actor.
Choose one question for each interviewee from the following list:
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In what different body forms might your family members appear?
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What challenges do you face on a day-to-day basis?
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What does it mean to you to be a parasite, and in what ways do you feel like parasites are misunderstood?
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What are some of the advantages of your body plan?
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What are the advantages of true body segmentation?
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How are members of your species used in research, and how do you feel about that fact?
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What is an essential extracoelomic cavity you have, and how do you use it?
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Why do some community members call you the "simplest life form"? How do you feel about that distinction?
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Explain the steps of tissue development experienced by you and your family.
The following are the technical requirements for your project:
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The total airtime for combined interviews should be between 20 and 30 minutes (approximately 3 to 5 minutes per interview).
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Give your podcast a unique title and introduce each episode with that title and episode number.
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All members of the group should participate in the role-play aspect. In other words, make sure it's not the same two people being interviewed each episode (unless your group only has two people).
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When choosing from the list of questions, use questions only once. Not all questions will be used.
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Choose relevant questions. For example, don't pick the question about parasites for a jellyfish interviewee.
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All characters should use details when answering questions and stating descriptions. For example, the host should not describe a sponge interviewee's appearance and morphology as "He looks like a sponge."
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Remember that the entire group is responsible for the answers given to interview questions, not just the actor. To plan the information, a simple script or bulleted list is recommended for each interview to ensure that the questions are all addressed accurately.
Project Materials
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Audio recording device (such as a phone or computer)