An ExCELLent Collaboration (AIG IRP)

Stage 2: Elaborate

Students should research the following aspects of Margulis’s Endosymbiotic Theory:

  1. In what era of Earth’s development is this symbiotic relationship theorized to have begun?
  2. What independent unicellular organisms were involved?
  3. What changes were occurring in Earth’s geology, atmosphere, and biomes that encouraged this relationship to occur?
  4. What were the specific benefits for each of the independent organisms? 
  5. What modern-day organelles in eukaryotic cells are theorized to have developed from this symbiotic relationship?
  6. What evidence exists that supports this theory?

After completing their research, students may choose one of several creative ways to present this information. Explain to students that they will be writing their presentations using many of the same narrative development strategies that authors use in short stories. Question #1’s answer provides the setting for the main action. Question #2’s answer provides the main characters. Question #3’s answer provides the problem or challenge that must be overcome. Question #4’s answer provides the character’s internal motivation. Question #5’s answer provides the solution to the problem. Question #6’s answer provides details and descriptions of the characters, relationship, and its final results that may be useful.

Prompts from which students may choose include, but are not limited to:

  1. Write a series of diary entries from the point of view of each of the three organisms that relates the narrative of their symbiotic relationship.
  2. Compose a conversation in which the first eukaryotic cell explains how much easier the later generation eukaryotic cell’s life is as the first cell reminisces about the development of the symbiotic relationship that formed it.
  3. Record the negotiations that are occurring in the United Cells Security Council as unicellular organisms debate a revolutionary proposal – endosymbiosis – to respond to the natural disaster that is occurring in their Precambrian Era. 
  4. Build and record a Claymation-style stop-motion or create an animated cartoon with voice-over descriptions/dialogue that relates the narrative of the symbiotic relationship.