Homeostasis

2. What is homeostasis?

Required Resources

• Slides 6-20
• Student Worksheet 1

Delivery

• Start this Episode by asking students how they think Polly's body coped with the extreme conditions of the Antarctic? Ask students if they know what the term homeostasis means?
• Project Slides 6-20 to explain homeostasis. The slides cover thermoregulation, osmoregulation and glucoregulation. You may choose to present the slides on osmoregulation and glucoregulation in Episode 3 when these mechanisms are identified in Polly's descriptions. The focus of the lesson is thermoregulation and it is this process that you should aim for all students to understand.

Differentiation

Lower Ability:

Some students may not fully grasp the theory of homeostasis at this stage but when you move through the lesson you can keep returning to these slides as prompts.
There is quite complex language used throughout this Episode and it may help to keep the key words and a definition displayed in the classroom. You could identify parts of the topic that are must know, should know and could know.

Higher Ability:

Should be able to discuss and explain osmoregulation and glucoregulation.