Ecology Interactions:
Interactions Symbiosis Want Ad
Project
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
Name: __________________________
Background:
Relationships aren’t always love-love in biology, nor are they always love-hate. Relationships
among organisms can take on many different meanings. Coevolution is the result of an
association between two species in which they evolve together and develop such a close
relationship that one needs the other for survival. If both organisms benefit from the
relationship, it’s called mutualism. If one benefits, and the other gets nothing, it’s called
commensalism. However, if one organism benefits while the other is harmed, then the
relationship is considered parasitism.
Objective:
To show your understanding of symbiotic relationships.
Atlanta Journal Constitution Want Ads
WANTED: LAZY PUP WITH SHORT NAILS
Desperately seeking a parasitic relationship. I am a flea
with a thin body and springy legs who can jump 1,000 times
my own body size! I am in search of a dog with long fur for
me to cuddle up in, thin skin for me to bite, and short
nails to keep from scratching me. I need your help because
your blood is my nutrients and I need it to keep me alive.
In return, I promise to give you the heebie jeebies and
plenty of scabby bites to scratch and keep you busy!
ME
YOU
US TOGETHER
+
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
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Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
Name: __________________________
What You Do:
Work alone or with a partner to create a classified advertisement/want ad for a job opening in
which an organism in a symbiotic relationship is looking for the other organism. The ad should
be based on mutualism, parasitism, or commensalism. The ad should be from the point of view
of the organism that benefits from the relationship (for example, if the relationship is
parasitism, the organism getting harmed wouldn’t be seeking out the organism that would
harm it) . The ad can be done as a PowerPoint presentation, brochure, newspaper ad,
magazine ad, poster, prezi presentation, glogster, etc. Please review your presentation options
with your teacher.
Headline Describing Job - You must have AT LEAST the following criteria:
• Catchy headline to grab attention ( _______ points)
 A line describing your relationship (mutualism, parasitism, commensalism) ( _______ points)
 A line about who you are and the qualities you possess ( _______ points)
 A line about the type of organism you need for the job (Qualifications.) ( _______ points)
 A line about why you need this service ( _______ points)
 A line describing what you will give the organism in return for his or her services. ( _______
points)
Picture accompanying advertisement - You must have AT LEAST the
following criteria:
• A picture showing you, the organism in search of the other organism ( _______ points)
 A picture showing the organism you are in search of ( _______ points)
 A picture showing the two of you together in your symbiotic relationship- can be handdrawn ( _______ points)
 Neat and Colorful ( _______ points)
Materials to use
To create this ad, use construction paper, copy paper, magazine/newspaper cutouts, clip art,
computer graphics, photographs, hand drawn images, etc.
Use the template on the following page to record your
research and ideas for your symbiosis want ad.
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
Name: __________________________
What Did You Find?
This Project is worth: _____________________ points and is due: _______________________
The relationship I was assigned is:__________________________________________________
After researching, I have determined that the type of symbiosis represented by this relationship
is:____________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
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Do you have the following? Check it off:
______Catchy headline to grab attention?
______One line describing your relationship (mutualism, parasitism, commensalism)?
______One line about who you are?
______One line about the type of organism you need for the job (Qualifications)?
______One line about why you need this organism?
______One line describing what you will give the organism in return for his or her involvement
(if nothing will be given, please say that)?
______A picture showing you, the organism in search of the other organism?
______A picture showing the organism you are in search of?
______A picture showing the two of you together in your symbiotic relationship- can be handdrawn?
______Neat and Colorful?
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
Teacher’s Guide
What You Do:
Below you will find a list of possible symbiotic relationships. They are grouped according to
difficulty in finding information. You can utilize this leveling by giving students who need
scaffolded lessons the easier to research materials, and those students who need more of a
challenge those relationships that are more complex and abstract. Our suggestion is to cut out
the list below into strips and place into a basket or hat for random selection by students, or you
may assign relationships as you see fit.
INFORMATION EASY TO FIND
Shark & Remora
Mistletoe & Hardwood Tree
Bacteria & Termite Gut
Ants & Acacia Tree
Honeyguide bird & badger
Shrimp and Goby Fish
Tapeworm & Mammal
Barnacles & Whales
Sea Anemone & Clownfish
Brownheaded cowbird & songbird
Hermit Crab & Sea Anemone
Langur Monkey & Chital Deer
Sea Slug & Algae
INFORMATION EASY TO FIND
Ants & Aphids
Pinworm & Humans
Botflies & Deer
Oxpecker & Mammal
Sloth & Algae
Botfly & Mammal
Fig Tree & Amazon Fruit Bat
Olive Baboon & African Elephant
Egrets & Cattle
Wombat & Snails
Coyote & American Badger
Egyptian Plover & Crocodile
Human & Lice
INFORMATION DIFFICULT TO FIND
Pygmy Seahorse & Seafan
INFORMATION DIFFICULT TO FIND
Varroa destructor & Honeybee
Pompeii Worm & Thermophilic
bacteria
Yucca Plant & Yucca Moth
Fig Wasp & Fig
Spanish Moss & Trees
Euprymna Bobtail Squid &
Bioluminescent Bacteria
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Leafhopper & Meat Ant
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Student Examples
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Student Examples
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
Student Examples
Ecological Interactions:
Symbiosis Want Ad
© Getting Nerdy, LLC
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