Homework: Field Assignment

To complete this week’s homework assignment, we would like you to look for a lophotrochozoan in your local environment. (Hint: mollusk and annelid species can often be found in your yard or patio. You can also look for them in local parks, assuming you can access these areas safely while following all best practices for social distancing and personal safety.

You will need:

• A ruler
• A journal or notebook where you can do a sketch of the organism
• A pencil (additional colored pencils might be useful, but are optional)
• A mask (if you are going out into any public area)

Once you have located a specimen, you will fully describe it. Begin your description with a heading that includes the date, time and location of the observation, the weather, and a description of the habitat in which it was found. Then describe:

• Size (in metric units; you will need a ruler)
• Color
• Shape
• Texture
• Any behavior you witness

Finally, you will draw two sketches of your specimen, of different scales. You will not be graded on your skills as an artist, only your skills as an observer.

• One that shows the entire animal and some aspects of its habitat
• A close-up that shows detail of some harder-to-see morphological structures.