Lesson Plan
Objectives: It is the aim of this module that students should develop an understanding of the concept of change as it pertains to the environment: change in extent (across biogeographic regions) and change over scale (grain).
Students will gain an appreciation of the effects of human impact on the ecosystem through agriculture over time (temporal extent), in different biomes and at different scales (human and ant).
Objectives include:
1. Creating Biome Boxes to summarize and present information on biomes for each LTER site
2. Create a class wall chart that shows changes in the landscape at each site and allows comparisons to be made among the sites.
3. Write an essay that predicts ongoing changes at their site
Standards:
National Science Education Standards.
Content Standard C:
Structure and function in living systems
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Content Standard E:
Understandings about science and technology
Content Standard F:
Populations, resources and environments
Natural hazards
Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society
Content Standard G:
Science as a human endeavor
The Nature and history of science
Arizona State Standards.
SC06,7,8-S1C3-01: Analyze data obtained from scientific investigation to identify trends
SC05,6,7,8-S1C4-01: Communicate results of investigations (graphing)
SC06,78,-S2C1-03: Describe the impact of a major scientific development occurring within the past decade
SC07-S3C1-01: Analyze environmental risks (pollution, destruction of habitat) caused by human interaction with biological or geological systems
SC06-S4C3-02: Describe how the following environmental conditions affect the quality of life: water quality, climate, population density, smog
SC07-S4C3-02: Explain how organisms obtain and use resources to develop and thrive in niches; predator/prey relationships.
SC07-S4C3-04: Evaluate data related to problems associated with population growth (overgrazing, forestry, non native species invasion) and possible solutions
SC07-S4C3-05: Predict how environmental factors (eg flood, drought, temperature changes) affect survival rates in living organisms
SC07-S4C3-06: Create a model of interactions of living organisms within an ecosystem
SC08-S4C4-01: Explain how an organism’s behavior allows it to survive in an environment
Advanced Preparation: Students will be asked to bring medium sized cardboard boxes to class. These will be the basis for their “Biome Box” presentations.
Access to school computer lab for internet access in order to facilitate research.
Materials:
• cardboard boxes
• colored paper, tape, scissors, glue, markers, modeling clay, magazines for collage resource
• List of suggested online links for research
• Photocopies of worksheet packet for each student
Safety Precautions: N/A
Suggested Procedure: Day 1.
1. Engagement. In order to establish an understanding of the concepts of change over time (extent) and over different scales (grain), the teacher may (as an option) obtain short excerpts from movies that visually exemplify them. For example, the movie “The Time Machine” both the 1960 and 2002 versions contain segments that show vast landscape changes in accelerated time lapse format (changes in extent). The movie “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” (1989) contains ample examples of seeing the world from the viewpoint of an ant. (10 mins.) (Use worksheet A: Changes)
2. As a short introductory exercise ask each student to write a paragraph from a first person viewpoint about the changes evident in the environment as either a) a time traveler observing how the world changes from his vantage point as an observer in his own backyard over one hundred years. (Too short for major geological change such as canyons or continental drift). Or b) a scientist testing a “shrink ray” in his back yard. (10 mins.) The results can then be shared. (10 mins.)
3. Students will be assigned to groups of four to perform the assignment. They will be informed that there are six distinct areas that the class is studying (Biomes). They will be shown a short powerpoint (Agricultural Landscapes in Transition) that surveys briefly these sites and describes the biome concept. A link is provided to allow students to locate each LTER Site in its particular biome. Tell them that each site has a unique diversity of species and a particular history of human interaction. Their task will be to produce a “Biome Box” that displays the results of their research to fully explain the nature of that site in terms of the typical characteristics of its biome, its location, the flora, fauna, and climate, the impact of human activities at the site (agriculture, logging, urban infiltration etc). Each group will choose one of the six LTER sites. Using the supplied resources they will research the climate, flora, fauna and history of human activities at the site. Each aspect will be studied by one student. Students will collaborate and take responsibility for further research beyond class time and gathering of construction materials for the biome box. (10 mins) (Worksheet B: Biome in a Box, Rubric included)
Day 2.
1. Students will bring their accumulated research data to class and share information with their peers.
2. Students will continue their research and produce succinct summaries to decorate their biome box. Details of this assignment are clearly explained on the downloadable version of this lesson plan available from ministryoftime.memebot.com
In addition the interior of the box may be used for students to produce a 3 dimensional model or diorama of the biome. An example is shown above
3. During the remaining class time students can continue collaborating on their biome box.
Day 3.
1. Each group will present their biome box to the class. Students will make their own notes on each site as presented by their peers using the supplied worksheet (Worksheet C Biome Boxes: Presentation Notes). A short period after the presentations to view each display will allow them to fill in missing information or elaborate their notes (30 mins.)
2. Class Discussion: Have the students reflect on the similarities and differences among the six sites as presented. Is there a pattern to be discerned? Are there differences in wildlife or vegetation related to annual rainfall or temperatures? Do the activities of man have similar or differing effects among the sites? Are some regions more or less vulnerable to the impact of human activity? Why ? (20 mins)
3. At this point ask students to speculate on what type of organism might be common to each site studied. Assign this short exercise for presentation at the next class: Ask them to name the organism and justify their choice in a short paragraph for the next day. (Worksheet C)
Day 4.
1. At the white board, list the students candidates for ubiquitous organism. Many differing opinions can be noted and discussed. Suggest the ant as a candidate if not already mentioned. Ask students if there are any places they think that ants would not be found. Optional: employ a powerpoint (Ants!) to demonstrate the diversity of ant species and the extent of their distribution. (20 mins.)
2. Having established the ant as the main character in the ensuing discussion, ask students to:
a) Draw a life sized ant and note its dimensions. (Worksheet D: Ants!)
b) Draw a 10 x scale diagram of an ant
c) Consider that ant as it might experience the environment that the student understands from his or her studies so far. Have them draw a scale drawing of the ant in that environment, with the ant center stage, (perhaps 1mm=1cm scale), so that the
“ant’s-eye” view of the environment is represented. (Worksheet E: Microcosms)
3. Students can display and share their work. Ask them to consider the similarities and differences in these ant-centered microcosms across the six different sites/biomes. How might each ant species be adapted to their respective environments? (30 mins.)
Day 5.
1. Have students share their ideas from the previous assignment. Using Worksheet F, ask them how specific adaptations might help a species survive and thrive in their environment. Ask them how long it might take for a species to become adapted to their specific environment. Some may know about the processes of natural selection and survival of the fittest and the timeframes such processes require.
2. Ask students to consider the many different natural or man-made occurrences that can cause sudden changes in an environment.
3. Have students speculate how such changes might affect species that are specifically adapted to the environment before these changes. What will happen to these species in the short term? The long term? Is their ant resilient to change or vulnerable?
4. With reference to their ant in relation to their own LTER site have students research the history of that site from provided links. Have them produce a timeline that depicts the historical interactions with special reference to agriculture, urban development, tourism, preservation and conservation efforts. (Worksheet G)
5. Using these data, have students in their groups each take responsibility for a generation of ants from one of four distinct eras in the natural history of their site.
6. With the present day situation witnessed by “ant zero”, have students choose to depict the experience of the ancestors of ant zero in the same manner as the microcosms produced previously on day 4. Their work should show how the changes wrought by human impact have consequences at the level of the ant’s experience. Examples: How will their ant species fare if there is deforestation to make grazing lands? How will flood irrigation affect the ants? How might the use of intensive pesticides affect the ants? If organic farming is introduced? If the farmland is bought for urban development?
7. The group will now have a historical timeline of their site and human influence with microcosms that represent the present day plus four other phases in the history of that site.
8. These diagrams can be arranged as a wall chart so that the history of human interactions at each LTER Site can be readily viewed and compared. (See worksheet G)
9. A final exercise to demonstrate comprehension of the underlying principles of change and the effects of ongoing human activities on landscapes is to ask students to write a paper that speculates on how their site will look in 20 years time. From their personal knowledge of current affairs and research into human populations, developments in science and agriculture, they can extrapolate their ideas to imagine how these landscapes will change and what the ant experience will be in those environments. To initiate their thinking, have a class discussion or debate about where the students think scientific developments , human population growth, urban spread, needs for more agriculture, genetically modified crops, organic farming methods, changes in environmental legislation, the green house effect… etc will trend in the near future. The paper can be written in the “voice” of an ant representative, narrating the historical experiences of his/her “people” and expressing congruent levels of hope or despair according to how the student imagines the future of that LTER Site.
10. Part of this final assignment is to produce a final microcosm to show the ant’s-eye view of the biome at each site 20 years into the future.
11. Students wiil be asked to speculate at which point in the history of the sites an intervention could have been made to prevent the dramatic ecological disaster of ten thousand years hence. For example they may think that any human influence at all was bad, or that changes in agriculture and urban development plans in the mid 20th Century would have the best effect.
This can be developed as a short essay or as a class debate.
Evaluation:
1. Biome Boxes.
These three dimensional presentations act as a presentation tool and allow for assessment of performance in terms of content, creativity, clarity, effective representations of research data using graphs and charts using the attached rubric.
2. Worksheets can be graded according to completeness, relevance and understanding demonstrated.
3. Microcosms provide a group produced presentation tool that stimulates further opportunities for comparison, contrast and speculation based on research.
4. The final paper allows for assessment of understanding of the concepts of “change” and landscapes in transition as researched and depicted in this lesson. The paper allows for “six traits” writing skills to be assessed.
Extensions:
These extensions can be found on the Ministry of Time Archives website, www.ministryoftime.memebot.com
Accommodations for students of varying abilities and inclinations can easily be incorporated into these activities.
1. Data: Read It, Interpret It, Use It
K. Guerrero
Nine mini lessons of 10-15 minute duration that use real data from the LTER Sites to meet AZ State Standards.
Social Studies: Strand 1. (US History), Strand 4. (Geography).
Math: Strand 2. (Data Analysis)
2. Reading the LTER Narratives for Understanding
T. Skjerping
Case studies and readings associated with each LTER site are accompanied by worksheets designed to focus on analysis and understanding of content using multiple choice and short answer responses. These meet AZ State Standards for Science: Strand 4 (Life Science)and Reading Standards: Strand 3 (Comprehending Informational Text).
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