Jamie Balayti April 15th, 2011

An Investigation of the Impact of Changes in Plants or Environments:

Lesson 7 in Project-Based, Life Science, Ecosystems Unit

Grade level: 4 Prerequisite knowledge: Students have done previous investigations related to the make up, classification, and plant life of the earths ecosystems. Students have also done research and completed in class assignments to accurately create visual representations of parts of the food chain, different habitats and ecosystems. Time: 1- 1.5 hours Student Objectives/Student Outcomes: Students will participate in an all- class brainstorming activity, as a means of identifying environmental change and adaptation. Students will connect technology to the causes of change in the environment by identifying ideas similar to the following: transportation, medicine, agriculture, sanitation, communication occupations. Students will identify a common pollutant and create a visual representation that portrays the extent of its detriment to the environment. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how human/society choices affect local ecosystems by individually creating a concept map. Illinois Learning Standards: Goal 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts. B. Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society. 13.B.1d Identify and describe ways that science and technology affect peoples everyday lives (e.g., transportation, medicine, agriculture, sanitation, communication occupations). 13.B.2d Compare the relative effectiveness of reducing, reusing and recycling in actual situations. 13.B.3d Analyze the interaction of resource acquisition, technological development and ecosystem impact (e.g., diamond, coal or gold mining; deforestation).

13.B.1e Demonstrate ways to reduce, reuse and recycle materials. 13.B.2e Identify and explain ways that technology changes ecosystems (e.g., dams, highways, buildings, communication networks, power plants). 13.B.3e Identify advantages and disadvantages of natural resource conservation and management programs. 13.B.2f Analyze how specific personal and societal choices that humans make affect local, regional and global ecosystems (e.g., lawn and garden care, mass transit). 13.B.3f Apply classroom-developed criteria to determine the effects of policies on local science and technology issues (e.g., energy consumption, landfills, water quality).
National Science Learning Standards: NSES7 All animals depend on plants. Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals eat animals that eat the plants. NSES8 An organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's

Jamie Balayti April 15th, 2011

environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment. When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. NSES9 All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live. Some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are beneficial. NSES10 Humans depend on their natural and constructed environments. Humans change environments in ways that can be either beneficial or detrimental for themselves and other organisms. Materials/Technology: Classroom Set of Laptops, Craft Supplies: Blank Paper, Construction Paper, plastic bottles, crumbled papers, aluminum cans, markers/crayons, pipe cleaners, ribbons, yarn, cotton balls, other miscellaneous supplies in classroom Implementation/Procedure: Have all craft supplies laid out on an easy accessible, centrally located table. Draw brain-shaped clouds on the board, large enough to fit writing inside each cloud. Begin with a brainstorm activity to get students to think about environmental changes. Tell Students: I think I hear a BRAINSTORM rolling in?! Lets put our minds together! Recalling on what you know about Ecosystems, plant life, and the food chain. What are ways our environment changes? Responses may include: weather, day/night, rain/dry, amount of sumlight Encourage the students to think about changes over time. Say: What has happened to the temperature of the earth? What contributes to the increase in temperature? Gear discussion toward pollution/litter. Remind students: It is important to think about not only what humans do to use up, or consume, the environment, but also what role we can play in conservation. Our final project is coming up and in groups the class will compile possible solutions to a local environmental issue. Before solving the problem, we must make sure we are experts on what is causing the problem. In todays lesson you and a partner will choose a pollutant, research where it comes from, what it does to the environment, and the affect it is predicted to have in the future. Then, as a pair, you will construct a visual model of the pollutant. Be creative! Obviously it is difficult to make a model of an invisible gas, perhaps then, show the pollutant by creating a representation of its effect on the ecosystem. Use a range of medias to create you models and be prepared to share and explain your creations with the class. Instruct one person per pair to retrieve a laptop. Once each pair is seated, with a laptop and signed in, direct class to scholarly articles written on pollutants. Instruct students: Use the next 15 minutes to browse the variety of pollutants that exist, choose one pollutant to concentrate on, and record data/information in your notes. Float around classroom to monitor Internet use, answer research questions, and encourage inquiry.

Jamie Balayti April 15th, 2011

After 15 minutes tell students: You should have a written summary of your pollutant's details written in your notes. Please, one person per group, put the computers back safely, and grab several craft supplies on your way back to your seat. You will use these supplies to create a model of some sort, that either literally, or abstractly, represents the pollutant and.or its effect. You will need to exaggerate the characteristics of your pollutant, and show those traits in the model. Students will have 25 minutes to use craft materials to construct a model of a pollutant. After 25 minutes: Finish up the last thing youre working on and, one student per group, place your models on the front table. Ask each group to discuss their pollutant, giving attention to the details of the model. The model should emphasize the specific effect the pollutant has on the environment. Solutions for the issue may be conveyed in the model as well. Conclude: We know that many things effect our environment. Humans have created many technologies that have changed the way we can conserve land, for example the lawn mower. However, humans are also a major contribution to the resource depletion and the addition of pollutants into the environment. Many people may be unaware of the importance of considering the impact of changes in environments and plants. Leave today thinking about one issue you would really like to change, whether it be littering, recycling Sprite cans, reusing old grocery bags, anything! Next lesson we will begin our project to create a way to positively change our Ecosystem! Strictly Emphasize: All garbage must be picked up off of the floor and supplies returned to the front table in an organized fashion. Please do not touch other groups models, as we do not want to accidentally damage some one's work. Evaluate (Assessment) Throughout the lesson informally assess the students by encouraging participation in large group discussion (during brainstorm). Ask questions to verify the comprehension of the major concepts. Informal assessment also involves listening and observing while students interact with one another and are participating in observing, discussing, and recording their interpretations. For formal assessment, use the rubric below to evaluate/grade student pollutant research notes
Excels Notes (5 points) Organized, complete accurate, research is recorded as instructed. Adequate Accuracy and clarity could be improved but adequate to evaluate. Revise/re-teach Reports are unclear and in need of revision. Redo Incomplete research

Jamie Balayti April 15th, 2011

Visual Model (5 points) Original and accurate representation of the data in a creative manner. Connects pollution to technology, discusses pollutant by connecting to prior knowledge. Model represents some or a few of the pollutant traits. Model does not reflect the effect of the pollutant. Model is Incomplete.

Discussion Participation/ Oral Presentation of Model (10 points)

Explanations could be improved but adequate. This may include the connecting to experience, without understanding the entire concept of pollution.

Explanations are not developed enough to clarify understanding; require another chance to present after given more time with model.

Little or no attempt to provide explanations