Digital Unit Plan – Goals, Objectives and Assessments

Unit Title: Cycles of Matter and Energy Name: Erica Shoemaker

Content Area: Biology Grade Level: 9-11
Next Generation Science Standards/Performance Expectations

HS-LS1-6: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules
may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
HS-LS1-7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and
oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
Sugar molecules contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with a hydrocarbon backbone to make amino acids and other larger
molecules to form new cells
As matter and energy flow through systems they recombine to form different products
Energy is transferred between systems of interacting molecules through chemical reactions. Energy is transported to our muscles
through cellular respiration; where food and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed. The energy released
through cellular respiration is also utilized to maintain body temperature.

HS-LS2-5
Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere
LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the
biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes.
HS-LS2-3: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and
anaerobic conditions.

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems. The energy that drives the cycling of matter (within and between
systems) in most of life's’ processes are provided from the energies involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Anchoring Activity
You are working for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to determine if the air quality in Southern California
has been affected by the recent local wildfires. As part of your effort to inform the public of any matters of concern regarding our
air quality design a computer simulation to show the changes in air quality over the last year. Develop a solution to reduce
greenhouse gasses, specifically carbon from the atmosphere. Utilizing statistics and information from a news article and other
evidence present your findings and solution in a video to open up public awareness to the dangers of greenhouse gases and why it’s
important to minimize our carbon footprint. Your proposed solution to poor air quality will be presented to city council members
(classmates).

Driving Questions of the Unit

Take a deep breath, how much carbon do you think you just inhaled? How does breathing high amounts of carbon affect human
health?
What can be done to improve the quality of the air we breathe?
What are things we can do to reduce carbon in our atmosphere?
What is the problem with having too much carbon in the atmosphere; how does this affect deforestation?
What are the solutions to poor air quality?
How does photosynthesis and cellular respiration drive the flow of energy and cycling of matter under aerobic and anaerobic
conditions?
How are solar energy and photosynthesis related to our Earth’s climate?
What will happen to our air quality if there are not enough trees to take in high amounts of atmospheric Carbon?

Unit Goals (Big Ideas)

● Students will recognize credible sources and non-credible sources of scientific information.
● The students will explain the law of conservation of energy and provide and explanation for the transfer of energy in the
model. The explanation will also include the role of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the formation of sugar
molecules.Students will construct an explanation of how carbon, hydrogen and oxygen form sugar molecules and the
relationship between sugar molecules and amino acids and other larger molecules and the chemical reactions involved.
● Students will construct an explanation of how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are involved in the carbon cycle.
● Students will develop a model of the carbon cycle.
● Students will develop a model of photosynthesis and understand the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular
 respiration.
● Students will research local issues about how humans are affecting the carbon on the planet.
● Students will be able to distinguish which variables can be changed to form proposed solutions. They will also select logical
and realistic inputs and utilize the model to form a variety of solutions.

Assessment Plan
Entry-Level:
In live, web-based Formative program. Asking students entry level questions, the first day of introduction to the unit. The three warm-up
questions are: What is a cycle, What does cycling mean in ecosystems and what are some every day examples that contain carbon? Three
warm-up questions I load one-at a-time in real time, can project on screen with student names hidden, to initiate class discussion. We
discuss each one as a class before introducing the next question.

Formative:
1) Lesson 1- Teacher Lecture, guided notes with powerpoint lesson. Students progress through the guided notes as I
move through my powerpoint lecture. I reveal visual aids to give the students clues, then have the students partner
share, discussing what they think vocabulary word or topic they think the visual aid is. Then I utilize a name card deck
to call on students, holding them all accountable, assessing their knowledge.
2) Lesson 2 -Webercise Piktochart Inforgraphic; hypothesize how forest fires, deforestation and smog are related. The
students will review a variety of resources I provide them on these topics. The students will also investigate algae as an
alternative fuel source. And investigate the impact of deforestation on global warming.
3) Lesson 3-Graphic Organizer and rubric; creating models of the carbon cycle and cellular respiration/photosynthesis.
After reviewing several video clips that Iprovide them on the carbon cycle, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, the
students will create a model of the energy transfer in photosynthesis and cellular respiration and produce a model of
the carbon cycle.
4) The students will play Kahoot! They will click on the link posted and follow the directions: Put the game pin in your
cell phone or put the game pin on the phone on the right of your computer screen; Enter your nickname; Verify your
nickname and press start!; Play alone or with friends from class.

Summative:
1)Multiple choice unit test using many visual aids. I will use formative.com to load the test and answer sheet with key. The students can
see their results right away.
2) Human Impact Project-Students will create and Environmental Issues project in google slides and present to the class. I have loaded into
google classroom an additional google slides template for them to edit and follow. The students are to using the template choose an
Environmental Impact project. Discuss what the problem is, the causes, where is this happening/ who is it affecting, is there controversy
surrounding this issue, what are the possible solutions, include a work cited slide and a 2-minute presentation to the class. Students will
consult web link to rubric.

Lesson 1 – [Teacher Lecture With Guided Notes]

Student Learning Objective:
In groups, student will create a
model of the energy transfer in
photosynthesis and cellular
respiration
Students will produce a model of
the carbon cycle.
Students will write a three
paragraph argument based on
evidence on how energy drives
the cycling of matter within and
between systems.
Acceptable Evidence –
Entry level- In live, web-based Formative program. Asking students entry level questions, the first
day of introduction to the unit. The three warm-up questions are: What is a cycle, What does
cycling mean in ecosystems and what are some every day examples that contain carbon? Three
warm-up questions I load one-at a-time in real time, can project on screen with student names
hidden, to initiate class discussion. We discuss each one as a class before introducing the next
question.
Formative- Students progress through the guided notes as I move through my powerpoint lecture. I
reveal visual aids to give the students clues, then have the students partner share, discussing what
they think vocabulary word or topic they think the visual aid is. Then I utilize a name card deck to
call on students, holding them all accountable, assessing their knowledge.
Lesson Activities:
Live Formative.com discussion
Guided Notes/Powerpoint Lesson
Lesson 2 – [Webercise]
Student Learning Objective:
Describe carbon cycling within
ecosystems as movement of carbon
atoms among carbon pools
associated with:
Movement of materials: Eating,
defecation, death
Carbon-transforming processes:
combustion, photosynthesis,
digestion, biosynthesis, cellular
respiration
Explain changes in size of carbon
pools in terms of fluxes into and out
of carbon pools.
Identify energy transformations
involved in carbon fluxes
Describe energy as flowing through
ecosystems, from sunlight to
chemical energy to heat that is
radiated into space
Lesson 3 – [Graphic Organizer]
Student Learning Objective:
Students will produce a model of
the carbon cycle. They will also
produce a model of photosynthesis
and cellular respiration and
compare their two models
Acceptable Evidence –
Formative- Webercise Piktochart Inforgraphic; hypothesize how forest fires, deforestation and smog
are related. The students will review a variety of resources I provide them on these topics. The
students will also investigate algae as an alternative fuel source. And investigate the impact of
deforestation on global warming.
Lesson Activities:
Guiding Question
How do carbon atoms and energy move through an ecosystem?
Activities in this Lesson
Activity 1: Carbon Pools
Activity 2: Carbon Dice Game
Activity 3: Tracing Carbon Through Ecosystems
Activity 4: What Happens to Soil Carbon?
Activity 5: Tracing Energy Through an Ecosystem
Activity 6: Explaining Patterns in Ecosystem
Acceptable Evidence –
Formative –
Graphic Organizer and rubric; creating models of the carbon cycle and cellular
respiration/photosynthesis. After reviewing several video clips that I provide them on the carbon
cycle, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, the students will create a model of the energy transfer
in photosynthesis and cellular respiration and produce a model of the carbon cycle.
The students will play Kahoot! They will click on the link posted and follow the directions: Put the
game pin in your cell phone or put the game pin on the phone on the right of your computer screen;
Enter your nickname; Verify your nickname and press start!; Play alone or with friends from class.
Summative
Multiple choice unit test using many visual aids. I will use formative.com to load the test and
 answer sheet with key. The students can see their results right away.
2) Human Impact Project-Students will create and Environmental Issues project in google slides and
present to the class. I have loaded into google classroom an additional google slides template for
them to edit and follow. The students are to using the template choose an Environmental Impact
project. Discuss what the problem is, the causes, where is this happening/ who is it affecting, is there
controversy surrounding this issue, what are the possible solutions, include a work cited slide and a
2-minute presentation to the class. Students will consult web link to rubric.
Lesson Activities:
Graphic organizer models of the carbon cycle and cellular respirations and photosynthesis.
Kahoot
Human Impact Project
Unit Test

Unit Summary

Southern California is known for having some of the worst air quality in our nation. In this unit students will be introduced to the
roles brush fires, car and factory emissions and deforestation play in increasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Students
will read the LA Times article on Southern California Smog and see a short video to engage them with the phenomenon that smog
levels in our area are increasing again after starting to improve with regulations in place in the 1990’s. They will be asked to think
critically and eventually design a plan to decrease the amount of carbon in the air. During this unit, students will investigate the
cycling of energy and matter in order to develop a possible solution to poor air quality. Students will start my obtaining scientific
information on the carbon cycle and what it means when this cycle is not in balance. They will analyze and interpret data so that
they may make cause and effect connections between amount of carbon in the atmosphere and the amount stored in biomass and
carbon sinks. They will need to develop models to explain the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as it relates to the
cycling of energy and matter. Using the models they have created they will begin to construct explanations and designing solutions
for poor air quality. Students will then using mathematical and computational thinking to work towards solving a problem when
they design a computer simulation as part of their “Our solution to poor air quality” presentation.

Useful Websites and Resources:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-smog-streak-20180921-story.html

Solving a problem- air quality, ca wildfires, deforestation, collect small trash from ocean will also collect phytoplankton,

https://thewonderofscience.com/phenomenon/2018/6/10/algae-fuel-and-food

Wild fires release carbon and ash

Deforestation- what can be done to improve air quality
Smog article

Algae fuel and food How would Algae fuel improve Earths air quality?

https://cleanet.org/resources/42867.html

This video segment from 'Earth: The Operators' Manual' explores how we know that today’s increased levels of CO2 are caused
by humans burning fossil fuels and not by some natural process, such as volcanic out-gassing. Climate scientist Richard Alley
provides a detailed step-by-step explanation that examines the physics and chemistry of different “flavors,” or isotopes, of carbon
in Earth’s atmosphere.

Review: Outside the Pipeline: Reimagining Science Education for Nonscientists Science, April 19, 2013.

Summary of the Article:

How People Interact with Science

Individuals have different motivations for using scientific information. Factors that influence the use of science include social,
cultural, and demographic differences. In addition, the type of science that is useful differs from one problem or issue to another.
Science comes in a variety of forms such as experimentation, observational data or simulations or field research. One goal of
science education is to facilitate student understanding of what forms of science are best suited for the problems that we are trying
to solve. Students will need to understand that science is a flexible philosophical and methodological human endeavor. The sub-
goals of this BIG IDEA are as follows:
● Students will need to understand the context of a problem to understand what type of methods are needed
● Students will understand and interpret the scientific principles that “speak” to the driving questions and anchoring
activities presented in the coursework. The principles will change with subject matter.
● Students will engage in ill-structured problems, defined in personal and practical terms, to practice using different
principles and epistemic practices.

Knowing Science: From Knowing the Textbook to Accessing the Science you need

Science education should prepare more students to access and interpret scientific knowledge at the time and in the context of need.
Students will need to be able to read articles and the text book, draw on prior knowledge to interpret the text, and be able to cross
reference what is read with other materials. This is not simply the application of science for a particular problem, this is
reconstructing the science in valid ways to construct solutions. When it comes to planning science for students some sub-goals of
this major goal are as follows:
● To confront students with an ill-structured problem or challenge framed in an anchoring activity to extend their existing
knowledge and develop concrete solutions.
● To create a learning environment where students develop the skills to recognize when and how science is relevant in their
daily lives.
● To be able to cite textual based evidence to support or refute a claim (CCSS ELA)
● To be able to convert a phenomena into a mathematical model (CCSS Math)

Thinking Scientifically: From Practicing Science to Judging Scientific Claims

Students will need to engage in the epistemic practices of science in flexible and creative ways. The procedures that make up the
epistemic practices of argumentation, experimentation, modeling, and the negotiation of expository text are not static but are
guided by the cycle of scientific thinking. Students will rarely need to go through ALL the steps in a given epistemic procedure in
order to engage in scientific problem solving or research design. However, students will need to make sophisticated judgments
about credibility of scientific claims based on cues like publication venue, institutional affiliation, and potential conflict of interest.
In order to plan lesson that allow students to engage in this big idea teachers will need to set some of the following goals:
● To help students understand how scientists evaluate evidence and how research is packaged for presentation. Engaging
student in argumentation and negotiation of expository text does this. Note: expository text will need to be presented in more ways
then just the textbook.
● To help students engage in peer review when teachers are planning an argument or negotiation of expository text.
● Students will engage in epistemic practices to examine a science-inflected social problem, with the goal of uncovering
epistemic and ethical nuances at the interface of science and daily life.
● To help students engage in and interpret scientific text.

Appreciating Science: From Positive Feelings to Deep and Durable Involvement

Teachers will need to create learning environments where students develop an appreciation of science and recognize how science
influences their daily lives. Students will need to connect with science though interest areas and following their personal curiosities.
Therefore, some of the sub-goals of the work science teachers do will be to:
● Facilitate students pursing their own science related interest, questions, and personal curiosities through project-based;
inquiry-based; and model-based learning.
● Facilitate socio-scientific issue discussion in class.
● Help students identify and develop individual interest and expertise in the subject matter.
● Connect students with science resources in the community such as clubs, museums, projects, science fair, and business that
specialize in science outreach.
● Use science-based games to facilitate student interest and curiosity for science problem solving. Empowering students to use
the epistemic practices in their everyday lives and to own the practices for life long problem-solving.