4

Types of Ecosystems

Harrelson, Ecosystems Unit Science: Grade 5, Ages 10-12

Time Needed Seven 0 min!te class "eriods #"l!s $ield tri" time%

&esson 'escri"tion (n t)is lesson, t)e learners *ill identi$y di$$erent ty"es o$ ecosystems +y st!dying vario!s terrestrial and a,!atic ecosystems- T)is *ill +e done t)ro!g) readings, gra")ic dis"lays, and a $ield tri" to a local a,!ari!m, as *ell as t)e com"letion o$ a researc) "ro.ect-

State /!rric!l!m Standards S&-5-1: Engage e$$ectively in a range o$ colla+orative disc!ssions #one- on-one, in gro!"s, and teac)er-led% *it) diverse "artners on grade 5 to"ics and te0ts, +!ilding on ot)ers1 ideas and e0"ressing t)eir o*n clearly S&-5-2: 3e"ort on a to"ic or te0t or "resent an o"inion, se,!encing ideas logically and !sing a""ro"riate $acts and relevant, descri"tive details to s!""ort main ideas or t)emes4 s"ea5 clearly at an !nderstanda+le "ace5-S(-1: A""ly criteria to determine a""ro"riate in$ormation reso!rces $or s"eci$ic to"ics and "!r"oses-

3(-5-2: 'etermine t)e meaning o$ general academic and domain-s"eci$ic *ords and ")rases in a te0t relevant to a grade 5 to"ic or s!+.ect area-

6-5-2: 6rite in$ormative7e0"lanatory te0ts to e0amine a to"ic and convey ideas and in$ormation clearly-

6-5-8: /ond!ct s)ort researc) "ro.ects t)at !se several so!rces to +!ild 5no*ledge t)ro!g) investigation o$ di$$erent as"ects o$ a to"ic-

(nstr!ctional 9+.ectives 'e$ine t)e conce"ts terrestrial and a,!atic /om"are terrestrial and a,!atic ecosystems /om"are $res) *ater and marine ecosystems /ond!ct and s)are researc) "ertaining to ecosystems

(nstr!ctional :roced!res $or 'ay 1 &esson (ntrod!ction ( *ill +egin +y e0"laining to st!dents t)at *e *ill +e e0"loring a variety o$ di$$erent ty"es o$ ecosystems- ( *ill as5 t)em to s)are *)at s"eci$ic ecosystems t)ey )ave learned a+o!t "revio!sly, and ( *ill enco!rage t)em to voice similarities and di$$erences in t)ose ecosystemsTec)ni,!es and activities ( *ill t)en s)o* t)e class t)e ty"es o$ ecosystems gra")ic $rom t)e !nit )ome"age- 6e *ill relate t)is to t)e "revio!s disc!ssion o$ s"eci$ic ecosystems t)e st!dents )ave learned a+o!t- ( *ill e0"lain t)at today *e *ill $oc!s on terrestrial ecosystems +y reading a+o!t t)e rain$orest and taiga ecosystems- T)is *ill +e done +y dividing t)e $o!r ta+le gro!"s in )al$, so t)at t*o ta+le gro!"s are reading and ans*ering ,!estions a+o!t t)e taiga and t*o are reading and ans*ering ,!estions a+o!t t)e rain$orest- A$ter allo*ing time $or st!dents to read and com"lete t)e ,!estions on t)e )ando!ts, ( *ill )ave t*o st!dents $rom eac) gro!" to .oin t*o st!dents $rom t)e o""osite gro!", so t)at t)ere *ill +e t*o st!dents *)o )ave read a+o!t t)e taiga ecosystem and t*o st!dents *)o )ave read a+o!t t)e rain$orest in t)e same gro!"- T)e st!dents *ill need to s)are in$ormation t)at t)ey )ave learned in t)eir readings +y creating a gro!" c)art t)at lists ;-10 $acts a+o!t eac) ecosystem, as *ell as at least < identi$ied "rod!cers and < identi$ied cons!mers $rom eac) ecosystem-

&esson /los!re =ollo*ing t)e lesson, eac) gro!" *ill +e allo*ed to dis"lay t)e created c)art on t)e +!lletin +oard- T)e st!dents *ill also +e given a $e* min!tes to add "ersonal de$initions o$ t)e terms >terrestrial? and >a,!atic? to t)eir science note+oo5s and to $ill in additional in$ormation in t)e & section o$ t)e @6& created in t)eir note+oo5s(nstr!ctional :roced!res $or =ield Tri" 'ay &esson (ntrod!ction ( *ill +egin t)e lesson +y dis"laying t)e a,!atic ecosystems gra")ic $rom t)e !nit *e+site, *)ic) *e *ill disc!ss as a class- ( *ill t)en e0"lain t)e researc) "ro.ect, *)ic) *ill +e +ased on t)e a,!ari!m $ield tri"- T)is researc) "ro.ect *ill need to $oc!s on an ecosystem $o!nd in t)e a,!ari!m and *ill consist o$ a one-t*o "age ty"ed "a"er *it) t)ree reso!rces $or in$ormation- T)e st!dents *ill +e re,!ired to ta5e t)eir science note+oo5s on t)e $ield tri", so t)at t)ey can *rite do*n in$ormation a+o!t t)e ecosystem t)ey select- 6e *ill revie* t)e r!+ric at t)is time as *ellTec)ni,!es and activities =ield tri" to local a,!ari!m &esson /los!re Every st!dent *ill need to s!+mit )is or )er selected ecosystem $or t)e researc) "ro.ect- St!dents *)o are !na+le to "artici"ate in t)e $ield tri" *ill +e assisted *it) t)e selection o$ an ecosystem $or t)e "ro.ect(nstr!ctional :roced!res $or 'ay 2St!dents *ill +e "rovided *it) t)e "ro.ect r!+ric #see end o$ lesson "lan% and *ill +e assisted *it) t)e selection o$ reso!rces, as *ell as com"letion o$ t)e "a"er d!ring class time- T)is is to )el" o$$set t)e di$$ic!lties $or t)e st!dents *)o do not )ave internet access at )ome, as *ell as to ens!re t)at all st!dents )ave e,!al s!""ort in com"leting t)e "ro.ect- St!dents *ill +e e0"ected to do some *or5 on t)e "ro.ect o!tside o$ t)is class time, +!t t)ose t)at need additional )el" or do not )ave internet access at )ome *ill +e allo*ed to come in 25 min!tes "rior to t)e start o$ sc)ool to *or5 and receive )el"(nstr!ctional :roced!res $or 'ay 8-; St!dents s)o!ld )ave com"leted t)eir researc) "ro.ects +y t)is time and *ill s)are t)eir "ro.ects *it) t)e class&esson /los!re =ollo*ing t)e s)aring o$ "ro.ects, ( *ill dis"lay t)e comm!nity @6& c)art created in t)e $irst lesson and ( *ill )ave st!dents recommend additions to t)e & "ortion o$ t)e comm!nity c)art +ased on t)ings t)ey listed in t)eir note+oo5s over t)e co!rse o$ t)e !nit- 6)en t)is is done, ( *ill "rint t)e class @6& $or dis"layAda"tations $or s"ecial learners ( *ill read in$ormation $rom t)e gra")ics dis"layed on t)e SAA3T +oard to assist t)ose st!dents t)at str!ggle in reading- St!dents *)o str!ggle *ill +e "aired *it) "eers *)o ty"ically "er$orm *ell to o$$set di$$ic!lties in reading and com"leting t)e )ando!ts- ( *ill

also "rovide assistance in locating reso!rces $or t)e researc) "ro.ect, as *ell as com"leting t)e "a"er to t)ose st!dents *)o need e0tra )el"S!""lemental Activities Any st!dents *)o are str!ggling *it) t)e material *ill +e "rovided *it) "rinted co"ies o$ t)e gra")ics to 5ee" in t)eir science note+oo5s $or revie*- Any st!dent *)o $inis)es t)e researc) "ro.ect early may )and it in $or "reliminary revie* to )el" loo5 $or revisions and may com"lete ot)er *or5 as needed d!ring class time- Early $inis)ers may also elect to *or5 on a "o*er "oint, story+ird "iece, or $ree reading7 li+rary timeAssessment7Eval!ation St!dents *ill +e assessed on t)eir contri+!tions to t)eir .igsa* gro!"s, t)e com"letion o$ de$initions in t)eir science note+oo5s, and t)e additions to t)eir @6& c)arts- Bigsa* gro!"s *ill +e assessed on t)e com"letion o$ t)e gro!" c)arts- T)ese c)arts *ill need to )ave at last ;-10 $acts $or eac) ecosystem #taiga and rain$orest%, along *it) < "rod!cer e0am"les and < cons!mer e0am"les $or eac) ecosystem as identi$ied in t)e reading )ando!ts- St!dents *ill +e $ormally assessed on t)e com"letion o$ t)e researc) "ro.ect !sing t)e $ollo*ing r!+ric-

3!+ric $or Ecosystem :a"er E0cellent 6riting: 25 :oints 6rites !sing a""ro"riate grammar and "!nct!ation, *it) se"arate "aragra")s to s)o* di$$erent ty"es o$ in$ormation :rovides in$ormation on ty"e o$ ecosystem #terrestrial or a,!atic *it) s"eci$ic la+el- mars), $orest, river, etc-% and 55ey $eat!res, incl!ding: Tem"erat!re 3ain$all =res) or salt *ater S!nlig)t Soil or *ater n!trients /limate (ncl!des at least 5 "rod!cers, 5 cons!mers, and 2-< decom"osers "resent in t)e selected ecosystem =air Some mista5es in grammar, "!nct!ation, and7 or !se o$ se"arate "aragra")s :rovides in$ormation on ty"e o$ ecosystem and <2 5ey $eat!res :oor Aany mista5es in grammar, "!nct!ation, and !se o$ "aragra")s

A+iotic =acts: 25 :oints

'oes not "rovide in$ormation on ty"e o$ ecosystem or lists only 12 5ey $eat!res

Ciotic =acts: 25 :oints

(ncl!des <-2 "rod!cers, <-2 cons!mers, and 1-2 decom"osers "resent in t)e selected ecosystem

(ncl!des less t)an < "rod!cers, < cons!mers, and no decom"osers "resent in t)e selected ecosystem

3esearc): 25 :oints

(ncl!des at least < researc) so!rces *it) lin5s or +oo5 titles in t)e reso!rces section at t)e end o$ t)e "a"er

(ncl!des at least 2 researc) so!rces *it) lin5s or +oo5 titles in t)e reso!rces section at t)e end o$ t)e "a"er

(ncl!des 1 or less researc) so!rces *it) lin5s or +oo5 titles in t)e reso!rces section at t)e end o$ t)e "a"er

&earner :rod!cts St!dents s)o!ld )ave added t)e de$initions $or t)e terms >terrestrial? and >a,!atic? to t)eir note+oo5s, and s)o!ld also )ave made additions to t)eir @6& c)arts- Every st!dent *ill com"lete eit)er a taiga or rain$orest )ando!t, as *ell as "artici"ate in t)e com"letion o$ a gro!" c)art on t)e taiga and rain$orest ecosystems- =inally, every st!dent *ill )ave com"leted a one- t*o "age researc) "a"er on an ecosystem selected d!ring t)e a,!ari!m $ield tri"-

* Note for learners: This lesson plan template is adapted from the model that is recommended in the book Preparing to Use Technology: A Practical Guide for Technology Integration.