|
Abstract
This activity helps students to work in cooperative groups while
they discover how human and non-human interventions affect a species
that lives within a habitat. Students research and collect data
about a specie's survival. They will then graph the data, research
ideas on the Internet for restoration of a habitat, and apply their
understandings of the concepts in developing an expository piece of
writing and a Powerpoint slide show.
Invitation/fundamental
Understandings 1.For an organism to survive within a
habitat, an animal needs a balance of food, water, shelter, and
available space. Changes with these elements will influence the
ability of the species to survive.
2.There are a variety of
human and non-human interventions that affect the balance of food,
water, shelter, and space within a habitat.
Standards
National Standards Understands how
species depend on one another and on the environment for survival
Workforce Competencies: Prior Knowledge
1. All animal species need food, water, shelter, and space for
survival. 2. A species habitat is their home Skills 1. Analyzing and
interpret scientific data 2. Make accurate inferences from data 3.
Create data representation Prior Knowledge 1. All animal species
need food, water, shelter, and space for survival. 2. A species
habitat is their home Skills 1. Analyzing and interpret scientific
data 2. Make accurate inferences from data 3. Create data
representation Prior Knowledge 1. All animal species need food,
water, shelter, and space for survival. 2. A species habitat is
their home Skills 1. Analyzing and interpret scientific data 2. Make
accurate inferences from data 3. Create data representation Prior
Knowledge 1. All animal species need food, water, shelter, and space
for survival. 2. A species habitat is their home Skills 1. Analyzing
and interpret scientific data 2. Make accurate inferences from data
3. Create data representation
Lesson/Unit of Practice
Pre-requisite Skills
Prior Knowledge 1. All animal species need food, water, shelter,
and space for survival. 2. A species habitat is their home Skills 1.
Analyzing and interpret scientific data 2. Make accurate inferences
from data 3. Create data representation Prior Knowledge 1. All
animal species need food, water, shelter, and space for survival. 2.
A species habitat is their home Skills 1. Analyzing and interpret
scientific data 2. Make accurate inferences from data 3. Create data
representation Prior Knowledge 1. All animal species need food,
water, shelter, and space for survival. 2. A species habitat is
their home Skills 1. Analyzing and interpret scientific data 2. Make
accurate inferences from data 3. Create data representation Prior
Knowledge 1. All animal species need food, water, shelter, and space
for survival. 2. A species habitat is their home Skills 1. Analyzing
and interpret scientific data 2. Make accurate inferences from data
3. Create data representation
Tools and Materials
Internet access and computer, Everglades video, Powerpoint
program, paper plates, chart paper or graph paper.
Interactions/Teacher Information
Students will watch a video as a class, work in groups of three
to brainstorm human and non-human interventions, research Everglades
migratory birds, construct graphs, research types of restoration,
and prepare Powerpoint slide shows. They will also participate as a
whole-group in the "Habitat" activity.
Teacher will
facilitate group discussions, check for misconceptions about
ecosystems, monitor student activities, assist in preparation of
Powerpoint slide shows, informally assess on-going student progress,
and assess student writing for understanding of concepts.
Situations/Setting/Time Students will
complete the lesson activities over a period of two weeks, using
approximately 40-minute blocks of time. A standard classroom will
accomodate all activities with the exception of the habitat
activity, which requires a larger area of space for student
movement.
Assessment
Students will use bar graphs to show how certain changing
conditions have changed a specie's habitat; use line graphs to show
how the human and non-human interventions have caused a change in
the number of species over time. Student will use expository writing
to critically examine the data from the graphs and give examples of
what actions need to take place to help preserve ecosystems.
Finally, they will develop a Powerpoint slide show to summarize
their understanding.
Tasks/Student Activity 1.Engage the
students by showing a video about the Everglades and discussing the
wildlife and habitat elements found in the Everglades. Review and
discuss what a food chain encompasses and give examples using a
variety of species within the Everglades.
2.Students will
now access the website about migrating Florida birds,
http://www.nps.gov/ever/current/feature3.htm. Students will research
the site and discover which two birds migrate to the Everglades to
nest and mate before returning North for the summer.
3.Students, in groups, will brainstorm a list of causes that
could change or destroy the habitats of migrating birds within the
Everglades. A T-chart will be used to help students discover that
human and non-human interventions affect a habitat.
4.Students will be taken to an open area where they have at
least 40 feet between two parallel lines, which represent two
different habitats. One habitat will be a section of the midwestern
U.S., western U.S. or Canada (Area 1), the other habitat will be the
Everglades (Area 2). One paper plate for each student, representing
a habitat, will be placed on the line representing Area 1. The same
number of plates will be placed in Area 2. These plates represent
habitats that the birds are migrating to for the winter. Students
will migrate to Area 2, then return to Area 1. At this point one
item from the students' list of interventions, such as a hurricane
or pollution, will be discussed and implemented into Area 2. Plates
are then removed from Area 2, representing destruction of habitat
areas. Students now migrate from Area 1 to Area 2. Students that
cannot locate a plate(habitat) are considered perished and
eliminated from the group. Students that did not perish return to
Area 1, and record data, i.e. tallies, to show how many survived
that year of migration. Repeat these steps for a period of 10
"years." Students will graph the data recorded.
5. Students
now research different ways of restoring the Everglades, which have
been destroyed by human and non-human interventions. Students may
utilize the websites http://www.audubon.org/campaign/er/ or
http://www.ems.psu.edu/info/explore/ReEverglades.html. From their
research, the students will now generate a list of ways to restore
damaged areas of the Everglades. Students will prepare a piece of
expository writing that describes human and non-human interventions,
the effects of these interventions on habitats and species within
the habitats, and possible ways of preventing destruction or
restoring the Everglades.
The Project
Activities and Procedure(s):
Students will work in groups of three to demonstrate their
understanding of the concepts by designing a Powerpoint slide show
that illustrates the effects of interventions on ecosystems and the
need for all elements of a habitat for a specie's survival.
Enrichment/Alternate Activity:
The "Habitat" activity could be repeated by showing the effects
of restoration on the population growth of migrating birds and the
possible problems associated with overpopulation of a species.
Acknowledgements:
The "Habitat" activity is adapted by a similar activity created
by Project Aquatic.
Additional Resources
Main
URL:
Primary URL: http://www.nps.gov/ever/current/feature3.htm.
Related Resources
Related Units
Copyright © 1997-2003
Career Connection to Teaching with Technology
USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Marshall Ransom, Project Manager
All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
