Download “Wanted: Dead or Delicious”-The food chain of the Lion Fish

Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
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Resource ID#: 127746
“Wanted: Dead or Delicious”­The food chain of the Lion
Fish
This lesson is designed to get students to understand how a food chain works using an invasive species like the Lionfish. It is timely and students
here on the Gulf Coast can relate to the problem.
Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): 7
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students,
Internet Connection, LCD Projector,
Speakers/Headphones, Adobe Flash Player
Instructional Time: 4 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Keywords: food chain, food web, invasive species, Lionfish, consumer, producer, predator
Resource Collection: FCR-STEMLearn Diversity and Ecology
ATTACHMENTS
BeforeAfter Food chain of Lionfish.docx
Questions for Lionfish Article.docx
Answer key for Lionfish article.docx
Lionfish rubric.xlsx
Questions for Video Clip.docx
Food chain of the Lionfish.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to construct a food web to illustrate how energy is transferred from one organism to another.
Students will be able to describe the effect invasive species have on a food web.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should have a basic understanding of how food chains/food webs work.
Students should understand that energy flows from one organism to another in the direction of the arrows.
Students should understand that all food webs start with a producer and that there are more producers than consumers in a food web.
Students should understand that top predators in a food web may not eat all the other organisms shown.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. How is energy transferred from a producer to a consumer?
page 1 of 3 2. How is energy transferred from a producer/consumer to a decomposer?
3. How might the food chains differ in a native habitat vs. a habitat introduced to an invasive species?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
The concept will be presented with a video clip of the Lionfish and how it is now a problem in the Gulf of Mexico:
"Lionfish causing problems in Gulf" video clip: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-do4olSgDI).
After the video clip, the teacher will lead a discussion on the Lionfish and what problems it may be causing for the native species in the Gulf of Mexico food chain.
These question can be used to help guide discussion:
Questions for Video Clip.docx
Show and discuss image of the Lionfish food web:
Food chain of the Lionfish.docx
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Teachers will hand out the article on the Lionfish and do a close read with the students. The article can be found at:
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/marine-species/lionfish
A close read on an article is just reading the article several times and dissecting it to fully understand the content of the article.
Each student should get a copy of the article.
The teacher will first read the article out loud to the students instructing them to number the passages as you go. Some paragraphs are short and can be added to
larger paragraphs. As the teacher is reading the article, instruct the students to highlight or underline any unfamiliar words that can be discussed later.
Next the students will be asked to read a paragraph at a time. Go around the room and have a different student read each passage to keep their attention.
Next go through each paragraph and ask if any student underlined or highlighted a word they did not understand. You may have to prompt the students since some
students do not like others to know they did not understand a word. Any words can be discussed and use context clues to figure out the meanings.
Lastly the teacher will hand out "QuestionsforLionfish Article". Students will work together in pairs to answer the questions. Teachers may go over the questions and
answers ("AnswerkeyforLionfish Article") to make sure all students understood the article.
Questions for Lionfish Article.docx
Answer key for Lionfish article.docx
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
The students will use their knowledge gained to reinforce what they know about the transfer of energy in a food web and invasive species. They will use internet
research as confirmation.
The students will then draw and label 3 food chains in their Interactive Science Notebook (or science journal) . These 3 food chains are the Gulf of Mexico preLionfish, Lionfish home range and the Gulf of Mexico post lion fish. The food chain should include the at least 2 producers and 2 primary consumers. The food chain
in the Gulf of Mexico post lion fish should include humans as predators. The drawings should also be in color. Use the following drawing to help describe the food
chains:
BeforeAfter Food chain of Lionfish.docx
Then the students will do a reflection on the difference between the 3 food chains in their notebooks. This should include why the differences exist between the
food webs and how the Lionfish changed the flow of energy in the ecosystem. This can also be discussed as a class after the drawings are done.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
The lesson will be closed by having the students draw a "Wanted" poster for the Lionfish. The title should be "Wanted: Dead or Delicious". First have the class
discuss why lionfish are wanted: dead or delicious which will lead into doing the poster.
Give students half a sheet of poster board and the rubric for grading. They should title the poster. Have a picture of the Lionfish in the middle. They can either draw
it or print one in color from the computer if available.
The poster should also include 4 or more facts about the Lionfish and why it's wanted dead or to be used in a recipe for a dinner.
The poster should also include how the invasive species affects the ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.
The poster should be attractive and use good grammar.
The rubric is as follows: Lionfish rubric.xlsx
The students should attach the rubric to the back of the poster with their names on it so the teacher can grade it.
Summative Assessment
The students will produce a "Wanted"; poster using a rubric (Lionfish rubric.xlsx) provided by the teacher.
Formative Assessment
The teacher will lead a discussion on invasive species after the video clip. During this discussion, the teacher will assess which students understand the concept.
The teacher will lead the close read on the Lionfish. During this the teacher will be able to assess which students understand the article.
The teacher will look at the food chain drawings in the students Interactive Science Notebooks and be able to assess which students understand the two food
chains.
The teacher will look at the reflections the students did in their Interactive Science Notebooks and from this the teacher will understand which students understand
the concept.
Feedback to Students
The students will get feedback from each of the above processes after each activity is complete. From this feedback they can adjust their understanding of the
concept.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
page 2 of 3 Accommodations:
Students can be given a print out of the two food chains instead of doing the research. Students can copy and color in their notebooks.
The teacher can also print out some facts about the Lionfish instead of doing research. Students can be guided as to which facts would be suitable for the poster.
For the questions and answers on the Lionfish article, the teacher can request that students with accommodations only answer a portion of the questions. The
teacher can then go over all questions and those students can fill the answers in.
Extensions:
This lesson can be extended to be more challenging by having students do a food web instead of a food chain.
Students that finish the project early can be asked to create a public service announcement for Lionfish capture.
Students could also be asked to create and compare an Atlantic Ocean food web that includes the Lionfish.
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Speakers/Headphones, Adobe
Flash Player
Special Materials Needed:
1. The Lionfish article and copies of the questions
2. Students will need their Interactive Science Notebooks or science journals.
3. Colored pencils to do drawings.
4. Poster board-cut in half to save money.
5. Markers or colored pencils to do poster.
Further Recommendations:
I recommend that this lesson be done over a 3 to 4 day period. The poster may take students 2 or more days.
Use this link for more information on doing a close read on a non-fiction article: http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/how-do-close-reading
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This lesson could easily be adjusted to focus on invasive species in a food chain.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Suzanne Ashmore
Name of Author/Source: Suzanne Ashmore
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Escambia
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
SC.7.L.17.1:
SC.7.L.17.3:
Description
Explain and illustrate the roles of and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of
energy transfer in a food web.
Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including
food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.
page 3 of 3