Download Backward Design Unit Plan Template

Community Ecology Unit
Course: Advanced Biology
Teachers: Elizabeth Smiley, Julie Her Many Horses,
Carrie Jo Calvert, Josie Redman,
Scott Krassin
Submitted to QRSTEM: 1 October 2008 (original)
3 November 2008 (revision)
Grade Level: 11-12
Duration of Unit: 4 weeks
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Content Standard(s)/Overarching Performance Goals (Wyoming – Science, Math,
Language Arts)
SC.11.01 ~ CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES: IN THE CONTEXT OF UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND
PROCESSES, STUDENTS DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENTIFIC CONTENT
THROUGH INQUIRY. SCIENCE IS A DYNAMIC PROCESS; CONCEPTS AND CONTENT ARE
BEST LEARNED THROUGH INQUIRY AND INVESTIGATION.
SC.11.01.04 ~ Interdependence of Organisms: Students investigate the inter-relationships
and interdependence of organisms, including the ecosystem concept, energy flow,
competition for resources, and human effects on the environment.
SC.11.01.06 ~ Behavior and Adaptation: Students examine behavior as the sum of
responses of an organism to stimuli in its environment, which evolves through adaptation,
increasing the potential for species survival. They identify adaptation as characteristics
and behaviors of an organism that enhance the chance for survival and reproductive
success in a particular environment.
SC.11.02 ~ SCIENCE AS INQUIRY: STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND
HABITS OF MIND NECESSARY TO SAFELY PERFORM SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. INQUIRY IS
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTENT, TEACHING STUDENTS THE
USE OF PROCESSES OF SCIENCE THAT ENABLE THEM TO CONSTRUCT AND DEVELOP
THEIR OWN KNOWLEDGE. INQUIRY REQUIRES APPROPRIATE FIELD, CLASSROOM, AND
LABORATORY EXPERIENCES WITH SUITABLE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT.
SC.11.02.01 ~ Students research scientific information and present findings through
appropriate means.
SC.11.02.02 ~ Students use inquiry to conduct scientific investigations. • Pose problems
and identify questions and concepts to design and conduct an investigation. • Collect,
organize, and analyze and appropriately represent data. • Give priority to evidence in
drawing conclusions and making connections to scientific concepts. • Clearly and
accurately communicate the result of the investigation.
SC.11.02.03 ~ Students clearly and accurately communicate the result of their own work
as well as information from other sources.
MA.11.03 ~ MEASUREMENT: STUDENTS USE A VARIETY OF TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF
MEASUREMENT IN A PROBLEM-SOLVING SITUATION.
MA.11.03.03 Students identify and apply scale, ratios, and proportions in
solving measurement problems.
MA.11.05 ~ DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY: STUDENTS USE DATA ANALYSIS AND
PROBABILITY TO ANALYZE GIVEN SITUATIONS AND THE RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS.
MA.11.05.01 ~ Students apply knowledge of mean, median, mode and range to interpret
and evaluate information and data.
MA.11.05.02 ~ Students draw reasonable inferences from statistical data and/or
correlation/best fit line to predict outcomes.
MA.11.05.04 ~ Students determine, collect, organize, and analyze relevant data needed to
make conclusions.
LA.11.02 ~ WRITING: STUDENTS USE THE WRITING PROCESS AND USE APPROPRIATE
STRATEGIES TO WRITE A VARIETY OF EXPRESSIVE AND EXPOSITORY PIECES.
LA.11.02.01 ~ Students apply writing skills to plan, draft, revise, and publish writing for
intended audiences.
Understanding(s) Students will understand that…
Populations interact with each other in a number of ways.
Organisms co-evolve as a result of these interactions.
Species diversity is important to our daily lives.
Proportional reasoning can be used to make predictions.
Scientists use graphs and statistics to analyze data and draw conclusions.
Scientists use models and mathematics when trying to understand and explain patterns in nature.
Essential Question(s)
What are the properties of communities?
How do species interact with each other?
How do species adapt in response to these interactions?
How do scientists measure community interactions and diversity?
What is species diversity and why is it important?
Why is species diversity declining and what can we do about it?
Students will know…
Ways populations interact (predation, parasitism, plant-herbivore, competition, mutualism).
Ways to measure Species Richness and Diversity and why they are important.
Ways community ecologists study the natural world.
Students will be able to…
Define the term community.
Distinguish between predation and parasitism.
List four adaptations prey use to reduce the risk of capture.
List four adaptations predators use to capture prey.
Explain how predators and prey co-evolve.
Describe how parasites are transmitted between hosts.
Describe how parasites affect host populations.
Describe how hosts may adapt to reduce the impacts parasites have on their lives.
Describe four ways plants defend themselves against herbivores.
Explain how competition can affect community structure.
Explain the different types of competition: intraspecific, interspecific, exploitative, interference.
Define competitive exclusion and give examples.
Give three examples of mutualism.
Explain the difference between species richness and diversity.
Collect data on a local plant community and calculate species diversity using a variety of indices.
Explain two main views of the relationship between species richness and stability.
Explain the role disturbance plays in species diversity.
Explain why species diversity is important to humans both economically and to our daily lives.
Describe ways to preserve species diversity.
Graph and interpret data.
Use proportional reasoning to predict future population size in a given situation.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Product(s)
Sample local plant community and write lab report including introduction, methods, data analysis
(e.g., density, diversity indices, species importance), and conclusions.
Predatory-prey simulation to look at impact of different types of predators on different types of prey
populations and how they are adapted. Product will include data sheets, answers to discussion
questions, data analysis, and graphing.
Foraging activity to explore the impact of mimicry and competition on acquiring resources.
Product will include data sheets, answers to discussion questions, data analysis, and graphing.
Key Criteria for use in evaluating work:
Sampling plant community
Data collection sheet complete and understandable.
Data analysis done correctly using appropriate formulas.
Lab report should be in proper format with headings.
Paragraph and sentence structure should be clear and grammatically correct.
Methods section should be detailed enough someone else can duplicate the procedure.
Conclusion section makes connections between concepts studied in class and data
collected.
Predator-prey simulation
Data collection sheet complete and understandable.
Data analysis done correctly using appropriate formulas.
Graphs are properly labeled with appropriate use of scale.
Thoughtful answers to discussion questions making connections between concepts
studied in class and data collected.
Foraging activity
Data collection sheet complete and understandable.
Data analysis done correctly using appropriate formulas.
Graphs are properly labeled with appropriate use of scale.
Thoughtful answers to discussion questions making connections between concepts
studied in class and data collected.
Other Evidence
“One Minute Essay” at end of each class
K-W-L sheets
Handouts to be used for note taking templates and as study guides.
Chapter 21 Section 1 and Section 2 Review Questions
Unit Tests
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities
1. Go outside and have students describe different types of communities they can see in the
immediate area. Pick a plant or animal we see and ask how it might interact with other
organisms in the community. H
2. Use K-W-L to assess what they know and what they want to learn. R
3. Short (15 minutes) powerpoint lectures to introduce main concepts in unit. Encourage student
discussion of what they know and how it applies to their life. Use short video clips to show
examples of adaptations and interactions. Have students take notes using different formats
they might be exposed to in college. Encourage them to find a format that works for them. W,
R
4. “One Minute Essay” at the end of each class. Asking: What is the big point you learned in
class today? What is the main unanswered question you leave class with today? R
5. Read Ch. 21-1 and answer section review questions. E
6. Read Ch. 21-2 and answer section review questions. E
7. Sample local plant community: data analysis, write lab report. E, R
8. Predator-prey simulation: data analysis, graphing, discussion questions. E, R
9. Foraging activity: data analysis, graphing, discussion questions. E, R
10. Summarize main concepts of unit using study guides or concept maps. R, E2
11. Unit Tests – multiple choice, short answer essay, story problems E