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UNIT TITLE: Exploring Ecosystems
GRADE LEVEL: 5th grade
LENGTH OF UNIT: 10 weeks
SECTION 1: Key Ideas and Major Understandings
Individual organisms and species change over time.
1. In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another
for resources. (3.2a)
2. Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive
characteristics of a species are insufficient to permit its survival. Extinction of a
species is common… (3.2b)
3. Although the time needed for change in a species is usually great, some species of
insects and bacteria have undergone significant changes in just a few years.
(3.2d)
Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
1. Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that
contribute to their ability to maintain a balanced condition. (5.1a)
2. An organism’s overall body plan and its environment determine the way the
organism carries out the life processes. (5.1b)
3. The methods for obtaining nutrients vary among organisms. Producers, such as
green plants, use light energy to make their food. Consumers, such as animals,
take in energy-rich foods. (5.1d)
4. Herbivores obtain energy from plants. Carnivores obtain energy from animals.
Omnivores obtain energy from both plants and animals. Decomposers, such as
bacteria and fungi, obtain energy by consuming wastes and/or dead organisms.
(5.1e)
5. The survival of an organism depends on its ability to sense and respond to the
external environment. (5.1g)
Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
1. Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, usually from the Sun, through
producers and consumers and then to decomposers. This process may be
visualized with food chains or energy pyramids. (6.1a)
2. Food webs identify feeding relationships among producers, consumers, and
decomposers in an ecosystem. (6.1b)
Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical
and living environment.
1. A population consists of all individuals of a species that are found together at a
given place and time. Populations living in one place form a community. The
community and the physical factors with which it interacts compose an
ecosystem. (7.1a)
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
2. Given adequate resources and no disease or predators, populations (including
humans) increase. Lack of resources, habitat destruction, and other factors such
as predation and climate limit the growth of certain populations in the ecosystem.
(7.1b)
3. The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances (pollutants) that
are harmful to organisms. Therefore, the good health of environments and
individuals requires the monitoring of soil, air, and water, and taking steps to
keep them safe. (7.1e)
4. Overpopulation in any species impacts the environment due to increased use of
resources. Human activities can bring about environmental degradation through
resource acquisition, urban growth, land-use decisions, waste disposal, etc. (7.2c)
5. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have resulted in major pollution
of air, water, and soil. Pollution has cumulative ecological effects such as acid
rain, global warming, or ozone depletion. The survival of living things on our
planet depends on the conservation and protection of Earth’s resources. (7.2d)
SECTION 2: Essential/Unit Questions and Skills
Essential Questions:
1. How do living and nonliving things interact?
2. How do adaptations help organisms?
3. How do environmental changes affect species?
4. What is the role of humans in an ecosystem?
5. Why is it important to study food webs and ecosystems?
Unit Questions:
1. What are adaptations?
2. What are structural adaptations? Identify them and state their functions.
3. What are behavioral adaptations? Identify them and state their functions.
4. What adaptations help organisms survive in a water environment? On land?
5. What adaptations help organisms survive seasonal changes?
6. What are individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems?
7. What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?
8. What are examples of different biomes? How are they similar/different?
9. What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?
10. How do consumers/decomposers get the energy and nutrients they need?
11. What do food chains and food webs show about energy flow?
Living Environment Skills:
1. Interpret and/or illustrate the energy flow in a food chain, energy pyramid, or
food web.
2. Identify structure and function relationships in organisms.
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
SECTION 3: Assessments and Targets
Diagnostic Assessments:
1. K-W-L chart – Given at the start of the unit to provide an informal assessment of
what students know about ecosystems and what they wish to learn.
2. Pre-Unit Test – A formal assessment of students’ knowledge. This test will cover
relevant standards in the Elementary Science Core Curriculum (K—4th grade).
Formative Assessments:
1. Student-teacher conferences and checklists.
2. Whole-class discussions at the end of lessons.
3. Reflection logs – Students will complete daily reflections throughout the duration of
their research projects.
4. Students will be assessed throughout several learning experiences, such as:
a. Sort ecosystem cards according to ecological organization levels
b. Determine the effect of sunlight on plant growth
c. Observe the behavior and response of earthworms
d. Watch Jane Goodall’s famous observational study of chimpanzees
e. Identify the structures and function of snails, crickets, anoles, and “Betta fish”
f. Dissect owl pellets and construct a food chain
Note: For the complete list of learning experiences, see Section 8: Schedule of Lessons.
Summative Assessments:
1. Individual research reports on different ecosystems.
2. Group PowerPoint presentation.
3. Post-Unit Test – Formally assess students’ mastery of unit standards and skills.
4. End-of-unit reflection – Informal assessment of students’ progress and dispositions.
SECTION 4: Unit Vocabulary
Organism
Habitat
Camouflage
Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biotic factors
Abiotic factors
Food chain
Biome
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
Food web
Advantage
Disadvantage
Adaptation
Behavioral adaptation
Structural adaptation
Function
Evolution/evolve
Species
Pollution/pollutants
Acid rain
Global warming
Extinction
Survival
Carnivores
Herbivores
Omnivores
Regulation
Reproduce
Resource
Fungus/fungi
Behavior
Structure
Degrees Celsius (ºC)
Thermometer
Prey
Predator
Dissect
Overpopulation
Hibernation
Mimicry
Migration
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Third-level consumer
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
SECTION 5: Achievement Targets and Assessment Methods
Achievement
Target
Selected
Response
Essay
Performance
Assessment
Personal
Communication
• Various essay
exercises
throughout the
unit.
• Essays included
in post-unit test.
Other methods
are preferable.
Knowledge &
Understanding
• Multiple-choice
questions from
previous State
Science Exams.
•Vocabulary
fill-ins (Do Nows).
• Whole-class
discussions at the
end of lessons.
• Student-teacher
conferencing and
checklists.
Other methods
are preferable.
• Students explain
the relationship
among the
different levels of
a food web.
• Observe/assess
students creating
food webs.
• Ask students to
“think aloud” and
ask followup
questions to probe
reasoning.
Other methods
are preferable.
Other methods
are preferable.
• Observe and
evaluate group
PowerPoint
presentations.
• Assess oral
communication
skills during
group
presentation.
• Students will
complete checklist
to ensure
completion of
their projects.
• Brief essay to
assess mastery of
standards prior to
start of research
project.
• Construct food
web diagram.
• Create individual
research report on
an ecosystem and
its organisms.
Other methods
are preferable.
• Open-ended
questionnaire at
the end of unit
(reflection piece).
• Can infer
dispositions from
behavior and
products
(anecdotals).
• Probe
procedural
knowledge during
group
presentations
(e.g., How did you
obtain this
information?).
• Ask students
why ecosystems
are worth
studying.
Reasoning
Proficiency
Performance
Skills
Ability to Create
Products
Dispositions
SECTION 6: Possible Misconceptions and Solutions
Students may believe that…
1. All plant and animal species have been discovered. Discuss how new species are
being discovered frequently (especially insects). Do a shared reading of the article
More than 1,000 Species Found in Mekong.
2. An individual plant or animal can suddenly develop a new adaptation during its
lifetime. Address this issue during the Walking stick lesson. Students will
perform an online investigation to explore how successive generations of walking
sticks survive or become extinct due to their protective coloration.
3. Animals behave the same way that humans do. For example, students observing a
population of crickets may state: “They are playing together.” Students must
learn to distinguish facts and opinions when writing observations. Address this
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
problem when students are completing observation logs for their terrariums and
aquariums.
4. Animals that eat other animals are being “mean” or “evil.” Explain that it is
necessary for all living things to obtain nutrients and carry out their life
processes. Do a shared reading of the article Why Some Animals Are Considered
“Bad” or “Scary.”
5. All desert ecosystems are hot. Even deserts that are hot during the day can
become uncomfortably cold at night. One group of students will research desert
biomes. Ask them to address this issue in their presentation to the class.
SECTION 7: Statement of Purpose
Introduction
It is clear that this unit, Exploring Ecosystems, is not intended to be cursory. It
is, in fact, a careful amalgamation of two major units – Food Chains and Webs and
Populations and Ecosystems – created by Delta Education. These two units served as a
supporting backbone on which to build my lessons. I would like to stress that none of
these lessons have been copied straight from the Teacher’s Guide. Every single one has
been altered, expanded, or improved in order to meet the specific needs of my students.
It is my personal belief that cookie-cutter worksheets are rarely (if ever) appropriate.
Therefore, all the worksheets and graphic organizers that my students receive are
created from scratch and often differentiated by academic level or language proficiency.
The first thing this unit does is it attempts to bridge the scientific knowledge from
the elementary grades into middle school. Thus, it begins with a diagnostic assessment
of students’ mastery of elementary concepts regarding the living environment in order
to tailor the lessons to the students’ needs. The data gathered from this initial
assessment will help the teacher make crucial decisions such as how to build on
previous knowledge, expose students to concepts they have possibly never been taught,
and determine which lessons can be taught in small groups rather than the whole class.
Exploring Ecosystems focuses on four key ideas delineated in New York’s
Intermediate-Level Science Core Curriculum for grades 5 though 8:
1. Individual organisms and species change over time.
2. Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
3. Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
4. Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical
and living environment.
Each of the four key ideas is then further divided into major understandings (i.e.,
science standards). These are statements of what students should be able to do to
provide evidence that they know the key idea. These standards have been carefully
arranged in a chart that will help me formatively assess how each student is progressing
in his or her mastery of the standards (see Assessment Chart). Of course, not all of the
standards listed in the “Living Environment” section of the Core Curriculum have been
covered, as students will learn and revisit more complex and abstract concepts in
subsequent grades. For example, as students advance in middle school, they will
gradually learn how to do such things as burn food to measure the amount of energy it
contains, construct and analyze energy pyramids, and learn the structures and genetic
mechanisms of heredity.
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
To get an idea of how the standards in this unit are presented and assessed in the
Grade NY State Science Written Exam, please review “Item 10d – Original Curricular
Tool D,” which is a collection of test questions gathered from the past four years. These
questions can be used as “Do Nows” at the beginning of lessons, given for homework, or
included in the end-of-unit test.
8th
The Research Project
I believe that research projects have a great potential for motivating students and
helping them become independent learners. As part of their summative assessment,
students will be required to complete a research project on a variety of sensitive
ecosystems found across the United States. The goals of this project will be to help
students: collect information using different types of primary and secondary sources;
locate information using a variety of research strategies; organize information; ask
questions to further the investigation of topics; evaluate the information found in
documents; and take responsibility for completing individual and group assignments. Of
course, the loftier goal is for students to realize that humans are inextricably linked to
ecosystems and are ultimately responsible for their protection and conservation.
Experience has taught me that fifth graders are very inquisitive. Their natural
curiosity and desire to learn about the world around them are wonderful motivators for
teaching research and expository writing. Students at this age also show a preference for
nonfiction. Reading nonfiction requires that students practice and hone a set of skills
different from reading fiction. In this unit, students will be able to practice literacy skills
and strategies, many of which will prove useful on the English Language Arts Test. Also,
many of the lessons dealing with research comply with several ELA standards including:
comprehending informational materials (E1c), producing a report of information (E2a),
and delivering an individual presentation (E3c).
Evolution: The Controversy
Exploring Ecosystems introduces elementary students to the idea of “natural
selection,” which can be sensitive and controversial. As we know, the ideas of natural
selection and evolution of life on Earth can bring scientific historical evidence and the
very essence of scientific inquiry into conflict with deeply held beliefs concerning the
sacred origins of life. Both points of view seek to answer the same questions, in a way:
how did I get here, and where did I come from? It is worth teaching students that even
Darwin himself anguished over his newfound ideas and feared societal response to his
propositions.
The intent of this unit is to introduce students to the scientific explanation for the
origin of species, and not to disparage their belief system. Students are presented to
these ideas and encouraged to engage them in different ways. One possibility is to
incorporate persuasive writing and public speaking into this curriculum, encouraging
the students to present and defend the various perspectives surrounding this topic.
For some enlightenment on these issues, I recommend the following literature:
• Intelligent Thought: Science Versus the Intelligent Design Movement,
by John Brockman (Vintage Books, 2006).
• The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, by David Quammen (Atlas Books, 2006).
Opportunities for Integration
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009
Various lessons in this unit can be easily integrated with other subjects. For
instance, in Lesson 21 the students rely on their math skills as they collect population
statistics of walkingsticks and graph their data. In Lesson 16, “The Industrial
Revolution,” the students delve into social-studies texts in order to comprehend how
human progress can sometimes lead to environmental degradation. Students will also
be receiving an implicit lesson in geography as they explore different regions of the
United States for their research projects.
Technology has also been incorporated throughout the unit in order to enhance
the students’ learning. Students will watch several videos (Among the Wild
Chimpanzees, The Vanishing Frog, Voyage to the Galapagos Islands) in order to see
science in action in the “real world.” Obviously, the Internet will play an integral part in
the research process. Students will learn how to safely and effectively use the web as a
source of up-to-the-minute information, as well as how to find and evaluate online
sources on their own. Students will have the opportunity to create a multimedia
presentation using PowerPoint or Keynote to present their research to their classmates.
With the right support, experiences in public speaking can be very valuable in building
students’ self-esteem and confidence. It will also help them prepare for their eighthgrade exit projects in science and social studies.
No Child Left Inside
I recently read Richard Louv’s fascinating book, Last Child In the Woods: Saving
Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. The book describes the accumulating body
of research that reveals that contact with nature is necessary for healthy child
development. The less time the young spend in natural surroundings, he says, the more
their senses narrow physiologically and psychologically. Louv argues that “reducing that
deficit – healing the broken bond between our young and nature – is in our self-interest,
not only because aesthetics or just demands it, but also because our mental, physical,
and spiritual health depends upon it” (p.3).
Indeed, it is my aspiration as a science teacher to help reduce that deficit.
Students need to understand that every bite we take connects us to a complex network
known as a food web. At the end of the unit (or perhaps earlier) students should take the
opportunity to venture outside to apply the concepts discussed inside the classroom.
One possibility is to take the kids to Ft. Tryon Park, where the Cloisters Museum is
located (yet another opportunity for the integration of social studies!). Here they can
observe and study a local ecosystem with the aid of digital cameras, notebooks, and
binoculars. But beyond teaching them to be passive observers, children should be
encouraged to become active citizens and devise ways to reduce the negative impact of
humans on the natural environment (e.g., create an anti-littering campaign or schedule
a community clean-up).
As we know, many of our school are situated in challenging urban environments
where it is not always possible (or safe) to venture out into nature, so it’s up to us to
bring nature to the students. One way of doing this is by helping students build
aquariums and terrariums for study. The children are always fascinated and excited
when introduced (some for the very fist time) to live animals like crickets, anoles,
earthworm, Betta fish, aquatic snails, and more. It is my hope that through these handson experiences my students will become the future Jane Goodalls and Jeff Corwins of
the world.
Created by A. Pérez – March, 2009