Course Profile Science, Grade 10, Applied,
Public
Unit 2: Ecosystems and Human Activity
Time: 24 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5 | Activity 6
In this unit, students develop an understanding of ecosystems by exploring natural processes, resource availability, and the impacts of technological change. Students identify a current ecological concern, develop inquiry skills (by formulating scientific questions, designing and performing practical tests, analysing information) and offer possible solutions to resolve the issues raised. Students examine Canada’s role in the protection and sustainability of ecosystems and explore the technologies used. Related environmental careers are investigated. The end-of-unit task is a study of a local ecosystem with an emphasis on data collection and analysis.
Strand(s): Biology
Overall Expectations: BYV.01P, BYV.02P, BYV.03P.
Specific Expectations: BY1.01P, BY1.02P, BY1.03P, BY1.04P, BY1.05P, BY1.06P, BY1.07P, BY2.01P, BY2.02P, BY1.03P, BY1.04P, BY2.05P, BY2.06P, BY2.07P, BY3.01P, BY3.02P, BY3.03P, BY3.04P, BY3.05P.
|
Activity 2.1 |
Introduction to Ecosystems |
210 minutes |
|
Activity 2.2 |
Flow of Matter and Energy |
300 minutes |
|
Activity 2.3 |
Bioaccumulation |
90 minutes |
|
Activity 2.4 |
Stresses and Changes |
300 minutes |
|
Activity 2.5 |
Canadian Issues: Research and Report |
240 minutes |
|
Activity 2.6 |
Analysis of an Ecosystem |
300 minutes |
· Concepts from Interactions Within Ecosystems, Grade 7 Science
· Concepts from Grade 9 Geography, especially sustainability
· Read all activities ahead of time to review safety procedures, equipment, and materials required.
· Review the expectations for the Grade 9 Canadian and World Studies curriculum (Geography of Canada) and consult with geography teachers to identify the approach taken in that course.
· Review the final task of this unit and identify ways to make links to it throughout the unit.
· Review the final unit (Making Connections) and identify expectations assessed in it that must be developed throughout the entire course, including this unit.
· Start seedlings germinating ahead of time for student use in Activity 2.4.
|
Activity |
Strategy |
Description |
|
2.1: Introduction to Ecosystems |
Lab exercise with data collection and analysis Individual research assignment Group task and note making |
Construction of ecosystem to understand components followed by research on biomes and simulation of a food web |
|
2.2: Flow of Matter and Energy |
Lab exercises Co-operative learning task |
Study of photosynthesis to understand concept of energy flow, followed by investigation of materials cycling |
|
2.3: Bioaccumulation |
Simulation game Class discussion |
Investigation of bioaccumulation |
|
2.4: Stresses and Changes |
Experimental design Simulation game Field study |
Student-designed investigation of an environmental factor, followed by a simulation and comparison of a natural and disturbed ecosystem |
|
2.5: Canadian Issues: Research and Report |
Class discussion Research project |
Research on a Canadian issue, including investigations of causes, effects, and analysis of bias |
|
2.6: Analysis of an Ecosystem |
Field trip and data collection and analysis |
Field research of an ecosystem with focus on sustainability |
|
Activity |
Task |
Tool |
Links to Achievement Chart or Learning Skills |
|
2.1: Introduction to Ecosystems |
Diagnostic assessment, chart, diagram |
Marking scheme |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication Teamwork, Organization, Works
Independently, Work Habits |
|
2.2: Flow of Matter and Energy |
Lab exercise summary Graphic organizer |
Rubric |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication Teamwork, Organization |
|
2.3: Bioaccumulation |
Teacher observation of participation in discussion Formative assessment of journal entry |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding, Making Connections Teamwork, Organization, Work Habits |
|
2.4: Stresses and Changes |
Lab report Graphs from simulation Analysis of field results |
Rubric Checklist Rubric |
Communication, Inquiry, Making Connections Teamwork, Organization, Work Habits,
Works Independently, Initiative |
|
2.5: Canadian Issues: Research and Report |
Presentation |
Rubric |
Inquiry, Communication, Making Connections Teamwork,
Organization, Initiative |
|
2.6: Analysis of an Ecosystem |
Test Lab report rubric |
Marking scheme Rubric |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication, Making Connections Teamwork, Organization, Work Habits, Works Independently |
www.unb.ca/web/forestry/centers/cwru/soe/title.htm
(Includes case study sites, as well as excellent overview of biodiversity
www.schoolnet.ca/vp-pv/learning
(Learning for a Sustainable Future – has a variety of online curriculum
resources focussing on a variety of sustainability issues, as well as
information on workshops they offer.)
http://199.212.18.79/~ind/English/Home/default1.htm
(National Environmental Indicator Series – includes a variety of links,
including a listing of a variety of environmental issues.)
gbr.org
(The Green Brick Road-links to environmental issues as well as an excellent
catalogue of environmental education materials)
www.ontarionature.org/
(Includes a bookshop as well as connections for opportunities for involvement
in environmental projects across the province)
Marean, John, et al. Issues for Today:
Acid Rain, Genetic Engineering, Herbicides and Pesticides, The Greenhouse
Effect. Agincourt: GLC Publishing Ltd., 1985. ISBN 0-88874-038-7
This Canadian reference contains background reading and student investigations.
Environment with Canadian Environmental Issues Supplement. This book combines a college level textbook, Raven, P.H., et al. Enviroment. Saunders/Harcourt Brace College Publishing, 1995. ISBN 0-03-010588-9 with Leighton, Tony. Canadian Regional Environmental Issues Manual. Harcourt Brace, 1993. ISBN 0-03-097143-8
Miller, G. Tyler, Jr. Environmental Science: Working with the Earth, 5th ed. Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1995. ISBN 0-534-21588-2
Miller, G. Tyler, Jr. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections and Solutions, 9th ed. Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996. ISBN 0 534-23898-X
Nebel, Bernard J. and Richard T.
Wright. Environmental Science, Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall, 2000.
ISBN 0-13-835331-X
(This is a teacher reference, a college level text with lots of good background
information for this unit and for the weather unit as well.)
Person, Jane L. Environmental Science:
How The World Works and Your Place In It. Canada: JM LeBel Enterprises
Ltd., 1989. ISBN 0-92008-41-0
This teacher resource is a source of investigations and case studies relating
to environmental issues. There are also a Teachers Manual (ISBN 920008-43-2)
and a book of Investigations (ISBN 920008-42-1)
Time: 210 minutes
This unit begins with an assessment of students’ understanding of ecosystems. Students then construct a small model ecosystem from which they can record data on a daily basis, developing skills needed for the end-of-unit task. Students identify biotic factors, abiotic factors, and trophic levels in their ecosystems, relating these and other terms to natural ecosystems. Students also research and present similarities and differences between two Canadian biomes.
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BYV.01P - demonstrate an understanding of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life;
BY1.01P - describe the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they relate to the cycling of energy, carbon, and oxygen through abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem.;
BY2.04P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts select and integrate information from various sources, including electronic, print, and community resources, to answer the questions chosen;
BY2.06P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts communicate the results of the investigation using a variety of oral, written, and graphic formats.
· Determine the kind of ecosystems students make and have sufficient materials ready. For example, students building aquatic ecosystem require a large jar (4 L), gravel or sand, aquatic plants, algae, snails, and small fish such as guppies. Water, either from an established pond or tap water which has been allowed to stand for several days, is also required. Instructions for building such ecosystems can be found in many texts. As an alternative to small-group ecosystems, some teachers may choose to create a larger ecosystem (e.g., 20 L for aquatic ecosystems) which the whole class uses for taking measures. Some teachers have found this larger ecosystem to be more viable than smaller ones – an important consideration if mortality is to be avoided or minimized. In any case, there should be numerous water plants for generating the oxygen needed by all the aquatic organisms. A light source is also required for plants and algae to photosynthesize.
· Consider how the ecosystems are maintained. Ecosystems may be closed (sealed) or open (unsealed) and these terms should be discussed with students. Those suggested here, even if temporarily sealed, need to be opened to make daily readings and, if required, to maintain the health of the organisms present. The intention is not to create a truly natural ecosystem, but to mimic one which students may use to practise taking measurements. To maintain the health of the organisms, it may be necessary to add food or aerate the water.
· Make arrangements for maintaining the organisms once the activity is finished or for releasing them in an appropriate manner and location. Do not introduce species into environments where they are not already present.
· Become familiar with both the equipment available in the school (e.g., testing kits, probeware) and the techniques involved in taking measurements. It is most appropriate for students to use probeware for taking measurements such as temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen.
· Locate student-ready information on various Canadian biomes from textbooks, videos, and other resources.
· Prepare materials for the food chain/web activity including string and approximately 75 photographs of organisms that would be found in different habitats (at least 10-15 for each type of habitat).
· Remind students to come prepared with coloured pens/pencils for the food chain/web activity.
· Note: Protective gloves should be used when working with “raw” pond water.
· Many students have studied some of the basic ecological terms and relationships in Grade 7.
· Students should be familiar with different formats for recording and presenting information such as Venn diagrams, flowcharts, and cross-classification tables. (See TSM 1B: Note-taking Styles.)
2.1.1 Student Activity: Students participate in an assessment of their understanding of basic ecological terms. This may be a diagnostic pre-test or a teacher-led discussion.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher emphasizes the purpose of this assessment of prior learning as a means of shaping the activities to follow. It is important to assess student understanding of these key terms: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, parasite, scavenger), decomposer, trophic levels, food chain, food web, and biome. This can be done using a paper-and-pencil pre-test as well as informally while students build their ecosystems
2.1.2 Student Activity: Students are introduced to the end-of-unit task and are informed that they develop skills in this activity which they use throughout this unit. Using materials provided by the teacher and/or brought from home, students create a model aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem in the classroom. With the teacher’s assistance, they identify the types of data they should record each day and create a chart for doing so. Data might include: temperature, pH, moisture content of soil, dissolved O2, and dissolved CO2). Students make initial recordings. Observing their own and others’ ecosystems, they identify biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components. They also identify the trophic levels of the organisms present. They record data in their notebooks.
Teacher Facilitation: To set the context, the teacher clearly describes the end-of-unit-task, emphasizing that skills learned in this activity are required for that task.. The teacher must also point out the difference between the classroom ecosystems and natural ones, the former being less stable. Consequently, students should be directed to monitor their ecosystems and recordings carefully and to inform the teacher if any measurements seem out of the ordinary.
2.1.3 Student Activity: Students find information about two Canadian biomes in the texts/resources/videos provided. They compare and contrast biotic and abiotic components of the two biomes. This information is presented in an appropriate format such as a cross-classification chart (CCT) or Venn diagram. Colour-coding can be used for each type of information (one colour for biotic factors, another for abiotic factors, etc.).
Teacher Facilitation When discussing biomes, provide a map of Canada which shows the distribution of different biomes. It is essential to define the term biome and its relationship to ecosystems.
2.14 Student Activity: In small groups, students choose 10-15 photographs of organisms which are likely to be found together in a natural habitat in one of the biomes they are studying. With these photographs and the string provided, students create a food chain involving at least four organisms (the longer the better!). With this and other food chains they make, a food web is created. Each time an organism is added, all possible interactions with other organisms are shown by placing string arrows between organisms. The string provided can be knotted at one end to represent the tip of the arrow.
Students each copy their food web onto a large piece of paper. The producer(s) are boxed in green and the herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores are colour-coded. Students then trace the longest food chain using a distinctive colour and label the different orders of consumers (primary, secondary, etc.) in that chain.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher circulates, clarifying the task as required and answering questions about possible predator-prey interactions among the organisms in each set of photos. The teacher should evaluate each student’s food web for clarity, accuracy of colour-coding and labelling, and number of correct interactions identified.
This activity provides opportunities for both diagnostic and formative assessment. Assessment of student charts and diagrams can be done for understanding of basic concepts as well as communication skills (see Achievement Level Chart). The food web can be evaluated for understanding of basic concepts during the class.
|
Task |
Tool |
Achievement Chart Categories |
Learning Skills |
|
Diagnostic quiz |
Marking scheme |
Knowledge/Understanding |
Work Habits |
|
Recording sheets |
|
Inquiry |
Organization, Work Habits |
|
Cross-classification chart or Venn diagram |
Rubric |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication |
Organization, Work Habits |
|
Group food webs |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication |
Teamwork |
· Allow ESL students to produce drawings labelled in their home language first, then translated to English with the use of a dictionary.
· Provide opportunities to record observations on tape.
Kramer, David C. Animals in the Classroom. Addison-Wesley, 1989.
Time: 300 minutes
Students study the processes of photosynthesis through a series of guided laboratory activities. These processes are linked to the carbon; and nitrogen cycles found in nature. Students use their understanding of food chains and webs to show that, while materials are recycled within an ecosystem, energy flows one way through the ecosystem and is not reused.
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BYV.01P - demonstrate an understanding of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life;
BY1.01P - describe the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they relate to the cycling of energy, carbon and oxygen through abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem;
BY1.02P - illustrate the cycling of matter through biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem by tracking nitrogen;
BY2.06P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts communicate the results of the investigation using a variety of oral, written, and graphic formats.
· Ensure a supply of healthy plants before starting these activities. In some instances, plants need to be kept in the dark for a period of time before conducting an experiment. A dark room, closet, cupboard, or green plastic bag can be used.
· Review safety procedures for heating alcohol to dissolve the chlorophyll in the leaves. A hot plate should be used. Do not use an open flame.
· Consider combining laboratory activities or dividing the class into groups with each group responsible for the completion of a different activity. Results could be shared with the class with a brief oral presentation and/or by providing a one-page synopsis of the experiment.
· Understanding of basic needs of an organism (nutrients, oxygen, water, an ambient environment) as well as food chains and food webs
· Basic concepts from Plants in Grade 3
· From Unit 1, students should be familiar with the Law of Conservation of Mass.
2.2.1 Student Activity: Students add iodine to a small quantity of starch suspension and compare it to adding iodine to water to learn the positive test for starch. Students then test for the presence of starch in geranium leaves by immersing a leaf in a boiling water bath until it becomes limp and then transferring the leaf to a beaker of boiling alcohol to dissolve and extract the chlorophyll. Once most of the colour is leached from the leaf, iodine is added to test for the presence of starch.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher introduces (reviews) the concept of photosynthesis with the class and explains the link between glucose and starch. The teacher reviews safety procedures before beginning the activity, stressing the flammable nature of alcohol and the need to wear safety goggles. The plants from which the leaves are taken should have been in bright light for at least 48 hours.
2.2.2 Student Activity: Students test two geranium leaves for starch (see Activity 2.1). One is taken from a plant that has been kept in the dark for 24 hours prior to the test. The other leaf is from a plant kept in the light for the previous 24 hours, but this leaf has been masked by cardboard with a cutout that allows light to reach only part of the leaf. Students make a conclusion about the role of light in photosynthesis.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher places one geranium plant in the dark for 24 hours prior to the class and ensures that the other plant with cutouts on the leaves is left in the light for 24 hours. Safety rules from Activity 2.1 should be reviewed. Follow-up discussions with the class should lead to an understanding of the role of light in photosynthesis.
2.2.3 Student Activity: Students place a piece of water plant such as Hygro in a 600 mL beaker half filled with water. A glass funnel is placed over the plant (stem pointing up). A test tube filled with water is inverted over the stem of the funnel and the complete apparatus left in the light for a 24-hour period. Any gas that collects in the test tube above the plant is tested using a glowing splint. Guided by the teacher if necessary, students design controls (variations on this set-up) to prove that it is the presence of the plant and light that results in oxygen production. Students make a conclusion about the production of oxygen during photosynthesis.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher should review the splint test for oxygen and discuss the concept and design of controls with the class. Different groups may use different controls: a replica of the setup without the plant or a replica of the setup kept in the dark. Both are necessary.
2.2.4 Student Activity: Students place germinating bean seeds in the bottom of a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask and stopper it with a two-holed stopper. A thistle tube has been inserted through the stopper as well as a second glass tube with a rubber tube that delivers any gases exhausted from the flask into a test tube of lime water setup outside the flask. Water is added to the germinating seeds via the thistle tube until it covers the bottom of the thistle tube and the set up is left for 24 hours. The lime water is then observed and conclusions are made about the production of carbon dioxide during cell division. Students should design an appropriate control for this activity. As an extension, some setups could be left in the dark and others in the light to find out whether light is a requirement for cellular respiration. Once all activities are completed, students complete a comparison chart between photosynthesis and respiration.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher introduces (reviews) the concept of cellular respiration and the limewater test for carbon dioxide. The teacher begins germinating the seeds prior to the class by soaking bean or pea seeds in warm water overnight. The stoppers with the glass tubes should be prepared ahead of time. These can be set up and saved from one year to the next. Safety rules regarding the handling of glass should be reviewed.
2.2.5 Student Activity: Students take part in a teacher-directed lesson on the need for materials (nutrients) to be recycled. By reviewing respiration and photosynthesis (carbon fixation), the cycling of matter through biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem is described. The fixation of nitrogen and its cycling through ecosystems is then studied as another example of such a cycle. Students summarize their notes by creating annotated diagrams depicting the Nitrogen Cycle and its relationship to the Carbon Cycle. Included in their notes or diagram is a description of the one way flow of energy (i.e., energy enters ecosystems as light during photosynthesis and is dissipated at each step in the food chain as heat, movement, etc., never to be re-used by organisms). Later, they complete a test or quiz on the material.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher emphasizes that although the energy dissipated by ecosystems is replaced by sunlight captured by photosynthesis, the materials (nutrients) in an ecosystem are finite (Conservation of Mass) and must be continuously used over and over. The teacher then uses the nitrogen cycle as an example of material cycling. The nitrogen cycle can be understood by relating it to the carbon cycle which students grasp from their earlier comparison of photosynthesis and respiration. Either during or following the lesson, the teacher directs students to complete an accurately labelled diagram of the nitrogen cycle. The textbook will likely be the primary information resource. Students are tested on this material at a later time.
|
Task |
Tool |
Achievement Chart Categories |
Learning Skills |
|
Comparison Chart (photosynthesis/respiration) |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication |
Teamwork, Organization |
|
Annotated diagram (nitrogen cycle) |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication |
Organization |
|
Quiz |
Marking scheme |
Knowledge/Understanding, |
Work Habits |
· Assessment of one-page summary of one of the experiments (as an alternative, one formal report may be assessed)
· Assessment of graphic organizer for knowledge and understanding and communication
· Assessment of Learning Skills during laboratory work and jigsaw activity
· Provide samples of student work for diagrams or organizers.
· Allow quiz to be done orally by students who have difficulty writing.
Time: 90 minutes
Through a simulation game and information sources, students are introduced to the concept of bioaccumulation and some of its effects. Students then participate in a teacher-led discussion of the wider causes and effects of bioaccumulation and suggest possible solutions to the problem. They complete the activity by making a journal entry.
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BYV.02P - analyse natural and human threats to a local ecosystem and propose viable solutions to restore ecological balance;
BY1.03P - illustrate the process of bioaccumulation through an example, and explain its potential impact on the viability and diversity of consumers at all trophic levels.
· Become familiar with the more common causes and effects of bioaccumulation as well as possible solutions. It is important to emphasize that solutions are dependent on societal values and institutions as well as scientific knowledge.
· Refer to TSM 3C: The Five Rs Process.
For students to appreciate the hazards of bioaccumulation, they must first understand the concept of food chains and material flow from the two previous activities.
2.3.1 Student Activity: Students participate in a simulation game such as “Deadly Links” (see Resources for Project Wild) that illustrates the progressive accumulation of materials in the higher trophic levels. They make notes of patterns they see in the game’s results. Following the game, students discuss causes, effects, and current examples of contaminant accumulation in organisms. This information may be gained by reading, from a video, or from interactive software. Generating possible solutions to the problem, students also discuss the roles that scientific knowledge, social values, and institutions play in carrying out solutions. Students make an entry in their science notebook to summarize their knowledge. In their journals, students could consider which of their activities and purchases contribute to these problems and how they could personally reduce those problems.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher prepares necessary materials, suggests additional resources, conducts the simulation game, and helps students summarize their findings. Whether or not the teacher chooses to use the simulation game, it is necessary to provide students with current examples of bioaccumulation (such as with mercury in fish or DDT in birds of prey), stressing any local issues. Using these examples, the teacher leads a class discussion to ensure that students understand that the concentrations of some substances, particularly fat-soluable materials, increase in living things as they breathe, drink, or eat from contaminated sources and that the higher the trophic level of an organism, the higher the contamination is likely to be. This chemical increase in the tissues of animals is referred to as bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation may have short- or long-term effects, including death or reduced reproductive ability of consumers near the top of the food chain (e.g., an accumulation of DDT in adult hawks result in soft egg shells which break more frequently during nesting, lowering reproductive success). The accumulation of toxins in fat tissue has implications for obesity and dieting which could be explored.
|
Task |
Tool |
Achievement Chart Categories |
Learning Skills |
|
Journal entry |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding, Communication |
Organization, Work Habits |
|
Discussion |
Teacher observation |
Communication |
Teamwork |
· Provide opportunities for students to help record class results and search for patterns.
· Provide an on-going oral description of the game for students who are visually impaired; these students could act as recorders of class data.
· Suggest lead-ins for journal entries to help students get started.
· Allow exceptional and ESL students to verbalize their ideas about their journal entries prior to writing them.
Canadian Wildlife Federation. Project Wild Activity Guide. Ottawa: Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1995.
Environmental Defense Fund. “25 Years
After DDT Ban, Bald Eagles, Osprey Numbers Soar”. 1997.
http://www.edf.org/pubs/NewsReleases/1997/Jun/e_ddt.html
Time: 300 minutes
Students extend their discussion from the last activity to include other environmental issues of local concern. They formulate a question relating to an environmental stress with local impact then design and conduct an investigation to explore it. Following the activity students look at the changes predation (as an example of stress) brings to an ecosystem and study a predator/prey relationship. Students complete the activity by comparing a greatly disturbed ecosystem (e.g., schoolyard, lawn) with a less disturbed one (e.g., vacant lot, roadside ditch).
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BY1.04P - show the relationship between the resources available and the equilibrium of a natural population in an ecosystem;
BY1.06P - describe how different ecosystems respond differently to short-term stresses and long-term changes;
BY1.07P - explain how soil composition and fertility can be altered in an ecosystem and outline the possible consequences of such changes;
BY2.01P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts identify a current local concern or issue involving an ecosystem;
BY2.02P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts formulate scientific questions about the ecological issue and outline experimental procedures for finding answers;
BY2.03P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts demonstrate the skills required to plan and conduct practical tests on related ecological factors and collect data using appropriate instruments and techniques safely and accurately;
BY2.07P - compile data on the biodiversity within a natural ecosystem, using appropriate techniques, and compare the results with those from a disturbed ecosystem;
BY3.01P - assess the impact of technological change on an ecosystem.
· Consider introducing Activity 4.1 in a previous class so that students come to the discussion with some information about environmental concerns and local issues. Become familiar with any local issues of particular environmental concern.
· Prior to this activity, begin to germinate seeds for student use. It is necessary to monitor the seedlings as the activity approaches to ensure sufficient number of appropriate seedlings are available for students wishing to study seedling growth. Students wishing to examine germination itself can just be given seeds.
· Some students may require considerable monitoring and encouragement as they develop their investigation question.
· In formulating questions, it is often useful to first brainstorm many questions, then have students select and adapt one to investigate.
· Determine a procedure to approve student questions prior to experimentation, in order to ensure safety of students and equipment,
· Prepare handouts for recording observations in the field if necessary.
· Some students may have played a game similar to “Oh Deer” in elementary school. Determine whether the game, an alternate activity, or neither is most appropriate for these students.
· Locate actual predator/prey population numbers which are available from many textbooks currently in use in schools.
· Many current biology textbooks also have directions for aquatic and terrestrial field studies.
Some students have more experience than others in developing experiments. Students must understand that experimental investigations require very specific questions that are “do-able” by a Grade 10 student. They should also be able to identify the equipment they need, the type of evidence to look for, and the way to measure and record their observations.
2.4.1 Student Activity: Students take part in a teacher-led discussion of environmental issues, including those of local concern. Students discuss causes, effects, available information, and the role of misinformation. Students are then brought to understand that experimentation is one way to gather additional, reliable information or to test statements that have been made. They develop a question to test the effects of a single environmental variable (see Teacher Facilitation) that they can investigate independently. Students plan their experiment and carry out their investigation during class time following approval of their design by the teacher.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher leads a discussion of the stresses placed on local or other ecosystems in Canada, encouraging students to share information they may have gathered earlier. As students share information and discuss the causes, effects, and possible solutions, it is important to emphasize the scientific, social, and political aspects of the issue. The teacher also emphasizes the role of experimentation in helping to determine causes and effects and in testing possible solutions. The teacher directs students to choose a single environmental variable and formulate a question to investigate (e.g., effect on radish seedlings of factors such as: light intensity, soil pH, amount of fertilizer, natural vs. artificial fertilizers, soil compaction). Students plan and conduct their investigation once they have received teacher approval. During experimentation, the teacher provides equipment and encouragement, monitors work, and ensures safe laboratory practices.
2.4.2 Student Activity: Students participate in a simulation such as “Oh Deer” (see Project Wild in Resources) to illustrate the effects of competition in an ecosystem. They graph the results of each round of the game, discuss them, and make a summary in their science notebooks about the patterns they observe and about how competition affects both plant and animal populations. As an alternative, students discuss the needs (i.e., food, water, and shelter) that are filled by the habitat in which organisms live and then discuss the effects of competition for these items on population numbers over time. They construct graphs of changing population numbers over time as the availability of food and shelter changes. Students then consider the effects of predation by graphing annual population numbers of a specific predator and prey relationship (e.g., timber wolf and moose or Canada lynx and snowshoe hare). In their science notebooks, they make a note about the cyclic pattern of predator/prey relationships, and how these relationships contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher describes the rules of the simulation game and ensures that enough rounds are played so that patterns in population numbers emerge. If the game is not played, the teacher describes situations and graphically illustrates the cyclical rise and fall of population numbers in response to changes in food, water, shelter, and predation. They present actual predator/prey numbers to students and ensure that students graph them correctly. As students discuss the patterns, the teacher emphasizes: the regulating effect of predator and prey numbers on one another; the time lag between fluctuations in predator and prey populations; and the relative number of predators in relation to prey organisms.
2.4.3 Student Activity: Students compare biotic and abiotic factors, including biodiversity, between a highly disturbed ecosystem (e.g., school yard, lawn, farm field) with one that is less disturbed (e.g., vacant lot, wood lot, roadside ditch) and record their observations. Some of the factors to observe are similar to those of their mini-ecosystems in Activity 2.1.2; others may include: air temperature; soil temperature; soil pH; soil compaction; and diversity of plant and animal forms (based simply on appearance, not an exhaustive taxonomic classification). Students share and discuss their results and submit a final comparative report for assessment.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher first ensures that students understand the term “biodiversity”. The teacher then provides instructions and, if desired, sheets for determining and recording field observations. Should a record sheet be desirable, one can be adapted from the one used for Activity 2.6.2 and included in the Appendices. Students should be reminded that the field work they practise in this activity is similar to what they are asked to do in their final assessment for the course. The teacher describes the areas to be studied and sets the standards for student behaviour in the field, reminding students that when studying an ecosystem it is important to cause as little disruption to the ecosystem as possible.
|
Task |
Tool |
Achievement
Chart Categories |
Learning
Skills |
|
Laboratory report |
Rubric |
Inquiry, Communication |
Organization, Work Habits, Works Independently, Initiative |
|
Graphs |
Checklist |
Communication |
Organization |
|
Field notes/ interpretations |
Checklist |
Inquiry, Communication, Making Connections |
Teamwork, Organization, Initiative |
· Pair students who are physically or visually exceptional with one or more partners to plan and complete the experiments and field work. If this is not feasible, they should be given meaningful tasks such as recording data or explaining the game to the class.
· Some students may require teacher assistance in creating an appropriate observation chart.
· Provide students with a framework for writing a comparative report.
Canadian Wildlife Federation. Project Wild Activity Guide. Ottawa: Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1995.
Person, Jane L. Environmental Science:
How The World Works and Your Place In It – Investigations. Canada: JM LeBel
Enterprises Ltd., 1989. ISBN 920008-42-1
This manual is one source of terrestrial population and soil studies.
Time: 240 minutes
This activity allows students to extend their knowledge of ecological issues by choosing a specific Canadian issue to research. They make notes on the nature of the controversy, causes, effects, possible solutions, and the technology related to both the cause of the problem and its solution. Students also compare cultural viewpoints held by those involved in the issue to better understand similarities and differences.
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BYV.03P - relate issues to environmental sustainability with a particular focus on issues in Ontario and Canada;
BY2.04P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts identify a current local concern or issue involving an ecosystem;
BY2.05P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts analyse the data and information gathered to clarify aspects of the concern or issue;
BY3.02P - describe ways in which relationships between living organisms and their ecosystems are viewed by other cultures;
BY3.03P - identify and evaluate Canadian initiatives in protecting Canada’s ecosystems;
BY3.04P - describe some of the technologies used in cleaning up contaminated sites.
· Become familiar with some ecological issues involving Canada. Examples include: bulk export of fresh water; Lands for Life; Clayquot Sound; harvesting of old growth forests in Temagami; conflict over Atlantic salmon and lobster; collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery; the conflict with Spain over Atlantic turbot; the conflict with the United States over Pacific Salmon; promises made at the Rio Conference; landfill sites; the Sudbury “Superstack”; and the introduction of exotic or invasive species (e.g., zebra mussels, purple loosestrife) to an area.
· Consult with the teacher-librarian to plan and to reserve the Library/Resource Centre ahead of time for student research. Alternatively, a selection of print material could be gathered and kept in the classroom. Resources should span a range of reading levels.
· Consult with the teacher-librarian or members of the English Department regarding graphical organizers to help students organize their data as they conduct research. See TSM 1B: Note-taking Styles.
· Research current Internet sources for information on current issues and provide students with a list of useful sites. The Internet is also a good source of articles that can be used to assess the biases and agendas of the authors.
· Refer to TSM 3C: The Five Rs Process.
· Research and critical reading skills are required in this activity.
· Students may have been given some instruction in bias recognition in earlier grades, but it is important to review this with them prior to their research. (See TSM - Bias Recognition in the Grade 9 Course Profile, pg. xx)
2.5.1 Student Activity: Students take part in a teacher-led discussion on an ecological issue with clear and opposing cultural viewpoints. Students then share their knowledge of other Canadian ecological and environmental issues during a class discussion or brainstorming session. They choose one issue to research further. While conducting their research, they make jot notes regarding the nature of the controversy, its causes, its effects on groups or individuals, and the technology related to cause of the problem and its solution. Special mention is made of any conflicting cultural viewpoints surrounding the issue and any examples of journalistic bias that they discover. Students then present their material to the class in an interesting fashion and later complete a quiz on the material.
Teacher Facilitation: To introduce the lesson, the teacher presents an environmental issue that clearly emphasizes two or more cultural viewpoints (e.g., year-round hunting rights for First Nations people, Atlantic lobster controversy, the goals of logging vs. the preserving of habitat for plants and animals). Through discussion, newspaper readings, etc., the teacher helps students identify the different viewpoints, historical origins, and specific similarities and differences between the opposing arguments. It is essential that students have time to consult a variety of resources to acquire the knowledge base needed for this activity. The teacher then leads a brainstorming session and discussion of current national and provincial ecological issues, including any of particular interest to students. The teacher helps students summarize their knowledge and, by referring to the previous discussion, identify areas where further information is required. This may be done using a format with headings such as: What we know; What we want to know; What we learned (i.e., a KWL approach). The teacher then directs students to select a particular area for further research, and discusses with them ways in which the material may be presented. As an extension, the teacher could have students categorize their knowledge or tasks under the following headings: Recognize: identify the problem; Research – gather background material; Resolution – choose a solution; Responsibility – take some action towards the resolution; Review – check to see if the action has made a difference. This 5Rs method takes longer than the first as students attempt and then review actions that are designed to improve the environment. (See TSM 3C: The 5Rs Process.)
|
Task |
Tool |
Category |
Learning Skills |
|
Presentation |
Rubric |
Inquiry, Communication, Making Connections |
Teamwork, Organization, Initiative |
· Provide a research outline and/or step-by-step instructions to maintain organization.
· Exceptional and ESL students may have difficulties with the subtleties of language and not recognize bias; they need extra assistance beyond the review suggested.
· Exceptional and ESL students may need direction in finding resources at a suitable level.
· Students who have difficulty with reading and writing may need to start the activity earlier in the unit to meet the presentation deadline.
· Allow exceptional and ESL students to present to a small group or teacher only in order to reduce anxiety over public speaking.
See Bias Recognition TSM in the Grade 9 Course Profile, pg. xx.
Government of Canada Toronto,
Ontario and United States Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National
Program Office. Great Lakes Atlas, 3rd Edition.
www.cciw.ca/glimr/data/great-lakes-atlas/intro.html
Brief of the Olav Haavaldsrud
Timber Company to the Lands for Life hearings
http://hornepayne.lakeheadu.ca/~oht-main/Lands.html
Essay and other background links
to Lands for Life
http://www.cquest.utoronto.ca/env/env200y/ESSAY99/essay-help.html
The First Perspective Online. An
online newspaper from a First Nations perspective
http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/firstper/
Discussions from The First
Perspective Online. At least one discussion thread involves environmental
issues from First Nations perspectives.
http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/firstper/commentary/forum.htm
Greenspirit. A web page with
editorials and essays from Patrick Moore, one of the founders of (and now
disassociated from) Greenpeace. Contains a different perspective on
sustainability.
http://www.greenspirit.com
Article on the Canada-US Salmon
treaty
http://204.202.137.116/sections/science/DailyNews/salmon990603.html
Lycos Environment News Service. Has
search engine and links for environmental topics.
http://ens.lycos.com/
Time: 300 minutes
This activity is the culminating demonstration of learning for this unit. Students complete a summative test on the material studied thus far in the unit. They then consolidate their knowledge and the skills developed earlier in the unit to conduct field research on an aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem. After collecting data at the field site, they return to the classroom to analyse it and suggest ways in which the ecosystem can be managed for sustainability if necessary.
Strand(s): Biology
Specific Expectations
BYV.01P - demonstrate an understanding of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life;
BYV.02P - analyse natural and human threats to a local ecosystem and propose viable solutions to restore ecological balance;
BY2.02P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts formulate scientific questions about the ecological issue and outline experimental procedures for finding answers;
BY2.03P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts demonstrate the skills required to plan and conduct practical tests on related ecological factors, and collect data using appropriate instruments and techniques safely and accurately;
BY2.04P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts select and integrate information from various sources, including electronic, print, and community resources, to answer the questions chosen;
BY2.05P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts analyse the data and information gathered to clarify aspects of the concern or issue;
BY2.06P - through investigations and applications of basic concepts communicate the results of the investigation using a variety of oral, written, and graphic formats;
BY2.07P - compile data on the biodiversity within a natural ecosystem, using appropriate techniques, and compare the results with those from a disturbed ecosystem.
· Check your Board’s regulations regarding field trip procedures and supervision.
· Book field trips well in advance.
· The teacher should visit field trip sites in advance to ensure safety can be maintained and to determine which accommodations, if any, are required for students with special needs.
· Additional class time may be necessary following the field trip for students to review print and electronic information before writing their final report.
· Prepare a recording sheet for field notes. (See Appendices for an example.)
· Note: For aquatic field trips, protective gloves should be used when working with “raw” water.
Students have practised the skills required for this activity earlier in the unit.
2.6.1 Student Activity: Students write a final test is to assess their knowledge of the terms and concepts learned thus far and to review concepts which they need to prepare their final report. They then complete the test. Once it is marked and returned, students use it to create a list of concepts and terms that require personal review.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher clarifies the dual purpose of the test – to assess each student’s current understanding and to provide feedback to each student prior to the end-of-unit task which follows. After returning the marked test, the teacher checks to see that students make a list of concepts to be reviewed and that they do so.
2.6.2 Student Activity: Students are made aware of the purpose of the field trip – to gather sufficient data to create a written report offering suggestions about improving or sustaining the ecosystem being studied. Criteria for the written report are determined by the teacher and discussed with students. Students then self-select, or are assigned to, working partners for the data collection. Groups determine the type of data to collect and the way it is recorded. This may be with or without the use of a teacher-prepared data sheet. At the field site, students gather and record their data and make any other observations they deem necessary to fulfill the task. Back in the classroom, the gathered data is recorded on the board or chart paper for the entire class to see. Students complete a one-page written report based on the displayed data, and submit it for evaluation with their field notes.
Teacher Facilitation: The teacher determines the ecosystem to be studied and makes arrangements for the field trip. During the trip the teacher sets the physical boundaries, makes clear any emergency procedures, and ensures that students are working safely and are on-task. If a prepared data sheet is required, the teacher makes copies ahead of time. After ensuring the class understands the purpose of the field trip, the teacher describes or develops with the class criteria to be used in assessing the field notes and written report. These criteria are then displayed in the class or are given to students in writing, preferably in the form of a rubric, before their report is submitted. The teacher provides class time as necessary for students to review print and electronic information before writing their report. As an extension to this study, teachers may wish to adapt the 5Rs approach discussed in Activity 2.5 in which students plan, carry out, and review an action designed to benefit the environment.
|
Task |
Tool |
Achievement Chart Categories |
Learning Skills |
|
Field notes |
Checklist |
Knowledge/Understanding Inquiry |
Teamwork, Work Habits, Organization |
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Sampling and Recording Skills |
Performance checklist |
Inquiry |
Organization, Work Habits |
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Report |
Rubric and class-designated criteria |
Inquiry Communication |
Organization, Independence |
· Visiting the field site ahead of time allows the teacher to determine what accommodations are required for special needs students (e.g., additional adult supervision, restricted study area, reduction in type of data to be collected).
· Record field notes and final reports on audio tape.
· Pair Exceptional and ESL students with a peer helper.
· Provide data sheets for students with organizational difficulties.
Date:
Name/Type of Water Body:
Names of those in group:
Equipment (per group)
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- |
net |
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tray or plastic dishpan |
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- |
clipboard |
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pencil |
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- |
magnifying glass or bug box |
- |
thermometer |
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- |
water test kit or probeware |
- |
set of identification pages or field guide (may need to be shared by groups) |
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- |
checklist of water organisms (optional) |
- |
microscope (optional) |
Other:
Environmental Conditions
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Amount of sunlight/cloud: |
Air temperature: |
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Water temperature: |
Type of bottom (e.g., sand, gravel, etc.) |
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Current: |
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Overview
Before using the net, take a few minutes to sit or stand back from the water body. What organisms do you see (remember to include plants as well as animals):
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- on the land around the water body? |
- in the water? |
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- on the surface of the water? |
- in the air? |
Organisms (found by netting or in water analysis)
Remember to use the method shown to you by your teacher when looking for organisms. Try to disturb the habitat (the organisms’ home) as little as possible. Organisms should never dry out, so always keep them in water. Return all organisms to the water when finished observing them. Remember to look for more than just animals.
Use the record sheet below or the checklist (if available) to indicate which organisms you think you have found. Do a quick sketch of the organisms. Record any information you think will be helpful in confirming your identification later (e.g., size, colour, location found, etc.).
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Sketch |
Notes |
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