Unit Question:  How do humans, plants, and animals interact in a closed system?

Introductory Activity:  Whole class brainstorming of the problem in Spaceship Earth.  Use the KWL method to determine background knowledge and assess emphasis of learning experiences. 

Life Science: Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 2:  Introduce each of the five areas of the space ship that each group will design. They will be responsible for a 3-D model.  The models will interconnect as the input of one section becomes the output of another.

Groups will use the goals for each part of the ship to decide what is happening in their section and where they think they will need to interact i.e. greenhouse will be connected to all areas that have an output of carbon dioxide.

Life Science: Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 3:  Experiments based on the cycles will be conducted.  The knowledge  emphasized  is from the assessment of Activity 1.  Teacher created web sites  use as  references.

CO₂-O₂  Cycle - Magical Mystery Tour; You Light Up My Life

Nitrogen Cycle- You Look Different Than the Last time I Saw You, Bring in the Clean Up Crew

Water Cycle- Water, Water Everywhere

Life Science: (a) Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars and is transferred within a food chain from producers to consumers to decomposers. (b) Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole.

Earth Science: Describe how water on earth cycles in different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards: 1.7 Collaboration with classmates to use teacher-selected Web sites

Time: Depends on prior knowledge 

Activity 4:  Students act out the various stages of the Nitrogen Cycle.  This is a teacher made activity.  Review of vocabulary is available through Quia.com

Life Science:  Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 5: The final presentation requirements are explained to the group.   Each group ( crew, greenhouse, water, barnyard, solid waste) is assigned a set of questions to research and answer as part of their presentation.  The groups are responsible for the vocabulary words related to their section.  They are to use http://www.puzzlemaker.com.  Sections of the 3 dimensional model are to be decorated with the use of Kidspix, using diagrams of the appropriate cycles.  Groups are also expected to complete one section of a power point presentation on the spaceship.

Life Science: Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards: 1.7 Collaboration with classmates to use teacher-selected Web sites; 1.33 Identify and use drawing and painting applications as appropriate for class projects

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 6: Using references from the Internet and printed materials, students are formulate a plan for their section of the Spaceship Earth.   This could take 2-3 class periods.

Life Science: Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards: 1.7 Collaboration with classmates to use teacher-selected Web sites

Time: 3 class periods (180 min.)

Activity 7: Now that the children have an idea of the extent of their project, we will develop a rubric to assess the scope of their work.

Massachusetts English Language Arts Framework: Standard 24- Research

Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze, and evaluate the quality of  the information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions.

Standard 25:   Students will develop and use appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research project before presenting them to varied audiences.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 8:  Students will take an on-line quiz about the content of the three cycles.

Life Science: (a) Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars and is transferred within a food chain form producers to consumers to decomposers. (b) Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole.

Earth Science: Describe how water on earth cycles in different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere.

Time: /1/2 class period (30 min.)

Activity 9:   In small groups, students will use the computers to construct their power point page(s).  They may use the digital camera, digital camcorder, and/or scanner.

Time: 2-3 class periods

Activity 10:  Final Presentation of the 3 dimensional spaceship section and its interconnectedness to life in the spaceship.  (rubric)

Life Science: (a) Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars and is transferred within a food chain from producers to consumers to decomposers. (b) Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole. (c) Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Earth Science: Describe how water on earth cycles in different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity

Standards

Activity 1:  In small groups, students will construct the ecocolumn from soda bottles through teacher demonstration and a power point presentation.  After we discuss the system and how it works; we will brainstorm the type of data that will need to be collected throughout the duration of the project and enter in journals (Journal rubric).

Inquiry Skills grades 3-5; 6-8

Time: 1.5 class period (90 min.)

Activity 2: Pairs of students share a terrarium.  They  plant seeds in the terrarium and collect data.  Predict the number of seeds that will germinate. As a whole class, brainstorm the reasons why specific plants were part of this project, i.e. grass, mustard and alfalfa.  Create a schedule to observe and water.  Take a digital picture of the initial stage. Save in on-line folders.

Inquiry Skills grades 3-5; 6-8

Life Science: grades 3-5- Recognize that plants and animals go through predictable life cycles that include birth, growth, development, reproduction, and death.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards:   t.15 operate peripheral equipment

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 3:  Place the plants and animals in the aquarium.  Write first impressions of plants in journal.  Read about the characteristics of each species. Decide what type of data should be collected for observations sheets. Take a digital picture of initial stage. Save in student on-line folders.

Life Science: grades 3-5- Recognize that plants and animals go through predictable life cycles that include birth, growth, development, reproduction, and death.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards:  1.32 create a slide presentation using appropriate applications

Time: 2 class period (120min.)

Activity 4:    The whole class will create a chart for the inputs and outputs of each animal and plant. Using Inspiration,  make a web of the chart explaining interconnectedness  of abiotic and biotic factors.

Vocabulary

Who are the producers?

Who are the consumers?

Who are the decomposers?

Check out the vocabulary for this unit at 

http://www.quia.com/jg/366695.html

Life Science, Grades 6-8

13. Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

14.  Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 5:   With their partners, students collect data on the growth of the plants: % of seeds that germinated; measure growth. 

Use Think, Pair, Share to brainstorm how we can prove that plants give off oxygen; how can we tell there is a water cycle? Complete any investigation the students may want to use.

Record data on observation sheet; water, and take picture of ecocolumn.

Complete observation questions  and use rubric. For teacher there are possible answers.

Save picture in online-folder.

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Life Science, Grades 6-8: 16.  Recognize that producers use the energy from sunlight to make sugars from carbon dioxide and water through a process called photosynthesis.  This food can be used immediately , stored for later use, or used by other organisms.

Grades 3-5:

Earth Science: Describe how water on earth cycles in different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere.

Time: 3 class period (180 min.)

Activity 6:   As a whole class, read about the needs of the cricket and pill bug. Brainstorm the outcome of Activity 5.  Write a letter  in your journal to the animals stating how you have made a suitable home for their needs.  Add the cricket and the pill bug.  Take digital photo save in on-line folder.

13. Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

14.  Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.

15. Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole.

Massachusetts English Language Arts Framework: Standard 24- Research

Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze, and evaluate the quality of  the information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards:  1.15 operate peripheral equipment;

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 7: As a whole class discuss some of our everyday actions and their effects on the environment.  Examples are over fertilizing, acid rain, and salt on the roads.  Children may have other areas that they would like to investigate.  Divide the class into groups to research ideas on the Internet, CD Rom, and resource books.

Think about both sides of the issues.  What is the impact of not manufacturing, icy roads, and weak plants.

17.  Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms and the actions of humans,  Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards: 1.7 Collaboration with classmates to use teacher-selected Web sites

Time: 2-3 class periods 

Activity 8: In small groups, using the research from lesson 7, make a group power point presentation of 2-3 slides showing both sides of the environmental issue . Click here for project description and rubric

Massachusetts English Language Arts Framework: Standard 24- Research

Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze, and evaluate the quality of  the information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions.

Standard 25:   Students will develop and use appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research project before presenting them to varied audiences.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skill 6-8

Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards:  1.32 create a slide presentation using appropriate applications

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 9: Using Think, Pair Share, the class will discuss the question of how we should conduct an experiment that will pollute our ecocolumn?  What will make the experiment a fair test?  Enter the specifics of data collection into the journals  and make pollutants.  

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Time: 2 class periods (120 min.)

Activity 10: Partners will pollute the ecocolumns on three separate dates.  Record the effects of the pollutants on observations sheets.  Control group will also collect data.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Life Science:

17.  Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms and the actions of humans,  Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.

Time: 3 class periods (180 min.)

Activity 11: Using the class control's data partners will compare  their data to the class control.  What are the major differences?  What conclusions can you make?  Enter conclusions into journals. Journals (rubric) will be assessed at this time.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Life Science:

17.  Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms and the actions of humans,  Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 12:  Look at a few forms used for lab reports.  Decide what you think is important in you investigation and make or choose an appropriate form.  Review the form and fill out the template.  Write a conclusion.  Use the digital photos taken in class to confirm your information. (Possible rubric for lab report)

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Time: 3 class period (180 min.)

Read about the famous ecologists of the twenty- first century.  Make a web page about the person's life

Activity

Standard

Activity 1:  The teacher will provide a hot list of images of various recent environmental situations to begin the discussion of areas to investigate.  Students will brainstorm concerns that they have and would like to research.

Standard Addressed: Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Activity 2:  After students choose their topics and student are paired,  we will review Internet skills and  sites that are acceptable for usage.  Students may also use written materials.  They are to research the ideas making a list of pros and cons.

Time 2-3 class periods 

Activity 3:  Using a hot list form from Filamentality,  students create a site to share what they have learned with the class.  The class will round robin to see all presentations.

Time: 1class period (60 min.)

Activity 4: Selecting a topic to debate. The whole class will determine the area that they would all like to investigate. The students that researched the topic will lead the class. Using a presentation outline, groups will represent either the pro or con side of the issue.  They may make  poems, songs, skits, murals, radio announcements, commercials etc. to explain their side of the issue.   Each group will present   in the next activity.

Standard Addressed: Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Life Science:

17.  Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms and the actions of humans,  Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.

Massachusetts English Language Arts Framework: Standard 24- Research

Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze, and evaluate the quality of  the information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions.

Standard 25:   Students will develop and use appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research project before presenting them to varied audiences.

Final Activity: The Great Debate 

The principal or vice principal will be invited to the debate.  They will ask one  final question of each side.

Debating rules will be reviewed. After the flip of a coin the pros or cons will present their side of the issues through the products of lesson 4. The other side will present.

A spokes person from each side will be asked a question by the special guest.  There will be a two minute rebuttal.  Students will complete a self-assessment,

Standard Addressed: Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, May 2001

Inquiry Skills 6-8

Life Science:

17.  Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms and the actions of humans,  Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.