Mini-Unit Topic: Ecosystem

Samantha Soohyun Lee

EMail: sh-lee@uiuc.edu

Year Long Project

University of Illinios, Urbana-Champaign
Curriculum & Instruction 237
Fall 1994

 

Table of Contents

Goals

Through these series of six integrated lessons students will gain an increased environmental awareness. Students will have a chance to examine nature, more specifically our neighborhood ecosystem, in a way many students don't. They will also develop other skills such as working in cooperative groups and critical thinking.

Overview

This mini-unit consists of six integrated lessons. Each lesson will include two or more of the following curricula: science, social studies, math, art, reading, writing, and oral language. We will observe our immediate ecosystem in Illinois, grassland. We will learn to access what we know and want to know about our ecosystem. We will form a concept of interdependence of nature. Math skills and social studies are also integrated into our essentially science unit.

Lesson 1. K-W-L

Objective
Materials

25 science logs, book Soon After September, 6 white 11 x 17 construction papers, overhead projector.

Procedure
Web Of Life
  1. Read to class the book Soon After September or a poem that has to do with the ecosystem.
  2. Make six groups of 4 to 5 students and explain how they will work together for the duration of these lessons. Students in each group will usually work cooperatively and everyone will record data in their personal logs.
  3. CONCEPT MAP. "WEB OF LIFE" Using the overhead projector, the teacher starts the web of life concept map based on what each factor needs to survive, e.g. sunlight, water, air, soil...etc. Teacher should not extend the web more than the main headings and few examples under one heading. Instruct students to make dotted connections whenever a concept repeats. Eventually, everyone should have a concept map that is highly interdependent.
  4. Each group will work cooperatively to finish their own web. Each web goes on the board and we will discuss the nature of the webs briefly.
K-W-L

The whole class will write a K-W-L about our immediate ecosystem. This will be written on writing paper and will also be copied in each students' logs. We will only accomplish K and W for now. L will be finished at the end of the four lessons. K-W-L is defined here.

Know - What do you know about the given topic.

Want - What do you want to know about the given topic.

Learned - What have you learned that you wanted to know.

Evaluation

Each group concept maps will be posted to check for clear understanding about the web of life in an ecosystem, i.e. the concept map should show connections between all elements of the map.

 

Each student must have minimum of two to three ideas for each Know and Want to know sections for their K-W-L in their journals.

Lesson 2. Winter Scavenger Hunt.

Objectives
Materials

Animals That Hibernate book, color transparencies of nature scenes, role cards, six shoe boxes, gloves (optional), tongs, hand shovels, sifters, clear zip lock bags, glue, yarn, feathers, gadgets of all kinds, painting supplies.

Procedure
What's In This Picture?
  1. Teacher shows transparencies of things in nature and the students will give attributes of those things. (from Animals That Hibernate )
  2. Focus on learning to see the details.
Winter Scavenger Hunt
  1. Pass out the Winter Scavenger Hunt work sheet. Explain the purpose of the lesson. The purpose of this lesson is to help students organize various things in nature. They will collect materials that fit the categories in the work sheet. Each group will have to be able to defend their collections. At the end of the lesson each group will construct a collage with the materials (therefore students should also look to find what materials would be suitable for their project.)
  2. Pass out the role cards to each group and explain each role.
    • Recorder - records descriptions and names of items the group chooses.
    • Collector (2) - responsible for collecting items on the sheet.
    • M & M (materials manager) - holds the box and the sheet, responsible for keeping the material safe and making sure the group has completed everything on the list.
  3. Each person can sometimes do another student's role but only if necessary. Everyone will be primarily responsible for the role he/she was assigned.
  4. Brainstorm few kinds of materials that can be collected and those that cannot. Only natural items may be collected. Be as creative as possible. Tell the students to collect enough to fill the shoe box since they will be using them for art.
  5. Back in classroom, discuss our findings and the other three students will record their data in their logs also.
Shoe Box Ecosystem
  1. Explain materials and suggest various ways they can be placed in the shoe boxes. This box is meant to represent the group's perspective on ecosystem. Teacher shows a model.
  2. The area that is not covered with materials will be painted with temper paint.
  3. Conduct an open discussion about what they learned about nature either during the scavenger hunt or constructing the box. Fill it in the L section of the K-W-L.
Evaluation

Each group will have to be able to explain their shoe box designs and their reasoning behind it. They will tell why they used certain materials.

 

 

Winter Scavenger Hunt

NAME:________________________________________________

 

TRIBAL NAME OF YOUR GROUP:___________________________

 

TO START the Winter Scavenger Hunt, go outside.

Try to find at least one item for each category.

 

Hey! No fair using the same item for more than one category. You need enough items to fill your shoe box and please, nothing smelly.

 

 

TRY TO FIND . . . WHAT DID YOU FIND?

* TIME *

Something older than you.____________________________________

Something younger than you. _________________________________

Something that will change in spring. _______________________

_____________________________________________________________

Something that will not change in spring. ___________________

_____________________________________________________________

* LIFE SCIENCE *

Something that animals can eat. _____________________________

Something that is alive and cannot move (Draw a picture of it.
Do NOT COLLECT IT since that would kill it). ______________

_____________________________________________________________

* CHEMISTRY *

Something that will burn. ___________________________________

Something that will not burn. _______________________________

Something that will decay (rot). ____________________________

Something that will not decay. ______________________________

* TEXTURE *

Something rough. ____________________________________________

Something smooth. ___________________________________________

* OTHER *

Something you can use. ______________________________________

What would you use it for? _______________________________

Something interesting. ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

Lesson 3. What's In My Picture?

Objective
Materials

Postcards or color copies of famous art works (nature scene, preferably) in envelopes, fifteen letter size white sketch paper, crayons, markers, clip boards, poster of nature scene.

Procedure
What's In My Picture
  1. From the carpet, teacher shows a poster of nature scene. Students will say one word at a time to describe the picture. Direct towards more complicated adjectives. Teacher writes all the words on the board.
  2. Students will do the same. Depending on the day, either pair up or group three children in one group. They may work anywhere in the room. Explain rules about quite voices and working only with your one partner. Give each group one envelope containing the picture and remind them not to open.
  3. One child will give description of what he finds in the envelop while the partner tries to draw it on the paper. No peeking. They will have to use adjectives and adverbs.
  4. This is meant to be a short activity. It should not continue for more than 15 minutes. If time permits, partners will switch the roles.
Writing
  1. Each student will work independently. They will write a descriptive paragraph of their specific scenery (preferably winter) so that the reader can almost imagine it exactly.
  2. Students will turn in their writing paragraphs and will revise them if there are mistakes or if they wish.
  3. There will be one peer editing at a later date.
Evaluation

Each paragraph should demonstrate well written descriptive sentences.

Lesson 4. What's in Soil.

Objective

After a trip outdoors, students will be able to describe components of soil by writing a short paragraph.

Materials

"What's in Soil" worksheet, 6 trowels, 6 writing boards, plastic bags, rulers or foot-long strings.

Procedure
  1. Ask each student to write a short description or definition of soil in their journals.
  2. Each group will measure one square foot of ground.
  3. Suggest that they use a small trowel to take samples of soil.
  4. Ask the students to examine carefully all of the soil in this area to a depth of three inches and record what they find.
  5. Using the worksheets, ask the students to identify and describe the living (worms, roots, insects) and non living (rocks, dead vegetation, moisture) components of the soil.
  6. In class, after discussing what each group found, ask students to rewrite their descriptions of soil and compare these with their first descriptions.
  7. Discuss the role each component of the soil plays in plant growth. For example, rocks provide nutrients (minerals); animals improve structure (aeration); roots decay and provide nutrients and help aerate the soil.
Evaluation

Check the paragraphs for understanding. Also check their "What's in Soil" worksheet. Informally assess each group's progress as they are examining soil.

Variations/Enrichment Activities

 

References

Project Learning Tree, American Forest Council, 1988

 

 



                                Name_______________

                WHAT'S IN SOIL?




WHAT DID YOU FIND?                      HOW DO YOU THINK IT
(living and nonliving)                  HELPS PLANTS?



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________



_____________________________           _________________________

Lesson 5. Survival of the Fittest

Objectives
Materials

junk mail (adds, catalogs, Sunday papers),

Procedure
  1. Explain the activity. Each group has $100 dollars to survive in the wild for one week. They will need to use the resources (adds...) to find the materials needed to survive for the upcoming week in December.i.e. they will make a survival kits.
  2. Each group will work together to determine what materials to purchase and how much it is costing them.
  3. Each group will provide a sheet about their shopping spree and explanation. These sheets will contain estimates of how much money they will have spent. They cannot spend any more than $100.
  4. Discuss what the Plains Native Americans must have used in nature in place of the modern conveniences.
  5. Write a short paragraph about how a person can survive in the wild using natural resources.
Evaluation

Check the sheets to make sure they have not spent over $100 yet purchased adequate supply for everyone in the group.

 

 

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

* Your group is deserted in the wild for one week. All you have is what you have with you at school today and $100. What will your group have to buy to survive the week? List everything you will buy and their price. Remember you cannot spend more than $100.

 

Helpful hint: Look for items on sale. 




ITEMS PURCHASED QUANTITY  PRICE PER ITEM            ESTIMATE

(example) bread    2         $ 1.49                  $ 3.00



                             $                       $



                             $                       $



                             $                       $



                             $                       $



                             $                       $



                             $                       $



                             $                       $

                                                     ____________
                                               TOTAL:$

Lesson 6. Finish K-W-L

Objective
Materials

Original transparency of K-W-L, overhead projector, science logs.

Procedure
  1. Students will use their science logs from this unit to review the unit.
  2. Teacher displays the original K-W-L transparency and conducts class discussion to finish the Learned section of K-W-L.
  3. Also discuss whether their prior knowledge agrees with what they learned. (Hopefully they will construct new meaning!)
  4. Finish filling in the Learned section.
  5. Collect all materials from this unit.
Evaluation

Keep informal record of student participation during the discussion. Every student should talk about what should go in the Learned section of the K-W-L at least once.

 

 

SELF EVALUATION

Lesson 1. K-W-L

Going into the lesson I had a negative attitude about it. I was not satisfied with the way it was organized. For a moment, the lesson seemed to be headed down hill, however when we were concluding the lesson students reached the objective.

Strengths
Suggestions

 

Lesson 4. What's in Soil?

I wanted the students to get a positive cooperative group experience from this lesson. Instead of teaching the Scavenger Hunt lesson as planned, at the last minute I taught this lesson instead because I developed dissatisfaction with it. I wanted the students to develop environmental awareness and somehow, picking things from nature and making an art project out of it instead of putting it back seemed to contradict each other.

I am happy with this lesson and the way it went. The children were very cooperative for the most part and were able to construct knowledge on their own, which is often a painfully long process.

Strengths
Suggestions

Brief Annotated Bibliography

 

American Forest Council. Project Learning Tree.

 

- It is every teacher's dream. It is an environmental education project that contains activities to increase environmental awareness. It was designed for grades K through 6.

 

 

Brimner, Larry. Animals that Hibernate.

 

- This book is written for young readers and is good for initial introduction of animal hibernation. It covers the very basic concepts of hibernation. I used it for the full page color photographs it contains of animals. K-3

 

 

Carlson, Laurie. Ecoart.

 

- This book is an absolute must have for every teacher's bookshelf. It has pages after pages of art and music projects for teachers or parents. It contains great illustrations and easy to follow directions. It is appropriate for grades K-6.

 

 

O'Blough, Glenn. Soon After September.

 

- It is contemporary realistic fiction. It is a story of living things in winter. Children follow the main character through her visit to the nature during the winter season and discover the changes along with the character. I used it as introductory ice-breaker to the unit.

 

 

Stokes, Donald. A Guide to Nature in Winter.

 

- This book is wonderful as a reference book, as it was designed for. It explains over four hundred species of plants and animals one would find in nature during the winter times in plains, woodlands, and grassland prairies. It can be used for grades 3 to 6.