6th Grade Science Unit: Food Webs and Food Chains
Heading
Title: Food Webs and Food Chains Grade: 6th
Disciplines: Science, Language Arts, Arts, Math Time Span: 1 Week
Description of School and Students:
The type of setting is a sixth grade classroom PS 340 located in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. There are 32 students in the class, with an abundance of learning materials throughout the classroom.
Brainstorming Map:
Title: Food Webs and Food Chains Grade: 6th
Disciplines: Science, Language Arts, Arts, Math Time Span: 1 Week
Description of School and Students:
The type of setting is a sixth grade classroom PS 340 located in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. There are 32 students in the class, with an abundance of learning materials throughout the classroom.
Brainstorming Map:
Content Overview:
Food Chain
A food chain shows how each living thing gets its food. They are a link of relationships between predators and prey within a certain ecosystem or habitat. Food chains serve as a method for ecologists, and people in general, to understand the interactions of species they observe in nature. The food chain shows the transfer of energy from one living thing to another. These living things need energy in order to survive and most find it in the form of food while others can survive just from the energy they receive from the sun. Every food chain begins with the sun.
Solar Energy
The base of the chain/web, there is solar energy. Organisms that produce their own food utilize the solar energy. These organisms are called autotrophs. The process autotrophs use to make their own food is called photosynthesis. This process converts carbon dioxide into sugars or organic compounds that can be used as food. Energy from the sun flows from each organism to the next, and at each level some energy is lost.
Autotrophs
Autotrophs are the organisms that produce their own food using photosynthesis and are also called producers. If there were no autotrophs, there would be no life on this planet. Examples of autotrophs are algae and plants.
Heterotrophs
Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot make their own food and are also known as consumers. In order to survive, heterotrophs must consume other animals to get energy. Examples of heterotrophs are deer, bears and dogs. Heterotrophs are further divided into four groups based upon what they eat. These groups are: decomposers, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. Herbivores are organisms that are primary consumers and feed on only plants. Carnivores only feed on other animals. Omnivores feed on both plants and other animals. Last are decomposers. Decomposers are bacteria and fungi that feed on decaying matter. These decomposers speed up the decaying process that releases mineral salts back into the food chain for absorption by plants as nutrients.
Trophic Levels
Trophic levels are the steps in the transfer of energy in the food chain and web. The main trophic levels are heterotrophs and autotrophs, or producers, consumers and decomposers. The first trophic level is the producer. The producers get most of their energy from the sun and make their own food so it can be provide energy for another organism that consumes it. The next trophic level is then the consumers, or the organisms that eat the producers. Lastly there are the decomposers. The decomposers feed on any dead material and break it down into nutrients or fertilizers for the soil. This transfer of energy is important because if no organisms were getting energy, everything would die.
Conservation of Energy
One very important thing about the food chain is that the energy is constantly “recycled” and never lost. This is called the principle of conservation of energy, which simply states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is constantly being transferred from one organism to another.
Interdependence
Since the food chain is a cycle, each organism involved depends greatly on another organism for their source of energy because without it they will die. If there were no producers, then every consumer would die off. If there are no more consumers, then the decomposers have nowhere to get energy either so they all die too. If there are no decomposers, there are no nutrients given back to the soil so the producers cannot grow. Everything on the food chain is dependent on something else and that is called interdependence.
Food Webs
Most organisms, similar to humans, do not get their energy from just one food source. Humans eat both chicken and beef so their food chain is more complex. That is when we use a food web. A food web displays an organism getting its energy from multiple organisms and those organisms getting their energy from multiple organisms as well.
Rationale:
This unit is being taught to teach the students the importance of the food chains and food webs and the impact that humans have on them. At the end of the unit, the students will have a better understanding of the importance of the conservation of energy, the role of organisms and their classification within a food web and food chain. Lastly, the students will better understand the importance of the sun’s energy. In order for all the students to learn most effectively, the lessons will be taught in a variety of ways. Some lessons will take place in groups and others while working individually. The teacher will facilitate discussion, use visuals, and the students will go on a field trip and perform many hands on activities during the unit.
Standards:
Food Chains and Food Webs
· PS 4.1d, PS 4.5a,b
o The principle of the conversion of energy
· LE 5.1c, LE 5.2a, LE 6.1a-c
o Flow of energy and matter through food chains and food webs
· LE 6.2a-c
o The role of producers
· LE 5.1e,d; LE 5.2b-e
o The role of consumers
o Idea of respiration, recycling; herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
· LE 5.1e
o The role of decomposers
General Skills
· Recognize and analyze patterns and trends
· Sequence events
· Identify cause-and-effect relationships
Goal
The goal of this unit is for students to have an understanding of the importance of food webs and food chains. This unit aims to answer the essential question of: How does the transfer of matter and energy through biological communities support diversity of living things?
Performance Indicators:
- Students will be able to understand the Principle of Conservation of Energy and relate it to the food web.
- Students will be able to define and differentiate between food webs and food chains.
- Students will be able to determine the roles of organisms within a food chain or web.
- Students will be able to organize and categorize organisms by different levels of classifications
(producers, consumers, etc.)
- Students will be able to trace the food they eat on a daily basis back to the sun’s energy.
- Students will be able to infer what would happen if a member of a food chain was removed.
- Students will be able to understand the importance of food webs and the impact humans can have on them.
Refined Cognitive Map:
Food Chains and Food Webs
· PS 4.1d, PS 4.5a,b
o The principle of the conversion of energy
· LE 5.1c, LE 5.2a, LE 6.1a-c
o Flow of energy and matter through food chains and food webs
· LE 6.2a-c
o The role of producers
· LE 5.1e,d; LE 5.2b-e
o The role of consumers
o Idea of respiration, recycling; herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
· LE 5.1e
o The role of decomposers
General Skills
· Recognize and analyze patterns and trends
· Sequence events
· Identify cause-and-effect relationships
Goal
The goal of this unit is for students to have an understanding of the importance of food webs and food chains. This unit aims to answer the essential question of: How does the transfer of matter and energy through biological communities support diversity of living things?
Performance Indicators:
- Students will be able to understand the Principle of Conservation of Energy and relate it to the food web.
- Students will be able to define and differentiate between food webs and food chains.
- Students will be able to determine the roles of organisms within a food chain or web.
- Students will be able to organize and categorize organisms by different levels of classifications
(producers, consumers, etc.)
- Students will be able to trace the food they eat on a daily basis back to the sun’s energy.
- Students will be able to infer what would happen if a member of a food chain was removed.
- Students will be able to understand the importance of food webs and the impact humans can have on them.
Refined Cognitive Map:
Content Outline:
I. Conservation of Energy
a. Principle
b. Application
II. Solar Energy
a. Base of all food chain/webs
b. Photosynthesis
III. Trophic Levels
a. Producers
b. Consumers
c. Decomposers
IV. Autotrophs
a. Producers
b. Definition
c. Examples
V. Heterotrophs
a. Consumers
b. Definition
c. Examples
d. Groups
i. Herbivore
ii. Omnivore
iii. Carnivore
iv. Decomposer
VI. Food Chain
a. Definition
b. Description
c. Transfer of Energy
VII. Interdependence
a. Definition
b. Description
VIII. Food Web
a. Definition
b. Description
c. Transfer of Energy
I. Conservation of Energy
a. Principle
b. Application
II. Solar Energy
a. Base of all food chain/webs
b. Photosynthesis
III. Trophic Levels
a. Producers
b. Consumers
c. Decomposers
IV. Autotrophs
a. Producers
b. Definition
c. Examples
V. Heterotrophs
a. Consumers
b. Definition
c. Examples
d. Groups
i. Herbivore
ii. Omnivore
iii. Carnivore
iv. Decomposer
VI. Food Chain
a. Definition
b. Description
c. Transfer of Energy
VII. Interdependence
a. Definition
b. Description
VIII. Food Web
a. Definition
b. Description
c. Transfer of Energy
Activities:
Activity #1: Conservation of Energy
Purpose:
The students will be able to understand the concept that energy is not created or destroyed, only transferred. The principle of Conservation of Energy will be explored in relation to food webs, through demonstration and visual understanding.
Execution:
To begin this lesson, the teacher will write out the principle of Conservation of Energy on the board. The students will then be given a few minutes to reflect and to come up with an explanation or interpretation of this principle. The teacher will then ask the students how conservation of energy can relate to the food chain. After the students have brainstormed, the teacher will pass out place mats and zip lock bags for each student. Within the zip lock bags will be 12 pennies. Next, the students will place all twelve pennies on the largest circle. They will then divide the pennies into equal groups within the next level of circles, and record the number of pennies in each group. When each student has moved and recorded each of their pennies to the final level, the teacher will ask the students to infer what the movement of pennies might represent. The facilitate a conversation discussing how the pennies represent energy moving through the different levels of the food chain, explaining that each time the energy was consumed, or moved to another layer, its intensity decreased, but the overall amount of energy in the environment stayed the same. To complete this activity the students will then go back to their place mat and attempt to label each level using food web words such as energy source, producer, consumer, and so on.
Materials/Resources:
· Chalk
· Blackboard
· Pennies
· Zip lock bags
· Place mat (example attached)
Activity #2: You Are What You Eat
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to create a connection between the diet of students and the food web that surrounds our daily life. Students will examine where the energy the put into their body comes from and trace that energy back to its original source, the sun.
Execution:
To begin this activity, the teacher will ask students to think about the question posted within the Aim and complete the Do Now.
Aim: What is a food web and how does it work?
Do Now: First, list a food that you gain energy from.
Next, list the source of your food’s energy.
Can you trace your energy back to the sun?
Example: Me> steak (cow) > grass > sun.
Ask: is this a food web? What does a web look like? This is a food chain.
1. The teacher will then compare and contrast food chain and food web on whiteboard, asking the following:
a. What are some things we already know about food chains and food webs?
b. Now, going back to our Do Now, please add another chain to connect you to the sun’s energy using a different food source.
› ADD TO EXAMPLE ON BOARD.
› Ask student to share
2. Play Brain Pop video on “Food Chains”
a. http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/
b. Ask students to pay careful attention to vocabulary on the board
c. Review vocabulary
› Food Chain
› Food Web
› Producer
› Consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore)
› Decomposer
d. Our original food chain from the do now was very simple, but Tim and Moby explained food webs are much more complex. Now, I would like you to expand your food web. You can add producers, consumers, and decomposers. Remember there are three types of consumers, and many animals can get their energy from the same source.
› ASK STUDENT TO REPEAT DIRECTIONS!
e. Ask the class who thinks they came up with the most organisms within their web? Share.
3. List, Group, Label
a. So now that each student has a complete web, they will then sort the organisms included in their own food web into two major categories: Producers and Consumers
b. Then, students will break down the organisms within the Consumer group by Herbivore, Omnivore, and Carnivore
c. Ask students to share their web.
At the completion of this activity, students will have traced their food source back to the sun, expanded their simple chain to form a complex web, and applied newly learned terms to the concept of food webs. The teacher will wrap up the activity by collecting the completely food webs to be displayed on the classroom’s science bulletin board.
Materials:
- White board
- Markers
- Paper
- Pencils
- Chalk
- Blackboard
- Projector
- Brain Pop video
- Computer
Activity # 3: Student Web Demonstration
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to allow students to visualize the relationship between each of the organisms within the food web. The demonstration will display the interdependence of the organisms within the ecosystem, allowing real world connections to be made.
Execution:
Demonstration
a. The teacher will randomly select students to participate in the classroom food web.
b. Students will receive index cards with various members of a food web on ribbon to wear around their neck.
c. They will be asked to form a circle in the center of the class while the other students observe.
d. Include:
› Sun
› Grass
› Algae
› Shrimp
› Fish
› Bear
› Insects
› Frog
› Mouse
› Snake
› Hawk
› Rabbit
› Deer
Start by asking the students still sitting who the ribbon should go to first. (SUN)
e. Ask the SUN who uses their energy as food directly Two strings given to SUN to hold connecting it to GRASS and ALGAE
f. Continue connections until everyone has at least one string in their hand
g. Ask students with more than one string to tie their ends together.
h. Then ask SUN to pull on their strings, when other students feel a tug, they should raise their other hand.
i. Ask students observing who the consumers/producers are.
j. What would happen if we cut out the fish? (Cut string)
k. Ask anyone who felt the string loosen to drop his or her end.
› (CHAIN REACTION)
To conclude this activity, the teacher will ask the students to return to their desk and reflect on the different aspects of the demonstration. Some points to address may include how each organism relies on another, how without one organism the web falls apart, and how the sun is the source of all energy. Students may also connect this web back to the principle of conservation of energy. Their journal entries will then be evaluated based on their level of understanding and the reflection displayed.
Materials:
- Ribbon
- Index cards
- Computer
- Projector
- Internet access
- Pencils
- Science Journals
Activity #1: Conservation of Energy
Purpose:
The students will be able to understand the concept that energy is not created or destroyed, only transferred. The principle of Conservation of Energy will be explored in relation to food webs, through demonstration and visual understanding.
Execution:
To begin this lesson, the teacher will write out the principle of Conservation of Energy on the board. The students will then be given a few minutes to reflect and to come up with an explanation or interpretation of this principle. The teacher will then ask the students how conservation of energy can relate to the food chain. After the students have brainstormed, the teacher will pass out place mats and zip lock bags for each student. Within the zip lock bags will be 12 pennies. Next, the students will place all twelve pennies on the largest circle. They will then divide the pennies into equal groups within the next level of circles, and record the number of pennies in each group. When each student has moved and recorded each of their pennies to the final level, the teacher will ask the students to infer what the movement of pennies might represent. The facilitate a conversation discussing how the pennies represent energy moving through the different levels of the food chain, explaining that each time the energy was consumed, or moved to another layer, its intensity decreased, but the overall amount of energy in the environment stayed the same. To complete this activity the students will then go back to their place mat and attempt to label each level using food web words such as energy source, producer, consumer, and so on.
Materials/Resources:
· Chalk
· Blackboard
· Pennies
· Zip lock bags
· Place mat (example attached)
Activity #2: You Are What You Eat
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to create a connection between the diet of students and the food web that surrounds our daily life. Students will examine where the energy the put into their body comes from and trace that energy back to its original source, the sun.
Execution:
To begin this activity, the teacher will ask students to think about the question posted within the Aim and complete the Do Now.
Aim: What is a food web and how does it work?
Do Now: First, list a food that you gain energy from.
Next, list the source of your food’s energy.
Can you trace your energy back to the sun?
Example: Me> steak (cow) > grass > sun.
Ask: is this a food web? What does a web look like? This is a food chain.
1. The teacher will then compare and contrast food chain and food web on whiteboard, asking the following:
a. What are some things we already know about food chains and food webs?
b. Now, going back to our Do Now, please add another chain to connect you to the sun’s energy using a different food source.
› ADD TO EXAMPLE ON BOARD.
› Ask student to share
2. Play Brain Pop video on “Food Chains”
a. http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/
b. Ask students to pay careful attention to vocabulary on the board
c. Review vocabulary
› Food Chain
› Food Web
› Producer
› Consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore)
› Decomposer
d. Our original food chain from the do now was very simple, but Tim and Moby explained food webs are much more complex. Now, I would like you to expand your food web. You can add producers, consumers, and decomposers. Remember there are three types of consumers, and many animals can get their energy from the same source.
› ASK STUDENT TO REPEAT DIRECTIONS!
e. Ask the class who thinks they came up with the most organisms within their web? Share.
3. List, Group, Label
a. So now that each student has a complete web, they will then sort the organisms included in their own food web into two major categories: Producers and Consumers
b. Then, students will break down the organisms within the Consumer group by Herbivore, Omnivore, and Carnivore
c. Ask students to share their web.
At the completion of this activity, students will have traced their food source back to the sun, expanded their simple chain to form a complex web, and applied newly learned terms to the concept of food webs. The teacher will wrap up the activity by collecting the completely food webs to be displayed on the classroom’s science bulletin board.
Materials:
- White board
- Markers
- Paper
- Pencils
- Chalk
- Blackboard
- Projector
- Brain Pop video
- Computer
Activity # 3: Student Web Demonstration
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to allow students to visualize the relationship between each of the organisms within the food web. The demonstration will display the interdependence of the organisms within the ecosystem, allowing real world connections to be made.
Execution:
Demonstration
a. The teacher will randomly select students to participate in the classroom food web.
b. Students will receive index cards with various members of a food web on ribbon to wear around their neck.
c. They will be asked to form a circle in the center of the class while the other students observe.
d. Include:
› Sun
› Grass
› Algae
› Shrimp
› Fish
› Bear
› Insects
› Frog
› Mouse
› Snake
› Hawk
› Rabbit
› Deer
Start by asking the students still sitting who the ribbon should go to first. (SUN)
e. Ask the SUN who uses their energy as food directly Two strings given to SUN to hold connecting it to GRASS and ALGAE
f. Continue connections until everyone has at least one string in their hand
g. Ask students with more than one string to tie their ends together.
h. Then ask SUN to pull on their strings, when other students feel a tug, they should raise their other hand.
i. Ask students observing who the consumers/producers are.
j. What would happen if we cut out the fish? (Cut string)
k. Ask anyone who felt the string loosen to drop his or her end.
› (CHAIN REACTION)
To conclude this activity, the teacher will ask the students to return to their desk and reflect on the different aspects of the demonstration. Some points to address may include how each organism relies on another, how without one organism the web falls apart, and how the sun is the source of all energy. Students may also connect this web back to the principle of conservation of energy. Their journal entries will then be evaluated based on their level of understanding and the reflection displayed.
Materials:
- Ribbon
- Index cards
- Computer
- Projector
- Internet access
- Pencils
- Science Journals
Activity #4: Chain Reaction
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to display the importance of each member of the food web by taking a deeper look at what happens when an organism is cut out. This activity will expand upon the concepts from the previous demonstration by taking real world connections and discussing the actual implications each organism has on the environment.
Execution:
Each student will receive a simple food chain consisting of the sun, grass, a grasshopper, a frog, a snake, and an owl. The teacher will ask the students to complete the chain in its right order with a partner to begin. Then, two pairs will work together to brainstorm the effects of losing an organism in a simple chain. The teacher will ask each group to come up with 4 possible consequences if one of the organisms were to be cut out. The teacher will also generate questions to facilitate the brainstorming process. Possible questions may include: (frog) what does a frog eat? Will there be more or less grasshoppers now? How will this affect the snakes? etc. After students have listed four possible consequences, they will share their predictions will the class. The teacher will aid in developing the ideas of the groups before the students create their own poster. Students will take their predictions and illustrate one or all of the consequences on the board. They will then each write their own reflection on the group picture. One group may choose to focus on the effect of increased grasshoppers would have on the grass. Another group may focus on the decreased food supply for snakes if frogs were eliminated. After each group has completed their poster, the teacher will wrap up the lesson with a summary of what was learned through the Chain Reaction video. This interactive website will review the main concepts focused on throughout the lesson, while expanding the students ideas on a higher level. The students will be assessed based on their ability to work well in groups, the predictions they make, the relevance to the real world implications, and their ability to reflect back on what they have discovered.
Materials:
- http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/play_chainreaction.cfm
- Poster board
- Food chain fill in sheet
- Crayons
- Markers
- Computer
- Projector
- Black board
- Chalk
Activity #5: Bronx Zoo Trip
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to tie together every lesson and concept learned throughout the unit in a fun and exciting way.
Execution:
While on a field trip to the Bronx Zoo, students will aim to explore the many interconnected webs within the surrounding ecosystem. To conclude the unit on food chains, the students will be asked to list a total of 10 animals of interest in which they visited at the zoo. Each student will have the following chart:
Animal Name Producer Consumer Chain
Students will fill in the name of the animals of their choice, check off whether they are a producer or a consumer and then draw a small diagram connecting their chosen animal to a surrounding chain. After 10 animals have been charted, the students will be asked to create a large food web. The goal is to connect all ten animals together in some way, ideally more than just through the sun’s energy. Students will also reflect on their experience at the zoo, how it related to the previous lessons, and reflects on what they have learned by making their own food web. This activity will close the unit, taking the students outside the four walls of the classroom and allowing them to see the real world connections come to life.
Assessment:
To assess the students understanding of the unit as a whole, the teacher will help the class prepare a portfolio. Throughout each individual lesson and activity, there are smaller assessments, each with a finished product. The students will pull from these finished products to display their best work and full understanding of the unit at hand. The students will also include a Unit Reflection piece in their portfolio. Within this reflection, students will discuss their strengths and weaknesses within the unit, ways in which they feel they have grown academically with the material as well as what they have learned. Students will also include what they found most interesting about the unit, what they would have liked to focus more on, and how their views on our role within the ecosystem have changed after completing this unit. The goal of the Unit Reflection is to answer the question posed at the beginning of the unit, “How does the transfer of matter and energy through biological communities support diversity of living things?”. The portfolio will be assessed using a checklist of material included, which is a total of 5 finished pieces, plus the Unit Reflection. The teacher will be looking for organization, understanding of the topic, and creativity and effort within the portfolio as a whole. The portfolio will leave the students with a complete review of the unit to refer back to, as well as a study guide for future reference.
Resources:
· "NYC Scope and Sequence for Science." NYC Department of Education. NYC gov, n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. <http://sch ools.nyc.gov/Academics/Science/EducatorResources/NYC+Scope+and+Sequence+for+Science.htm>.
· "Cell biology." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29
· "Food Chain." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_chain>.
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to display the importance of each member of the food web by taking a deeper look at what happens when an organism is cut out. This activity will expand upon the concepts from the previous demonstration by taking real world connections and discussing the actual implications each organism has on the environment.
Execution:
Each student will receive a simple food chain consisting of the sun, grass, a grasshopper, a frog, a snake, and an owl. The teacher will ask the students to complete the chain in its right order with a partner to begin. Then, two pairs will work together to brainstorm the effects of losing an organism in a simple chain. The teacher will ask each group to come up with 4 possible consequences if one of the organisms were to be cut out. The teacher will also generate questions to facilitate the brainstorming process. Possible questions may include: (frog) what does a frog eat? Will there be more or less grasshoppers now? How will this affect the snakes? etc. After students have listed four possible consequences, they will share their predictions will the class. The teacher will aid in developing the ideas of the groups before the students create their own poster. Students will take their predictions and illustrate one or all of the consequences on the board. They will then each write their own reflection on the group picture. One group may choose to focus on the effect of increased grasshoppers would have on the grass. Another group may focus on the decreased food supply for snakes if frogs were eliminated. After each group has completed their poster, the teacher will wrap up the lesson with a summary of what was learned through the Chain Reaction video. This interactive website will review the main concepts focused on throughout the lesson, while expanding the students ideas on a higher level. The students will be assessed based on their ability to work well in groups, the predictions they make, the relevance to the real world implications, and their ability to reflect back on what they have discovered.
Materials:
- http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/play_chainreaction.cfm
- Poster board
- Food chain fill in sheet
- Crayons
- Markers
- Computer
- Projector
- Black board
- Chalk
Activity #5: Bronx Zoo Trip
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to tie together every lesson and concept learned throughout the unit in a fun and exciting way.
Execution:
While on a field trip to the Bronx Zoo, students will aim to explore the many interconnected webs within the surrounding ecosystem. To conclude the unit on food chains, the students will be asked to list a total of 10 animals of interest in which they visited at the zoo. Each student will have the following chart:
Animal Name Producer Consumer Chain
Students will fill in the name of the animals of their choice, check off whether they are a producer or a consumer and then draw a small diagram connecting their chosen animal to a surrounding chain. After 10 animals have been charted, the students will be asked to create a large food web. The goal is to connect all ten animals together in some way, ideally more than just through the sun’s energy. Students will also reflect on their experience at the zoo, how it related to the previous lessons, and reflects on what they have learned by making their own food web. This activity will close the unit, taking the students outside the four walls of the classroom and allowing them to see the real world connections come to life.
Assessment:
To assess the students understanding of the unit as a whole, the teacher will help the class prepare a portfolio. Throughout each individual lesson and activity, there are smaller assessments, each with a finished product. The students will pull from these finished products to display their best work and full understanding of the unit at hand. The students will also include a Unit Reflection piece in their portfolio. Within this reflection, students will discuss their strengths and weaknesses within the unit, ways in which they feel they have grown academically with the material as well as what they have learned. Students will also include what they found most interesting about the unit, what they would have liked to focus more on, and how their views on our role within the ecosystem have changed after completing this unit. The goal of the Unit Reflection is to answer the question posed at the beginning of the unit, “How does the transfer of matter and energy through biological communities support diversity of living things?”. The portfolio will be assessed using a checklist of material included, which is a total of 5 finished pieces, plus the Unit Reflection. The teacher will be looking for organization, understanding of the topic, and creativity and effort within the portfolio as a whole. The portfolio will leave the students with a complete review of the unit to refer back to, as well as a study guide for future reference.
Resources:
· "NYC Scope and Sequence for Science." NYC Department of Education. NYC gov, n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. <http://sch ools.nyc.gov/Academics/Science/EducatorResources/NYC+Scope+and+Sequence+for+Science.htm>.
· "Cell biology." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29
· "Food Chain." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_chain>.
Unit Lessons Attached:
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
unit_lesson_1_-_conservation.docx | |
File Size: | 292 kb |
File Type: | docx |
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
unit_lesson_2_-_food_chain.docx | |
File Size: | 306 kb |
File Type: | docx |
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unit_lesson_3_-_demonstration.docx | |
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File Type: | docx |