august, 2011 trees, glorious trees - wupcenter.mtu.edu

AmyVasilionAugust,2011

Trees,Trees,GloriousTrees

TargetGrade:6thGradeScienceUnitOverview:StudentswilllearnhowtomakegoodobservationsusingthetreesintheOutdoorClassroomlocatedbymyschool.Studentswillthenuseadichotomouskeyandtheirobservationstoidentifythetypeoftreesintheoutdoorclassroom.Studentswilldoresearchontheirtreetoidentifythecharacteristicsofthetree.AsaServiceLearningprojectforourschool,studentswillcreatesignsidentifyingthetypeoftree,characteristicsofthetreeandwhetherthetreeisnativeornon‐nativetoMichigan.Studentswillthentakethe4thgradestudentsfromElliottSchoolonawalkingfieldtrip.Duringthefieldtripstudentswillpointoutthedifferenttypesoftreesandhowtousethesignsthattheyhavecreatedtolearnmoreaboutthetrees.Studentswillconnectwhattheyhavelearnedabouttheirtreestoourecosystemsunitthatiscurrentlyinplace,andwithourSocialStudiescurriculumontheimportanceofplantsineconomies.TotalTimeNeeded:10DaysSources/References:

TreesofMichiganFieldGuidebyStanTekiela(ISBN1‐59193‐00‐6) TreeFinder:AManualfortheIdentificationofTreesbyTheirLeavesbyMay

TheilgaardWatts(ISBN978‐0‐912550‐01‐5) www.sciencenotebooks.org www.sciencespot.net SeaGrantofMaryland:

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/education/interactive_lessons/key/what.htm

LeafPositionWorksheet:http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafposition.pdf

ShapesofLeavesWorksheet:http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafshape.pdf

TeachingandLearningObjectives:Studentswillbeableto:

Useadichotomouskey. Identifyandclassifydifferenttypesoftrees. Createobservationsthataredetailedandincludecorrectscientificlabels. Communicatewhattheyhavelearnedabouttreeswithotherpeopleinthe

community. Identifywhetheratreeisnativeornon‐nativetoMichigan. Describewheretreesgettheirenergy.

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Describewhyatreeisbiotic. DescribewhytreesareimportanttoMichigan’secosystemsandeconomy.

ContentBenchmarksAddressed:ScienceGLCES:

S.IP.06.13Usetoolsandequipmentappropriatetoscientificinvestigations. S.IP.06.14Usemetricmeasurementdevicesinaninvestigation. S.IA.06.13Communicateanddefendfindingsofobservationsand

investigationsusingevidence. S.RS.06.14Drawconclusionsfromsetsofdatafrommultipletrialsofa

scientificinvestigation. L.OL.06.51Classifyproducers,consumers,anddecomposersbasedontheir

sourceoffood. L.EC.06.11Identifyanddescribeexamplesofpopulations,communities,and

ecosystemsincludingtheGreatLakesregion. L.EC.06.31Identifyliving(abiotic)andnonliving(biotic)componentsofan

ecosystem.

SocialStudiesGLCES:

6–W1.2.3ExplaintheimpactoftheAgriculturalRevolution(stablefoodsupply,surplus,populationgrowth,trade,divisionoflabor,developmentofsettlements).

6–G2.1.1Describethelandformfeaturesandtheclimateoftheregion(withintheWesternorEasternHemispheres)understudy.

6–G3.2.1Explainhowandwhyecosystemsdifferasaconsequenceofdifferencesinlatitude,elevation,andhumanactivities(e.g.,SouthAmerica’slocationrelativetotheequator,effectsofelevationsontemperatureandgrowingseason,proximitytobodiesofwaterandtheeffectsontemperatureandrainfall,effectsofannualfloodingonvegetationalongriverfloodplainssuchastheAmazon).

6–G3.2.2Identifyecosystemsandexplainwhysomearemoreattractiveforhumanstousethanareothers(e.g.,mid‐latitudeforestinNorthAmerica,highlatitudeofPeru,tropicalforestsinHonduras,fishormarinevegetationincoastalzones).

6–G5.1.1Describetheenvironmentaleffectsofhumanactionontheatmosphere(air),biosphere(people,animals,andplants),lithosphere(soil),andhydrosphere(water)(e.g.,changesinthetropicalforestenvironmentsinBrazil,Peru,andCostaRica).

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6–G5.1.3Identifythewaysinwhichhuman‐inducedchangesinthephysicalenvironmentinoneplacecancausechangesinotherplaces(e.g.,cuttingforestsinoneregionmayresultinriverbasinfloodingelsewhere;buildingadamfloodslandupstreamandmaypermitirrigationinanotherregion).

LanguageArtsGLCES:

R.CM.06.02retellthroughconcisesummarizationgrade‐levelnarrativeandinformationaltext.

R.CM.06.04applysignificantknowledgefromgrade‐levelscience,socialstudies,andmathematicstexts.

W.GR.06.01inthecontextofwriting,correctlyusestyleconventions(e.g.,ModernLanguageAssociationHandbook)andavarietyofgrammaticalstructuresinwritingincludingindefiniteandpredicatepronouns;transitiveandintransitiveverbs;adjectiveandadverbialphrases;adjectiveandadverbialsubordinateclauses;comparativeadverbsandadjectives;superlatives,conjunctions;compoundsentences;appositives;independentanddependentclauses;introductoryphrases;periods;commas;quotationmarks;anduseofunderlininganditalicsforspecificpurposes.

S.CN.06.01adjusttheiruseoflanguagetocommunicateeffectivelywithavarietyofaudiencesandfordifferentpurposesbyaskingandrespondingtoquestionsandremarkstoengagetheaudiencewhenpresenting.

S.CN.06.02speakeffectivelyusingrhyme,rhythm,cadence,andwordplayforeffectinnarrativeandinformationalpresentations.

S.CN.06.03presentinstandardAmericanEnglishifitistheirfirstlanguage.(StudentswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglishwillpresentintheirdevelopingversionofstandardAmericanEnglish.)

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LessonOne:LeafObservationsTimeNeeded:60minutesLearningObjective:Studentswillgeneratealistofitemsthatarerequiredforscientificobservations.StudentswillthenusethislisttomakescientificobservationsfromleavesfoundintheOutdoorClassroom.GLCECovered:

S.IP.06.13Usetoolsandequipment(handlens,ruler)inscientificinvestigations.

S.IP.06.11Generatescientificquestionsbasedonobservations,investigations,andresearch.

Assessment:Studentswillbeturningintheirleafobservationsandwillbegradedusingtherubricforscientificobservations.Materials:

‐ Leavesfromdifferenttreesaroundyourschool(oneforeachstudent)‐ Magnifiers/handlens(oneforeachstudent)‐ ScienceNotebooks(foreachstudent)‐ Pencil‐ Coloredpencils‐ Rulers(oneforeachstudent)

LessonOutline:

1. Askstudents“Whatisthedifferencebetweenmakinganobservationandmakinganinference?”Studentsshouldknowthatobservationsarethegatheringofinformationusingyourfivessensesandthattherearequalitativeandquantitativeobservations.Inferencesareexplanationsofyourobservationsusingpriorknowledge.

2. Giveanexampleofanobservation.Example:“Jimmyiswearingablueshirt”GiveanexampleofaninferenceExample:“Jimmy’sfavoritecolorisbluebecauseheiswearingablueshirt”.

3. Askstudentstomakesomeobservationsorinferencesofthingsintheroom.Callonstudentstosharetheirobservations/inferences.Asktheclasswhethereachstatementisanobservationoraninference.

4. Tellstudents“Todaywearegoingtofocusonmakinggoodscientificobservations.”

5. Askstudents“Whatmakessomethingagoodscientificobservation?”Beginwritingdownstudentsresponsesontheboard.

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6. Showstudentsexamplesofsomescientificdrawingsandobservationsthatotherstudentshavedonefromthewebsitewww.sciencenotebooks.org.

7. Askstudents“Wouldyouliketoaddanythingtoourlistafterseeingtheexamples?”Studentsshouldhavelisted:drawings/rubbings,title/nameofobject,scientificlabels,descriptionofobject(size,texture,color,smell,hear).

8. Havestudentsopentothefirstavailablepageintheirsciencejournal.HavethemtitlethispageScientificObservations.Havestudentsrecordwhatneedstobeinascientificobservationfromthelistontheboard.

9. Tellstudentsthatyouwillusetheirlisttocreatearubricforscientificobservations.Seerubricattheendofthelesson.

10. Tellstudents“Wearegoingtonowusewhattheylearnedaboutscientificobservationstocreatesomeobservationsofleaves.”

11. TurntothenextpageintheirsciencejournalandtitlethispageLeafObservations.

12. Giveeachstudentaruler,handlens,coloredpencilsandaleaf.Havestudentsbeginmakingobservationsoftheirleaf.Ifyouseestudentsgettingstuckreferthemtothepreviouspagewiththeirlistonit.

13. Tellstudents“Wearenowgoingtoshareourobservationswithapartner.Partnersshouldbeusingthelistandmakesurethattheobservationhaseverythingneeded.Iftheyaremissingsomethingtheyshouldaddittotheirobservationbeforeturningitin.

14. Collecttheobservationsfromstudents.Usetherubrictogradetheirobservations.

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ObservationRubric

Name________________page#tobegraded________________________

Category 3 2 1Title Titleisdetailedand

relatedtotheobservation

Titleissomewhatrelatedtotheobservation

Titleismissingornotrelatedtothedrawing

Observation Observationsincludeallofthefollowingdetails:

- color- shape- size- amount- texture

Observationsinclude4ofthefollowingdetails:

- color- shape- size- amount- texture

Observationsincludelessthan4observations:

- color- shape- size- amount- texture

ScientificDrawing

Drawingisneatlydoneandincludes:

- labels- colororshading- representsobject

accurately

Drawingisincludedandincludes2:

- labels- colororshading

‐representsobjectaccurately

Drawingismessyornotincluded,anddoesnotinclude:

- labels- colororshading

‐representsobjectaccurately

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LessonTwo:WhatisaDichotomousKey?TimeNeeded:45minutesLearningObjective:Studentswilllearnhowtouseadichotomouskey.GLCECovered:

‐S.IP.06.13Usetoolsandequipmentappropriatetoscientificinvestigations.Assessment:CollecttheSillyScienceworksheetforparticipationpoints.Materials:

- http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/education/interactive_lessons/key/what.htm(smartboardneededORprojectorconnectedtoacomputer)

- SillyScienceWorksheet- Whitemarble(Whatnot),ColoredMarble(FancyWhatnot),WhiteChalk

(Screecher),UnsharpenedPencil(Wadget),SharpenedPencilmorethan10cm(Widget),PopsicleStick(Gadget),Die(Cubey),Eraserlessthan10cm(Oopsey),SmallPapercliplessthan3cm(ItsyBitsy),LargePaperClipmorethan3cm(SuperDuper)(1ofeachpergroup)

- Rulers

LessonOutline:

1. Askstudents“Doyouknowwhatadichotomouskeyis?”Explaintostudentsthatadichotomouskeyisavaluabletoolthatcanusedtoidentifylotsofobjectsfromplantstominerals.Askstudents“Whydoyouthinkthatscientistsneedtohavedichotomouskeys?”

2. Usingyoursmartboardorcomputerandaprojectorgotothewebsitehttp://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/education/interactive_lessons/key/what.htm.Clickon“HowtoMakeaKey”Gothroughthelessononhowdichotomouskeysarecreated.Allowstudentstocomeupandselectitemsonthescreen.

3. Onceyouhavegonethroughthelessononhowdichotomouskeysarecreated,havevolunteerscomeupanddotheinteractivekeythatisatthebottomofthewebsite.

4. Tellstudents“Nowthatwehavelearnedhowdichotomouskeysarecreatedandhowtouseone,let’strytoidentifycommonobjectsfoundinourclassroom.”Giveeachgroupof2‐4studentseachofthesuppliesandacopyoftheSillyScienceWorksheet.Givegroupstimetousethedichotomouskeytoidentifythesillynamesforeachobject.

5. Onceeachgrouphascompletedtheirworksheetaskvolunteerstosharethesillynamesofeachobject.

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6. Askstudents“Whatdidyoufindwaseasy/hardaboutusingthedichotomouskey?”“Howcouldthiskeybeimproved?”

7. Collecttheworksheetsandgiveparticipationpointsforthelesson.8. Tellstudents“Bepreparedtogooutsidetomorrow.Wewillbeusinga

dichotomouskeytoidentifytreesaroundoutschool.”

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Silly Science Name ___________________________ A dichotomous key is a valuable tool that can be used to identify many objects ranging from plants to minerals. The key on this page was designed to identify common objects. Discover the silly scientific name of each object. 1a. Item is 10 cm or more in any dimension........ go to 2 1b. Item is less than 10 cm in any dimension ..... go to 5 2a. Item has wooden parts ................................ go to 3 2b. Item does not have wooden parts ................. go to 5 3a. Item has a pointed edge .............................. Widget 3b. Item does not have a pointed edge ............... go to 4 4a. Item is flat ................................................. Gadget 4b. Item is rounded .......................................... Wadget 5a. Item has a spherical shape .......................... go to 6 5b. Item is not spherical ................................... go to 7 6a. Item is white in color .................................. Whatnot 6b. Item is not white in color ............................ Fancy Whatnot 7a. Item is a writing instrument......................... go to 8 7b. Item is not a writing instrument .................. go to 9 8a. Item is white in color ................................... Screecher 8b. Item is not white in color ............................. Squealer 9a. Item is partly or completely made of metal ..... go to 10 9b. Item does not have metal parts ..................... go to 11 10a. Item is more than 3 cm in length ................ Super Duper 10b. Item is less than 3 cm in length .................. Itsy Bitsy 11a. Item is soft or flexible ................................. Oopsey 11b. Item is not soft or flexible ........................... Cubey Write the silly name of each object on the line. A. White marble ____________________ B. Unsharpened Pencil __________________ C. White Chalk ____________________ D. Wooden Splint ____________________ E. Sharpened Pencil ____________________ F. Colored marble ___________________ G. Small Paperclip ___________________ H. Eraser ____________________ I. Die _____________________ J. Large Paperclip ____________________

AmyVasilionAugust,2011

Lesson Three: Using a Dichotomous Key TimeNeeded:Two60minuteclassperiodsLearningObjective:Studentswilllearnaboutdifferentpartsoftrees.Studentswillthenusewhattheyhavelearnedaboutobservationsanddichotomouskeystoidentifytreesintheoutdoorclassroom.GLCECovered:

S.IP.06.13Usetoolsandequipmentappropriatetoscientificinvestigations. S.IP.06.14Usemetricmeasurementdevicesinaninvestigation. S.IA.06.13Communicateanddefendfindingsofobservationsand

investigationsusingevidence. S.RS.06.14Drawconclusionsfromsetsofdatafrommultipletrialsofa

scientificinvestigation. L.OL.06.51Classifyproducers,consumers,anddecomposersbasedontheir

sourceoffood. L.EC.06.11Identifyanddescribeexamplesofpopulations,communities,and

ecosystemsincludingtheGreatLakesregion. L.EC.06.31Identifyliving(abiotic)andnonliving(biotic)componentsofan

ecosystem. 6–G2.1.1Describethelandformfeaturesandtheclimateoftheregionunder

study.Assessment:StudentswillturnintheFinalTreeIdentificationsheettobegraded.Materials:

- ShapesofLeavesWorksheet:http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafshape.pdf

- LeafPositionWorksheet:http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafposition.pdf

- TreeFinderGuide- Clipboard- ScienceNotebook- Pencil- Scissors- Tapeorgluestick- FinalTreeIdentificationSheet

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LessonOutline:**Beforethelessonbeginsputstudentsintogroupsof4.Makesurethatthereareenoughtreesinyourschoolyardtoassigneachgrouptoadifferentkindoftree.Makesurethatyouhavepre‐identifiedthetreessothatyouareabletoassessstudentsontheiridentification.

1. Askstudents“Imaginethatyouaretakingawalk.Youseethistreethatyouthinklooksinterestingandyouwanttoplantitinyourbackyard.Howwouldyoufindoutwhatkindoftreeitwasandwhetheritwouldbeagoodchoicetoplantinyouryard?Whyisitimportanttoknowaboutplantsinourcommunity?State?Backyard?”

2. Havestudentsrecallwhattheylearnedaboutdichotomouskeysduringthelastclass.Tellstudents“Todaywearegoingtousewhatwelearnedaboutdichotomouskeystoidentifytreesinouroutdoorclassroom.Ihaveassignedyoueachalabgrouptoworkin.Thisgroupwillberesponsibleforidentifywhatkindoftreeyouhave.Firstwehavetolearnaboutpartsofthetreethatwillbeusedinidentifyingthenameofthetree.”

3. Passoutaleafpositionandshapeofleavesworksheetsfromthewebsites(http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafposition.pdfandhttp://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/leafshape.pdf).Havestudentscuttheseoutandglueortapethemdownintheirsciencenotebooks.

4. Giveeachstudenttimetolookovertheworksheets.Askstudents“Whatdoesitlooklikeifleavesareoppositeeachother?Whataboutalternate?Whatdoesitlooklikeifaleafislobed?”Allowstudentsanopportunitytoexploretheseworksheetsandgetfamiliarwiththem.Thesewillhelpthemidentifythenamesofthetrees.Onceyoufeelthatstudentsareconfidentusingthesetwoworksheets,havethemgetintotheirlabgroups.

5. Haveeachgroupgettogetherwiththeirsupplies.Passoutatreefinderguidetoeachgroup.Tellstudents“Thistreefinderguideisdifferentthanthedichotomouskeysweusedyesterday.“Givestudentsachancetolookthroughthetreefinder.Askstudents“Whatisdifferentwiththistypeofdichotomouskey?Whatisthesame?Howwillweusethistohelpusidentifythetreesintheoutdoorclassroom?”

6. Oncestudentsfeelconfidentusingthetreefinderhavethemopentheirsciencenotebooktothefirstavailablepage.TitlethispageTreeIdentificationLab.Ontheboardwritethefollowingdirectionsandhavestudentscopytheseintotheirsciencenotebook:

1. Makeobservationsofmytree.Don’tforgetasketch.2. Usethetreefindertoidentifythenameofmytree.Recorditinmy

notebookalongwiththelocationofmytree.3. Takealeaffromthetreetobringbacktoclass.

7.Explaintostudents“WhenyouareintheoutdoorclassroomIwillassignyouatree.Inyourgroupsyouwillneedtofollowthesethreedirections.Donotforgettoincludethelocationofyourtree.Thiswillhelpyoufindyourtreethenexttimeweareintheoutdoorclassroom.”

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8.Havestudentslineupandleadthemoutside.Asyouentertheoutdoorclassroom,assigneachgroupatree.Allowgroupsabout30minutestocompletetheirobservationsandtheiridentification.Walkaroundandhelpgroupsthatneedit.9.Oncegroupshavecompletedtheirlabtheycanlineupatthegate.Ifgroupsfinishearlyyoucanchallengethemtousethetreefindertoidentifyothertreesintheoutdoorclassroom.Whenallgroupsaredoneheadbacktotheclassroom.10.Whenstudentsgetbackintotheclassroomhavestudentstapetheirleaffromtheirtreeintotheirsciencenotebook.Collectbackallthetreefinderguides.11.Passoutthefinaltreeidentificationsheet.Asagrouphavestudentsidentifytheirtreeandusetheirindividualobservationstocreategroupobservations.Studentswillbeturningthisinforagrade.

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FinalTreeIdentification

GroupMembersNames:____________________________________________________NameofTree______________________________________________Observationsthatwillhelpyouidentifyyourtree:

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Lesson Four: Tree Research TimeNeeded:Two60minuteclassperiodsinthecomputerlabLearningObjective:Studentswilldoresearchabouttheirtree.Theywillidentifyimportantaspectsoftheirtreetobeusedinaninformativeposter.GLCECovered:

S.IA.06.13Communicateanddefendfindingsofobservationsandinvestigationsusingevidence.

S.RS.06.14Drawconclusionsfromsetsofdatafrommultipletrialsofascientificinvestigation.

L.OL.06.51Classifyproducers,consumers,anddecomposersbasedontheirsourceoffood.

L.EC.06.11Identifyanddescribeexamplesofpopulations,communities,andecosystemsincludingtheGreatLakesregion.

L.EC.06.31Identifyliving(abiotic)andnonliving(biotic)componentsofanecosystem.

6–G2.1.1Describethelandformfeaturesandtheclimateoftheregionunderstudy.

6–G3.2.1Explainhowandwhyecosystemsdifferasaconsequenceofdifferencesinlatitude,elevation,andhumanactivities.

6–G3.2.2Identifyecosystemsandexplainwhysomearemoreattractiveforhumanstousethanareothers.

6–G5.1.1Describetheenvironmentaleffectsofhumanactionontheatmosphere(air),biosphere(people,animals,andplants),lithosphere(soil),andhydrosphere(water).

6–G5.1.3Identifythewaysinwhichhuman‐inducedchangesinthephysicalenvironmentinoneplacecancausechangesinotherplaces.

R.CM.06.02retellthroughconcisesummarizationgrade‐levelnarrativeandinformationaltext.

R.CM.06.04applysignificantknowledgefromgrade‐levelscience,socialstudies,andmathematicstexts.

W.GR.06.01inthecontextofwriting,correctlyusestyleconventionsandavarietyofgrammaticalstructuresinwriting.

Assessment:Studentswillturnintheirresearchnotes.Materials:

- TreeResearchWorksheet- ScienceNotebook- Pencil/pen- Computerwithinternetaccess- TreesofMichiganFieldGuide

AmyVasilionAugust,2011

LessonOutline:

1. HavestudentsgetintotheirgroupsandopentheirsciencenotebooktotheirTreeIdentificationLab.

2. Tellstudents“Todaywearegoingtogotothecomputerlabtodosomeresearchonourtrees.Thepurposeofthisresearchisforustocreateinformativepostersthatwewillputintheoutdoorclassroom.Wearegoingtobetakingsomeelementarystudentsonatouroftheoutdoorclassroomandwewillbeteachingthemaboutourtrees.”

3. Passouttheresearchsheet(1pergroup).Gooverwhatisexpectedfortheirresearch.Explaintostudents“Youwillhave2daysinthecomputerlabandyouwillalsohaveuseoftheTreesofMichiganFieldGuide.Thisshouldallowyoutofindalltheinformationyouneed.Ihaveprovidedseveralhelpfulwebsitesonthetopofyourpaper.Youwillneedtogotothesewebsitesfirst.Ifyoucannotfindinformationaboutyourtreeonthesewebsitesletmeknow.Ishouldnotseeanyoneonwebsitesthatarenotlistedonthispaper.”

4. Walkstudentstothecomputerlab.Givethemabout45minutestodotheresearchonthefirstdayand50minutesthesecondday.

5. Walkaroundandmakesurethatgroupsarestayingontaskandhelpstudentsiftheyhavequestions.

6. Havestudentsturnintheirresearchpaperattheendofeachhour.Thiswayresearchwon’tget“lost”.

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TreeResearchGroupMembersNames_____________________________________________________________________TreeName(includingspeciesname):_______________________________________________HelpfulWebsites:http://uptreeid.com/specieslist.htmhttp://treelink.org/whattree/index.htmhttp://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htmhttp://mff.dsisd.net/TreeBasics/TreeIDspplist.htm

1. Doesyourtreehaveanyothernames?

2. WhereisyourtreefoundinMichigan?Bespecific.

3. Isyourtreenativeornon‐nativetoMichigan?

4. Ifyoutreeisnon‐nativehowdiditcometoMichigan?

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5. Describeindetailwhatyoutreelookslike.Includeadescriptionoftheleaves,bark,commonheightofthetree,andanyotheridentifyingfeatures.

6. Arethereanycommonpestsofyourtree?Ifso,describewhattheyareandhowtheyaffectyourtree.

7. Arethereanydiseasesthataffectyourtree?Ifso,describewhattheyareandhowtheyaffectyourtree.

8. Whataresomecommonusesofyourtree?

9. WhatimpacthasyourtreehadonMichigan’seconomyorecosystem?

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Lesson Five: Tree Posters TimeNeeded:Three60‐minuteclassperiodsLearningObjective:Studentswillusetheresearchabouttheirtreetocreateaninformativeposterabouttheirtree.StudentswillthenhangtheirposterontheirtreeintheOutdoorClassroom.GLCECovered:

S.IA.06.13Communicateanddefendfindingsofobservationsandinvestigationsusingevidence.

R.CM.06.02retellthroughconcisesummarizationgrade‐levelnarrativeandinformationaltext.

R.CM.06.04applysignificantknowledgefromgrade‐levelscience,socialstudies,andmathematicstexts.

W.GR.06.01inthecontextofwriting,correctlyusestyleconventions(e.g.,ModernLanguageAssociationHandbook)andavarietyofgrammaticalstructuresinwriting.

S.CN.06.01adjusttheiruseoflanguagetocommunicateeffectivelywithavarietyofaudiencesandfordifferentpurposesbyaskingandrespondingtoquestionsandremarkstoengagetheaudiencewhenpresenting.

Assessment:Studentswillturnintheircompletedposterforagradeusingtherubric.Materials:

- ComputerLab- CompletedTreeResearchworksheet- Coloredprinter- ZipTies- Laminator- HolePunch- PosterRubric

LessonOutline:Day1:

1. Havestudentsgetintotheirresearchgroups.PassbacktheirgradedTreeResearchworksheetandthePosterRubric.

2. Tellstudents,“Todaywewillbegoingbacktothecomputerlab.WewillbetakingourresearchandcreatinganinformationalposterthatyouwillhangonyourtreeintheOutdoorClassroom.Youwillneedtoincludealltheinformationfromyourresearchalongwith2‐3picturesofyourtree.You

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willalsoneedtoincludeallofyourinformationonnomorethan2pages.Makesurethatyouarefollowingtherubricinordertoreceivefullcredit.”

3. Givestudentsafewminutestolookovertherubricandaskifthereisanyquestionsaboutwhatisexpected.

4. Takestudentstothecomputerlab.Allowthem45minutestoworkinthecomputerlab.

Day2:

1. Havestudentsgetintotheirgroups.2. Askstudents,“Whowouldliketosharehowtheyaresettinguptheirposter?”

Allowstudentsanopportunitytosharehowtheyaresettinguptheirposter.3. Tellstudents“Ourgoaltodayistofinishourposterandbeabletoprintitby

theendofthehour.Pleaseletmeknowifyouhavequestionsorneedhelpwhileweareinthelab.”

4. Takestudentstothecomputerlabandallowthemtheremainderofthehourtocompletetheirposterandprintit.

5. Havegroupsturnintheirposterforagrade.

DayThree:***Priortodaythreemakesureyouhavelaminatedeachgroupspostersandholepunchedthetoptoallowtheziptietofitthrough.Itmaybehelpfultoglue/pastetheirposterontotagboardbeforeyourunitthroughthelaminator.Thiswillallowthepostertolastlongeroutside.

1. Tellstudents,“TodaywearegoingtogohangoutpostersonourtreesintheOutdoorClassroom.”

2. Askstudents,“Ifthepurposeofthisactivityistocreatepostersinformingthecommunityaboutourtree,howwillwewanttohangourpostersonthetrees?”Hopefullystudentswillsaythattheyneedtobewithinreachsopeoplecanreadthem.

3. Tellstudents,“WhileyouareintheOutdoorClassroomyouneedtodothefollowingthings:Attachyourpostertoyourtreeandpracticeyourpresentation.Youwillbepresentingyourtreetoyourclassmatestopracticeforour4thgradersthatwillbecomingwithustomorrow.”

4. Teachstudentshowtousethezipties.OncetheyarereadyyoucanpassouttheirlaminatedpostersandheadouttotheOutdoorClassroom.

5. TakestudentstotheOutdoorClassroom.Allowthem15minutestohangtheirposterandpractice.

6. Gathertheclassandrotatefromeachgroup’stree.Aftereachgroupspresentationhavestudentsgivethegroups3thingstheydidwelland1thingtheycanimproveonfortomorrowspresentation.

7. Whenallthegroupshavepresentedyoucanheadbacktotheclassroom.

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PosterRubricGroupMembersNames___________________________________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Required Elements

The poster includes all required elements (pictures and information from the research) as well as additional information.

All required elements are included on the poster.

All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster.

Several required elements were missing.

Content - Accuracy

All of the information from your research is accurate and are displayed on the poster.

5-6 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.

3-4 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.

Less than 3 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.

Graphics -Clarity

Graphics are all in focus and there are at least 3 graphics.

Most graphics are in focus and there are at least 2.

Most graphics are in focus and there is only 1 graphic.

Many graphics are not clear or there are no graphics .

Grammar There are no grammatical mistakes on the poster.

There is 1 grammatical mistake on the poster.

There are 2 grammatical mistakes on the poster.

There are more than 2 grammatical mistakes on the poster.

Attractiveness The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness.

The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness.

The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.

The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.

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Lesson Six: Tree Presentations TimeNeeded:60MinutesLearningObjective:Studentswillpresenttheirpostertostudentsfromtheelementaryschool.GLCECovered:

S.IA.06.13Communicateanddefendfindingsofobservationsandinvestigationsusingevidence.

S.RS.06.14Drawconclusionsfromsetsofdatafrommultipletrialsofascientificinvestigation.

L.OL.06.51Classifyproducers,consumers,anddecomposersbasedontheirsourceoffood.

L.EC.06.11Identifyanddescribeexamplesofpopulations,communities,andecosystemsincludingtheGreatLakesregion.

L.EC.06.31Identifyliving(abiotic)andnonliving(biotic)componentsofanecosystem.

6–W1.2.3ExplaintheimpactoftheAgriculturalRevolution. 6–G2.1.1Describethelandformfeaturesandtheclimateoftheregionunder

study. 6–G3.2.1Explainhowandwhyecosystemsdifferasaconsequenceof

differencesinlatitude,elevation,andhumanactivities. 6–G3.2.2Identifyecosystemsandexplainwhysomearemoreattractivefor

humanstousethanareothers. 6–G5.1.1Describetheenvironmentaleffectsofhumanactiononthe

atmosphere(air),biosphere(people,animals,andplants),lithosphere(soil),andhydrosphere(water).

6–G5.1.3Identifythewaysinwhichhuman‐inducedchangesinthephysicalenvironmentinoneplacecancausechangesinotherplaces.

R.CM.06.02retellthroughconcisesummarizationgrade‐levelnarrativeandinformationaltext.

R.CM.06.04applysignificantknowledgefromgrade‐levelscience,socialstudies,andmathematicstexts.

S.CN.06.01adjusttheiruseoflanguagetocommunicateeffectivelywithavarietyofaudiencesandfordifferentpurposesbyaskingandrespondingtoquestionsandremarkstoengagetheaudiencewhenpresenting.

S.CN.06.02speakeffectivelyusingrhyme,rhythm,cadence,andwordplayforeffectinnarrativeandinformationalpresentations.

S.CN.06.03presentinstandardAmericanEnglishifitistheirfirstlanguage.

AmyVasilionAugust,2011

Materials:

- PostersinOutdoorClassroom- ElementaryStudents

LessonOutline:**Priortothislessonarrangetomeetanelementaryclassattheoutdoorclassroom.Havethatteacherputtheirstudentsintogroupsof4.

1. Tellstudents,“Todayisthedaywearegoingtobemeetingthe4thgradersattheOutdoorClassroom.Whatisourgoaloftoday’slesson?”Studentsshouldknowthattheyareteachingthe4thgradersaboutthetreesintheOutdoorClassroom.“WhatwillIseeasIwalkaroundtheOutdoorClassroom?”Studentsshouldknowthattheywillhaveagroupofstudentsandwillbeinchargeofteachingthemhowtousetheirinformationalposterandteachingstudent’sabouttheirtree.Eachgroupof4thgraderswillrotatetoeachtree.

2. Takestudentstotheoutdoorclassroom.Haveeachgroupgatheraroundtheirtree.

3. Whenthe4thgradersgettheretellthem“YouwillbetravelingtoeachgroupintheOutdoorClassroom.EachgroupisgoingtoteachyouhowtousethepostersintheOutdoorClassroomandtheywillalsoteachyouabouttheirtree.Feelfreetoaskthestudentsquestionsabouttheirtree.”

4. Haveeach4thgradegrouppairupwitha6thgradegroupandtheycanbegintheir5‐minuterotation.

5. Afterallthegroupshavelearnedabouteachtreegatherthe4thgradersandthe6thgraderstogether.Askstudents“Whatdidyoulearntoday?Whatwasyourfavoritepart?Howmightyouusetheseinformationalposters?“

6. Thankthe4thgradersforbeingsuchagreataudience.Thentakethe6thgradersbacktotheclassroom.

7. Askstudent’s“Whatdoyouthinkwentwellwithyourpresentations?Whatcouldyouimproveonnexttime?Whowouldyouliketopresenttonext?Whyisitimportanttoteachourcommunityaboutthetrees?”

8. Havestudent’smakethankyoucardsforthe4thgradersandthensendthoseovertotheirschool.