EFFECT ON STUDENT LEARNING: ECOLOGY UNIT

Pulaski County High School: 10th grade BiologyKara Moser

VIRGINIA SOL’S

BIO.8: The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems.

a) interactions within and among populations including carrying capacities, limiting factors and growth curves

b) nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems

c) succession patterns in ecosystems

d) the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems

e) analysis of flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems

ECOLOGY LESSON PLAN

This lesson plan was developed based around a 90 minute block schedule.

Purpose: To give students a comprehensive understanding of the world around them through engaging, hands-on activities. Students will learn about the naturally occurring as well as human factors that may influence ecosystems; with particular emphasis on those located in the state of Virginia.

DAY 1

Engage: “Who am I?” picture and a few quick questions reviewing previous day’s notes.

Explore: Guided fill-in the blank notes outlining the fundamentals in Ecology which the unit plan will continue to build upon.

Explain: In groups, students will design a food chain poster of the local, southwest Virginia ecosystem.

Evaluate: Posters will be graded via rubric and students will vote on favorite posters for a chance at extra credit on the upcoming test.

NSTA standards: 1b, 6b, 7bBIO.8 b&e: nutrient cycling, energy flow, and flora/fauna of Virginia ecosystems.

DAY 2NSTA standards: 1a, 2c, 3b, 4b, 7bBIO.8 d&e: effects of natural events, human activities and flora/fauna of Virginia ecosystems.

Engage: “Who am I?” picture and a few quick questions reviewing previous day’s notes.

Explore: Students will utilize the computer lab for researching an endangered animal or plant of their interest. They will gather data on the effects of natural events and human activities that may have lead to these organisms being endangered.

Explain & Elaborate: In pairs, students will develop a species recovery plan using Project WILD’s “Back from the Brink” activity sheets. Guided notes will help reinterate what students have learned in creating species recovery plan.

Evaluate: The species recovery plan will be turned in for a grade.

DAY 3NSTA standards: 1a, 1b, 2c, 4b, 7b, 8aBIO.8 a&c: interactions, limiting factors and succession patterns in ecosystems.

Engage: “Who am I?” picture and a few quick questions reviewing previous day’s notes.

Explore: Students will get to experience interactions and limiting factors within populations by participating in Project WILD’s “Oh Deer” activity game.

Explain: Guided fill-in the blank notes challenging students knowledge on Ecology based on what was learned from the “Oh Deer” activity.

Evaluate: A graph of the data collected from the “Oh Deer” activity will be turned in for a grade. Class discussions will also be used to assess student learning.

DAY 4NSTA standards: 1b, 2c, 3b, 4b, 6b, 7bBIO.8 a,b&c: interactions, limiting factors, energy flow and succession patterns in ecosystems.

Engage: “Who am I?” picture and a few quick questions reviewing previous day’s notes.

Explain: Guided fill-in the blank notes building upon and challenging students knowledge on Ecology.

Elaborate: Students will complete a “Bottle Biology” lab that will demonstrate and reinforce the symbiotic working relationship of all organisms in an ecosystem.

Evaluate: Students will be evaluated on their understanding of pollution in ecosystems worldwide. They will record observations on their individual bottle ecosystems for a week and turn the completed packet in for a grade.

DAY 5 NSTA standards: 1b, 1c, 6a, 8aBIO.8 a-e: interactions, limiting factors, energy flow, succession patterns, human activities and flora/fauna in Virginia ecosystems.

Engage: “Who am I?” picture and a few quick questions reviewing previous day’s notes.

Explore: An ecology based Planet Earth video clip will be shown to students so they can apply the knowledge they have learned to the world around them.

Explain and Elaborate: Students will participate in an Ecology BINGO review game in preparation for their upcoming test. This will review important vocabulary and main ideas that were discussed throughout this unit.

Evaluate: Students will be assessed based on their knowledge of concepts during the BINGO game as well as the accuracy of their completed test study guides.

DAY 6NSTA standards: 1b, 8aBIO.8 a-e: interactions, limiting factors, energy flow, succession patterns, human activities and flora/fauna in Virginia ecosystems.

Engage: Students will be given this time to review for their test, turn in any incomplete work and hand in their weekly journals for a grade.

Evaluate: Students will be given the rest of the 90 minute block to complete the Ecology unit test.

The final test consisted of multiple-choice, matching, and short answer questions. The three Honors Biology classes that I taught averaged a 89% on this final unit test. This test was comparable to the “normal” one given by the Biology teachers at Pulaski High School.

QUESTIONS?

Thank you!!!