Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
April 18, 2012
Introduction
Grade Level Content Expectations:





K-7 Standard L.EC: Develop an understanding of the interdependence of the variety of
populations, communities and ecosystems, including those in the Great Lakes region.
Develop an understanding of different types of interdependence and that biotic (living)
and abiotic (non-living) factors affect the balance of an ecosystem. Understand that all
organisms cause changes, some detrimental and others beneficial, in the environment
where they live.
L.EC.E.1 Interactions- Organisms interact in various ways including providing food and
shelter to one another. Some interactions are helpful; others are harmful to the
organism and other organisms.
L.EC.04.11 Identify organisms as part of a food chain or food web.
L.EC.E.2 Changed Environment Effects- When the environment changes, some plants
and animals survive to reproduce; others die or move to new locations.
L.EC.04.21 Explain how environmental changes can produce a change in the food web.
For the purposes of this class, I have prepared a unit on ecosystems. I chose this topic
because it is particularly interesting to me. It is important for students to understand how
things in the world interact with each other and how these things rely on each other for
survival. My five lessons are centered on the interconnectedness of things in nature. My first
lesson introduces students to ecosystems by having them create a small ecosystem in the
classroom. Students will be actively participating in adding each element to the ecosystem and
then observing how these things work together. My second lesson has students creating
observation journals in which they will visit a spot in the school ecosystem to observe what
happens there. Students will further research the things they find in the ecosystem to further
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
their understanding. My third lesson plan is about the flow of energy through an ecosystem. It
teachers students about how much energy is needed to sustain an ecosystem and then they
will create a food web to show how energy is moved throughout the ecosystem. My fourth
lesson plan builds off the third and has students look at a specific member of most local
ecosystems, the worm. Students will observe what worms do for the environment by creating a
compost box featuring the worms. My last lesson looks at the effects of prey/predator
relationships and the effects of those relationships on the ecosystem as a whole.
This unit would take approximately a month to complete. Each lesson requires 2-3 days
and some, like the observation journals and the compost box, will take the length of the unit.
These are only some of the lessons I would use in this unit. I would definitely need another
lesson on food webs/food chains because I don’t think I went into enough detail in the lessons I
have prepared. I would also like to do a lesson using the food pyramid that I touched on in the
observation journal lesson, because that is an important concept for students to learn. They
need to understand that one herbivore requires 10 (random number) plants to survive and
each carnivore requires 10 herbivores to survive. I would also do a lesson showing the energy
cycle in a food chain which is something that I did not focus on.
I wrote these lessons without thinking about limitations in terms of resources such as
technology and supplies. I also assumed students had the necessary vocabulary to understand
the lessons, such as ideas about photosynthesis, at least at the beginning of the unit. However, I
realize that this is generally unrealistic and that I would probably have to adapt these lessons to
use them in a real classroom which I something that I could do, given real parameters.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Ecosystem in a Jar
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Concept: Ecosystems
Objectives:
-Students will:
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
Create a mini ecosystem in the classroom
Observe the relationships between members of an ecosystem
Grade Level Content Expectations:






S.IP.04.11: Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate
senses.
S.IP.04.12: Generate questions based on observations.
S.IA.04.12: Share ideas about science through purposeful conversation in collaborative
groups.
S.IA.04.13: Communicate and present findings of observations and investigations.
S.RS.04.18: Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the
natural world.
L.EC.E.1: Interactions- Organisms interact in various ways including providing food and
shelter to one another. Some interactions are helpful; others are harmful to the
organism and other organisms.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
A large (gallon sized or larger) container with lid. Lid needs to have holes in it.
Plastic spoons
Light source
Minnows
Elodea and duckweed or other water plants
Water snails
Water
Sand
Observation Journals
Safety: Animals should be treated with care and respect. Students should wash their hands
frequently when working with the animals and the final ecosystem as snails and fish may
harbor bacteria.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
References:
Ecosystem. (2012). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://britannica.com
Friends of the Rouge. (n.d.). Friends of the Rouge: Rouge in the Classroom [Organization].
Retrieved from http://therouge.org
Enger, E. D., Ross, F. C., & Bailey, D. B. (2010). Concepts in Biology (14th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Kallen, S. A. (2004). Ecosystems: Life In a Pond. Kid Haven Press.
Adapted from:
Leager, C. R. (2007). Ecosystem in a jar. Science and Children, 44(8), 56-58. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/236903602?accountid=14578
Engage: The main idea of the lesson is to help students understand that living things cannot
function on their own. All living things depend on other thing to survive. To engage students,
the teacher will pose the question: where do living things live? Living things may refer to plants
or animals and where they live may be all over the earth. Record some of the students’
responses on the board for further discussion. Then I will ask them to think about what specific
things live in each place. For example, if someone said “the desert,” what kinds of animals live
there? What kind of plants? What other things are there?
Explorable Question: What relationships exist within an ecosystem?
Explore:
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
*Note: this will take two-three days to complete.
1. Students will be placed into groups of four students.
2. Each given the materials for the ecosystem in a jar.
3. Students should fill their jar with about five centimeters of sand.
4. Next they should fill the jar completely with water and place the elodea into the sand.
Then they should put in the duckweed.
5. The jars need to sit for a day if tap water is used. Use this time to ask students why the
jars need to sit. We add chemicals like chlorine to our water that is not found naturally
in water and may be toxic to animals that are not used to it.
6. The next day, students should add the fish and snails to their jars.
7. Jars need to be kept near light source.
8. Students should record their observations daily in their science journals. They should be
guided to take notice of how things look, how they change, the behaviors of the
animals, what purposes do the plants serve, etc…
Explain: An ecosystem can be defined as “the complex of living organisms, their physical
environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space” (Ecosystem, 2012). An
ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents, including minerals, climate, soil,
water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements, and its biotic constituents, consisting of all its
living members. An ecosystem is composed of communities, interacting populations of
different species. Populations refer to groups of the same species. Many things have a
relationship with one population. For example, the survival of a fish is dependent upon the
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
temperature of the water which is dependent on the number of trees around the water source.
In this particular ecosystem, the fish find shelter in the plants. The plants are supported by the
sand. The snails eat plants, decaying matter, and algae that accumulate in the jar. Although this
is a quite simple ecosystem, the members are dependent upon each other and without any one
of the features; the ecosystem would not function correctly.
At this point, I would have students read “Life in a Pond” by Stuart Kallen which discusses the
pond ecosystem, what lives in a pond and how those things are related. Students should have a
solid understanding of how all living and non-living things affect an ecosystem.
Extend: To extend on this lesson, students will take a field trip to the Rouge River Ecosystem.
“The Rouge River watershed (land drained by the Rouge River) drains 467 square miles. It has
four major branches (Main, Upper, Middle, and Lower) with 126 river miles and numerous
tributaries. In addition to the flowing water, there are more than 400 lakes, impoundments
and ponds. Wildlife that can be found in the Rouge River watershed includes various
amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, plants, and mammals. As more of the watershed becomes
developed or urbanized, fewer areas of wildlife habitat remain” (Friends of the Rouge, 2012).
Students will participate in the Rouge Education Program which serves to raise awareness of
the pollution caused by humans in the watershed. Students will test for up to nine chemical
factors, take part in a physical assessment of the river, and survey aquatic animals in the river.
Using their results, they will assess the health of the river at that spot. The students will learn
how the pollution affects the river ecosystem and the community around it.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Evaluate: Using the list of ecosystems compiled in the engage portion of the lesson, students
will compose an entry in their journals in which they choose one of the ecosystems (ocean,
freshwater, jungle, farm, forest, etc.) and describe the ecosystem. Students should think about
what kinds of living things exist there, as well as non-living things. They should also consider the
environmental factors that are necessary for the ecosystem. After describing the ecosystem,
students should write about what might happen if something was removed from the
ecosystem.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Observation Journals
Grade: Fourth
Concept: Local Ecosystems
Objectives:
Students will:

Observe and record factors in a local ecosystem

Use these observations to develop questions and conclusions about ecosystems
Grade Level Content Expectations:

S.IP.04.11 Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate
senses.

S.IP.04.12 Generate questions based on observations.

S.IA.04.13 Communicate and present findings of observations and investigations.

K-7 Standard L.EC:
Develop an understanding of the interdependence of the variety of
populations, communities and ecosystems, including those in the Great Lakes region.
Develop an understanding of different types of interdependence and that biotic (living)
and abiotic (non-living) factors affect the balance of an ecosystem. Understand that all
organisms cause changes, some detrimental and others beneficial, in the environment
where they live.
Materials:
1. Paper
2. Nature
3. Writing implement
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
4. Computers
5. Poster board
Safety: None.
References:
Ecosystems: What's In My Corner of the Ecosystem? (n.d.). Lesson Plan #2. Retrieved from
United States Forest Service website:
http://na.fs.fed.us/ceredirect/jfr/lessonplan02.shtml
Robertson, A., & Mahlin, K. (2005). Ecosystem journalism. Science and Children, 43(3), 42-45.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236895267?accountid=14578
Schoolyard and Urban Ecosystems. (2004). Retrieved from Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality, Michigan Tech website:
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module10/index.htm
Engage:
The lesson will begin by asking students to define an ecosystem. Students may work
with another student to develop a thorough and accurate response. When students have a
working definition, the teacher should collect some and record them on the board. Then the
teacher will ask students to think about what kinds of things are in the ecosystem both inside
and outside of the classroom. What kinds of things live there? What non-living things are
important?
Explorable Question: What factors, living and non-living, are present in our school ecosystem?
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Explore:
1. Students will be given approximately ten sheets of paper which they will staple together
to make a book. They will also decorate the covers with the words “observation journal”
and their names as they will leave their journals at school.
2. Then the teacher will ask the explorable question. The students should brainstorm in
their journals about what they think they might find in the ecosystem surrounding the
school.
3. Next, the class will go outside (if possible) and the students will pick an area to call their
observation spot. They will be instructed to use their senses to write in their journals
about their spots. They should take notice of the living things they see like squirrels or
birds or bugs or plants, as well as non-living things such as rocks and man-made
structures.
4. Students may write in journals or they may draw pictures. Students should have a
minimum of five written entries at the end of the unit.
5. For the duration of the unit, the students should visit their spots 2-3 times a week to
note seasonal/weather changes and any other meaningful observations.
6. Students should also record any questions or interesting ideas they have that they may
want answered or more information on.
7. Students should share observations with cooperative learning groups, as well the whole
class.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Explain:
Observations allow us to gain insight into many natural occurrences. Doing this activity
allows students to understand that there are many different types of ecosystems and within
those ecosystems are many different factors.
Southeastern Michigan has many unique ecosystems because of its many unique
features. This section of rolling hills and flat lake plains has been greatly modified by agricultural
and urban development. The Great Lakes have moderated the climate and provided fertile
soils. An ecosystem around a school is home to many diverse things. Most schools are home to
grass, dandelions, milkweed, clover, maple trees, oak trees, and pine trees, as well as planted
flowers and bushes. These things are all producers meaning that they create their own food
using photosynthesis. Common consumers in a school ecosystem include: chipmunks, squirrels,
raccoons, robins, starlings, crows, pigeons, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and crickets as well as
toads. School ecosystems may also be home to decomposers, which are harder to observe,
such as bacteria and fungus, as well as the earthworm. I will then pull up this website:
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module10/title.htm which has pictures and information about
school yard ecosystems and what things may be found there. I’d pay particular attention to the
pyramid which shows how much energy certain groups of living things need to survive.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Extend:
At the end of the lesson (or unit) the students will create a classroom newspaper
detailing the happenings in the local ecosystem. To begin the extension, the teacher should
have many examples of newspapers so that students may gain ideas of what qualities a
newspaper needs. Students should have approximately 8-10 entries in their observation
journals at this point. They each choose an important or meaningful entry from their
observation journals that they would like to write a newspaper article about. When they have
all chosen their entries, they will visit the library to use computers to further research the living
and non-living things they have observed. Once they have gathered their research and they
have brainstormed about what they’d like to write about, students will each write an article for
the “School Ecosystem News.” Each article should include relevant science knowledge as well as
pertinent artwork. After writing their articles, students will gather in their science cooperative
learning groups to peer review each other’s articles. After all the articles have been written and
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
reviewed, the students should either, depending on time and resources, type them out or
neatly handwrite them and the teacher will put them together on pieces of large poster board
to hang in the hallway.
Evaluate:
Students will write a final entry in their observation journals in which they discuss the
changes that occurred in their observation spots. They also should focus on what things are
necessary for survival in the school ecosystem. What kinds of animals live there? What kinds of
plants? What kinds of non-living things are there? How do these things work together to create
an ecosystem? Lastly the students will write a paragraph describing the impact humans have
had on the school ecosystem. For example, what if the school had not been built or the area
around the school had not been disturbed? How would the ecosystem be different? Many
things have adapted to this new ecosystem so would they be able to function in the old one?
These types of questions should guide students’ responses.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Where Do Living Things Get Energy?
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Concept: Ecosystems, Food Webs
Objectives:
Students will:

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Identify parts of a food web.
Determine the flow of energy throughout a food web, beginning with the
sun.
Understand the interdependence of the biotic factors within an ecosystem.
Grade Level Content Expectations:




S.IA.04.12: Share ideas about science through purposeful conversation in collaborative
groups.
S.RS.04.11: Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances,
models, exhibits, and activities.
L.EC.E.1: Interactions- Organisms interact in various ways including providing food and
shelter to one another. Some interactions are helpful; others are harmful to the
organism and other organisms.
L.EC.04.11: Identify organisms as part of a food chain or food web.
Materials:
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

Cards featuring pictures of various local organisms (both animals and plants)
Arrow cards
Four different colored sets of paper/sticky notes to denote producers, primary
consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers
Safety: None.
References:
Enger, E. D., Ross, F. C., & Bailey, D. B. (2010). Concepts in Biology (14th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Invasive Species Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service website:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/greatlakes/invasives/index.htm#asiancarp
McShaffrey, D. (n.d.). Environmental Biology-Ecosystems. Retrieved from Marietta College
website: http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html
Zebra Mussel. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from Great Lakes Science Center website:
http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/main.php?content=research_invasive_zebramussel&title=Inv
asive%20Invertebrates0&menu=research_invasive _invertebrates
Engage:
The lesson will begin with the question, “What did you eat for dinner last night?” I will
then write as many as possible responses on the board. These responses will begin our
discussion about the origins of our food and where humans fit in a food chain or food web. The
discussion will center on where we get energy, where the things we eat get energy, and so on,
which should eventually lead to the sun being the source of energy for all living things. The
discussion and instruction will lead to the explorable question, “How can we categorize the
things we eat?”
Explore:
Each student will be given enough sticky notes of each color to sort and categorize the
responses they generated in the engagement by plants or animals primarily. At this point, they
should have divided their list into plants and animals. They will be then encouraged to think
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
about where plants get energy or food from versus where animals get their energy or food
from. Do all animals eat other animals or do they eat plants? For example, if a student ate a
hamburger for dinner, where did that cow get its energy from? What did it have to eat to stay
alive? How did the lettuce on that hamburger get energy? Another example would be if a
student had eaten chicken which had eaten bugs. That would make the chicken secondary
consumers and humans, tertiary consumers. Students should begin to make these distinctions
(although without that vocabulary). As they begin to see that ecosystems are not just made up
of things that eat plants or things that eat animals, students should begin to divide their animal
list into two or three lists. They should also include humans on their animal list because we are
a part of the food chain. Students will be instructed to transfer their plant lists to green paper,
their herbivore list to blue paper, their carnivore list to red paper, and their herbivore list to
yellow paper. Students may not have all three lists but they should have at least two.
Then I will collect the all of the papers separately. There should be a large sample. Then
I will designate each student as one of the groups and give them each five pieces of paper from
that group. Each herbivore needs 3 plants to survive. Each carnivore needs 5 herbivores to
survive. One student will be a human who needs 3 plants and 5 animals to survive (for the
purposes of the game.) Then the students will be instructed that they will play a game to see
how much energy is needed for survival within an ecosystem. The students will be given three
minutes to collect as much energy as they can from their classmates. Whoever does not get
their necessary amount of energy dies. This serves to show students the interdependence
within an ecosystem and how much energy is really needed to sustain all forms of life. The
students should observe fairly quickly that without enough energy things die off rapidly.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Explain:
The sun gives energy to plants, which give energy to other organisms, which give energy to
other organisms. At this point I would show this lesson using the smart board on trophic levels
to the students: http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=7bc5e992-804d-413a-a1bfbe7a3d24e19a. Once reaching that point, the topic will shift to the idea of producers and
consumers (trophic levels), with producers (autotrophs) being plants that receive their energy
directly from the sun, primary consumers (heterotrophs) being organisms that consume or eat
plants and secondary consumers being organisms that eat organisms that eat plants. Humans
may belong to any level of consumers, however they are generally secondary or tertiary
consumers depending on their diets. Decomposers are a special kind of consumers that get
energy from decomposing dead organic matter. Students should be able to identify the trophic
levels within their specific food chains by answering questions such as “What is an example of a
producer?” “Where do they get their energy?” “What are organisms that consume producers
called?”
Extend: What happens when organisms that don’t belong get involved?
To introduce students to the next lesson which will be on invasive species, I will ask
them to think about what might happen when something that isn’t native to an ecosystem
moves in. To tie in the Great Lakes ecosystem even more, I will pull up pictures of the Zebra
Mussel. The Zebra Mussel acts as a filter in the water. It can filter up to 1 gallon of water a day.
Doing this removes necessary organisms such as algae from the water. The clearer water allows
for aquatic plants to grow out of control which leads to problems for recreational users,
drinking water, and water intake pipes. The zebra mussel is impossible to eradicate without
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
wiping out the other living things in the water. This species is just one of the examples of
invasive species that can be found locally. Tying in the local aspect makes the concepts relevant
to the students. Important points of the conversation would be: have they ever visited the
Great Lakes, what kinds of living things did they see there, what would happen if these things
were wiped out by invasive species?
Evaluate:
“As organisms feed on one another they establish a web of relationships known as a
food web. One of the common features of such a complex set of interrelationships is that
natural communities are relatively stable. This stability allows us to identify and name various
kinds of communities”(Enger, Ross, and Bailey, 2010, page 333). Food webs show the
relationships between living things in a certain environment in relation to what they eat. These
environments are called communities and each community is unique with unique members,
both living and nonliving.
Students will be divided into groups of 4 to 5. Each group will be given a set of cards
which feature the sun, grass, local plants, local animals, and humans, along with cards with
arrows on them which will help show the flow of energy. Once each group has the necessary
materials, they will be instructed to determine the flow of energy throughout a local ecosystem
and demonstrate their knowledge by creating a food web from the given cards. The students
should create a food web with the animal cards and the arrow cards signifying the transfer of
energy. The instructor should observe each group and assess their understanding. The
instructor should ensure that each group has an accurate food web.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
Earthworms: Invasive Species
Grade Level: Fourth Grade
Concept: Ecosystems: Invasive Species
Objectives:
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Students will observe the characteristics of worms in their natural habitat.
Students will observe the effects of decomposition on an environment.
Students will observe and record data.
Students will identify characteristics of invasive species and the impact of them on an
ecosystem.
Time Frame: This lesson will take 3-4 days to complete. The compost box will be an even longer
process, possibly the length of a semester or school year.
Michigan Benchmarks:
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S.IP.04.11: Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate
senses.
S.IP.04.12: Generate questions based on observations.
S.IP.04.13: Plan and conduct simple and fair investigations.
S.IA.04.12: Share ideas about science through purposeful conversation in collaborative
groups.
S.IA.04.13: Communicate and present findings of observations and investigations.
S.RS.04.18: Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the
natural world.
S.IP.04.15 Make accurate measurements with appropriate units (millimeters,
centimeters, meters, milliliters, liters, Celsius, grams, seconds, minutes) for the
measurement tool.
S.IP.04.16 Construct simple charts and graphs from data and observations.
K-7 Standard L.EC: Develop an understanding of the interdependence of the variety of
populations, communities and ecosystems, including those in the Great Lakes region.
Develop an understanding of different types of interdependence and that biotic (living)
and abiotic (non-living) factors affect the balance of an ecosystem. Understand that all
organisms cause changes, some detrimental and others beneficial, in the environment
where they live.
L.EC.04.21: Explain how environmental changes can produce a change in the food web.
Materials:
Kaitlyn Lupro
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EDD 485
Unit Plan
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Shovels
Magnifying glass
Box for composting
Leaves
Sand or soil
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Worms
Water
Beaker
Observation Journals
Internet Access
Poster board or large paper
Markers or crayons
Safety: Students should be instructed to handle the worms with respect and care.
Resources:
Common Earthworm. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2012, from National Geographic website:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/
Composting With Worms. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources website:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/compost2.htm
Cronin, D. (2003). Diary of a worm. New York: Scholastic.
Earthworm. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/176371/earthworm
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EDD 485
Unit Plan
Holdsworth, A., Hale, C., & Frelich, L. (2003, March). Earthworms. Retrieved from Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html
Explorable Question: What do worms eat?
Engage: The lesson will begin with reading “Diary of a Worm.” The book is a fictional account of
the life of a worm and it discusses humorous events of a particular worm’s life. After reading
the story, I will ask students to think about what worms do for the earth, where they are found,
and what they have observed about worms. Students should think about worms in their natural
habitat and places they have seen worms before.
Explore:
1. Students will go outside to take a sample of local dirt. Each group of 4 students will dig
in an approximately 1 square foot area. They will count and record the number of
worms they find in their area.
2. We will return to the classroom and students will report the findings of their group.
Each student will then create a bar graph based on the data found by the whole class.
They should be instructed to think about how the number of worms in an area affects
the decomposition in that area.
3. Next, students will create a compost box for the classroom. They will be given soil or
sand for the first layer, then leaves or newspaper for the second layer. Then they should
add the worms into the box. They should record the number of worms that are added.
Next, the fruit and vegetable scraps should be added in around the perimeter of the box
and lastly, another layer of dirt/sand and leaves/newspaper should be added.
Kaitlyn Lupro
EDD 485
Unit Plan
4. The compost box should have holes in the bottom so that it may drain. There should be
a bin or something underneath the box to catch the output from the worms.
5. Students should measure and record weekly the output from the compost box. They
should also make weekly entries in their observation journals about the state of the
compost box, such as the amount of food visible, what the worms are observed to be
doing, etc.
Explain: Worms are part of the food chain as decomposers. They break down dead and
decaying organic matter, such as plants and animals, in the ground and release nutrients into
the environment. Their food consists of decaying plants and other organisms; as they eat,
however, earthworms also ingest large amounts of soil, sand, and tiny pebbles. It has been
estimated that an earthworm ingests and disposes its own weight in food and soil every day.
“Earthworms occur in virtually all soils of the world in which the moisture and organic content
are sufficient to sustain them…Earthworms cannot see or hear, but they are sensitive to both
light and vibrations” (Earthworm, 2012).
Extend: However, most earthworms in the United States are invasive species, meaning they are
not native to the area. Earthworms were introduced to the land with the first European
Settlers. The first earthworms probably arrived with soils and plants brought from Europe.
Ships traveling to North America used rocks and soil as ballast which they dumped on shore as
they adjusted the ballast weight of the ship. During the late 1800's and early 1900's many
European settlers imported European plants that likely had earthworms or earthworm cocoons
in their soils. The Minnesota DNR states, “We have no evidence that earthworms ever
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inhabited Minnesota before European settlement. Even if they did, the glaciers killed any native
North American earthworms in our region. For the last 11,000 years since the glaciers receded,
Minnesota ecosystems developed without earthworms.”
Because they are invasive species, the presence of earthworms has a serious effect on the
forest ecosystems found in states like Minnesota and Michigan. Earthworms are helpful to soil
health because they transport nutrients and minerals from below to the surface via their waste,
and their tunnels aerate the ground. However, “without worms, fallen leaves decompose
slowly, creating a spongy layer of organic "duff." This duff layer is the natural growing
environment for native woodland wildflowers. It also provides habitat for ground-dwelling
animals and helps prevent soil erosion.” The earthworms eat the “duff layer” and may get rid of
it completely. Some plants do not survive the invasion, while some may return some time later.
A heavy earthworm infestation may lead to soil erosion and degradation of nutrients.
Students will develop a plan to reduce the number of earthworms introduced to unnatural
environments. They will brainstorm ways worms may be brought into these environments, such
as fishing or dumping them or boats. They will then create a poster warning people of the
effects of earthworms and informing others of how earthworms have infiltrated into our
ecosystems. The posters should include data from the lesson, their observations, and the
compost box.
Evaluate: Earthworms provide food for a large variety of birds and other animals. Indirectly
they provide food for humans by assisting plant growth. Earthworms ventilate the soil,
stimulate drainage, and pull organic material into the ground, which accelerates the
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decomposition of organic matter and produces more nutrition for growing plants. (Earthworms,
2012).
To assess their understanding, students should write an entry in the journals discussing what
would happen if worms were removed from an ecosystem. They should include both
advantages and disadvantages, as well as base their claims off data from the lesson.
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Unit Plan
Oh Deer
Grade Level: Fourth Grade
Concept: Ecosystems, Predator/Prey Relationships
Objectives:
Students will:
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Use role-playing to understand the relationship between deer, their environment, and
wolves
Create graphs based on their explorations
Observe the effects of an unbalanced ecosystem
GLCEs:
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S.IA.04.11 Summarize information from charts and graphs to answer scientific
questions.
S.RS.04.11 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances,
models, exhibits, and activities.
S.RS.04.15 Use evidence when communicating scientific ideas.
S.RS.04.18 Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the
natural world.
L.EC.E.1 Interactions- Organisms interact in various ways including providing food and
shelter to one another. Some interactions are helpful; others are harmful to the
organism and other organisms.
L.EC.04.21 Explain how environmental changes can produce a change in the food web.
Materials:
1. Paper
2. White boards and markers
3. Robin Hood story
Safety: None.
References:
Baldwin, J. (n.d.). A Story of Robin Hood. Retrieved from http://www.mainlesson.com/
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display.php?author=baldwin&book=fifty&story=robin
Limiting Factors. (2012). Retrieved from New Hampshire Public Television website:
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep12a.htm
Parker, C. (1999). Oh Deer! Game Directions [Activity]. Retrieved from
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/313_01.pdf
Wild Wolves Good for Ecosystem. (2007, January 31). BBC News. Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6310211.stm
Engage:
Students need to think about how nature maintains equilibrium and what happens
when it is disturbed. I will ask them, “What would happen if a population got too big?” Can a
population keep growing forever? What does this population need to survive? Will there be
enough of those things if the population gets too big? What things in nature help to control
populations? That question should help to direct their thoughts to prey. At this point, students
should understand that some animals eat other animals to survive.
Explorable Question: How does the number of prey (wolves) affect the balance of an
ecosystem?
Explore:
1. Students will be split into three (not necessarily equal) groups: resources (food, shelter,
and water), deer, and wolves. Start out with fewer wolves than deer. Each deer and wolf
will represent 100 deer and wolves and each resource will represent ten plants.
2. Each student will be given a tag with their group on it.
3. You will need a large space for this so going outside or using the gym may be necessary.
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4. Mark two lines on the ground 20 yards apart. Have the deer group stand at one side
with their backs to the other group. Have the resource group stand at the other end.
Place the wolf group in the middle, off to the side.
5. Explain that the deer need to find food, water, and shelter in order to survive in their
environment. If they don’t, they will die. They must also make it past the wolves to get
to the resources they need.
6. Give students one minute to make it from the deer side to the resource side. To get the
resources, the deer must get the tag from that person. For the wolves to get the deer,
they should get the deer tag from them. At the end of each round each person who lost
their tag must switch teams. Resources that lost their tag move to the deer team. Deer
that lost their tag move to the wolf team. Deer that did not get resources or get “eaten”
by the wolves become resources because they have died. Wolves that did not get a deer
have also died and become deer.
7. At the end of each round, record the number in each group. The game should have 1015 rounds to gain accurate data.
8. After the game is completed, return to the classroom and place the data where all
students can see it. Have students create a graph using the deer and wolf data for each
round.
Explain:
Begin by asking students what happened when there were a lot of wolves. The deer
population significantly decreased. What happened when there were a lot of deer but not
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many wolves? The deer population increased. What happened when there were not enough
resources for the deer? The deer population decreased.
In nature, the availability of food, water, shelter and space can change animal and
plant populations. “Other limiting factors like competition for resources, predation and disease
can also impact populations. If any of the limiting factors change, animal and plant populations
change, too” (Limiting Factors, 2012). Increases in populations may also occur, such as if there
are more plants (resources) for one particular species. As we’ve seen with the food webs, if one
population increases, the animal that gets its energy from that population might also increase.
However, increases aren't always good as sometimes a population will grow too large for the
environment. Predator/prey relationships have a large responsibility for affecting populations.
If the balance between predator and prey is changed, populations are changed. “The whitetailed deer population in some areas has grown too large because there are no natural
predators. Mountain lions and wolves are the natural predators of the white-tailed deer. Wolf
and mountain lion populations have been lowered due to over-hunting and habitat loss. This
loss of a natural predator for the white-tailed deer, along with other factors, has led to
overpopulation of the white-tailed deer in some areas” (Limiting Factors, 2012).
After explaining this to students, I would have them read from the Idaho Public
Television Website: http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season4/prey/facts.cfm. This website
explains the relationships between predators and prey and also shows how animals may
sometimes be both in nature. Predators are necessary to all ecosystems but an over population
or under population may be detrimental to the ecosystem.
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Extend:
Students will begin by reading the story of Robin Hood found here:
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=baldwin&book=fifty&story=robin. In this
story, Robin Hood hid in Sherwood Forest. He roamed among the trees and hunted deer.
Wolves used to be plentiful within the real Sherwood Forest in England. However, due
to hunting and deforestation or a lack of necessary resources, the wolf population has been
nearly entirely eliminated. When the wolf population was eradicated, the deer population in
the forest increased significantly. When the deer population increased, the population of plants
decreased significantly. Deer eat all of the plants and saplings of trees, making it difficult for
these plants to reproduce and replenish the forest. Many people have called for the wolves to
be reintroduced into this area in order to control the deer population. These people believe
that allowing wolves back into the forest will reduce the deer population which will increase the
plant and tree population which will allow the forest to be replenished, maybe to what it was
thought to look like in Robin Hood’s lifetime.
Although Robin Hood may be a fictional story, Sherwood Forest is a real place with a
real ecosystem that is facing real problems. Many of the trees in the forest are hundreds of
years old and many of them are unable to reproduce due to the large numbers of deer. Discuss
with students the necessity for all members of the ecosystem. Why are predators necessary to
maintain any ecosystem?
Evaluate: Students will have completed graphs based on their exploration in the “Oh Deer”
game. I will give them a random number of wolves and/or deer and they will determine how
many of the opposite group there would be based on their data.
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Then students will write a story in which Robin Hood lives today in modern Sherwood Forest.
How would his life be different? How would the forest look different to him? How would that
affect the story? What could Robin Hood do to fix the forest? They will be evaluated on
creativity, along with use of information and knowledge from the lesson and application of that
knowledge to solve the problem.
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Resource List: Ecosystems
Albert, Dennis A. (1995). Regional landscape ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin: a working map and classification. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station. St. Paul, MN.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/index.htm
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This resource, from the United States Geological Survey, features information about the
specific characteristics of Michigan’s many ecosystems, including vegetation, animals,
soils, rocks, and climate.
Baldwin, J. (n.d.). A Story of Robin Hood. Retrieved from http://www.mainlesson.com/
display.php?author=baldwin&book=fifty&story=robin
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This story was used to tie in ELA concepts to the lesson about predation in forests.
Students will read the story then use the ideas to tie in concepts from the lesson.
Common Earthworm. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2012, from National Geographic website:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/
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This is resource for information about earthworms.
Composting With Worms. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources website:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/compost2.htm
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This website offers information on how to compost with worms. It specifically tells you
how to construct your composting bin.
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Cronin, D. (2003). Diary of a worm. New York: Scholastic.
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I used this trade book to engage students in my lesson on worms. While it is fictional
and embellished, it helps students to think about the life of worms.
Earthworm. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/176371/earthworm
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This is a definition of an earthworm from an encyclopedia.
Ecosystem. (2012). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://britannica.com
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This is the definition of an ecosystem from an encyclopedia, used for the explanation of
an ecosystem.
Ecosystems: What's In My Corner of the Ecosystem? (n.d.). Lesson Plan #2. Retrieved from
United States Forest Service website:
http://na.fs.fed.us/ceredirect/jfr/lessonplan02.shtml
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This lesson plan helped to outline my plan on observation journals. While I did not use it
explicitly, it helped me to think about how to make observation journals more than just
writing things down.
Enger, E. D., Ross, F. C., & Bailey, D. B. (2010). Concepts in Biology (14th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
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This is a textbook utilized in NSCI 233. It features an extensive amount of information
about ecosystems, communities and the connections between them which will be the
focus of my lessons.
Friends of the Rouge. (n.d.). Friends of the Rouge: Rouge in the Classroom [Organization].
Retrieved from http://therouge.org
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Friends of the Rouge is an organization that provides information, resources, and hands
on experiences in the process of commitment to cleaning up the Rouge River. I’d like to
use them as a resource and hypothetically, as a field trip or use their Rouge in the
Classroom program in which a representative from the organization visits the classroom
and teaches about the Rouge Watershed.
Invasive Species Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service website: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/greatlakes/invasives/index
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The invasive species committee offers information about the threats of present invasive
species and the possible threats of others. I used this in my worm lesson plan to discuss
invasive species in the Great Lakes.
Kallen, S. A. (2004). Ecosystems: Life In a Pond. Kid Haven Press.
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Life in a Pond examines the habitat that ponds provide for thousands of species of
plants and animals and how human activities are affecting their existence. This is a
children’s reference book that could be used for their exploration and understanding.
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There are also other books in this series that may be helpful that I have not yet
explored.
Leager, C. R. (2007). Ecosystem in a jar. Science and Children, 44(8), 56-58. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/236903602?accountid=14578
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This lesson plan, written in the five E format involves having students create an
ecosystem in a jar (or container.) The students will observe the interrelatedness of
ecosystems within the confines of a classroom.
Limiting Factors. (2012). Retrieved from New Hampshire Public Television website:
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep12a.htm
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I used this article as a resource to describe how populations within an ecosystem are
dependent on each other for control of their size.
McShaffrey, D. (n.d.). Environmental Biology-Ecosystems. Retrieved from Marietta College
website: http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html
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This page has information about the basic ideas of ecosystems, along with information
and graphics about how energy flows through an ecosystem, along with food chains.
Parker, C. (1999). Oh Deer! Game Directions [Activity]. Retrieved from
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/313_01.pdf
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I adapted this game to fit into my “Oh Deer” lesson. I used these guidelines as a general
idea and built from there.
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Robertson, A., & Mahlin, K. (2005). Ecosystem journalism. Science and Children, 43(3), 42-45.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236895267?accountid=14578
a. This article features an activity in which students would create a newspaper at
the end of a unit on ecosystems. The newspaper, or final product, would be used
as an assessment of understanding. I chose this because the activity forces the
lessons on ecosystems to be relevant to students’ lives and their interests and
also because it was cross curricular in that it combined science and ELA content.
Science and Technology: Ecosystems. (n.d.). Retrieved from Environmental Protection Agency
website: http://www.epa.gov/gateway/science/ecosystems.html
b. The EPA provides resources and information about ecosystems and protecting
and assessing their health.
Schoolyard and Urban Ecosystems. (2004). Retrieved from Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality, Michigan Tech website:
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module10/index.htm
c. This website offers student-friendly information about local animals and plants. I
used it as both a reference for myself and as a website I could have students visit
to learn more information.
Wild Wolves Good for Ecosystem. (2007, January 31). BBC News. Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6310211.stm
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d. This article explains why wolves are needed in forests. In much of England,
wolves have been hunted to extinction and therefore the deer population has
been growing quickly which limits the growth of the forest.
Zebra Mussel. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from Great Lakes Science Center website:
http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/main.php?content=research_invasive_zebramussel&title=Inv
asive%20Invertebrates0&menu=research_invasive _invertebrates
e. I used this resource in my lesson on invasive species to talk about local invasive
species, specifically the zebra mussel which is a large problem in the Great Lakes.