HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Unit:Ecosystems:Interactions,EnergyandDynamics
InstructionalSequence:1-WolvesinYellowstone
Whatscience(and
engineering)content
willbedeveloped
duringthislearning
sequence?
Note:This
informationcomes
fromTool1
Whatconnections
willbemade?
Note:This
informationcomes
fromTool1
GuidingQuestion:Whathappenswhenapredatorcomesbackintoanenvironment?
Resources:Yellowstonefoodwebcardsanddatasheet
ScienceandEngineeringPractices
DisciplinaryCoreIdeas
CrosscuttingConceptsandConnections
ConstructingExplanations:Constructan
explanationthatincludesqualitativeorquantitative
relationshipsbetweenvariablesthatpredict
phenomena.
MSLS2.A:Predatoryinteractionsmayreduce Patterns:Patternscanbeusedtoidentify
thenumberoforganismsoreliminatewhole
causeandeffectrelationships.
populationsoforganisms.Mutuallybeneficial
interactions,incontrast,maybecomeso
interdependentthateachorganismrequires
theotherforsurvival.Althoughthespecies
involvedinthesecompetitive,predatory,and
mutuallybeneficialinteractionsvaryacross
ecosystems,thepatternsofinteractionsof
organismswiththeirenvironments,bothliving
andnonliving,areshared.
EngaginginArgumentfromEvidence:Constructan
oralandwrittenargumentsupportedbyempirical
evidenceandscientificreasoningtosupportor
refuteanexplanationoramodelfora
phenomenonorasolutiontoaproblem.
MSESS3.C:Typicallyashumanpopulations
andper-capitaconsumptionofnatural
resourcesincrease,sodothenegativeimpacts
onEarthunlesstheactivitiesandtechnologies
involvedareengineeredotherwise.
Cause&Effect:Causeandeffectrelationships
maybeusedtopredictphenomenainnatural
ordesignedsystems.
(ConnectionstoEngineering,Technologyand
ApplicationsofScience):Allhumanactivity
drawsonnaturalresourcesandhasboth
short-andlong-termconsequences,positive
aswellasnegative,forthehealthofpeople
andthenaturalenvironment.
(ConnectionstotheNatureofScience):
Scienceknowledgecandescribethe
consequencesofactionsbutdoesnot
necessarilyprescribethedecisionsthat
societytakes.
Performance
Expectations
Note:This
informationcomes
fromTool1
MS-LS2-2Constructanexplanationthatpredictspatternsofinteractionsamongorganismsacrossmultipleecosystems.
MS-ESS3-4Constructanargumentsupportedbyevidenceforhowincreasesinhumanpopulationandper-capitaconsumptionofnaturalresources
impactEarth’ssystems.
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 1 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Whatprior
knowledgeiscrucial
asafoundationfor
thelearning
sequence?
Note:Reviewthe
previousgrade
band(s)forcoreidea
LS2A.
FromK-2:Plantsdependonwaterandlighttogrow;plantsdependonanimalsforpollinationortomovetheirseedsaround.
From3-5:Thefoodofalmostanykindofanimalcanbetracedbacktoplants.Organismsarerelatedinfoodwebsinwhichsomeanimalseatplantsfor
foodandotheranimalseachtheanimalsthateatplants.
LS1C.
FromK-2:Allanimalsneedfoodinordertoliveandgrow.Theyobtaintheirfoodfromplantsandfromotheranimals.
LS4D.
FromK-2:Therearemanydifferentkindsoflivingthingsinanyarea,andtheyexistindifferentplacesonlandandinwater.
From3-5:Populationsliveinavarietyofhabitats,andchangeinthosehabitatsaffectstheorganismslivingthere.
CommonStudent
Ideas
Note:Theseideas
comefromyour
experienceteaching
thetopic,andthe
researchonstudent
ideasinscience.
Sourcesmayinclude:
Studentsmaythinkplantsaredependentonhumans,ratherthanhumans(andallotheranimals)aredependentonplants.
TheymaythinkpredatorandpreypopulationsaresimilarinsizeORthattherelativesizesofpredatorpreypopulationshavenobearingonthesizeof
theother.
Studentsmaythinkvaryingthepopulationsizeofaspeciesmaynotaffectanecosystembecausesomeorganismsarenotimportant.
Theymaythinkthatecosystemsarenotafunctioningwholebutsimplyacollectionoforganismsinsteadofthinkingthatecosystemsincludenotjust
theorganismsbutalsotheinteractionsbetweenorganismsandbetweentheorganismsandtheirphysicalenvironment. AtlasofScience
Literacy,AAAS
MakingSenseof
SecondaryScience,
Driver
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 2 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Engage:Theteacheroracurriculumtaskhelpsstudentsbecomeengagedbyanaturalphenomenonthroughtheuseofshortactivitiesthatpromotecuriosityandelicitprior
knowledgeaboutthephenomenonandassociatedconcepts.Theactivityshouldmakeconnectionsbetweenpastandpresentlearningexperiences,exposepriorconceptions,
andorganizestudents’thinkingtowardthelearningoutcomesofactivitiesintheinstructionalsequence.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
Togenerateinterestinthetopic,invitestudentstothinkaboutalocal
environmentneartheirschool.
Facilitatestudentschartingtheirresponses,andhavegroupscompare
theirliststoothergroups’lists.
ShowavideoaboutthereintroductionofwolvesinYellowstone
NationalPark(NationalGeographicVideo–wolves,bisonand
ranchersinYellowstone).ShowstudentsInteractiveMap:Where
YellowstoneWolvesRoam(websitefromPBSNature).
Asksstudentsiftheythinkthewolvesstaywithinparkboundaries.
Askstudentstoconsiderwhetherpeopleshouldbeallowedtohunt
wolves,andwhetherpeopleshouldacttorestorewildecosystems.
Chartstudents’questionsabouttheinteractionsbetweenanimalsand
peopleinYellowstone.
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
Atthebeginningofthelessonaskstudentstobrieflydescribewhat
animalsandplantsneedinordertoliveandgrow.
AnchorPhenomenon
DCI,CCC,PE
Studentresponse:livingthingsneedfood,airandwater.
AnchorPhenomenon:
Studentsworkingroupstoconsiderwhattheyknowaboutalocal
environmentneartheirschool(suchasaplayground,park,orgarden).
Theylistthepossibleinteractionsamongthelivingandnon-living
thingsandsharetheirideaswiththeclass(SL.8.1).
Wolveswerereintroduced
toYellowstoneParkin1995
andsincethenthenumbers
ofseveraldifferent
organismshavebeen
Studentswatchvideoandreadtwoparagraphsoftexttolearnstory
affectedwithsome
thatallthewolvesweregonefromtheparkby1930dueto
populationsincreasingand
overhunting,butthattheseanimalswerereintroducedintotheparkin
somedecreasing.
1995.
GuidingQuestion:
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativerelationships
betweenvariablesthatpredictanddescribephenomena
Howdolivingthings,
includinghumans,interact
Inpairs,studentsdiscusshowreintroducingthewolvesmightaffect
witheachotherandwith
theparkandthetourists,cattleranchers,andlocalresidentswholive
non-livingthingsinan
nearby.TheylistotheranimalsthatliveinYellowstonebasedonwhat
environment?
theysawinthevideo,anddiscusshowthewolfpresencemightaffect
thenumbersanddistributionoftheseotheranimals(SL.8.1).
Animalsandplantslivein
varietyofenvironments;
StudentResponse:Animalssuchaswolves,grizzlybears,mooseand
humansarepartofandcan
deerwillnotlikelyremainwithintheparkboundaries.
affectthatenvironment.
Constructanoralargumentsupportedbyscientificreasoningto
Animalsneedair,waterand
supportorrefuteasolutiontoaproblem
food-theyeatplantsand
Studentsargueaboutwhetherpeopleshouldbeallowedtohunt
otheranimals.Plantsalso
wolves,andwhetherpeopleshouldacttorestorewildecosystems.
needfood,whichthey
makefromair,waterand
StudentResponse:Wolvesshouldnotbehuntedsincethereareonly
sunlight.
about100withintheparkorwolvesshouldbehuntedsincetheycan
postathreattocattleandpeopleoutsidetheparkboundaries.
LinkingquestionfromEngagetoExplore:Whatpatternsdoweseeinthewaysorganismsinteractwitheachother?
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Explore:ExperiencesintheExplorephaseprovidestudentswithacommonbaseofactivitieswithinwhichstudentswrestlewiththeircurrentconceptionsaboutanatural
phenomenonthroughthescienceandengineeringpracticeidentifiedintheperformanceexpectation.Learnersmaycompleteactivitiesthathelpthemusepriorknowledgeto
generatenewideas,explorequestions,and/ordesignandconductaninvestigation.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
DistributeYellowstonecardsforbison,beaver,coyote,elk,cowbird,
bear,snowshoehare,andwintertick.
DCI,CCC,PE
Useamodel(afoodweb)todescribephenomena
AnchorPhenomenon:
StudentsreceiveYellowstoneFoodWebcardsforcertainorganisms
andareaskedtosortthecardsintogroupsandexplaintheirgroupings
toeachother.
Thepopulationofwolvesin
Yellowstoneaffectsthe
populationofmanyother
organisms,notjusttheones
theyeat.
Studentsarrangethecardsintoafoodweb,andpredictwhateach
animalmighteat,andrecorditintheirsciencenotebooks.They
comparetheirfoodwebswiththoseofothergroupsandreflecton
similaritiesanddifferences.
Usingtheinformationsheet,studentsrevisetheirfoodwebs,
Afterstudentshavehadtimetopredictthefoodweb,givestudentsan accordingtothenewinformationandrecordtheirrevisions.Intheir
informationsheetthatlistswhatthevariousorganismsinthefood
groupstheydiscussthepatternsofinteractionamongtheorganisms
webeat.
inthefoodweb(SL.8.1).
KeyQuestions:
IdealStudentResponses:
●
●
Whichorganismsplayasimilarrole?Describetheseroles.
Whatdoyoupredictwouldhappentothefoodwebifallthe
plantsdied?
GivestudentstheGrayWolffoodwebcard.
●
●
Thebeaver,theelk,thehareandthebisonalleatplants
Ifalltheplantsdied,animalsliketheharewouldn’thave
food,andthenanimalslikethecoyote,thateatsmallanimals
likethehare,mightalsodie.
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativerelationships
betweenvariablesthatpredictanddescribephenomena
Studentsthinkaboutthereintroductionofthewolfandhowitwill
affectthefoodwebbyaddingthewolfcardtotheirmodel,and
discussing/predictingwhichinteractionsitmightaffect.Thealsoadd
bacteria,humansandcattletothinkabouthowtheymightaffectthe
foodwebtoo.
Copyright © AMNH 2017
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
AskstudentstobrainstormandreviewthelistofYellowstone
organismstheyhadgeneratedinthepreviouslesson.Asanimal
interactionsaredescribed,drawfoodchain,andthenafoodwebon
theboard(basedonstudentideas).
AnchorPhenomenon
Page 4 of 14
GuidingQuestion:
Whatimpactcanan
organismhaveonthe
interactionsbetweenother
organismsinafoodweb?
Foodwebscanrepresent
patternsoffeeding
relationshipsamong
organismsinan
environment.
Causeandeffect
relationshipsrepresentedin
afoodwebmaybeusedto
predictphenomena.
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
KeyQuestions:
●
●
●
●
Whichanimalseatotheranimalsforfood?
Whichanimalscompeteforthesamefood?
Whatisanexampleofahelpfulrelationshipbetweentwo
animals?
Whateffectdoyouthinkrestoringwolveshadontheelk?
Thesmallanimals?Theplants?
Note:questionsshouldhelpstudentsdescribethepatternsof
interactions.
Discussthelocalenvironmentfromthepreviouslessonwithstudents.
IdealStudentResponses:
●
●
●
●
Cowbirds,coyote,bear,andwolveseatotheranimals.
Beaver,elk,bisonandharecompete.Thebear,coyoteand
wolfcompete.
Thecowbirdeatingwinterticksishelpfultotheanimalsthe
tickliveson,likebison.
Thewolvesmightcausetheelkandtheharestogodown
sincethatisafoodsourceforthem;sincewolveseatthe
plant-eaters,thismightindirectlyleadtomoreplants
Studentsconstructafoodweboftheorganismsintheirlocal
environment(fromthepreviouslesson).
LinkingquestionfromExploretoExplain:WhatsimilarpatternsaretherebetweenhowtheorganismsinteractintheYellowstonefoodwebandhowtheorganismsinteractin
yourlocalenvironment?
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 5 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Explain:DuringtheExplainphasestudentsareprovidedopportunitiestodemonstratetheirconceptualunderstandinganduseofscienceandengineeringpractices.Inthis
phaseteachersorinstructionalmaterialsemploysense-makingstrategiesandintroduceacademiclanguage.Anexplanationfromtheteacherorotherresourcesmayguide
learnerstowardadeeperunderstanding,whichisacriticalpartofthisphase.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
Showthreevideosaboutpatternsofinteractionsbetweenorganisms:
•
•
•
Video1fromPBS-predator-prey
Video2fromNationalGeographic-competition
Video3fromUntamedScience-symbiosis(includingmutualism,
commensalismandparasitism).
DCI,CCC,PE
Examplestudentresponse:wolvesandcoyoteseatelkandbison.
AnchorPhenomenon:
Studentsusegraphicorganizer(worksheet)totakenotesabout
organismrelationshipsinthevideos.Ingroupstheycreatetheirown
definitionsbasedonthevideosandprovideexamplesfromofeach
typeofinteractionThenstudentsworkwiththeirpartnertoreadthe
text.Withtheirgrouptheyrevisetheirdefinitions.(SL.8.1)
Wolvesandcoyotehavea
relationship,eventhough
neitheroneofthemeatsthe
other.
IdealStudentResponses:
Aftereachvideo,havestudentsrecorddefinitionsofthetermsontoa
note-takingsheet,andlisttheorganismsfromthevideo.
predator-prey(feedingrelationshipwhereoneanimalkillsandthe
otheriskilled;ex.beareatsafish)
Givestudentsareadingwithinformationsimilartowhatwasinthe
videos,andallowstudentstorevisetheirdefinitionsandlistadditional
examplesoforganismsthatfolloweachpatternofinteraction(model
anexampleofhowtoreviewthedefinitionforpredator-prey).
competition(twoormorespeciesrequirethesamelimitedresources;
ex.Europeangreencrabsandnativegreencrabscompeteforfood)
Givestudentsmatchingactivitytoidentifyrelationshipsusingthisnew
terms.
Askstudentstoidentifythepatternsofrelationshipsfromthe
Yellowstonefoodwebusingthenewscientificterms(createachart
forthemtofillouttogether).Askthemtoexplainhowhumans
interactwithotherorganismsinpredator-prey,competitive,and
mutualisticrelationships.
Copyright © AMNH 2017
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
AskstudentstosharesomeexamplesofYellowstonefoodweb
interactionsfromthepreviouslesson.
AnchorPhenomenon
symbiosis(commensalism-helpsonespeciesanddoesn’thelpor
harmtheother,mutualism-helpsbothspeciesinvolved,parasitism-
benefitsonespecies(parasite)andharmstheother(host);ex.
tapewormsareparasitesthatliveinsidetheintestineofananimal
host
Studentsaregivenalistoforganismsanddescriptionsoftheir
relationships,andhavetomatcheachexamplewithapatternof
interactionfromtheirgraphicorganizer(ex.“mountainlionseatdeer”
ismatchedwithpredator-prey).
StudentsrevisittheYellowstonefoodwebandidentifydifferenttypes
ofinteractionsthatincludehowhumansinteractinthefoodweb.
Page 6 of 14
GuidingQuestion:
Whattypesofinteractions
occurbetweenorganisms?
Whiletheindividual
organismsindifferent
environmentsmayvary,the
patternsofinteractions
(relationships)between
organismsareconsistent
acrossdifferent
environments.
Theserelationshipsbetween
organisms,including
humans,canbepredatory,
competitiveormutually
beneficial.
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
KeyQuestions:CompletetheChart
Patternof
Interaction
IdealStudentResponses:
Examplein
Yellowstone
Exampleofhowhumans
interactwithanotherspecies
Predator-Prey
Patternof
Interaction
Examplein
Yellowstone
Exampleofhowhumansinteract
withanotherspecies
PredatorPrey
wolfand
beaver
Humansarepredatorsthateat
preysuchasfish
Competition
elkandbison
Humanscompetewithother
predatorssuchaswolvesforprey
suchasbison;theyalsocompete
withotherorganismsforspace
Mutualism
cowbirdand
bison
Humansraisebeesforhoneyand
beespollinateimportant
commercialcrops
Competition
Mutualism
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativerelationships
betweenvariablesthatpredictanddescribephenomena.
Wrap-uplessonwithdiscussionaboutYellowstonebeforeandafter
thereintroductionofthewolves.
KeyQuestion:
Explaintheimpactofhumansonthefoodwebinandnear
YellowstoneNationalParkduringeachofthefollowingtimeperiods.
Usethescientifictermsyoulearnedinthislessontoexplainthe
interactionsbetweenhumansandotherorganisms.
a.
Criticallyreadscientifictextsadaptedforclassroomusetodetermine
thecentralideasandobtainscientificinformationtodescribe
patternsinandevidenceaboutthenaturalworld.
IdealStudentResponse:
a.
Yellowstonewasestablishedin1872,whichledtoincreasesin
someorganismsinthefoodwebsuchabison.Peoplewerenot
harmedorhelpedwhiletheprotectedanimalswerehelped.This
wascommensalism.Atthesametimepeoplecompetedwith
wolvesandbearsforanimalssuchasdeerandalsokilledwolves
andbears.By1930therewerenowolvesinthepark.
b.
Wolveswerere-introducedintothepark;thishelpedthewolf
populationtorecover.Thisprobablycausedtheirprey
populationstodecrease.
Fromlate1800sto1994
b. From1995tothepresent
nd
LinkingquestionfromExplainto2 Explore:Whatdatacanweanalyzeinordertobetterunderstandthesepatternsofinteractionsbetweenpopulations?
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 7 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
ExploreExperiencesintheExplorephaseprovidestudentswithacommonbaseofactivitieswithinwhichstudentswrestlewiththeircurrentconceptionsaboutanatural
phenomenonthroughthescienceandengineeringpracticeidentifiedintheperformanceexpectation.Learnersmaycompleteactivitiesthathelpthemusepriorknowledgeto
generatenewideas,explorequestions,and/ordesignandconductaninvestigation.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
KeyQuestion:
•
•
DCI,CCC,PE
StudentsreviewtheYellowstoneFoodWebandtheirnotesfromthe
previouslesson.
IdealStudentResponse:
Whatkindsofdatamighthelpuslearnmoreaboutthepatterns
ofinteractionstheywerestudyinginthepreviouslesson?
•
Wolvesandelkhaveapredator-preyinteraction.Wewouldwant
toseeinformationaboutthequantityofeachspeciesinthepark
overtime.
•
Wepredictwewillseeanincreaseinwolvesovertimeandwe
expecttoseeadecreaseintheelksince1994.
Whatdoyoupredictthatthedatawillshow?
Providesstudentswithdata,whichtheyplotongraphpaper.
SOURCE:NationalParkService.(2015).WinterCountofNorthern
YellowstoneElk.
Promptstudentstothinkaboutwhatmayhavecausedthe
fluctuationstheysee(theoverallpatterndoesshowthetrendthey
mayhavepredicted,butthedataismorecomplexthanthat).
Sharewithstudentsthatanotherfactormayhaveaffectedtheelk
population--snowaccumulation.Discusswithstudentshowsnowmay
haveaffectedtheelk–askthemtomakeapredictionbefore
presentingthedatatothem.
Studentsbrieflydiscusswhattheyexpecttoseeinthedataandthen
graphthesnowdatawiththeelkpopulationdata.
Helpstudentsmakesenseofthedata;askthemwhatmayhave
causedthesepatternsandtrendstooccur.
Tellstudentstheywillcontinuetothinkabouttheimpactofwolvesin
Yellowstoneinthenextlesson.
nd
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
Tellstudentsthattheywillshiftfromthinkingaboutindividual
organismstothinkingaboutpopulationsoforganisms.Engage
studentsinareviewofinteractionsamongorganismsinYellowstone.
AnchorPhenomenon
6.SP.B.5(Summarizeanddescribedistributions)
Summarizenumericaldatasetsinrelationtotheircontext.
Analyzeandinterpretdatatoprovideevidenceforphenomena
StudentsanalyzeWolfandElkdatainYellowstonetolookatthe
patternofinteractioninapredator-preyrelationship.
AnchorPhenomenon:
Snowaffectselkpopulations,
whichthenaffectswolf
populations.
GuidingQuestion:
Howdolivingandnon-living
factorsaffectpopulations?
Patternsconsistentwith
predator-preyrelationships
canbeobservedin
populationdata.
Non-livingfactorscanalso
affectpopulations.
StudentsanalyzesnowaccumulationandElkpopulationdatain
Yellowstonetolookattheimpactofanon-livingfactorona
population.
Studentswriteaparagraph(exitsliporhomework)summarizinghow
theirgraphshelpedthemunderstandhowlivingandnon-livingfactors
affectpopulations.
nd
Linkingquestionfrom2 Exploreto2 Explain:Whatevidence-basedclaimscanwemakeabouttheoverallimpactapredatorhasonanecosystem?
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 8 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Explain:DuringtheExplainphasestudentsareprovidedopportunitiestodemonstratetheirconceptualunderstandinganduseofscienceandengineeringpractices.Inthis
phaseteachersorinstructionalmaterialsemploysense-makingstrategiesandintroduceacademiclanguage.Anexplanationfromtheteacherorotherresourcesmayguide
learnerstowardadeeperunderstanding,whichisacriticalpartofthisphase.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
Provideareadingaboutthegrowingpopulationofwolvesinthe
greaterYellowstoneregion,andtheconcernaboutthewolveseating
notjustelkbutalsodeer,moose,bisonandsometimesevenlivestock
andpets.Thereadingintroducesthetermsecosystem,bioticand
abiotic.
Postquestion,“Doesreducingapredatorpopulationhaveapositive
ornegativeimpactonanecosystem?”Askstudentstodiscusswhat
additionaldatawouldbehelpfultoaddressthisquestion.
Providestudentswithdatathatshowtheincreaseinpopulationof
someoftheotherorganismsintheYellowstonefoodweb(various
birdspecies,treesandotherplants,etc.).
KeyQuestion:Whydoyouthinkthebirdandplantpopulations
increased?
Shareagraphthatdisplaysfoursetsofdata:theestimatedwolf
populationfrom2004-2014,thewolfpopulationattheendofeach
year,thetotalnumberofwolfdeathscausedbyhumans,andthetotal
numberoflivestockandpetskilledbywolves.
SOURCE:NorthernYellowstoneCooperativeWildlifeWorkingGroup.
(2013).AnnualReport.
SOURCE:U.S.FishandWildlifeService.(2014).RockyMountainWolf
Recovery2014InteragencyAnnualReport.
Copyright © AMNH 2017
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
AskstudentstosummarizethestoryofthewolvesinYellowstone.
AnchorPhenomenon
DCI,CCC,PE
Studentsturnandtalktoapartner;theydescribethestoryofthe
wolvesinYellowstone.
IdealStudentsResponse:
Humanskilledthewolvesduetoconcernsabouttheireffecton
wildlife,petsandhumansafetyandby1930theywereallgone;after
thewolveswerereintroducedin1995theyincreasedinnumber;their
predator-preyrelationshipwiththeelkcausedanoveralldecreasein
theelkpopulation.
Studentslistthetypeofdatathatwouldhelpthemincluding
populationdataforotherorganismsintheYellowstonefoodweb,as
wellasinformationabouthumans.
IdealStudentResponse:Populationsofbirdssuchastheflycatcher
increasedastheirhome,theAspentrees,grewmoreabundant.This
increaseintheplantpopulationwasduetothedecreaseintheelk
(observedinthedatafromthepreviouslesson).
AnchorPhenomenon:
Humanshavekilledwolves
atonetimeinhistoryand
reintroducedthemto
Yellowstoneatanotherpoint
inhistory.
GuidingQuestion:
Doesreducingapredator
populationhaveapositiveor
negativeimpactonan
ecosystem?
Humanscandisruptthe
patternsofinteractions
betweenpredator-prey
populationsandaffect
ecosystems.
Nextstudentswilllookatthedataonthedistributionofwolfpacks,
cattleranchersandhumanpopulationsinthegreaterYellowstone
ecosystem,numberofwolfdeathscausedbyhumans,andthe
numberoflivestockandpetskilledbywolves.
6.SP.B.5(Summarizeanddescribedistributions)
Summarizenumericaldatasetsinrelationtotheircontext.
Studentsworkingroupstosummarizewhatthedataisshowing.
Page 9 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Posttheargumentquestioninthefrontoftheroom:“Didwolfdeaths
causedbyhumans(ranchers,huntersandparkrangers)havea
positiveornegativeimpactonthegreaterYellowstoneecosystem?”
Postthepositiveclaimononesideoftheroomandthenegativeclaim
ontheother.Facilitate“WalkingDebate.”Supportstudentswithusing
AccountableTalkthroughoutthediscussion.Remindstudentsto
considerwhichevidencebestsupportstheirsideoftheargument.
Pointouttostudentsthatastheycritiqueeachother’sevidence,that
thisisreasoning–usingtheirscienceconceptstothinkaboutwhich
evidenceisstronger.
Constructanoralargumentsupportedbyempiricalevidenceand
scientificreasoningtosupportorrefuteanexplanationfor
phenomena.
Debrieftheexperiencewithstudents;askthemtoreflectonhow
engaginginargumenthelpedthemunderstandwhathappenedtothe
ecosysteminYellowstone.
Afterthedebatestudentswriteasummaryofthebestlinesof
evidencetheyheardduringthewalkingargumentactivity.
RST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.9
Studentsengageinanargument.TheyparticipateinaWalking
Debateinwhichtheymovetothesideoftheroomwiththeclaimthey
thinkisbestsupportedbytheevidence;theyareallowedtoswitch
sidesatanytime.
nd
Linkingquestionfrom2 ExplaintoElaborate:Howmightthereintroductionofapredatorintoadifferentecosystemaffectthepatternsofinteractionsamongorganisms
there?
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 10 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Elaborate:Teachersorinstructionalmaterialschallengeandextendstudents’conceptualunderstandinganduseofscienceandengineeringpracticesduringtheElaborate
phase.Throughnewexperiences,thestudentsdevelopdeeperorbroaderunderstandingbyapplyingtheirunderstandingorpracticeinanewcontext.DuringtheElaborate
phaseteachersmayemphasizethecrosscuttingconceptintheforegroundoftheinstructionalsequence.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
DCI,CCC,PE
Sharewithstudentsthatpeopleareconsideringreintroducingthewolf IdealStudentResponse:Tolearnaboutapredator’simpactonan
ecosystemweneedbackgroundknowledgeabouttheecosystem,data
intothenortheasternUnitedStates.
aboutexistingpopulationsincludinghumans,andmoreinformation
Askstudentswhatinformationtheywouldneedtoanswerthe
aboutthepatternsofinteractionsamongthosefactors.
question,“Whatistheimpactofreintroducingapredatorinan
6.SP.B.5(Summarizeanddescribedistributions)
ecosystemthatalsoincludeshumans?”
Summarizenumericaldatasetsinrelationtotheircontext.
Providestudentswithdatathatshowsthepopulationofwhite-tail
Studentsgatherinpairstodiscussthedeerpopulationdataandthe
deerovertimeintheU.S.Alsoprovideadditionalreadingabouthow
humanshaveaffectedthedeerpopulation,andthevarietyofnegative reading.
impactsthatincreasedpopulationsofdeerarehavingonthe
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativeandquantitative
ecosystem(bothbioticandabioticfactors).SOURCE:U.S.Fishand
relationshipsbetweenvariablesthatdescribephenomena
WildlifeService:NorthernRockyMountainWolfRecoveryProgram
TheyconstructascientificexplanationusingtheExplanationTool(a
2014InteragencyAnnualReport
graphicorganizerthatprovidesascaffoldforstudentstowriteClaims,
EvidenceandReasoning)abouttheeffectoflargepopulationsofdeer
IntroducestudentstotheExplanationTool.Providesentencestems
ontheforestecosystemintheAdirondacksusingquantitative
foreachofthecomponentsonthetooltohelpstudentsgetstarted.
evidencefromthereading.
AfterstudentshavecompletedtheToolfortheirexplanationabout
IdealStudentResponse:
deer,selectafewstudentstoshareouttheirresponsesonthe
Weareinvestigatingthequestion:Whatistheeffectoflarge
documentcamera–providefeedback.
populationsofdeeronecosystems?Myclaimisthatwhena
populationofdeerbecomestoolarge,itcancausedamagetoan
ecosystem.Theevidenceforthisisbasedonstudiesshowingthat
largedeerpopulationscauseovergrazingofplants,whichcancausea
reductioninthepopulationsofsomebirds.Theserelationshipsare
explainedbytheroleofdeerasconsumersandbytheconceptof
competitionbetweenorganisms.Theseconceptsleadmetoreason
thattoomanydeerharmboththeplantsandotherorganismsthat
needtheplantsforfoodorshelter.
Page 11 of 14
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
Copyright © AMNH 2017
AnchorPhenomenon
AnchorPhenomenon:
Scientistsareconsidering
reintroducingwolvesintothe
Adirondacks,butthinkthat
theywillaffectthe
ecosystemindifferentways
thaninYellowstone.
GuidingQuestion:
Whatimpactcan
reintroducingapredator
haveonanecosystemthat
includeshumans?
Byexaminingboththe
naturalandhuman-caused
patternsofinteractions
betweenpopulationsinan
ecosystem,predicationscan
bemadeabouttheeffectof
reintroducingapredatorin
anecosystem.
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
ProvidestudentswiththeExplanationToolagain;askthemtoidentify
patternsofinteractionintheAdirondackecosystemusingthereading
andthedata,andtoidentifythecauseandeffectrelationshipsthat
helpthempredicttheimpactwolvesmighthaveonthedeerand
humanpopulationsintheAdirondackecosystem.
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativerelationships
betweenvariablesthatpredictphenomena
RST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.2,WHST.6-8.9
Thesecondparthasthemconstructanexplanation,usingthe
ExplanationToolagain,thatpredictstheimpactthatthe
reintroductionofwolvesintheAdirondacksmighthaveonan
ecosystemthatincludeshumans.Theyapplytheirknowledgeabout
patternsinecosystemsthattheylearnedfromstudyingtheorganisms
inYellowstone.Theymakepredictionsaboutwhatthereintroduction
ofwolvesintheAdirondackswoulddototheecosystem(includingthe
impactonboththedeerandhumanpopulations).
IdealStudentResponse:
Askstudentstoreflectonhowthescaffoldsupportedthemin
constructingtheirexplanations.Also,askstudentstoreflectonhow
thinkingaboutthepatternshelpedthemexplainthephenomena.
IfwolvesarereintroducedintothenortheasternUnitedStates,they
willhelpreducethedeerpopulation,whichwillthenbelessharmful
totheecosystem.Thedeerpopulationislargeandisharmingthe
ecosystembydestroyingplants,whichserveasahomeforbird
populations.Wolvesarepredatorsofdeer.Increasingthepredator
population(wolves)canleadtoanewbalanceinthenumberofdeer,
whichwillreducethedamagethatthedeercause.Thepredictionis
thatthesamepatternseeninYellowstoneintheelkpopulationdata
duetowolveswouldbeseenintheAdirondacks(wolvesincrease,
elk/deerdecrease).Whilethereisevidencethatwolvescancause
damagetopetsandlivestock,thereintroductionofwolvesto
Yellowstoneallowedforbothotherplantsandanimalstoincreasein
population,soitcanbeexpectedthatasimilarbalancewouldbe
restoredtotheAdirondacks.
LinkingquestionfromElaboratetoEvaluate:Whatpatternsdoweseeinthewayorganismsinteractacrossecosystemsandhowdohumansaffectthosepatterns?
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 12 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
Evaluate:ExperiencesintheEvaluatephaseencouragestudentstoassesstheirconceptualunderstandinganduseofthepractices.Theexperiencesallowteachersto
evaluatestudentprogresstowardachievingtheperformanceexpectation(s).NonewideasareintroducedduringtheEvaluate.
Whatteacherisdoing(includingabriefdescriptionoftheactivityand
keyquestions)
Whatstudentsaredoing(includingidealstudentresponsetoselected
questions/tasks)
IdentifySEPasappropriate
AnchorPhenomenon
GuidingQuestion
ScienceConcepts
IdentifyCCSS(ELA/literacyandmath)asappropriate
DCI,CCC,PE
Part1:
Part1:
AnchorPhenomenon:
Providestudentswithaseriesofsixwrittenscenariosandsixgraphs
showingqualitativetrends(notquantitative).Explaintostudentstheir
taskasagroupistomatchthescenariotothepatterninthegraph,
andthatforthebioticrelationshipstheyneedtolabelthepatternof
interactionwiththecorrectterm.Scenariosaretakenfromreal-world
examples:
Studentsworkingroups(SL.8.1)toidentifythepatternsofinteraction
inavarietyofscenarios.Theyexplaintheimpactofonepopulationon
another(includingpredator-prey,competitionandsymbiosis),andthe
impactofabioticfactorsonapopulation.
Dataandpatternscanshow
therelationshipsin
ecosystemsclearlyenoughto
predictwhichscenariothe
datamatches,evenwhen
thegraphsarenotlabeled.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
FreshwaterLakeFish(RainbowsmeltinCrystalLakeeliminatedyellow
perch)SOURCE:UniversityofWisconsin-Madison’sCenterforLimnology
– CrystalLakeMixingProject:Smelt(website)
MarineWormsandOceanTemperatures(scalewormsliveonseastarsin
shallowoceanwaterinthePacificnorthwest;thepopulationofwormsis
affectedbyseasonaltemperaturechanges–whenwintertemperatures
drop,wormpopulationsincreaseandtheoppositeoccursinthesummer)
InsectFieldsandOrchards(insectsarepestsincropfieldsandother
farmland;evidencesuggeststheintroductionofawaspcancausethe
levelsofcertainpestsinfarmfieldstodecline)SOURCE:Cornell
UniversityCollegeofAgricultureandLifeSciences’BiologicalControl:
BeneficialInsectsIntroductionResearch(website)
PhosphorusandAlgaeGrowth(whenphosphorus,anessentialnutrient
forplans/algae,risesinwaterduetosewagewaste,populationofalgae
increases)
CanadianLynxandSnowshoeHare(innorthernCanada,thelynx’s
preferreddietisthesnowshoeharebutwhentheharepopulation
decreases,thelynxkittensareoftenunabletosurvive)SOURCE:Duke
University’sDept.ofMath:Predator-PreyModels(website)
OxygenandFishPopulations(investigationsofafishpopulationinalake
showedastheoxygenlevelsdrop,thepopulationdecreasedrapidly)
ProvidestudentswithExplanationTooltosupporttheirwritinga
scientificexplanationaboutoneofthephenomenainthescenarios.
Copyright © AMNH 2017
IdealStudentResponses:
1–Competition(GraphC)
GuidingQuestion:
2–Abiotic(GraphA)
Whatarethepatternsof
interactionsbetweenbiotic
andabioticfactorsthat
affectecosystems?
3–Parasitism(GraphE)
4–Abiotic(GraphF)
5–PredatorisLynx,PreyisHare(GraphB)
6–Abioitc(GraphD)
Constructanexplanationthatincludesqualitativerelationships
betweenvariablesthatpredictanddescribephenomena
RST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.2,WHST.6-8.9
StudentsselectoneofthesixscenariosandusetheExplanationTool
(C-E-Rscaffold)toconstructawrittenexplanationforthephenomena
presented.
IdealStudentResponse:
MyclaimisthatGraphAbestmatchesscenario2,whichisthe
interactionbetweenanabioticfactor(watertemperature)anda
populationofwormsthatincreasesincoldwater.Theevidencethat
supportsmyclaimisthatthegraphshowsthewormpopulation
increasinginwinter,whenthegraphshowsthewatertemperatureis
decreasing.Theoppositehappenswhenthewatertemperaturegoes
Page 13 of 14
Consistentpatternsof
interactionsshow
relationshipsamong
organisms(competition,
predation,andmutualism)
andbetweenorganismsand
abioticcomponents.These
patternsofinteraction
predictsimilarphenomena
acrossmultipleecosystems.
Increasesinhuman
populationsimpact
ecosystems.
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4
HO2
Tool4TemplateExample–5ELearningSequenceOutline
up—thenthewormpopulationgoesdown.Theconceptthatsupports
thisevidenceistheinteractionofapopulationwithanabioticfactor.
Thereasoningthatlinkstheevidencetotheconceptofinteractionofa
populationwiththeabioticfactoristhepatterneveryyearshowing
thatwheneverthewatertemperaturechanges,thewormpopulation
changesintheoppositedirection.
Part2:
Part2:
Leadstudentsinargumentdiscussion–posttheclaim“Humans
impactecosystems,”ontheboard.Askstudentsevaluatetheevidence
theylearnedaboutacrosstheirlessonsthatsupportsthisclaimusing
scienceconceptsandreasoning.Supportstudentswithusing
AccountableTalk.
Studentsarepresentedwiththeclaim“Humansimpactecosystems.”
Theyusescienceconceptsandreasoningfromtheirpreviouslessons
toevaluatetheevidencethatsupportsthisclaim.
Constructanoralargumentsupportedbyempiricalevidenceand
scientificreasoningtosupportorrefuteanexplanationfor
phenomena.
RST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.1,WHST.6-8.9
Engagestudentsinareflectionabouttheirownlearningand
understandingaboutthepatternsofinteractionsinecosystems;also
helpthemreflectonhowmodeling,analyzingdata,constructing
explanationsandengaginginargumenthelpedthemlearnwhatthey
nowunderstand.
Givestudentswrittenperformancetaskwithascenarioanddatathat
asksstudentstoapplytheirscienceknowledgetoansweraseriesof
questions.(SEETOOL5)
Afterthediscussion,studentsreflectwithapartneronhowtheir
thinkingaboutinteractionsecosystemshaschangedsincethefirst
lesson.Theyreflectoneachofthepracticestheyengagedinacross
the5Elearningsequencetothinkabouthowthatpracticehelped
themlearn.
Toprepareforperformancetask,studentsreviewtogetherwhatthey
hadwrittenintheirsciencenotebooksandscaffoldsthroughoutthe
lessons,aswellaswhattheyhadrecordedfromthevariousactivities
doneduringtheunit.
Studentstakewrittenperformancetaskindividually(SEETOOL5).
Copyright © AMNH 2017
Page 14 of 14
Five Tools and Processes for NGSS
Tool 4