GRADE 4TH GRADE LEVEL CURRICULUM SCIENCE TIME 4 WEEKS AREA FRAME STAGE

1: DESIRED RESULTS PENNSYLVANIA CONTENT STANDARDS: S4.B.2.1.1- THE STUDENT WILL IDENTIFY CHARACTERISTICS FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL SURVIVAL IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS (E.G., TUNDRA, TAIGA, DESERT, GRASSLAND, RAINFOREST) S4.A.3.1.3- THE STUDENT WILL CATEGORIZE THE PARTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM AS EITHER LIVING OR NONLIVING AND DESCRIBE THEIR ROLES IN THE SYSTEM. UNDERSTANDINGS THE STUDENT WILL UNDERSTAND THAT: THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE MEDIA CENTER AND HOW TO LOCATE THEM. THEY ARE ABLE TO USE THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM TO LOCATE DESIRED RESOURCES. THEY CAN CHOOSE IMPORTANT FACTS FROM RESOURCES. TUNDRA, TAIGA, RAINFOREST, DESERT, AND GRASSLAND ARE ALL ECOSYSTEMS. THE CARTAGRAPHER STUDIES LOCATION, ZOOLOGIST STUDIES ANIMALS, BOTONIST STUDIES PLANTS, METEOROLOGIST STUDIES WEATHER, AND ENVIRONMENTALIST STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. RELATED MISCONCEPTIONS: RESOURCES ARE DIFFICULT TO FIIND. IT IS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN RESOURCES. INFORMATION CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN BOOKS. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS OVERARCHING QUESTIONS: HOW DOES KNOWING THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM HELP YOU? HOW CAN RESOURCE MATERIALS BE USEFULL TO YOU IN THE REAL WORLD? WHY ARE ECOSYSTEMS IMPORTANT IN OUR WORLD? TOPICAL QUESTIONS: WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM? WHAT ARE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ECOSYSTEMS? WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS? WHAT ANIMAL LIFE LIVES IN THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS? WHAT KINDS OF PLANTS GROW IN THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS? WHERE ARE THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS LOCATED? WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE THERE IN THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS? KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS SKILLS STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

TITLE OF UNIT

ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH

KNOWLEDGE STUDENTS WILL KNOW

 THERE ARE A VARIETY OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE MEDIA CENTER. THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM HELPS THEM FIND RESOURCES. LOCATING DESIRED INFORMATION IS EASY WHEN USING THE TABLE OF CONTENTS, GLOSSARY, AND INDEX.

CHOOSE WHICH RESOURCE WILL ALLOW THEM TO FIND THE MOST INFORMATION. FIND AT LEAST THREE IMPORTANT FACTS ON THEIR ASSIGNED SUBJECT. TRANSFER THE INFORMATION GATHERED TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF MEDIA. WORK IN COLLABORATIVE GROUPS TO DELIVER INFORMATION ABOUT AN ECOSYSTEM. STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

PERFORMANCE TASK: SMALL GROUPS WILL LOCATE RESOURCES, GATHER INFORMATION, AND USE THAT INFORMATION TO CREATE A PHOTOSTORY ON A SPECIFIC ECOSYSTEM TO PRESENT TO THE CLASS. EACH GROUP WILL BE GIVEN ONE ECOSYSTEM TO RESEARCH- TUNDRA, TAIGA, DESERT, RAINFOREST, GRASSLAND. EACH GROUP MEMBER WILL BE ASSIGNED A ROLE- CARTAGROPHER, BOTONIST, ZOOLOGIST, METEOROLOGIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST. EACH GROUP MEMBER MUST LOCATE AT LEAST THREE FACTS ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN THEIR SPECIFIED ECOSYSTEM. EACH GROUP MEMBER WILL COMPLETE ONE SECTION OF THE PHOTOSTORY. KEY CRITERIA: LOCATE RESOURCES IN THE MEDIA CENTER. IDENTIFY AT LEAST 3 FACTS ON THEIR SPECIFIED SECTION. CREATE A PHOTOSTORY WITH THE RESEARCH INFORMATION. PRESENT PHOTOSTORY TO THE CLASS. STAGE 3: LEARNING PLAN WEEK 1: 1. GIVE STUDENTS A PRE-TEST TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS AND TO IDENTIFY AND MISCONCEPTIONS THEY MANY HAVE. (APPENDIX A) 2. BEGIN WITH ASKING THE STUDENS WHY THEY THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS? DISCUSS WITH STUDENTS THE IMPORTANTCE OF BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE FEATURES OF THE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS. 3. INTRODUCE THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS THE CULMINATING ACTIVITY (PHOTOSTORY) 4. INTRODUCE VOCABULARY NEEDED FOR THE TOPIC: TAIGA, TUNDRA, DESERT, RAINFOREST, GRASSLANDS, ENVIRONMENTALIST, ZOOLOGIST, BOTONIST, CARTOGRAPHER, AND METEOROLOGIST. SHOW/GIVE EXAMPLES OF EACH. 5. DRAW NAMES TO FORM GROUPS USING HTTP://WWW.CLASSTOOLS.NET/EDUCATION-GAMESPHP/FRUIT_MACHINE/. 6. SEPARATE STUDENTS INTO THEIR GROUPS AND HAVE THE STUDENTS DECIDE WHO IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR WHICH PART (ENVIRONMENTALIST, ZOOLOGIST, BOTONIST, CARTAGRAPHER, METEOROLOGIST)

7. ONCE THE STUDENTS DECIDE ON THEIR PARTS, EXPLAIN TO STUDENTS THAT IT IS TIME TO BEGIN THEIR RESEARCH. THEY WILL NEED TO USE THE ONLINE CARD CATALOG TO FIND THE BOOKS AVAILABLE ON THEIR TOPIC. ONCE IDENTIFING WHAT BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE, THEY
WILL NEED TO LOCATE THE BOOKS IN THE MEDIA CENTER AND BRING THEM BACK TO THE GROUPS TABLE.

8. PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THEIR OWN RESEARCH PACKETS. HAVE STUDENTS WRITE THEIR NAME, ECOSYSTEM, AND JOB ON THE RESEARCH PACKET. (APPENDIX B) 9. EXPLAIN TO STUDENTS THAT WHEN THEY COME IN NEXT WEEK, THEY WILL BEGIN THE RESEARCH PROCESS USING THE MATERIALS THEY LOCATED TODAY. WEEK 2 1. REVIEW WITH STUDENTS THE VOCABULARY ADDRESSED IN WEEK 1. 2. REVIEW THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND THE CULMINATING ACTIVITY (PHOTOSTORY) 3. DISCUSS WHAT THE STUDENTS ACCOMPLISHED LAST WEEK (LOCATED BOOK RESOURCES). 4. EXPLAIN THAT STUDENTS CAN ALSO USE A WIKI SET UP FOR THEIR CLASS TO LOCATE INFORMATION. ( HTTP://4THGRADEECOSYSTEMS.PBWORKS.COM ) 5. DISTRIBUTE RESEARCH PACKETS AND RESEARCH MATERIALS. STUDENTS WILL BEGIN FILLING OUT THEIR PACKET BY LOCATING INFORMATION IN THEIR RESEARCH MATERIALS. CHECK STUDENTS WORK AS THEY ARE COMPLETING. 5. ONCE COMPLETED, RECAP THE CULUMINATING ACTIVITY THAT WILL BE DONE NEXT WEEK. WEEK 3 1. REVIEW WITH STUDENTS THE VOCABULARY ADDRESSED IN WEEK 1. 2. REVIEW THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND THE CULMINATING ACTIVITY (PHOTOSTORY) (W) 3. DISCUSS WHAT THE STUDENTS ACCOMPLISHED LAST WEEK (CONDUCTED RESEARCH). 4. SHOW AN EXAMPLE OF A PHOTOSTORY PRESENTATION AND REVIEW THE STEPS THAT THEY WILL NEED TO TAKE TO CREATE THEIR OWN PHOTOSTORY PRESENTATION WITH THEIR GROUP. 5. DISTRIBUTE RESEARCH PACKETS AND PLACE GROUPS AT THE COMPUTER CENTER. 6. EACH STUDENT WILL COMPLETE ONE SLIDE FOR THEIR GROUP. THEIR PROJECT WILL CONSIST OF 7 SLIDES (TITLE, ENVIRONMENTALIST, ZOOLIGIST, BOTONIST, CARTAGRAPHER, METEOROLGIST, BIBLIOGRAPHY). WEEK 4

1. REVIEW WITH STUDENTS THE VOCABULARY ADDRESSED IN WEEK 1. 2. REVIEW THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND THE CULMINATING ACTIVITY THAT THEY COMPLETED LAST WEEK (PHOTOSTORY) 3. DISCUSS WHAT THE STUDENTS ACCOMPLISHED LAST WEEK (PHOTOSTORY). 4. STUDENT GROUPS WILL PRESENT THEIR PROJECT. FIRST THEY WILL DISCUSS HOW THEY FOUND THEIR INFORMATION ON THEIR SUBJECT AND THEN PRESENT THEIR PHOTOSTORY PROJECT TO THE CLASS. 5. AFTER ALL GROUPS PRESENT, REVIEW WHAT THEY HAVE STUDIED IN THIS UNIT. 6. DISTRIBUTE THE ECOSYSTEM QUIZ AND HAVE STUDENTS COMPLETE.

PERFORMANCE TASK RUBRIC

PERFORMANCE TASK: PHOTOSTORY GROUP PROJECT

0 A TITLE SLIDE WAS NOT INCLUDED. TITLE 1 TITLE SLIDE WAS
PRESENT WITH SOME MISTAKES.

SCORE 2 TITLE SLIDE WAS

PRESENT WITH NO MISTAKES

0 THE STUDENT DID NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 FACTS. 0 THE STUDENT DID NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 FACTS. 0 THE STUDENT DID NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 FACTS. 0 THE STUDENT DID NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 FACTS.

ENVIRONMENTALIST 1 THE STUDENT INCLUDED AT LEAST 3

FACTS WITH SOME MISTAKES ZOOLOGIST

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH NO MISTAKES.

1 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH SOME MISTAKES BOTANIST

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH NO MISTAKES.

1 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH SOME MISTAKES CARTOGRAPHER

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH NO MISTAKES.

1 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH SOME MISTAKES METEOROLOGIST

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH NO MISTAKES.

0 THE STUDENT DID NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 FACTS. 0 THE STUDENT DID NOT
INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY.

1 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH SOME MISTAKES BIBLIOGRAPHY

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED AT LEAST 3 FACTS WITH NO MISTAKES.

1 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED A BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH SOME MISTAKES.

2 THE STUDENT
INCLUDED A BIBLIOGRPAHY WITH NO MISTAKES.

Appendix A Name_______________________ Date________________________

What Do You Know About Ecosystems?

Directions: Write your answer in a complete sentence. 1. What do you think an ecosystem is? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Directions: Draw a line connecting the ecosystem to one of its characteristics.

Desert Tundra Grassland Taiga Rainforest

A lot of rainfall Has coniferous forests Very dry, very little rain Low temperatures and short seasons Vegetation is dominated by grasses

Directions: Draw a line connecting the word to the definition.

Environmentalist Botonist Zoologist Cartagrapher Meteorologist

studies maps and location studies animals studies the weather studies the environment studies plants

APPENDIX B
Name_______________________ Date________________________

ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH
ECOSYSTEM: _________________________ ROLE: _____________________________ FACT 1: _______________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ FACT 2: _______________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ FACT 3: _______________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________