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Unit Plan Subject: Science
Unit Plan Subject: Science
Subject: Science
Unit Focus: Interactions and Unit Dates: September 7 – October
Grade(s): 7 Teacher: Kennedy Todd
Ecosystems 30
Overview:
In this unit, students learn of the various factors that contribute to a thriving ecosystem. They will learn about the wide range of roles that are
played in forming and maintaining an ecosystem as well as the interactions that take place within an ecosystem. Upon learning this they will be
able to describe, illustrate, and analyze these interactions and how they impact an ecosystem. Students should be able to display their
knowledge by analyzing a local ecosystem. The remainder of the unit will be spent examining the impact humans can have on an ecosystem,
both positive and negative. Students will be tasked with finding ways to monitor these impacts and determine which actions should be taken in
order to maintain important ecosystems.
Rationale:
I designed this unit with the intent that students be involved in a lot of learning through doing. The unit is quite vocabulary and concept heavy,
so I wanted to integrate many opportunities for students to both record and apply the information learned in a lesson. In order to conduct
research, students must be able to read and skim a scientific or academic text for relevant knowledge. To help build this skill and absorb the
curriculum, I almost always include a reading and recording portion in each lesson. Through this exercise, students build skills needed for
research and get a chance to review the information for the lesson right away and begin thinking individually about the content. Students should
already have questions and curiosities before diving into direct instruction and activities. The direct instruction I include in my lesson is intended
to be less of a lecture and more of a brief summary of key concepts and open questioning/discussion. After gaining key knowledge from the first
portion of class, I intend to end most classes with an opportunity for students to explore these concepts in creative and engaging ways that help
deepen understanding. On many occasions, I will ask students to reflect on their learning and how it has impacted their opinions.
I am not a fan of using only exams for summative assessment, so along with a few quizzes and the unit exam students have the opportunity to
have their understanding evaluated through projects and labs which are more reflective of how scientists display understanding in real life. This
type of work is intended to get students interested in the scientific method and the work done by researchers in the real world. As climate
change is becoming an increasingly worrisome issue, I wanted to provide students with various opportunities to analyze the current state of the
world around them. Many resources I intend to use in the unit will also reflect the work done by scientists currently and the importance of
researchers in making decisions that impact our world.
Overall, I wanted students to absorb the curriculum for this unit through scientific practices as well as fun and engaging activities. Through their
learning, I want students to develop an appreciation for science and the natural world while nurturing their interest in science as well.
Objectives / Learner Outcomes:
1. Investigate and describe relationships between humans and their environments, and identify related issues and scientific questions
a. illustrate how life-supporting environments meet the needs of living things for nutrients, energy sources, moisture, suitable habitat, and
exchange of gases
b. describe examples of interaction and interdependency within an ecosystem (e.g., identify examples of dependency between species, and
describe adaptations involved; identify changing relationships between humans and their environments, over time and in different
cultures—as, for example, in aboriginal cultures)
c. identify examples of human impacts on ecosystems, and investigate and analyze the link between these impacts and the human wants
and needs that give rise to them (e.g., identify impacts of the use of plants and animals as sources of food, fibre and other materials;
identify potential impacts of waste products on environments)
d. analyze personal and public decisions that involve consideration of environmental impacts, and identify needs for scientific knowledge
that can inform those decisions
2. Trace and interpret the flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem
a. analyze an ecosystem to identify biotic and abiotic components, and describe interactions among these components
b. analyze ecosystems to identify producers, consumers and decomposers; and describe how energy is supplied to and flows through a
food web, by:
− describing and giving examples of energy and nutrient storage in plants and animals
− describing how matter is recycled in an ecosystem through interactions among plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other
microorganisms
− interpreting food webs, and predicting the effects of changes to any part of a web
c. describe the process of cycling carbon and water through an ecosystem
d. identify mechanisms by which pollutants enter and move through the environment, and can become concentrated in some organisms
(e.g., acid rain, mercury, PCBs, DDT)
3. Monitor a local environment, and assess the impacts of environmental factors on the growth, health and reproduction of organisms in that
environment
a. investigate a variety of habitats, and describe and interpret distribution patterns of living things found in those habitats (e.g., describe
and compare two areas within the school grounds—a relatively undisturbed site and a site that has been affected by heavy use; describe
and compare a wetland and a dryland area in a local parkland)
b. investigate and interpret evidence of interaction and change (e.g., population fluctuations, changes in weather, availability of food or
introduction of new species into an ecosystem)
c. identify signs of ecological succession in local ecosystems (e.g., emergence of fireweed in recently cut forest areas, replacement of
poplar by spruce in maturing forests, reestablishment of native plants on unused farmland)
4. Describe the relationships among knowledge, decisions and actions in maintaining life-supporting environments
a. identify intended and unintended consequences of human activities within local and global environments (e.g., changes resulting from
habitat loss, pest control or from introduction of new species; changes leading to species extinction)
b. describe and interpret examples of scientific investigations that serve to inform environmental decision making
c. illustrate, through examples, the limits of scientific and technological knowledge in making decisions about life-supporting environments
(e.g., identify limits in scientific knowledge of the impact of changing land use on individual species; describe examples in which
aboriginal knowledge—based on long-term observation—provides an alternative source of understanding)
d. analyze a local environmental issue or problem based on evidence from a variety of sources, and identify possible actions and
consequences (e.g., analyze a local issue on the control of the beaver population in a nearby wetland, and identify possible
consequences)
Skill Outcomes
(IP) Initiating and Planning: Ask questions about the relationships between and among observable variables, and plan investigations to address
those questions
1. Identify science-related issues (e.g., identify a specific issue regarding human impacts on environments)
2. Identify questions to investigate arising from practical problems and issues (e.g., identify questions, such as: “What effects would an
urban or industrial development have on a nearby forest or farming community?”)
3. State a prediction and a hypothesis based on background information or an observed pattern of events (e.g., predict changes in the
population of an organism if factor X were increased, or if a species were introduced or removed from the ecosystem; propose factors
that will affect the population of a given animal species)
4. Select appropriate methods and tools for collecting data and information (e.g., select or develop a method for estimating a plant
population within a given study plot; design a survey as a first step in investigating an environmental issue)
(PR) Performing and Recording: Conduct investigations into the relationships between and among observations, and gather and record
qualitative and quantitative data
1. Research information relevant to a given problem or issue
2. Select and integrate information from various print and electronic sources or from several parts of the same source (e.g., compile
information on a global environmental issue from books, magazines, pamphlets and Internet sites, as well as from conversations with
experts)
3. Use tools and apparatus effectively and accurately for collecting data (e.g., measure factors, such as temperature, moisture, light, shelter
and potential sources of food, that might affect the survival and distribution of different organisms within a local environment)
4. Estimate measurements (e.g., estimate the population of a given plant in a one square metre quadrat, and use this figure to estimate the
population within an area of 100 square metres)
(AI) Analyzing and Interpreting: Analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and develop and assess possible explanations
1. Identify strengths and weaknesses of different methods of collecting and displaying data (e.g., compare two different approaches to
measuring the amount of moisture in an environment; analyze information presented by proponents on two sides of an environmental
issue)
2. Compile and display data, by hand or computer, in a variety of formats, including diagrams, flow charts, tables, bar graphs and line
graphs (e.g., illustrate a food web, based on observations made within a given environment)
3. Classify organisms found in a study plot
(CT) Communication and Teamwork: Work collaboratively on problems; and use appropriate language and formats to communicate ideas,
procedures and results
1. Communicate questions, ideas, intentions, plans and results, using lists, notes in point form, sentences, data tables, graphs, drawings,
oral language and other means (e.g., present findings from an analysis of a local issue, such as the control of the beaver population in a
nearby wetland)
2. Evaluate individual and group processes used in planning, problem solving, decision making and completing a task
3. Defend a given position on an issue, based on their findings (e.g., make a case for or against on an issue, such as: “Should a natural gas
plant be located near a farming community?”)
Attitude Outcomes
1. Interest in Science: Show interest in science-related questions and issues, and pursue personal interests and career possibilities within
science-related fields (e.g., take an interest in media reports on environmental issues, and seek out further information; express an
interest in conducting scientific investigations of their own design; develop an interest in careers related to environmental sciences)
2. Mutual Respect: Appreciate that scientific understanding evolves from the interaction of ideas involving people with different views and
backgrounds (e.g., show awareness of and respect for aboriginal perspectives on the link between humans and the environment)
3. Scientific Inquiry: Seek and apply evidence when evaluating alternative approaches to investigations, problems and issues (e.g., take the
time to accurately gather evidence and use instruments carefully; consider observations, ideas and perspectives from a number of
sources during investigations and before drawing conclusions and making decisions)
4. Collaboration: Work collaboratively in carrying out investigations and in generating and evaluating ideas (e.g., consider alternative ideas,
perspectives and approaches suggested by members of the group; share the responsibility for carrying out decisions)
5. Stewardship: Demonstrate sensitivity and responsibility in pursuing a balance between the needs of humans and a sustainable
environment (e.g., assume personal responsibility for their impact on the environment; predict consequences of proposed personal
actions on the environment; consider both immediate and long-term consequences of group actions; identify, objectively, potential
conflicts between responding to human wants and needs and protecting the environment)
6. Safety: Show concern for safety in planning, carrying out and reviewing activities (e.g., select safe methods and tools for collecting
evidence and solving problems; assume personal responsibility for their involvement in a breach of safety or in waste disposal
procedures)
Assessment/Evaluation
Teaching and Learning Planning for
Day Outcomes Resources (Formative &
Activities Diversity
Summative)
-Direct instruction/group discussion Science in Action 7 Have pre-made Assessment of prior
and activity booklets if needed knowledge via observation and
-Review of course Teacher made workbook or pre-print discussion
outline/expectations (Science in Action 7) definitions to be
1 -Foldable vocabulary booklet glued rather than
Unit construction written
Introduction Paper/markers/pencils
-Group discussion of the natural world
– concept map Workbook may be
altered to have less
blanks to fill in
-Direct instruction/class discussion Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Observation and discussion
STS 1-a. -Textbook pg. 9 and workbook pg. 1
(students read and fill in workbook Teacher made workbook Videos and visual
2 blanks) supports
What is an (Science in Action 7)
-Vocabulary booklet additions
ecosystem? -Abiotic/biotic factors in classroom
activity and discussion
-Direct instruction/group activity Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Observation and discussion
STS 1-a. 2-a. -Review abiotic/biotic definitions Exit Slip
3 -Investigation of local environment Teacher made workbook Have an example
Biotic/abiotic Skills (IP) (PR) -Abiotic/biotic classification and class (Science in Action 7) classification or
factors chart (workbook activity 1.2) classifications of
-Journal reflection (exit slip) environments from
around the world
-Direct instruction/class Science in Action 7 Opportunity for Observation and discussion
STS 1-a. discussion/individual and group work cultural discussion Exit slip
-Textbook pg. 11 – 13 and workbook Teacher made workbook here – invite
Skills (CT) pg. 2 (Science in Action 7) students to
4 -Workbook activity 1.1 and 1.3 compare and
Basic needs of -Vocabulary booklet additions contrast how needs
living things -Mind map of basic needs in school are met in various
and at home (exit slip) parts of the world
-FNMI shelters activity intro
Building materials
-Direct instruction/class discussion Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Observation and discussion
STS 1-b. -Symbiotic sorting activity Collection of workbooks for
6 -Textbook pg. 16 – 17 and workbook Teacher made workbook Change size of review
Interactions pg. 2/3 (Science in Action 7) sortable cards/text
among living -Workbook activity 1.4 and 1.5 if needed
things (groupwork)
-Vocabulary booklet additions
7 -Direct instruction/individual work Science in Action 7 Pre-make lab Check progress on vocabulary
Interactions STS 1-b. -Textbook pg. 19 and workbook pg. 3 reports as books up to this point
among living -Workbook activity 1.7 Teacher made workbook exemplars for mini-
things -Vocabulary booklet additions (Science in Action 7) ecosystem lab
-Beginning of mini-ecosystem lab
Pair students up for
lab
-Mini ecosystem construction and lab Materials for lab Pre-make lab Collection of lab reports
STS 1-b. report reports as (formative)
8 exemplars for mini
Interactions Skills (IP) (AI) ecosystem lab
among living
things Pre-make mini
ecosystem as an
example
-Direct instruction/class Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Exit slip
STS 1-c. 1-d. discussion/think-pair-share Observation and discussion
9 -Textbook pg. 20 – 23 and workbook Videos and visual
Human Teacher made workbook
Skills (IP) pg. 4 (Science in Action 7) supports
impacts and -Workbook activity 1.6 (groups)
decisions -Journal reflection (exit slip)
-Review of section 1
-Quiz #1 Science in Action 7 Make sure quiz Quiz (summative)
10 STS 2-b. -Direct instruction/individual work language is
Producers, -Textbook pg. 27 – 28, 31 and appropriate for
consumers, Teacher made workbook
workbook pg. 7, 9 (Science in Action 7) diverse learners
and -Vocabulary booklet additions
decomposers
-Group/class activity Science in Action 7 Observation during game
11 STS 2-b. -Review of previous day definitions
Producers, -Roles in an ecosystem charades game
consumers, Teacher made workbook
-Workbook activity 2.1 and 2.2 (Science in Action 7)
and
decomposers
-Direct instruction/video Science in Action 7 Provide fill in the Observation of diagrams
STS 2-b. -Textbook pg. 29 – 31 and workbook blanks diagrams or
pg. 8 Teacher made workbook printed labels if
12 Skills (AI) -Draw and label photosynthesis needed
Photosynthesis (Science in Action 7)
diagram
-Vocabulary booklet additions Photosynthesis video
-Workbook activity 2.5
13 -Direct instruction/pair activity Science in Action 7 Strategic pairing Observation of activity
The flow of STS 2-b. -Textbook pg. 35 – 38 and workbook
pg. 10, 11 Teacher made workbook Videos/visual
Skills (AI) -Magazine food chain creation (Science in Action 7) supports
energy – food
-Vocabulary booklet additions
chains
-Workbook activity 2.4 and 2.6 Magazines/scissors/poster
paper/glue
-Direct instruction/pair activity Science in Action 7 Strategic pairing Observation of activity
STS 2-b. -Textbook pg. 39, 42 and workbook pg. Collection of workbooks for
14 11, 12 Videos/visual review
Teacher made workbook
The flow of Skills (AI) -Workbook activity 2.7 supports
(Science in Action 7)
energy – food -Magazine food web creation
webs -Vocabulary booklet additions Previously created food
chains
15 -Interactions between living things Large length of yarn Strategically assign Exit slip
Interactions STS 2-b. web activity roles for yarn web if Observation and discussion
and -Journal reflection (exit slip) needed
dependencies Skills (IP)
among living
things
-Direct instruction/videos/discussion Science in Action 7 Use of Observation and discussion
STS 2-c. -Textbook pg. 44 – 45 and workbook manipulatives to
16 pg. 12, 13 demonstrate
Teacher made workbook
The water and Skills (CT) -Workbook activity 2.3 carbon cycles
(Science in Action 7)
carbon cycles -Carbon role play activity
Ping pong balls or marbles
Survival tag game Colored pinnies/labels Roles can be Observation and various
17
STS 1 and 2 Tokens created for demonstrations of knowledge
Section 1 and
Crayons students to be
2 cumulative
Paper involved if they
activity
cannot physically
play tag
18 Survival tag game Colored pinnies/labels Switch up the roles Observation and various
Section 1 and STS 1. and 2. Tokens of students on this demonstrations of knowledge
2 cumulative Crayons day
activity Paper
19 -Quiz #2 Example report/report Make sure quiz Quiz 2 (summative)
Section 1 and STS 2. -Survival game report/reflection (exit templates language is Exit slip
slip) appropriate for Collection of lab reports
2 wrap up Skills (IP) -Check on mini ecosystems and diverse learners (summative)
complete lab reports
20 -Direct instruction/group activity Science in Action 7 Students may need Collection of completed lab
Investigating STS 3-a. -Textbook pg. 51 and workbook pg. 15 help filling out lab reports (summative)
the -Quadrat investigation in local Teacher made workbook report and
distributions of Skills (IP) (PR) environment and lab report (Inquiry (Science in Action 7) completing activity
living things in (AI) activity pg. 52)
an Lab report Strategic grouping
environment example/template
-Direct instruction/class and group Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Exit slip
21 STS 3-b. activity Observation of game
All things in -Textbook pg. 55 – 57, 60 and Teacher made workbook
the Skills (CT) workbook pg. 15, 16 (Science in Action 7)
environment -Workbook activity 3.1
change -Competition between species game Tokens for game
-Journal reflection (exit slip)
-Direct instruction/group activity Science in Action 7 Workbook activities Collect workbooks for review
STS 3-c. -Textbook pg. 62 – 63 and workbook could be completed Check vocabulary booklet
pg. 16 Teacher made workbook JIGSAW style progress
22
-Workbook activities 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 (Science in Action 7) Observe and discuss activity
Succession
-Vocabulary booklet additions Provide lists of answers with groups
-Mount St. Helens succession story websites and
and questions resources for
research activity
23 -JIGSAW Research activity (Canadian Science in Action 7 Strategic grouping Observe student research
All things in STS 3-b. bioinvaders, competitors, predators
the and weather patterns) Various research Make sure students
environment Skills (IP) (PR) resources (TBD) have access to a
change (AI) (CT) variety of research
medium (books,
websites, videos,
etc.)
Triangulation Cognitive
Assessment
(Conversation/ Engagement
FOR/OF
Assessment Tool Brief Description (Taxonomy)
Observation/
Learning
Product)