For+Debbie

Teacher: Joshua Blum **Lesson # 2 – Scavenger Hunt of the Hall of Biodiversity** **Lesson # 3 – Group Presentations** Learning Context: ·  Focus: The activity will introduce students to a simple example of the interrelation of various organisms that live within leaf litter on the forest floor and what their role is. ·  New York City Performance Standards **  c   **** The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of regulation and behavior, such as senses and behavior; and response to environmental stimuli. **  d   **  The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of populations and ecosystems, such as the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food web; and the effects of resources and energy transfer on populations. ** ·   This experience will allow students to learn about the symbiotic relationship between decomposers and organic matter. Red Wiggler worms will be studied as an example of their role in composting and decomposition of waste simulating a natural habitat. ·  The vocabulary word will be discussed and logged in their journals prior to the lesson and they will be held accountable to use the words during the lesson to assess further understanding. Cultural Institution: ·  The American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Biodiversity will be studied ·  The Hall of Biodiversity will introduce students to a dichotomous key, which will allow for an extension of the original example given in class. Assessments: ·  The students will be assessed during the lessons by accountable talk and the use of their journals in recording learned information. Throughout the activity and web quest, the students will have to answer various probing questions. ·  Group presentations will be given after the AMNH trip to assess understanding. Procedure: ·  The teacher will lead an introductory discussion about decomposers and their role in the food chain. The discussion will lead into talking about the activity of the day. The learned vocabulary words such as food chain, decomposers, and symbiotic relationship will be used throughout the discussion. ·  The students will receive a pile of compost and leaves to sort through. They will log every bit of litter in their journal and will be charged to explain how they are all related to each other. They will learn that the Red Wiggler worm emits a defensive liquid to ward off predators during their activity. This will be addressed later when organisms vs. environmental factors will be introduced. ·  Google documents could be used in this instance as an assessment tool by having the students log onto my Wiki page and fill out a focused Google document form asking them directed questions. This will allow me to assess where the class is with learned information. ·  While at the museum have the students find 27 of the animals and write five facts on five of the animals. [|Animal BINGO] · Students will create a Dichotomous key when they come back to school based on objects they collect at home. They will use the //__**[|AMNH activity]**__// as a model to help create the key. Resources and Materials: ·  Students will need a pen/pencil, journal, tongue depressor for sorting, and a paper with sections to lay out the various objects found in the compost/leaf litter. The students will have the AMNH activities glued in their journal for the trip. ·  The teacher needs to have an active vermicomposting bin with Red Wigglers. Modifications: ·  ELL students will be grouped with other ELL students of various levels to allow for English translation when necessary. The students will generally be groups based on a differentiated skill level to allow for both mentoring and learning to take place within learning groups. ·  The class will be broken into groups of four to five students times six groups. Time Frame: ·  Each activity will take approximately one to two class periods or 90 minutes. Reflection: ·  I understand that we learned about Geology during the one-week PD at Gateway. I currently teach sixth grade and this information would not benefit my students so I chose to conduct a series of lessons about Biodiversity which my student do have to learn during sixth grade science. ·  I learned that the AMNH is a vast resource of information for teachers to exploit and learn from. ·  The students will learn that all animals are related to one another and often times benefit from one another in some fashion either by a direct or indirect relationship.
 * Lesson # 1 - Intro to Biodiversity – Life in Leaf Litter Activity**
 * a  The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of structure and function in living systems, such as the complementary nature of structure and function in cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and //__ecosystems__//.**