Tag Archives: documenting

Organisms as Part of Interconnected Food Webs

Teacher Note: Depending on the length of class time available, this lesson may take 2-3 sessions to complete.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • analyse the roles of organisms as part of interconnected food webs, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

CONNECT

Goals:

  • The students will gain an awareness of environmental stewardship from a West Coast Aboriginal perspective.
  • The students will understand the concepts of ecological pyramids and interconnected food chains.

Task:

Students will select one animal from a local ecosystem and create a presentation that represents their understanding of food chains and food webs.

Process:

  1. Discuss key vocabulary.
  2. Discuss the difference between a food chain and food web and complete a food chain exercise of a local ecosystem.
  3. Play a game that highlights the process of how a food chain works.
  4. Complete a graphic organizer while viewing the video.
  5. Students complete a demonstration assignment of their understanding of food chains and food webs.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Discuss the following vocabulary and brainstorm ideas of the respective definitions on the board.

Key vocabulary to discuss: Stewardship, indigenous, perspective, assets, potlatch, elders, traditional territory, hereditary chief, floodplain, fry, riparian, watershed, producer, consumer, primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary. (Definitions)

Predict: Discuss the difference between food chains and food webs and predict what would happen to a local ecosystem food chain if one element was removed.(A/B partner talk suggested)

Question: Teachers distribute a food chain diagram and students, in A/B partners, complete a food chain of local ecosystem. Reference Enchanted Learning for explanations of food chains.

Distribute the Krill Grill Record Sheet and play the game Dining at the Krill Grill. Students record results of the game on their record sheets. Discuss the questions at the end of the activity to reinforce understanding of food chains.

PROCESS

Video: Students watch the following video and use a What’s Important and Why sheet to highlight five keys points that focus on land stewardship.

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

Videos

Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 3.11.07 PM

(Video Length: 6 mins)

TRANSFORM

Students will select one animal from a local ecosystem and create a presentation that represents their understanding of food chains and food webs. For example, a poster could be created with a food chain on one side and a food web on the other. Other possibilities include a Powerpoint presentation, drama presentation, modifying the Krill Grill game to one’s local ecosystem.

REFLECT

Students discuss what stewardship initiatives are in place in their local region/province/country and write, on the back of their video sheet, three ideas of how they can assist these initiatives.

Extend learning or next lesson

  • The National Geographic web site describes a ‘real world’ example of food chain disruption that may be occurring with Antarctic krill. Study more about the Krill at National Geographic and write a research report on the factors affecting global krill populations.
  • Create playing cards of animals in a local ecosystem (ie. bear, cougar, mouse, birds) and have students play a version of the ‘war’ card game to reinforce the levels of a food chain.

Fish Farming and Local Environments

Learning Outcome

Students evaluate the human impacts on local ecosystems.

Steps to the Lesson

  1. Complete a video Anticipation Guide.
  2. Watch a video on Salmon Gills Analysis.
  3. Research the issues surrounding fish farming and local salmon populations.
  4. Create promotional brochures supporting or refuting the benefits of salmon farming.
  5. Reflect and review the information presented.

CONNECT

Goal:

Students will gain an understanding of the impact salmon farming has on local wild salmon populations.

Task:

Students will create promotional brochures advocating the position of a society either for or against salmon farming.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Students complete an Anticipation Guide prior to viewing a video on how salmon are affected by environmental and human factors. Students answer the questions on the sheet prior to video viewing and then reflect on whether their answers agreed with the information presented in the video.

Predict and Question:

Ask the students what questions they may still have on how environmental and human factors effect salmon popluations. What are they wondering about?

PROCESS

Video

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

Videos

Screen Shot 2015-04-27 at 1.41.13 PM

(Video Length: 5 mins)

 

Break students into groups of five. Teachers print out and distribute information from the following links.

Why BC Lifted The Moratorium on Fish Farms

Fish Farms and Sea Lice

Lice From Fish Farms Killing Wild Salmon

Salmon Farms Teeming With Lice Threaten Wild Fish

Give each group one article and do a Jigsaw activity.

TRANSFORM

Students will create promotional brochures advocating the position of an organization that either supports or refutes the benefits of salmon farming in British Columbia. Using the above links or other research, students create a standard tri-fold brochure with images and text that advocates their chosen position. Once completed, the students will present their brochures to the class and defend their positions.

REFLECT

Teacher prints and enlarges a review activity commonly known as a ‘cootie catcher’. Students cut out the image and fold into the ‘cootie catcher’ shape. In A/B partners, students write their own review questions and answers on the lesson material. (Note: these questions and answers should attempt to balance both the Pro and Con sides of the fish farming issue.) For an example, print and enlarge a sample ‘cootie catcher’ with practice questions already prepared.

Extend learning or next lesson

Students complete an in depth research report on BC Fish Farming; considering perspectives from both the Fish Farming industry and the anti-fish farm movement.

Lesson 1 P.E. Active Living

Teacher Note:

This lesson could be implemented over the span of an entire month/year or used as an introduction to a healthy living unit.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • relate the effects of regular participation in a variety of types of physical activities to quality of life.
  • identify and describe factors that affect choices of physical activity for life.

CONNECT

Goals:

  • Students will develop a better understanding of how their physical activities impact their physical/social/emotional well being.

Task:

Students will create a log of their daily activities and assess the physical, social, and emotional impacts of those chosen activities.

Process:

  1. Discuss key vocabulary.
  2. Brainstorm and record the physical activities which the students participate in.
  3. Create an Active Living Chart documenting what activities the students participate in and other activities they wish to try.
  4. Watch video on active living.
  5. Create a personal Activity Log identifying the relationship of their activities to their physical, social, and emotional well being.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Discuss the following vocabulary and brainstorm ideas of the respective definitions on the board.

Key vocabulary to discuss: lifestyle, physical, social, emotional, balance.(Definitions)

Create a large chart documenting all the physical activities that the students are involved with over the span of one weekend/week/month etc. For example, list all of the activities the students are involved in and then add a check for every student that participates in an activity.

Predict:

After identifying the students’ activities, ask the students to think about another activity they would be interested in trying, given the opportunity. Use A/B partners to discuss reasons and share with the class.

Question:

Pose this question to the students – “Why have the students chosen their current activities or the activities they are interested in trying?” Have the students record their choices and reasons on an Active Living Chart. When giving reasons, the students should think about the physical, social, and emotional benefits of their chosen activity.

PROCESS

Video: Students watch the following video. While watching, students should focus on the physical, social, and emotional benefits of the sport featured in the video.

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

TRANSFORM

Students create a personal Activity Log that will document their activities over a class determined period of time (ie. one weekend/week/month) Using notebooks or student planners, students will log their daily activities and include the following information – date, activity, duration, and personal comments on the physical, social, and emotional aspects of their chosen activity.

REFLECT

(This reflection will occur after the chosen period of time for the Activity Log has been completed) Students refer to their completed Activity Logs and write a paragraph that reflects on the following questions:

  • How has the Activity Log increased your awareness of your chosen activities?
  • Have you become more aware of the physical, social, and/or emotional benefits of being active?

Extend learning or next lesson

Explore the Canada Health Active Living Guide

and explore the information and activities located in the website.