5th Grade Ecosystems

In this unit, students will build and construct an understanding of how matter and organisms interact creating change in our biosphere and in turn affect all types of ecosystems. Then using these skills and content they will be able to communicate, model and create solutions to phenomena, environmental emergencies or concerns. environmental concerns or endangered organisms.

This unit was developed by Kris Krolikowski as part of the Nebraska ESUCC Special Project for BlendEd Best Practices.

Content Area Skill:

Use Models

Support an Argument

Develop a Model

Digital Age Skill(s):

Empowered Learner

Duration of Unit:

4-6 weeks

Overview of Unit:

In this unit, students will build and construct an understanding of how matter and organisms interact creating change in our biosphere and in turn affect all types of ecosystems. Then using these skills and content they will be able to communicate, model and create solutions to phenomena, environmental emergencies or concerns. environmental concerns or endangered organisms.

Empower Learners:

Empower Learner Activity:

Detailed Description:

Student Ecosystems Pre-Assessment 

Goal Sheet and Personalized Action Plan (Completed with each student in a conference. Student plans goals of learning and discusses ways of providing artifacts of learning. Using the items of the playlist Ecosystems Playlist With Mystery Science & Google Classroom Daily Assignments 

Phenomena Links

Knowledge Application:

Artifact Profile:

Ecosystems Lab Book, IXL practice, Interactive Science Notebook, Pre & Post Assessments

Detailed Description:

This unit is designed for students to drive their own learning through digital (IXL and Study Jam Quizzes), hands-on and interactive activities (Mystery Science: Web of Life and Field trip to Fort Niobrara for “Nature Fest”) that help students develop and apply to understand that plants, animals, decomposers form a system of interdependent parts, with each part dependent on others in order to have a balanced biosphere. 

Content Area Skills Addressed:

1. Use models to explain, evaluate and predict the flow of energy. (Sun, plants, animals, decomposers, etc.)

2. Construct a response explaining how plants and get what they need from their various environments.

3. Create a model to explain and demonstrate an understanding of how matter moves through the environment. Emphasis is on the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include organisms, ecosystems, and EarthDigital Age Skills.

*Includes Cross-Cutting Concepts:  Patterns, Cause & Effect, Scale, Proportion & Quantity, Systems & System Models, Energy & Matter, Structure & Function, Stability & Change.

Digital Age Skills Addressed:

1. Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

2. Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

3. Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

4. Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

5. Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Link to Rubric

Knowledge Deepening:

Tasks

Ecosystems Playlist 5th Grade: Meet with each student to break down the playlist into student-driven learning chunks. I then met with each student to guide them through their choice making and posted required activities daily on our Google Classroom class. Making this accommodation for my student's needs, helped them feel more secure in their choices and helped them learn how to drive their own learning because this was their first experience with using a playlist and making choices in providing evidence in their learning. (Each student was given a paper copy of this playlist and a digital version on Google Classroom so that they could manage their choice making and learning.) 

Directions: This playlist is a list of activities you will be responsible for completing as we learn about the principles of ecology. Be sure to update your playlist with the date as you complete each activity. You will also tell me which activities you have completed each day as your exit ticket. As always, follow the directions closely and touch base with Mrs. K.  at the required check-in points or if you have any questions.

USE THE DOCUMENT(PLAYLIST) ABOVE FOR EXAMPLES OF TASKS AND LINKS TO SOURCES.

Task 1: Ecosystems Introduction

1. Begin with phenomena: The Mystery of the Missing Bees.

2. Work through the phenomena in small groups.

3. KWL chart (Each team has a big chart paper notebook & I write their class ideas on the whiteboard) with class discussing what they already know about ecosystems.  Discuss/list what they don't know and want to learn.

Task 2: Changes in Ecosystems

Direct Instruction:

Learning Path:

Resources:

See above.