#3700. Ecology and the Endangered Species Act

Science, level: other
Posted Thu Mar 9 17:30:54 PST 2006 by Yvonne Schlaman (vonniehines@hotmail.com).
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
Materials Required: Materials to develop lectures, field trip, and information resourses
Activity Time: 4 weeks
Concepts Taught: Ecology, Conservation, ESA

Class 1: Lecture -- Ecology: the basics

Objectives:
Students will be able to define and explain the following ecological terms and concepts:

niche
habitat
decomposer
producer
consumer
herbivore
carnivore
autotroph
heterotroph
trophic level
movement of energy up the trophic levels
basic requirements of living organisms
(i.e. water, space, food)

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Direct Instruction
This introductory lecture will cover the basic aspects of ecosystems mentioned above. Many of these terms and concepts are unfamiliar to the students. Therefore, I believe that the most time effective way of exposing students to this information is by direct instruction through a lecture-based presentation with intermittent questions and teacher-lead discussions. This knowledge is also necessary to prepare the students for the next class activity.

Materials Needed:
Lecture notes
Preferred lecture medium and technology (i.e. blackboard, overhead, PowerPoint, etc.)

Directions For Activity:
N/A

Homework Assignment:
Students should review their notes to prepare for the field trip. At such time, they will have to choose a specific organism, observe it in its habitat, and describe the organisms' characteristics mentioned in lecture. Therefore, they should be ready to use those terms to describe an organism.

Evaluation:
N/A

Class 2: Field Trip to Make Observations

Objectives:
Students will observe an organism in its natural habitat.
Students will describe the niche of an organism.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Field Trip
This kinesthetic, aesthetic, and (optional) social activity is intended to help the students develop their observational and note taking skills, be reminded of the beauty of nature, cooperate with classmates to examine an organism in the context of its ecosystem, and motivate them with a unique experience.

Materials Needed:
Data Sheet (below)
Pens and extra paper
Transportation to a creek, pond, or similar body of water (?)
Nice weather -- hopefully!

Directions For Activity:
- Instruct students to choose an organism, then answer questions and record on a data sheet their observations about their organism.
- While each student needs their own organism, students can work together in pair, if they so choose. (have two students examine one organism if student number exceeds 24)
- If time allows, give students instructions and data sheets prior to departure, otherwise distribute the sheets and give instructions on-site.
- Distribute pens to any students who have forgotten them.
- Remind students to be respectful and not litter or other such behavior.
- Once students have looked around a little bit, they will choose their organism and report it to you. Record everyone's organism to ensure that every student has a different organism.
- Circulate around students and check their progress with questions and guidance.
- Gather ALL students and return to school

Homework Assignment:
Finish filling out data sheet and check your answers for validity.

Evaluation:
The instructor will monitor the students' progress and understanding through questioning.

Data Sheet -- Ecology Field Trip

Name __________________________________________________________________

Organism: __________________________ Kingdom: ___________________________

1. Circle the term that correctly describes your organism:

Decomposer -- Producer -- Consumer

Autotroph -- Heteotroph

If heterotroph: Herbivore -- Carnivore

2. What trophic level is your organism on? __________________________________________

3. Record below, and on the back if necessary, any interactions as you can observe between your organism and it's surroundings (living and non-living).

Class 3: Discussion - Field Observations

Objectives:
Students will discuss how organisms interact within an ecosystem.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Discussion
This student-lead discussion will allow students to share their observations. This discussion is intended to foster the expansion of students' awareness of the complexity of ecosystems by exchanging ideas with their peers.

Materials Needed:
Data sheets from Field Trip
Resources about various organisms (books and internet access, if possible)
Writing materials for note taking

Directions For Activity:
- Split the students into groups according to whether their organism is a decomposer, producer, or consumer. Check to make sure all students are in the correct group.
- Give the students time to share their observations and check resources to resolve any inconsistencies of observations. For example: "Salamanders are herbivores, since I saw it on a damaged leaf that looked like it had been chewed on."
- Circulate around the groups to monitor progress of discussions, provide guidance, and ask probing questions.
- Toward the end of class, lead a group discussion among all class members.

Homework Assignment:
Design an 8x11" poster of your organism. This poster needs to display a picture of the organism and a detailed description of the organisms' niche and role in the ecosystem.

Evaluation:
The instructor will monitor the students' progress and understanding through questioning. Also, their posters will be graded according to content, thoroughness, and visual appearance.

Class 4: Ecosystem Mapping
Objectives:
Students will construct a food/interactions web to graphically display an ecosystem.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Concept Mapping
To help students mentally grasp the complexity and intricate nature of ecosystems, they will construct a concept map of the ecosystem they observed. This activity should be well suited to visual/special learners. It is also suited to interpersonal learners, due to the social interaction between students. Also, this activity will foster ownership in the students of their final product. Playing music during this activity may help foster creative energy.

Materials Needed:
Student generated posters
Tape or other adhesive, or bulletin board and pins
Large roles of paper, white and colored
Markers
Large wall to build map
Yarn

Directions For Activity:
- Students will post their poster on the wall and will connect them with yarn to any other organism is interacts with.
- Play music while students work on the map
- Encourage students to expand the map by adding pictures and/or symbols of abiotic factors.
- Monitor student work and provide guidance

Homework Assignment:
N/A

Evaluation:
The students will earn points on the quality and completeness of their ecosystem map.

Class 5: Lecture -- Abiotic factors

Objectives:
Students will be able to define and explain the following ecological terms and concepts:

Climate
Elevation
Water cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Minerals
Nutrients

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Direct Instruction
This lecture will cover the above-mentioned abiotic aspects and cycles in ecosystems. Many of these terms and concepts are abstract and unfamiliar to the students. Therefore, I believe that the most time effective way of exposing students to this information is by direct instruction through a lecture-based presentation with intermittent questions and teacher-lead discussions.

Materials Needed:
Lecture notes
Preferred lecture medium and technology (i.e. blackboard, overhead, PowerPoint, etc.)

Directions For Activity:
N/A

Homework Assignment:
Students are to find, print off, and bring to class an article concerning a conservation issue that they find significant.

Evaluation:
N/A

Class 6: Discussion -- Student-derived Conservation Issues

Objectives:
Students will become aware of a variety of conservation issues.
Students will be able to explain at least one conservation issue.
Students will be able to determine if an Internet source is credible.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Discussion
This "show and tell" discussion activity is intended to motivate the students by them presenting a conservational issue that they feel is significant. The students will have ownership in their informal presentation, and hopefully will chose an issue that they feel is relevant. Social interaction is also intended to foster prolonged periods of student engagement.

Materials Needed:
Student-found articles
Guide to Evaluating Internet Materials, see below (thanks Kristie!)

Directions For Activity:
- Split students up into groups of at least four students per group, making sure each group has different issues.
- Instruct them to summarize the conservational issue presented in their article to their group, discuss it, and then move on to the next student.
- Circulate around the groups to monitor progress of discussions, provide guidance, and ask probing questions.
- Toward the end of class, lead a group discussion among all class members about an issue each group found interesting.
- Lead the students in a discussion about bias and resource credibility.
-distribute handout: Guide to Evaluation Internet Materials, and briefly discuss it and as a class.

Homework Assignment:
N/A

Evaluation:
The instructor will monitor the students' progress and understanding through questioning.

Evaluating Information on the Internet

How do I evaluate information?
• Authorship--who wrote this? This is a major criterion used in evaluating information

• The Publishing Body also helps evaluate any kind of document you may be reading.

• Point of View or Bias reminds us that information is rarely neutral. Look to see if the document resides on the Web server of an organization that has apolitical or philosophical agenda.

• Referral to and/or Knowledge of the literature refers to the context in which the author situates his or her work.

• Accuracy or verifiability of details is an important part of the evaluation process, especially when you are reading the word of an unfamiliar author presented by an unfamiliar organization, or presented in a non-traditional way.

Currency refers to the timeliness of information.
Class 7: Lecture -- Endangered Species Act

Objectives:
Students will be able to define and explain the following terms and concepts:

Species
Sub-species
Endangered species
Endemic
Exotic

Endangered Species Act (ESA), including its history, current policies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Causes for the extinction and endangerment of various organisms.
Reasons organisms should be conserved. (i.e. biodiversity, undiscovered medicines, ethics, etc.)

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Direct Instruction
This lecture will cover the above-mentioned issues regarding the ESA. Many of these terms and concepts are abstract and unfamiliar to the students. Therefore, I believe that the most time effective way of exposing students to this information is by direct instruction through a lecture-based presentation with intermittent questions and teacher-lead discussions.

Materials Needed:
Lecture notes
Preferred lecture medium and technology (i.e. blackboard, overhead, PowerPoint, etc.)

Directions For Activity:
N/A

Homework Assignment:
Students are to pick an organism protected by the ESA, and be prepared to report their organism and research it during the next class period.

Evaluation:
N/A

Class 8: Library -- Time for student research on a conservation issue involving an endangered animal

Objectives:
Students will utilize the resources in the library and/or computer lab to research an endangered species.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
N/A

Materials Needed:
Access to a library and/or a computer lab

Directions For Activity:
-Students will be report the organism they want to research.
-Once all students have identified an endangered species, they can began gathering information on it.
-Circulate the room to assist students with locating credible information.

Homework Assignment:
Write a two-page paper describing your endangered species, including its natural history (i.e. where it lives, what it eats, how it reproduces), reason for endangerment, and conservation efforts being made to preserve the species. You must use at least three references.
Be prepared to share and discuss your finding with the class.

Evaluation:
Papers will be graded on complete content, grammar, and proper citation of references.

Class 9: Discussion -- Share papers, choose issue for debate activity (mock policy-forming meeting), and role determination.

Objectives:
Students will be able to name a variety of endangered species.
Students will be able to generate a list of reasons for declines of organisms.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Discussion
This discussion activity is intended to motivate the students by them presenting their findings about an endangered species. The students will become aware of a variety of endangered species by exchanging information with their classmate. The students will have ownership in their informal presentation. Social interaction is also intended to foster prolonged periods of student engagement.

Materials Needed:
Student generated papers
Writing materials

Directions For Activity:
- The students will nominate various conservation issues to be addressed in a debate activity.
- Students will then anonymously vote for the topic they want to debate.
- Tally the results, determine the topics, and assign students to roles (if not letting them choose)
-Meanwhile, in groups of at least four, the students will share and discuss their papers.
-After determining the debate topics, circulate around the groups to monitor progress of discussions, provide guidance, and ask probing questions.
- Notify the students of the conservation issues to be debated and tell them their roles or let them choose their own roles.

Homework Assignment:
Research in detail the position, attitude, and concerns of your role.

Evaluation:
The instructor will monitor the students' progress and understanding through questioning.

Class 10: Discussion -- Students representing the pros and cons will confer with each other and prepare for the policy meeting

Objectives:
Students will organize arguments to support a line of reasoning.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Discussion
This discussion session is intended to help students organize their thoughts and reasoning, with their group, prior to the actual debate activity. This preparation will also help them to consider issues they had not previously considered brought forth by their classmates.

Materials Needed:
N/A

Directions For Activity:
- For each conservation issue, separate the supporting and opposing roles.
- Instruct the students to share and discuss their research findings regarding their role.
- Circulate around the groups to monitor progress of discussions, provide guidance, ask probing questions, and provide constructive criticism.

Homework Assignment:
Organize your arguments to assist you during the debate activity. Basically, you are preparing a debating guideline to help you remember all of the facts relevant to your argument.

Evaluation:
The instructor will monitor the students' progress and understanding through questioning.

Class 11: Discussion -- Students will participate in a mock policy-forming meeting.

Objectives:
Students will defend the viewpoints and position of a stakeholder in a mock policy-making meeting.

Instructional Strategy and Rational:
Debate
Students will be motivated by the competition aspect of the debate, and will have considerable ownership of their role.

Materials Needed:
Student-generated debate guides
Writing materials
Guest mediators (one per issue debated)

Directions For Activity:
- Arrange the seating area to create a meeting-like atmosphere prior to class.
- Allow the supporting and opposing groups a few minutes for final preparation.
- Commence the meeting, each having a mediator.
- Circulate around the various meetings, observe, and grade the debates
- If a resolution is found, have the entire "committee" write a brief policy statement.
- If a resolution is not found, have the "committee" develop an outline of major problems preventing the formation of a resolution.

Homework Assignment:
Final Project: Write a paper about your beliefs and opinions regarding conservation. Include why conservation is important, and why it is oftentimes difficult. You may use specific issues as examples to strengthen your argument(s), but keep the focus of the paper on general conservation.
or
Get involved in conservation by volunteering your time. Write a paper that describes your contribution to the conservation effort you are involved. Also, make sure to describe the details of conservation effort.

There is no length requirement, but papers should be complete. Papers will be graded on content, thoroughness, and grammar.

Evaluation:
Students will earn a score compiled from the instructor's evaluation of the entire committee, the opposing view student evaluation of the team, evaluations from the mediator on individual performance, and on their policy statements or outlines. Because the evaluations are coming from students and guest mediators, the evaluations from these parties may be altered at the instructor's discretion. The grading rubric for the debate activity is below.

Final papers will be graded on content, thoroughness, and grammar.

Conservation Issue Grading Sheet -- Mock Policy Forming Meeting

Using the scale below, please rate the opposing roles on the following questions:

Horrible Poor Fair Good Excellent
1 2 3 4 5

1. How well prepared was the opposing team? ____

2. Did everyone on the opposing team participate in a meaningful way? ____

3. How well did they support their arguments? ____

4. Were their arguments convincing? ____

5. Did they stay on topic? ____

6. How well did they reply to your arguments? ____

7. Did they use proper speaking skills and body language? ____

8. Were they courteous and respectful during the debate? ____

Total: ____

Grading Scale: A: 33 and above
B: 25-32
C: 17-24
D: 9-16
F: 8