Unit Overview
Marine Reporter is a WebQuest in which students explore and research the ocean and marine life. Students will subsequently produce creative products that show what they have learned.
Content Area: Language Arts, Writing, Reading, Science, Ecosystems, Engineering
Target Grade (Ages): Grade 5 (Ages 10-11)
Diversity Indicator: This lesson is appropriate for all learners. _
Unit Duration: The unit is composed of 4 tasks. Depending upon the students, each task may take 3-5 class periods.
Goals/Purpose: The purpose of this unit is:
Content Area: Language Arts, Writing, Reading, Science, Ecosystems, Engineering
Target Grade (Ages): Grade 5 (Ages 10-11)
Diversity Indicator: This lesson is appropriate for all learners. _
Unit Duration: The unit is composed of 4 tasks. Depending upon the students, each task may take 3-5 class periods.
Goals/Purpose: The purpose of this unit is:
- To allow students to understand and research the habitats of specific animals;
- To allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of animal adaptations;
- To design a habitat at a zoo that will provide the chosen animal with all its needs;
- To encourage
students to use design-based problem solving skills.
- Knowledge of needs of living things
- Knowledge of adaptations of living things
- Ability to use the computer and Internet resources
Background Knowledge
Students should have
knowledge of habitats and animal adaptations that allow animals to survive in
specific habitats. Check out the
following National Geographic website for information and lesson ideas:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geography-action/habitats.html
A habitat is a place where a plant or an animal lives. Not all organisms live in the same habitat. Organisms can only live in habitats to which they are well suited. Organisms have special characteristics called adaptations that enable them to obtain the resources they need for survival in their particular habitat. Each organism must meet certain needs to remain alive, and these needs are met in their particular habitat.
A habitat is a place where a plant or an animal lives. Not all organisms live in the same habitat. Organisms can only live in habitats to which they are well suited. Organisms have special characteristics called adaptations that enable them to obtain the resources they need for survival in their particular habitat. Each organism must meet certain needs to remain alive, and these needs are met in their particular habitat.
- What special features do fish have? (Gills to get oxygen from the water; fins to swim in the water)
- What special features does a water lily have? (Floating
leaves and flowers, roots stay in the mud)
- sea otter—thick, dense fur to live in cold waters
- whale—blubber to live in cold waters
- turtle—hard shell for protection
- plankton—body shape that allows it to float on the water and skin slowly
Objectives
_At the end of this lesson,
students will be able to:
- Observe, identify, and record the components of a marine ecosystem;
- Write an article explain the most important features of a marine environment;
- Classify populations of marine organisms as producers, consumers, or decomposers by the role they serve in the marine ecosystem (food chains and food web)
- Write a play explaining the roles of organisms in a marine ecosystem;
- Research and identify a specific marine animal’s adaptations;
- Research and identify a specific marine animal’s needs in its natural environment;
- Determine how these needs can be fulfilled in a zoo habitat;
- Design a zoo enclosure that addresses the specific marine animal’s needs throughout the seasons;
- Utilize design-based problem solving skills of brainstorming, framing the problem, generating possible solutions, and editing and developing ideas for a final habitat design
New York State Standards
_New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy
Reading Standards:
1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
7. Draw on information from multiple print or digitalsources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Writing Standards:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
New York State Science Standards
STANDARD 1 Analysis, Inquiry, and Design:
Key Idea 1:
Engineering design is an iterative process involving modeling and optimization (finding the best solution within given constraints); this process is used to develop technological solutions to problems within given constraints.
T1.1 Identify needs and opportunities for technical solutions from an investigation of situations of general or social interest.
T1.1a identify a scientific or human need that is subject to a technological solution which applies scientific principles
T1.2 Locate and utilize a range of printed, electronic, and human information resources to obtain ideas.
T1.2a use all available information systems for a preliminary search that addresses the need
Standard 4: The Living Environment
LE 3.2a In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources.
LE 5.1c All organisms require energy to survive. The amount of energy needed and the method for obtaining this energy vary among cells. Some cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food.
LE 5.1d The methods for obtaining nutrients vary among organisms. Producers, such as green plants, use light energy to make their food. Consumers, such as animals, take in energy-rich foods.
LE 5.1e Herbivores obtain energy from plants. Carnivores obtain energy from animals. Omnivores obtain energy from both plants and animals. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, obtain energy by consuming wastes and/or dead organisms.
LE 5.2a Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms. All living things, including plants, must release energy from their food, using it to carry on their life processes.
LE 6.1 a Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, usually from the Sun, through producers to consumers and then to decomposers. This process may be visualized with food chains or energy pyramids
LE 6.1 b Food webs identify feeding relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
LE 6.2a Photosynthesis is carried on by green plants and other organisms containing chlorophyll. In this process, the Sun’s energy is converted into and stored as chemical energy in the form of a sugar. The quantity of sugar molecules increases in green plants during photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight.
LE 7.1a A population consists of all individuals of a species that are found together at a given place and time. Populations living in one place form a community. The community and the physical factors with which it interacts compose an ecosystem.
LE 7.2b Given adequate resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase. Lack of resources, habitat destruction, and other factors such as predation and climate limit the growth of certain populations in the ecosystem.
LE 7.2c In all environments, organisms interact with one another in many ways. Relationships among organisms may be competitive, harmful, or beneficial. Some species have adapted to be dependent upon each other with the result that neither could survive without the other.
LE 7.2d Some microorganisms are essential to the survival of other living things.
7.1e The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances (pollutants) that are harmful to organisms. Therefore, the good health of environments and individuals requires the monitoring of soil, air, and water, and taking steps to keep them safe.
Reading Standards:
1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
7. Draw on information from multiple print or digitalsources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Writing Standards:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
New York State Science Standards
STANDARD 1 Analysis, Inquiry, and Design:
Key Idea 1:
Engineering design is an iterative process involving modeling and optimization (finding the best solution within given constraints); this process is used to develop technological solutions to problems within given constraints.
T1.1 Identify needs and opportunities for technical solutions from an investigation of situations of general or social interest.
T1.1a identify a scientific or human need that is subject to a technological solution which applies scientific principles
T1.2 Locate and utilize a range of printed, electronic, and human information resources to obtain ideas.
T1.2a use all available information systems for a preliminary search that addresses the need
Standard 4: The Living Environment
LE 3.2a In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources.
LE 5.1c All organisms require energy to survive. The amount of energy needed and the method for obtaining this energy vary among cells. Some cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food.
LE 5.1d The methods for obtaining nutrients vary among organisms. Producers, such as green plants, use light energy to make their food. Consumers, such as animals, take in energy-rich foods.
LE 5.1e Herbivores obtain energy from plants. Carnivores obtain energy from animals. Omnivores obtain energy from both plants and animals. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, obtain energy by consuming wastes and/or dead organisms.
LE 5.2a Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms. All living things, including plants, must release energy from their food, using it to carry on their life processes.
LE 6.1 a Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, usually from the Sun, through producers to consumers and then to decomposers. This process may be visualized with food chains or energy pyramids
LE 6.1 b Food webs identify feeding relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
LE 6.2a Photosynthesis is carried on by green plants and other organisms containing chlorophyll. In this process, the Sun’s energy is converted into and stored as chemical energy in the form of a sugar. The quantity of sugar molecules increases in green plants during photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight.
LE 7.1a A population consists of all individuals of a species that are found together at a given place and time. Populations living in one place form a community. The community and the physical factors with which it interacts compose an ecosystem.
LE 7.2b Given adequate resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase. Lack of resources, habitat destruction, and other factors such as predation and climate limit the growth of certain populations in the ecosystem.
LE 7.2c In all environments, organisms interact with one another in many ways. Relationships among organisms may be competitive, harmful, or beneficial. Some species have adapted to be dependent upon each other with the result that neither could survive without the other.
LE 7.2d Some microorganisms are essential to the survival of other living things.
7.1e The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances (pollutants) that are harmful to organisms. Therefore, the good health of environments and individuals requires the monitoring of soil, air, and water, and taking steps to keep them safe.
Materials / Preparation
- computers
- internet Access
- poster paper
- pencils
- crayons
- markers
- construction paper
- cardboard
- shoe boxes; various boxes
- clay
- wood scraps
- pipe cleaners
- string
- wooden craft sticks
- plastic animals
- other materials depending upon the needs of student groups
Extensions
_Zoo or Aquarium Visit
Ideally, students should take a field trip to a local zoo or aquarium to study the exhibit of their selected animal for the culminating activity in Task 4. Before the field trip, student partnerships would select an animal exhibited at the zoo or aquarium and do some preliminary research on the animal. During the trip, students would take field notes on their animal and its behavior, note physical features of the exhibit, take pictures, videos and draw sketches. If possible, the class may schedule a tour with a zookeeper to speak about their experience and answer questions about animal care, animal needs, animal behavior, challenges particular to the animal and/or its past or current exhibit, and exhibit maintenance. Even better, some zoos may allow a behind-the-scenes tour of certain exhibits.
Differentiation
This project can be executed to meet the needs of many student populations, as well as many grade levels, though it is intended primarily for 5th graders.
Ideally, students should take a field trip to a local zoo or aquarium to study the exhibit of their selected animal for the culminating activity in Task 4. Before the field trip, student partnerships would select an animal exhibited at the zoo or aquarium and do some preliminary research on the animal. During the trip, students would take field notes on their animal and its behavior, note physical features of the exhibit, take pictures, videos and draw sketches. If possible, the class may schedule a tour with a zookeeper to speak about their experience and answer questions about animal care, animal needs, animal behavior, challenges particular to the animal and/or its past or current exhibit, and exhibit maintenance. Even better, some zoos may allow a behind-the-scenes tour of certain exhibits.
Differentiation
This project can be executed to meet the needs of many student populations, as well as many grade levels, though it is intended primarily for 5th graders.
- Suggestion for Students with Special Needs, English Language Learners, and Lower Grades
- Suggestion for Gifted and Talented Students and Higher Grade Levels