Science Room

The Biodiversity Unit for Outdoor Learning introduces key vocabulary through interactive guided handouts, and takes learning outdoors where students explore the biodiversity in native prairie and mown lawns. While the choice of ecosystems can be modified, the research and investigations in this unit are planned to carry students through a sequence that investigates vegetation and insects outside to help students to observe first hand and reflect upon how human impact can affect wildlife.

This lesson includes links to a video and a presentation with images that outline the causes and effects of water pollution. A simple lab and related handout are also included for hands-on engagement. Enrichment is provided.

During this lesson students practice field research including quadrat observation and recording. Students are given different roles for collaborative group work. They identify plants and insects. Finally, they complete a brief reflection.

During this lesson, vocabulary will be introduced using a video link. Then, students will analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. Students will propose options for minimizing negative human impact.

Following all other previous lessons of this unit on biodiversity, these extensions provide opportunities to further explore and expand students' understanding with counterclaims, rebuttals, and essay writing.

During this lesson, students will learn the characteristics of insects, will discuss the roles and needs of insects, and will be given an introduction to sweep net sampling and observation. A practice diagram is given to identify insect parts and data tables are provided to record findings during observation and sweep net sampling. Questions for analysis and a brief reflection follow.

This lesson is supposed to be used following lesson 6 to compare the biodiversity of the lawn with that of the native prairie. Students will use quadrat sampling, observation, and data collection and analysis to determine which of the ecosystems has greater biodiversity.

During this lesson, students will form a hypothesis about which ecosystem has greater biodiversity. Then, during quadrat sampling and observation, students will identify plants and count individuals of each species to determine species richness and abundance. The class will follow with a discussion and students will determine whether their hypotheses were correct or not.

The lesson helps to clear up misconceptions about biodiversity, and contrasts the terms abundance and variety. Students warm up with a quickwrite about what they think biodiversity is. They hypothesize about which has more biodiversity, native prairie or a mown lawn. Then, students observe an image of a native prairie ecosystem and an image of a mown lawn and respond to some related questions. They are prompted to consider what plants and insects provide for one another and how humans impact

The review of the integumentary system includes layers of the skin, the role of the skin in homeostatis, and other related topics. The fun interactive game allows players to choose the categories and points so that students can compete in teams.

Students will use the video link embedded in the document to learn about biotic and abiotic resources, populations, ecosystems, limiting factors, competition, and how availability and scarcity of resources affects individuals and populations. They analyze data to reach conclusions on the topic and use their ability to evaluate to determine some ways to conserve resources.

Students will write a claim with supporting evidence and reasoning found and explored during the duration of this unit on biodiversity.

During this lesson, students will graph data from the previous biodiversity lessons. They will analyze their data in order to prepare for writing a claim, evidence, and reasoning for the next lesson.

Students will review vocabulary and combine class data before making calculations for species richness and abundance on data collected from previous lessons.

Students catalog plants and insects and specify their biotic relationships as producers, consumers, decomposers, pollinators, etc. as well as those with the abiotic environment.

This unit lesson teaches students quadrat sampling and methods for identifying plants and insects, reviews species richness and abundance, and provides practice for quadrat sampling with a reflection.

This lesson compares and contrasts the characteristics of native prairies and mown lawns, using fill-in-the blank, and a fun, interactive sorting game.

This jeopardy game gives students practice defining heat, temperature and energy transfer. Students also identify how heat is transferred using various examples.

This Jeopardy game focuses on the following topics related to human impact upon the environment: Population GrowthErosion and WaterPollutionOzone Hole & ChangeCarbon Cycle & Global Warming

While playing this Jeopardy game, students explore the following topics: Biogeochemical CyclesSuccessionThe Biosphere and PollutionEutrophicationClimate Change