Life/Earth Science - Ecosystems

Mrs. Debbie BowenUnion City ElementaryUnion City, PA 16438

Topic: Life & Earth SciencesDuration: 4 – 5 weeks

Grade 5 - 4th Nine Weeks

Rationale:Life Science is the study of living things. It encompasses all living things around us. Plants and animals are living things included in the realm of life science.

Earth Science is the study of the Earth and its neighbors in space. The four earth sciences include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. Earth Science encompasses all of what makes up our planet, including the living things around us. Ecosystems are included in the realm of Earth Science.

It is important for students to understand life forms, their roles in our ecosystem, and their uniqueness. In this unit, students will explore both plant and animal life, and will engage in hands-on learning experiences and examples of multicultural approaches to learning about life/earth science. Students will experience diverse forms of plants and animals and will learn the value of living/natural resources to our environment and world.

Introductory Activities

I will read the book “Nine In One, Grr! Grr!” a folktale from the Hmong People of Laos. Students will help generate a list of all the animals and plants in the story. Students will work in cooperative groups to brainstorm characteristics of both plants and animals and characteristics that they share.

I will explain that we are going to engage in a unit on life/earth sciences, which is the study of living things, plants and animals, and our planet Earth. The class will generate a K-W-L chart. “What we already know about life science” and “What we want to learn.”

Students will preview classroom materials about life science.

Assessment Options

Various modes of assessing student progress towards the learning objectives of this unit will include:• Vocabulary – Multiple choice, matching, short answer and fill in the blank.

• Spelling – Spelling City

• Writing – Science based writing prompts, responding to reading, report writing, projects

• Reading – fluency ; running records in science based texts both fiction and non-fiction, comprehension; oral & written comprehension checks using science based texts both fiction and non-fiction. Independent reading rubrics.

• Math – multiple formats of math skills assessment will be utilized. Multiple choice, completion, etc.

• Grammar – assessment through writing pieces and products, as well as multiple choice, matching, short answer and fill in the blank assessments.

• Science – experiments, observation, multiple choice, matching, short answer, fill in the blank, labeling pictures of science based materials.

Unit Goals

The students will: Understand the characteristics of various life forms.

Understand the make-up of an ecosystem.

Identify Earth's major biomes.

Describe characteristics of each major biome.

Appreciate the role of living things on Earth and how they interact.

Understand various forms of environmental pollution.

Identify cause of environmental pollution.

Develop an awareness of the necessity of conserving natural resources and life forms on our Earth.

Instructional Objectives

The students will: Identify the carbon-oxygen, and nitrogen cycles.

Describe processes responsible for the formation of coal & petroleum.

Conclude that human activities can upset the balance of the carbon-oxygen cycle.

Describe the importance of the water cycle.

Describe the processes in the water cycle.

Recognize that water is a limited resource that needs to be protected.

Understand how different cultures use plants and animals as resources

Recognize the differences among plants and among animals

Instructional Objectives cont.

The students will: Identify ways that animals impact the environment

Identify earths major biomes

Describe characteristics of each of earths major biomes

Compare the traits of various animals

Conduct hands-on experiments about life/earth science

Design an advertisement about pollution

Write a newspaper article

Instructional Objectives cont.

The students will: React/respond to readings about a chosen plant or animal

Engage in web videos about plants, animals, ecosystems and the environment

Contribute to a classroom web of ideas about life science

Demonstrate following directions

Engage in various art activities to show appreciation and understanding of plants and animals, and biomes

Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills

Follow safety rules and correct procedures for carrying out laboratory experiments

Cross-Curricular Connections

Reading – fiction and non-fiction texts related to plants, animals, ecosystems, and Earth; fluency in reading fiction & non-fiction text, comprehension in fiction & non-fiction text, compare/contrast, main idea/details, make inferences and conclusions

Writing – responding to reading, summarizing

Writing – persuasive writing, informational/expository writing, narrative writing, projects – brochures, commercial, advertisements

Math – measurement, add/subt/mult/div., solve multi-step problems, data analysis (mean, median, mode, min, max, range), symmetry, counting, sequencing.

Spelling/Vocabulary – content specific vocabulary and spelling.

Cross-Curricular cont... Grammar – In writing use complete sentences, complex and

compound sentences, use correct punctuation, forming paragraphs, etc.

Art – make drawings of plants, animals, ecosystems, make maps, demonstrate creativity through art projects.

Music – listen to nature sounds, create music using items found in nature, use recycled materials to make music.

Physical Education – be physically active in studying the immediate environment, nature walks, using balance, range of motion, etc.

Technology – use internet as a research tool, watch web-based videos, participate in web-based learning activities and assessments, use word processing and presentation tools to create projects.

Geography – identifying continents, comparing seasons between hemispheres.

Pacing of UnitChapter 1 – Life Science Unit B

4-5 Days:

Days 1-2: Lesson 1: How does nature reuse materials? {Identify the significance of the carbon-oxygen and nitrogen cycles; Describe processes responsible for the formation of coal & petroleum; Conclude that human activities can upset the balance of the carbon-oxygen cycle.}

Days 3-4: Lesson 2: Why is the water cycle important? {Describe the importance of the water cycle; Describe the main process in the water cycle; Recognize that water is a limited resource that needs to be protected.}

Vocabulary: nitrogen cycle, carbon-oxygen cycle, respiration, water cycle, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, nitrates, ammonia

Spelling: water, nitrogen, cycle, carbon, oxygen, respiration, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, nitrates, ammonia, nature, reuse, materials.

Assessment: Illustrate the cycles discussed.

Pacing of UnitChapter 2 – Life Science Unit B

5-10 Days:

Days 5-6: Lesson 1: What are ecosystems? {Describe interactions that occur within an ecosystem; Analyze adaptive characteristics that result in an organism’s unique niche in an ecosystem; Identify factors that limit the number and type of organisms in an ecosystem.}

Days 7-8: Lesson 2: How does energy flow through an ecosystem? {Identify roles of producers, consumers & decomposers in an ecosystem; Describe how energy flows from one organism to another in food chains and food webs; Recognize that because energy is lost as heat at each level of consumption, ecosystems must have more producers than consumers.}

Days 9-10 Lesson 3: How do organisms compete & survive in an ecosystem? {Identify ways in which organisms are adapted to compete for resources; Describe some mutually beneficial interactions that occur within ecosystems; Compare instinctive behaviors with learned one.}

Days 11-12 Lesson 4: What is extinction & what are its causes? {Identify trends in resource use; Describe some natural & human causes of extinction; Identify ways humans can work to prevent the extinction of endangered species.} List extinct species & discuss causes.

Assessment: Illustrate energy flow through an ecosystem.

Pacing of Unit continued

Chapter 2 – Life Science Unit B

5-10 Days:Vocabulary: individual, population, community, ecosystem, habitat, niche, producer, consumer, decomposer, competition, symbiosis, instinct, exotic, extinct, endangered, threatened

Divide vocabulary between 2 weeks. 8 words first week, and 8 words second week.

Spelling: individual, population, community, ecosystem, habitat, niche, producer, consumer, decomposer, competition, symbiosis, instinct, exotic, extinct, endangered, threatened

Students will have all 16 spelling words for 2 weeks. Words will be introduced on Monday of first week and students will practice words for 2 weeks. Teacher will assess spelling on Friday at the end of the second week. A practice assessment will be made at the beginning of the second week.

Pacing of UnitChapter 3 – Life Science Unit B

5 Days:

Days 13-15: Lesson 1: What are land biomes? {Recognize that the climate of an area determines which biome will develop; Identify characteristics of each of the six major land biomes in North America; Compare the adaptive characteristics of species that improve their ability to survive in a particular biome.}

Days 16-17: Lesson 2: What are water ecosystems? {Observe pond organisms and classify them as producers or consumers; Identify three types of water ecosystems; describe adaptations that allow organisms to survive in saltwater environments.}

Vocabulary: biome, climate zone, intertidal zone, near-shore zone, open-ocean zone, estuary

Spelling: biome, climate, zone, intertidal, shore, ocean, estuary (plus additional science terms)

Assessment: Construct a model biome (small group).

Pacing of UnitChapter 4 – Life Science Unit B

8-10 Days:

Days 18-19: Lesson 1: How do ecosystems change naturally? {Identify actions that require time for changes to be measurable, like succession; Compare primary succession w/secondary succession; Describe the features of a climax community.}

Days 20-21: Lesson 2: How do people change ecosystems? {Observe the effect of fertilizer runoff on an aquatic ecosystem; Identify ways in which ecosystems are affected by human activities, including development & pollution; Recognize that although ecosystems may recover from minor damage, some changes are irreversible.}

Days 22-23: Lesson 3: How can people treat ecosystems more wisely? {Investigate what happens to garbage in a landfill over time by constructing a model; Identify ways in which individuals can reduce their impact on ecosystems.}

Days 24-25: Lesson 4: How can people help restore damaged ecosystems: {Describe the role of wetlands in filtering water; Recognize ways in which damaged ecosystems are restored; Identify how students can restore natural ecosystems in their own back yards.}

Pacing of Unit continued

Chapter 4 – Life Science Unit B

8-10 Days:Vocabulary: succession, pioneer plants, climax community, pollution, acid rain, conserving, reduce, reuse, recycle, reclamation, wetlands

Students will work with these vocabulary words for 10 days. Words will be introduced on Monday of the first week. Students will practice and use these words during the two weeks of instruction. Teacher will assess these words on Friday of the second week.

Spelling: succession, pioneer, plants, climax, community, pollution, acid, rain, conserving, reduce, reuse, recycle, reclamation, wetlands

Students will work with these spelling words for 1 week. Words will be introduced on Monday and will be assessed on Friday of the same week.

Pacing of Unit continued

Chapter 1 – Earth Science Unit C

8-10 Days:Day 26-28: Lesson 1: What processes change landforms? {Distinguish between erosion and deposition. Explain how Earth’s crust is broken down into soil. Describe how water, wind, and ice change landforms} Drawing/Art models of Earth’s layers [core, mantle, crust]

Day 29-31: Lesson 2: What causes mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes? {Describe the three layers of Earth. Explain how mountains form. Describe what causes volcanoes and earthquakes.} Models of mountains forming, volcanoes, earthquakes?

Day 32-33: Lesson 3: How has Earth’s surface changed? {Explain the theory of continental drift. Describe how features of Earth’s surface have changed over millions of years. Explain how fossils help scientists learn about plants and animals of the past.}

Pacing of Unit continued

Chapter 1 – Earth Science Unit C

8-10 Days:Vocabulary: landforms, weathering, erosion, deposition, mass movement, crust, mantle, core, plate, magma, volcano, earthquake, fault, continental drift, Pangea, fossil.

Divide vocabulary between 2 weeks. 8 words first week, and 8 words second week.

Spelling: landforms, weathering, erosion, deposition, mass movement, crust, mantle, core, plate, magma, volcano, earthquake, fault, continental drift, Pangea, fossil.

Students will have all 16 spelling words for 2 weeks. Words will be introduced on Monday of first week and students will practice words for 2 weeks. Teacher will assess spelling on Friday at the end of the second week. A practice assessment will be made at the beginning of the second week.

Pacing of Unit continued

Chapter 4 – Earth Science Unit C

10 Days:Day 34-36: Lesson 1: What are the oceans like? {Describe what oceans and seas are. Explain what causes salinity in ocean water. Describe features of the ocean floor.} [models]

Day 37-39: Lesson 2: How do ocean waters move? {Describe how waves move. Explain what causes currents. Explain what causes tides.} [Models of waves]

Day 40-41: Lesson 3: How do oceans interact with the land? {Explain how ocean waves and currents shape the shore. Explain how human activities affect the shore.}