Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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Outcome(s) of Lesson: (Blooms or I can statement)

Science 6-10 SO1: I can identify reasons why trees and forests are valued. I am aware that forests serve as habitat for a variety of living things and are important

to humans for recreation, for raw materials and for a life supporting environment.

How will I know students have achieved the learning outcome(s)?

Students understand that all living things are connected, and when one-part struggles or strains it can be felt throughout the entire support and food chain.

Time Hook

6 mins

Provocation (Notice, Think, Wonder)

• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DvuSNrhwHksyqEpjcp1oo1mAZ3nkErGaVvIMzSZVWoo/edit?usp=sharing

• [Slides 1-3] have it on when students arrive

Instructions

In your journal write points about the image that they notice, think, and wonder (2 mins/image – there are 3). Repeat for slides 2 and 3.

Learning Opportunities:

Time Learning Opportunity How do I check that students understand what to do?

34 mins

Setup

• Before the activity, prepare name tags by shuffling them and ensuring there are enough for 1 per student.

List of Non-living components

o Sun, water, air and soil

List of Living Components

o Producers: clover, cones, rosehips, raspberry bush, acorn bush, white spruce tree, poplar tree, aspen tree, jack pine, cottonwood tree, larch tree, grass, and flower nectar.

o Consumers: rabbit, robin, beaver, owl, hawk, fox, squirrel, hummingbird, deer, coyote, mouse, bear, bison, antelope, wolf, eagle, and humans.

o Decomposers: isopods, earthworm, bacteria, fungus, and maggots.

• Teacher involved in activity

• Teacher facilitates and is near assist

• Ask one student to repeat instructions before starting activity

Materials Needed

• Index name tag cards

• Masking Tape

• Wool or string spool

Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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• Get students to stand in a circle on the floor (need lots of room)

Instructions

[Slide 4] Each student picks a name tag from the pile and tape it onto their own shirt. Teacher should select the sun name tag.

EXPLAIN that the circle represents a forest ecosystem and that all components of the forest, living and non-living, are interdependent. Living things are call biotic, and the non-living abiotic. [Slide 5]

Abiotic factors (light, water, air, soil) influence what lives in the area.

• Can anyone think of an example of this? (i.e. pine trees in mountains, need less water, not as deep of soil)

There are three types of living components in a forest ecosystem: producers, consumers, and decomposers.

• If you think you are a producer, raise your hand. Why, what makes you a producer?

• Repeat for consumer and decomposers.

[Slide 6] Producers = Green plants. Creates and sustains others by providing shelter, food, safety, etc.

Consumer = Intakes others (consumers, producers, and decomposers). They eat others plants and animals.

Decomposers = Breaks down other organic materials.

Begin the web with the teacher holding the string and say All life begins with the sun. I am the sun and I provide energy for the acorn bush to grow. Holding one end of the string, pass the ball of string to the student wearing the name tag acorn bush.

The student continues the chain, by saying I am the acorn bush. I provide energy (food) to the squirrel. That student holds onto a piece of the string and passes the ball to the student wearing the squirrel name tag. The process continues until all students have been passed to. The ball can be passed in any direction on the food chain and ecosystem (i.e. the squirrel may pass the ball to another producer which it eats or to a consumer, like an owl, which eats the squirrel). The ball can be passed to a student multiple times.

• Can someone repeat what you are supposed to do?

• Any questions?

Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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Prompts: What do you (the specific forest component) need? Food? Shelter? Safety? What does it eat? Where do they sleep? Where do they raise their young?

As the webbing continues, DISCUSS the relationships between the components. Involve students in the discussion by asking:

• How do these components connect?

• How do/does _____ rely on _____?

Any student can provide ideas for connections.

Once every student is holding a piece of the string, ask students:

• What kind of pattern have we made? Does anyone see anything interesting about the pattern?

Point out how all components in the web are dependent on each other, and how stresses on an individual or groups of components affect us all (i.e. imagine that some of the trees have been removed to a forest fire – students with the tree name tags give a slight tug on the string).

• Who felt the tug from the trees?

This represents the effects that a fire has on other forest components, which are dependent on trees. Let’s track the food chain (which is the specific animals and plants that depend on each other for food) that a forest fire could affect. Follow the direct and indirect links to the tree (i.e. grass > mouse > Coyote)

• Can anyone think of other examples that could put stresses on an ecosystem?

• What might some of the effects on other components be or look like? o i.e. introduction of new predator – get students who are prey to sit down

• What were some of the ideas that we said that trees and forests were important? o Ideas: Food, shelter, safety, add and take nutrients out of soil (as they decay)

• Support your stance on why our interdependence (or connectedness) could be important? Why do we value trees and forests?

o Food o Transportation (canoes, etc.) o Shelter (birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects) o Stabilize soil (roots) o Create shade, cool forests – provides a more suitable environment for others to

live

Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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o Add nutrients to soil o Part of the oxygen cycle (remove C02, replace with oxygen), and water cycle (a

large tree can release more than 450 liters of water vapor in the atmosphere in 24 hours)

o Used as raw building materials (i.e. pulp, paper, lumber, medicines, etc.) o Beautify (i.e. decoration, Christmas tree, etc.) o Recreation

Cleanup To demonstrate the flow of the chain and energy in the food web, EXPLAIN that the producers go to the consumers, who eventually turn to the decomposers. Finally, the decomposers turn to the non-living components. Use this explanation to get the students to assist in clean up. Producers > consumers > decomposers > non-living components (who wind up the ball of string).

[Slides 1-3] Looking at the image you can in on.

• Is there anything you notice now that you don’t before?

• How has your view of these images changed?

• What value does the 2nd and 3rd images convey for trees and forests?

• Do you agree or disagree? Why? Defend your position.

How do I differentiate for ALL learners? Accommodations (ISP’s)

Beginning: Name tags have the written and images of the component it corresponds to. Incorporated multiple modes of learning (kinesthetic, visual, and oral). Definitions verbally spoken, and visual (PowerPoint). Simplified language and vocabulary terms. Significant prompts given. Brief interviews to follow up. Short mini-lesson available if needed. Exit slip can be typed or a conversation. Assessment has no set length or structure. Developing: Most of the language and vocabulary remain authentic to the lesson with minor changes. Many modes of learning incorporated. Few prompts are needed. Exit slip can be typed or written. Assessment has no set length or structure. Achieving: Students complete lesson as written. Few prompts are needed. Exit slip handed in. Assessment has no set length or structure. Exceeding: Discussion questions can be elaborated upon; additional details provided. Students can elaborate on their learning via exit slip. Assessment has no set length or structure.

Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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Time CLOSURE Materials Need

5 mins

On your Exit Slip card, answer these two questions. When finished, please hand in your journal. [Slide 7] Exit slip questions:

• What is was the most important concept that you learned today?

• What is something that you are still wondering about?

• Exit Slip Cards

• Pen or pencils

Lesson Plan Analysis: Using your lesson above, describe the following: (This information MUST be in your learning opportunities)

Cooperative Learning Strategies used

Group activity and discussion

Movement Breaks

Entire activity, students are standing up and sitting down

Modes of Learning

Kinesthetic, Visual, Verbal, Logical, Interpersonal

Higher Order Question(s)

Support your stance on why our interdependence (or connectedness) could be important? Why do we value trees and forests? If you think you are a producer, raise your hand. Why, what makes you a producer? Can anyone think of other examples that could put stresses on an ecosystem? What might some of the effects on other components be or look like? What value does the 2nd and 3rd images convey for trees and forests? Do you agree or disagree? Why? Defend your position.

Resources:

Lesson adapted from Topic E: Trees and Forests, Grade 6 by Edmonton Public Schools, pg. 13-14.

Transition: (what will students do when they are finished? How will we move to the next learning opportunity?)

• One (non-living component) places ball of string to teacher or places on desk

• Organize exit slips into 3 separate piles on different parts of the desk (for easier pickup)

• INSTRUCT students pick up an exit slip and take out a pencil or pen, and return to their tables

Unit: Trees and Forests Lesson # 3

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Reflection and Revisions:

Sun

Water

Air

Soil

Clover

Pinecone

Rosehips

Raspberry Bush

Index Name Tag Cards

Acorn Bush

White Spruce Tree

Poplar Tree

Aspen Tree

Jack Pine

Cottonwood Tree

Larch Tree

Grass

Flower Nectar

Rabbit

Robin

Beaver

Owl

Hawk

Squirrel

Hummingbird

Deer

Coyote

Mouse

Bear

Bison

Antelope

Humans

Isopods

Earthworm

Bacteria

Wolf

Fungus

Maggots

Eagle

What is was the most important concept that you learned today?

What is something that you are still wondering about?

Exit Slip Cards

What is was the most important concept that you learned today?

What is something that you are still wondering about?

What is was the most important concept that you learned today?

What is something that you are still wondering about?