Teaching Ecology

The use of writing and graphic organizers in the high school

classroom

Georgia Standards

SB2. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystems.

This is a “large” standard with six sub-categories, covering subjects from food webs to human impacts.

It is a vocabulary-rich topic with many subtle concepts.

Reading in Content Area

Three major categories of reading:In-depth “book reading” aka

Biodiversity, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, 1996 Clarion Books

Magazine article reading aka Discover Magazine (various current articles)

Web synopsis reading,aka industrialecology.blogspot.com

In-depth Book Reading

Entire units can be designed around reading a book chapter-by-chapter with activities

Chapters give a framework for activities while introducing vocabulary in context.

See “Books, Biodiversity and Beyond” in Science Scope, vol 30 #5, Jan 2007

Magazine Articles

National Geographic, Discover, and others have relevant ecology articles

Good focus for a single lesson - read, summarize, critique

Consider a prepared three-level guide (described later) for the article

Web Synopses

These are “short-short” articles summarizing a research area usually in 300 words or less -- suitable for Web attention spans.

Have several printed or online -- have students choose “most promising” or “most interesting” innovation

Consider an individual or group WebQuest to explore their choice in-depth

Organized Reading

Standard textbook ‘guided reading’ is often just vocabulary search

Instead have students build a concept map from the bold vocabulary terms they encounter - must scaffold this

Alternatives: Venn diagrams or compare/contrast matrices to compare major categories

Consider having students come up with one open question (unanswered in the text) during the reading activity - then select and discuss

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Graphic Organizers

Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels

Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual

Personal creative effort invests students in the model.

Writing Activities

Real-world linkages: essential for ecology. Have students identify a local ecological issue and write about it, incorporating key vocabulary terms.

RAFT (Role, Audience, Form, Topic) writing: put yourself in a particular role (land developer? homeowner?) to write a persuasive letter to a select audience on an ecological topic. Have different students play conflicting roles in the same scenario.

Reading Guides

“Three-Level Guide” asks one set of questions at the literal level, one set at interpretive level, and one set at applied/synthesis level -- all related to the same reading.

Compare/Contrast matrix - much like the “product comparison” matrixes, they let major concepts be compared side-by-side by a set of attributes or characteristics.

References

Vacca & Vacca, Content Area Reading: Literacy & Learning Across the Curriculum, 9th ed. Pearson Edu.

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Biodiversity, Clarion Books 2003