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Meet the Micro:bits
Coding is easy and fun when students meet the micro:bits. Learn to write and download code, so you are ready to create your own scientific tools!
Meet the Micro:bits
Coding is easy and fun when students meet the micro:bits. Learn to write and download code, so you are ready to create your own scientific tools!
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
California Wildfires
Watch Class Movie
teacher Prep
Lab sheet & activites
Class Movie
Watch Class Movie
Class Movie
Teacher Prep Movie
Lab Materials Needed
Blockey Koa Crate
from Kea STEMCrate
- 1 Springy Spring Scale per student
Student Lab Sheet
The Cycle of Matter in an Ecosystem: Where Does My Food Come From?
(English/Spanish)
(English/Spanish)
Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics NGSS 5-LS2-1:
Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include molecular explanations.]
Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics NGSS 5-PS3-1:
Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams, and flow charts.]
Pacing Guide:
Color Key: Green words- Hands-on Activity Black words- Book reading Blue words: Revisit the Phenomenon
Instruction day 1 (Cover - page 1) : Introduce the article
Summary: Introduce the chapter by meeting the author and reviewing basic concepts.
Lesson Objective: Students are introduced to the author and beginning concepts of the article. Students discuss how things can move in cycles and how matter can exist in different states.
Introduction: Let’s look at the cover, what do you notice? (I see a pretty purple flower with cool leaves, there’s some grass too.) How does a plant make food for itself? What is that process called? (It uses the sun for photosynthesis.) Which animals might eat flowers, leaves or grass? (We know lots of animals that eat grass: cows, horses, deer, rabbits, etc. They might eat the leaves or flowers too.) Let’s look at the title of our article, will someone read it for me? So the matter that makes up the plant can then become a part of the matter of an animal! Let’s meet the author of this article.
Instructions: Have a student read aloud what the fox says in the riddle. Have students write their potential answers in the margins of the page as you read the riddle two or more times aloud to the class. Have them share their best answer with a classmate then discuss possible answers as a class. Both “global warming” and “climate change” are great answers. “Now we can unlock the chapter!” Read about scientist Daniel Poulson and ask the first Guiding Question.
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Guiding Questions:
Ask: Daniel studies biochemistry, a combination of biology and chemistry. He is working on antibiotics. Does anyone know why doctors might give a patient antibiotics? What are they for?
Example: Antibiotics are for infections. Have you ever used Neosporin on a cut when you need a bandaid? That is a type of antibiotic to make sure no bacteria from the place where you hurt yourself get into your body.
Ask: Which phrases helped you think of the answer to the riddle?
Example: There are two phrases near the beginning, “if you want to slow me down, don’t wait for luck” and “I’m caused by greenhouse gases and pollution”. That makes me think of global warming or climate change.
Ask: There are lots of cycles that humans are a part of besides where our food goes and where it comes from. Can you think of how your breathing works in a cycle?
Example: I breathe in oxygen, then breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. There is an exchange of gases, or a cycle, between humans and plants.
Ask: Water molecules are an easy example of how something looks different as a solid, liquid or gas. What is an example of water as a gas? What about water as a solid?
Example: Clouds and steam are examples of water vapor, it’s in a gas form that can move around in the air. Water as a solid is called ice and it is very cold! When water is liquid it can move around in my glass.
Wrap-up: Doodle prompt: We’ll be talking about how food is part of a cycle in this article. What is your favorite food? Draw it next to the fox on the first page.
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Instruction day 2 (pages 2 - 5): Explore the phenomenon
Summary: We can sort trash, recyclables, and compostables in order to help the environment.
Lesson Objective: Learn which items are compostable. Do an activity to help students grasp the concept.
Introduction: Did you know that we can sort some of our trash into “compostables”? Compostables are materials that can be broken down in the dirt by our worm friends. This is a good thing because it reduces trash and helps the environment. Our friend Buzzy is going to help us learn how to sort items into the compost bin. Let’s read in our book to learn more!
Materials Needed: Glue, Scissors
Instructions: Read page 2 and ask the first Guiding Question. Have students use their scissors to cut up the squares on pages 3 and 4. They can pair each picture with it’s matching description. Have them decide which items are compostable and glue them onto the empty boxes on page 5. There should be 9 items that can go in the compost bin.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: Buzzy teaches us how to sort items into recyclables, compostables, and trash. Today we are going to focus on compostables, which become “compost”. Does anybody have an idea of what the word “compost” means?
Example: It means decayed matter that has been broken down!
That’s right! Compostable items can decay, or break down, in the soil. When they have been broken down, they are called “compost”, and they actually help the soil and boost the growth of other plants. It’s like a cycle of matter being broken down, then helping more matter grow, which will eventually break down again.
Ask: How do we know which items are compostables and which ones are not?
Example: Compostables can be broken down. So paper, napkins, fruits, and vegetables are compostables.
Ask: So we know items that can be broken down are compostables. So that means items that cannot be broken down are not compostables. Can you name some?
Examples: Glass, Plastic, Aluminum
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Instruction day 3 (pages 6 - 10): Hands-on activity: Try Japanese composting
Summary: Plant and animal matter breaks down through the process called decomposition. Make a mini compost bin for the class and monitor it over a period of weeks to watch the materials decay.
Lesson Objective: Help students understand the concept of decomposition. Conduct an experiment to allow students to see how plant and animal matter decomposes.
Introduction: Have you ever watched a beautiful flower shrivel up, turn brown, and then die? It’s always a bummer to see beautiful plants die, but sometimes it happens when they don’t have the nutrients they need to survive. When a plant or animal dies, the matter is broken down through a process called decomposition. The matter is then used to help other plants or animals grow bigger. Today we are going to conduct a fun experiment to help us see what different objects look like when they decompose.
Materials Needed: A jar, plastic bin, or cardboard box (one per class), Dirt, Water, and a few compostable objects
Instructions: Read page 6 and discuss what plants look like when they decay. Discuss the difference between fresh food and rotten, decayed food. Follow the instructions on page 8 in order to conduct a plant experiment. Answer questions about the experiment over the following weeks.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: We can see on page 6 that a decaying tree will have bark that falls off and branches that fall apart. What about other plants, like a bush or a flower? What will those look like when they are decomposing?
Example: They will turn brown and the leaves or petals will shrivel up. They will also fall apart.
Ask: If you’ve ever seen moldy bread or food, you have actually seen decomposition! Let’s answer the question at the bottom of page 7, “Have you ever seen spoiled food? Describe what it is like.” Do any of you have any examples you want to share with the class?
Example: Spoiled cheese turns brown and gets fuzzy. Spoiled milk turns hard and lumpy, and it smells bad!
Ask: We get to choose 5-10 items to put in our class compost bin. The items we choose need to be compostable. Does anyone have any ideas of things they would like to add?
Example: Lettuce, Slice of bread, Napkin, Banana peel
Ask: (After one week). Let’s check on our class compost bin. What do you notice that looks the same? What is different? Describe what you see and write it in your book, then we will discuss it as a class.
Example: I notice that the dirt and the plastic bin look the same. The materials look different. They are breaking down and decaying. (Repeat at two weeks, three weeks, and four weeks until the items have completely decomposed.)
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Instruction day 4 (pages 11 - 14): Read, write and discuss
Summary: Matter cycles through plants and animals before decomposing and returning to the environment. Organic matter is made up of living things, while inorganic matter is not. The Carbon Cycle explains how all living things need carbon to survive. Plants go through chemical reactions which give them energy.
Lesson Objective: Learn how organic matter cycles through the environment, using the Carbon Cycle and other chemical reactions to gain energy.
Introduction: The world around us goes through cycles every day. If you look outside the window, you might see some plants growing big and tall, and you may see others shriveling up and dying. This is all part of the cycle of life. Plants and animals are all made up of matter and they, too, go through cycles. However, plants and animals cannot live forever. Eventually, they die and decompose, leaving behind matter that is reused to create new life.
Instructions: Read page 11 and discuss the four main steps of the cycle of matter. Learn about the difference between organic and inorganic matter, and discuss examples of each type. Learn about the carbon cycle and answer questions on page 13.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: Our book teaches us that inorganic matter is made up of things that are not living. Can anybody think of any examples of inorganic matter?
Example: Rocks are inorganic because they are not alive.
That’s right! Rocks, minerals, and metals are considered inorganic matter.
Ask: Now let’s talk about organic matter. This means matter that is made up of living things. Does anybody want to share an example of organic matter?
Example: The leaves on the trees, the grass, or the soil.
Ask: We read on Page 13 how all living things are made up of Carbon. Let’s look at the questions below. The first one says, “Where does the organic matter that makes up plants come from?” What do you guys think?
Example: Plants use chemical reactions and photosynthesis to get organic matter.
Ask: The second question asks, “Where does organic matter that makes up animals come from?” Let’s discuss it with our neighbor and then share with the class.
Example: Animals eat other plants and animals. This gives them organic matter and energy.
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Instruction day 5 (pages 15 - 17): Read, cut and discuss
Summary: How is breathing a part of the carbon cycle?
Lesson objective: Students connect how carbon enters and exits their system. Students connect how carbon in the air they exhale will be used by plants.
Introduction: We just learned that we can get carbon by eating, but that’s not the only way carbon moves in an ecosystem. Breathing is an important part too! In the book we sometimes see “CO2”, what does that represent? (Carbon dioxide.) Exactly, CO2 is just a shorter way of saying carbon dioxide. The carbon that is in your cells because you have eaten food will get released when you breathe out. Let’s find out how our bodies make that happen!
Instructions: Read the paragraph on page 205 slowly so students understand each part of the process. Use Guiding Questions as you find helpful. Study the diagram on page 206 and use it to answer the questions beneath it.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: The Carbon Cycle explains how plants and animals use Carbon Dioxide to survive. How exactly do plants get energy from CO2?
Example: They use the Carbon for photosynthesis, which gives the plants energy!
Ask: The Carbon Cycle teaches us that plants and animals depend on each other to survive. What would happen if all the plants in the world were gone? Would animals be able to survive without them?
Example: Plants give off Oxygen, which animals need to survive. If all the plants were gone, then animals would not be able to survive. Humans would also not be able to survive. We need plants, and plants need us.
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Instruction day 6 (pages 18 - 26): Hands-on Activity: Play Pass the Carbon!
Summary: Play Toss the Carbon!
Lesson Objective: Students are introduced to the idea of carbon moving around within an ecosystem. Students play different roles within an ecosystem to understand how they might pass along carbon.
Introduction: Carbon is commonly found in two parts of an ecosystem: first in the air as carbon dioxide and second in cells, both plant and animal. Today we’ll do a simple representation of how carbon moves within an ecosystem. You all get to be a part of a grassland ecosystem!
Materials Needed: (For each student) scissors and tape. (For each group of 4-5 students) a ball to toss
Instructions:
-Have students carefully tear out the page with their Action Die then cut, fold and tape according to the directions. Only two of the tabs will be able to be taped, the third will just be folded inside and you can use extra pieces of tape to secure any open edges. Only one die is needed per group so students that make mistakes are okay.
-Explain that the ball represents the carbon in the environment. It can either be the carbon in carbon dioxide (air) or it can be carbon in your cells depending on what is happening. If you are the organism with the ball then you are also the organism with the die.
-Go over each of the actions on the die and show how they can find out what happens to them based on their organism card. Any organism that rolls Lightning gets burned and its carbon is released to the atmosphere; the ball is placed in the middle.
-There is not a winner! This is not a game to be won, this is an activity to represent a cycle. We will play each round for a few minutes then switch who is which organism.
-Students will sit in a circle on the floor and randomly draw which card they are from the stack of 5. Once they are seated, all have chosen a role and there is a die to roll then you place the ball in the center of the circle.
-Use a board to list the organisms that will live in each small group: Grass (remove this card if the group is only 4 students), Blueberry shrub, Rabbit, Coyote (omnivore, eats both Blueberries and Rabbits) and Beetle (the decomposer). When you are one of these species you represent ALL of those species in the ecosystem so if you’re a rabbit that gets eaten by a coyote you are not “out”, you just play as a different rabbit the next time. All students will get to be different species so if you start as Grass you won’t be Grass the next time. The center of your circle will represent the atmosphere.
-”There is carbon in your atmosphere, which organisms can use the carbon in the air?” Students should be able to answer “plants” and if there are two plant species then they decide which one of them gets the ball first. (Or they can rock-paper-scissors for it.)
-Tell the first plant to toss the die and read the action. “What happens to you? Where does your carbon go with that action?” They can use their Species Card to see to whom to toss the ball based upon the action. When the ball is passed onto another species then the die is passed to them as well.
-Have students play for ~3 minutes for the first round, long enough that they get the hang of it. Once you see understanding and comfort with the process then have students change cards to become something completely different (plants should become an animal, coyote and rabbit should become plants or decomposers).
-Play as many rounds as you like, but be sure to save some time for them to answer the Explore the Phenomenon question: “How can carbon move within an ecosystem?”
Teacher Video: Carbon Toss Directions
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Instruction day 7 (pages 27 - 31): Read, discuss and create
Summary: Carbon rich matter cycles through an ecosystem. All food can be traced back to plants.
Lesson Objective: Emphasize the importance of the Carbon Cycle and make sure students have a firm understanding of it. Do an activity to help solidify the concept.
Introduction: Today we are going to get creative! Each of us is going to create a diagram that will show how Carbon is passed through the ecosystem. It might look a little like this:
Plants → Animals → Decomposers → Plants (repeats the cycle)
We will make our diagram with a little more detail and explanation, but that is the basic concept of the cycle. Let’s each start on our own and then discuss with our neighbor as needed.
Instructions: Have students create their own Carbon diagram. Discuss how all food can be traced back to plants. Cut out the squares on Page 29 and paste them to show how they were all once plants. (Save the “What’s in a candy bar?” tiles for tomorrow!)
Guiding Questions:
Ask: It says in our book that all food can be traced back to plants. But what about things like milk and butter? How are those traced back to plants?
Example: Milk and butter come from cows. Cows eat plants to survive. So milk and butter can be traced back to plants!
Ask: What about things like bread and hamburger buns? How do those come from plants?
Example: Bread contains wheat, which is a plant.
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Instruction day 8 (pages 32 - 34): Read, draw, and discuss
Summary: See how all foods, even a candy bar, come from plants.
Lesson Objective: Break down the ingredients in a candy bar to show how they come from plants. Write down your favorite recipe and see how it comes from plants.
Introduction: Did you know that all foods, even candies and sweet treats, come from plants? It’s not just milk and butter that can be traced back, but ALL foods and treats! We are going to look at the ingredients in a candy bar to see exactly where they come from.
Instructions: Use the “What’s in a Candy Bar” tiles from Page 29 and paste them into the appropriate boxes on Pages 32 and 33. Use page 33 to explain how each candy bar ingredient is traced back to plants. Have the students write down their favorite recipe on Page 34 and label each ingredient, explaining how it is derived from plants.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: Plants, such as rice and sugarcane, give energy to animals when we eat it. Where does that energy come from? How do plants like rice and sugarcane harness that energy?
Example: Through Photosynthesis! Plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create energy. When we eat plants, we gain this energy!
Ask: We’ve already talked about how butter and milk come from plants. But what about caramel? How could a sticky, sugary substance come from plants?
Example: Caramel is a mixture that is made from butter, milk cream, and burnt sugar. These 3 ingredients come separately from plants. When mixed together, they make yummy caramel!
Ask: We all need to think of a favorite food that we love. What are some of your favorite foods?
Example: Hamburgers! Pizza! Chocolate chip cookies!
Those are all yummy foods. Let’s each draw a picture of our favorite food. Then, write down the ingredients in that food. (We will use the example of a hamburger.)
Ask: What ingredients are in a hamburger?
Example: A bread bun, meat patty, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, etc.
Ask: Now let’s trace these ingredients back to plants. Let’s take the example of the hamburger patty. How does meat come from plants?
Example: A hamburger patty is made from cow’s meat. Cows feed on grass to survive. This means that hamburger meat is derived from plants.
Good! That’s right. Let’s take some time to write out how the rest of the ingredients can also be traced back to plants.
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Instruction day 9 (pages 35 - 39): Read, write and discuss
Summary: See how different species in an ecosystem interact with one another.
Lesson Objective: Talk about the difference between producers and consumers. Discuss different types of consumers, including herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, and decomposers. Discuss how plants and animals interact with one another to produce a healthy ecosystem. Learn about the food web in the tide pools of California, and how all the different species are interconnected.
Introduction: Have you ever seen a spider’s web? If you have, you may have noticed that they are made from a bunch of small, silky strings that are all connected together. Despite looking small and flimsy, spider webs are actually quite strong. They are made from a type of silk that comes from proteins. You may have also noticed that spider webs are all connected. The silk connects the web from the center to the outer edge, from the left to the right side, and from the top to the bottom. Similarly, the species in an ecosystem are all connected to one another. Plants connect to animals, and animals connect to other animals, and then back to plants. Just like how spiders create spider webs, the species in an ecosystem create a web that is called a “food web.” A food web describes how all the species in a specific environment are interconnected in order to create a healthy ecosystem. Today we are going to discuss the food web in the tide pools of California and see how different species coexist to create a healthy place to live.
Instructions: Read page 35 and follow the instructions to label each plant or animal as a producer of a consumer. Learn about the food web in the tide pools of California by reading pages 35-36. Discuss how the consumers and producers are all related and how they are each important to the ecosystem. Read page 38 and answer the questions on page 39.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: Today we talk about the difference between herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, and decomposers. Based on what we read about in the book, which category do you and I fall in?
Example: Omnivores! Humans eat both plants and meat, so we are omnivores.
Ask: The book says that decomposers are consumers. It seems like they just feed off of dead stuff. Why are they important to the ecosystem?
Example: Because they break down things to help the cycle of matter. When decayed material is broken down, it can be taken and used to provide new life and growth.
Ask: In this food web, it looks like there are several fish and sea animals that have to compete for food. Is this competition a good thing or a bad thing?
Example: Competition can be a good thing! When animals compete, they become stronger and faster. This is a mechanism that allows the animals to be better prepared for survival.
Read page 38 to get more insight into the tide pool ecosystem in California. Discuss the questions on page 39 and have the students write their answers.
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Additional Resources
Video: Exploring Ecosystems
Video: Why should we care about coral reefs?
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Instruction day 10 (pages 40 - 47): Hands on activity: Discover Tide Pool Creatures!
Summary: Search through the tidepool sand sample to discover many of the organisms that exist on the beaches of California.
Lesson Objective: Learn about the different sea shells and sea animals in the tidepools. Be able to identify and name them, and understand how they are each important to the ecosystem as a whole.
Introduction: Have you ever visited the ocean and walked along the beach, noticing different objects in the sand as you walk? If you go into the ocean tidepools, you will see even more objects: shells, barnacles, worms, crabs, and more! Since the ocean is so far away, we decided to bring it to you. Today we are going to look at a beach sand sample and identify different objects from the tide pool ecosystem.
Materials Needed: Toby tweezers, Scissors, Petri dish, Meeka microscope, Tide pool sand sample
Instructions:
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Use your scissors to cut the boxes on page 41. These are the cards that you will use to help identify your findings from the sand sample.
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Get a petri dish full of tide pool sediments. Sort through it and identify any interesting items that you find using the “Tide Pool Creature Identification Key” on page 43.
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When you find the remains of an organism, find its card and mark it off.
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Identify whether the organism is a Producer or a Consumer.
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Glue the cards on its corresponding space on pages 44-47. Fill out the information regarding each organism below its picture.
Click the picture for more lab resources!
Tide Pool Sand Sorting
Students sort sand from tide pool and identify the producers and consumers.
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Teacher Prep Video: Carbon Cycle Sediment
Class Video: Sorting Sand from a Tide Pool Ecosystem
Guiding Questions:
Ask: These sand samples come from Tidepools on the beaches of California. What exactly is a Tide pool?
Example: They are areas between the ocean and the land where sealife can be found.
Yes! Tide Pools are formed from shallow pools of seawater that form on the rocky intertidal shore. They are known for holding all kinds of sea life, including snails, barnacles, starfish, crustaceans, and more.
Ask: We know that animals such as fish and crabs are important to the ecosystem because they are consumers. But what about seashells? What purpose do they serve in the tide pool ecosystem?
Example: Animals, like crabs and snails, live inside seashells.
That’s true. Seashells provide a hard, protective cover for animals that need a shield against predators in the ocean. Sandcrabs use a small shell when they are little. As they grow, they leave their tiny shell behind and find shelter in a larger shell. Old shells wash up on shore, which can be found as we dig through the ocean sand.
Ask: On pages 44-47, we are going to fill out information about each organism that we find in our sand. Let’s do the first one (“Sea Urchin”) together. We need to check one of the boxes in order to state whether the organism is a Producer or a Consumer. Which one is a sea urchin?
Example: It says on the card that sea urchins eat seaweed and kelp all day. This means that they are Herbivores, which are a type of Consumer.
Ask: Correct, sea urchins are consumers! Now let’s describe how they fit into the tide pool ecosystem. Does anyone have any ideas of how they fit?
Example: Because they are herbivores, sea urchins help get rid of excess seaweed and kelp. They maintain the balance between animal and plant life in tidepools and coral reefs.
That balance between animal and plant life is so important. Sea urchins are important components of the tide pool. Now let’s go through the rest of this activity and talk about how each organism fits into the ecosystem as a whole.
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Instruction day 11 (pages 48 - 49): Hands on Activity: Species research
Summary: New and invasive species can affect, and even damage, an entire ecosystem.
Lesson Objective: Understand how invasive species can alter an entire ecosystem. Participate in a research project to learn about a specific invasive species and its impact on other organisms. Make a poster and present your findings to the class.
Introduction: Does anybody in this classroom have a pet at home? Raise your hand if you do! Getting a new pet can be so fun, but it can also be a big adjustment. What are some of the things you have to adjust to when getting a new pet? (Feed them, Take them outside, Clean up after them, etc). Similarly, when an ecosystem has a new animal species arrive, the rest of the environment has to adjust to it. Sometimes, new animals can be a benefit to the ecosystem. Other times, the new species can damage the ecosystem. Let’s read page 49 to learn about how a new snake species affected the ecosystem on the island of Guam.
Instructions: Read page 48 and learn about how the brown tree snakes affected the ecosystem and bird population in Guam. Split the class into groups and have each group do a research project about an invasive species. Each group will make a poster with their findings and present it to the class. Answer the guiding questions at the bottom of page 49.
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Guiding Questions:
Ask: The book uses the term “invasive species” when talking about new animal species that arrive in an ecosystem. What does the word “invasive” mean to you guys? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Example: Invasive means to enter and take over. It means the new species comes into the ecosystem and takes control of it. This can be a bad thing because it can damage the rest of the organisms that live there.
Students will split into groups and complete their research project on page 49.
Ask: The second guiding question asks how the invasive species affected the ecosystem. What were some of your answers?
Example: With the brown snake, the rest of the ecosystem was harmed. The bird population became almost completely extinct. This was very bad for the ecosystem on the island of Guam.
Students can discuss answers from the guiding questions with their peers and share with the class.
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Instruction day 12 (pages 50 - 54): Read and discuss
Summary: Human activities, such as driving gasoline cars, using factories, and cutting down the rainforests, can cause global warming and damage the environment.
Lesson Objective: Help students understand how the Carbon Cycle is negatively impacted by human activity. Learn about how global warming has damaged the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Introduction: Many of us have heard the term “global warming”. This phrase is used to describe the warming of the Earth’s climate by human activities. There are things that we do every day, like driving cars, that contribute to global warming. Let’s read in the book to learn about some other things that harm our environment.
Instructions: Read pages 50 and 51. Help students grasp the concept of greenhouse gases and global warming. Read pages 52 and 53 and discuss the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Use the guiding questions to help students understand the material. Discuss page 54 with students.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: Let’s look at the picture at the bottom of page 50. Can you name some of the things in that photo that pollute the environment?
Example: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, an airplane.
Ask: What about factories? Why are those bad for the environment?
Example: Factories burn fuel. When the fuel is released into the environment, it also releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The CO2 releases heat into the environment, which contributes to global warming.
Ask: We learn from our book that global warming increases the ocean temperature, which increases the amount of natural disasters. When the climate is warmer, there are more hurricanes, fires, cyclones, tornados, and heat waves. Why do you think this happens?
Example: The warmer ocean temperature provides more energy which fuels storms. As storms (like a hurricane) travel across the ocean, they draw in heat to become more powerful.
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Instruction day 13 (pages 55 - 58): Read, discuss, and do Pop Cards
Summary: We can change our habits to help the environment, reduce carbon emissions, and global warming.
Lesson Objective: Understand that we can make a change. Help students identify specific ways in which they can reduce carbon emissions and help the planet.
Introduction: In our last lesson, we discussed ways in which we contribute to global warming. Things like cars, motorcycles, planes, factories, and power plants hurt the earth. Today, we are going to learn about ways that we can actually slow down or stop global warming. Did you know that there are actually things that you and I can do to stop this from happening? Let’s read to learn more.
Instructions: Read about and discuss the ways that we can slow or stop global warming. Engage students by asking them to share their thoughts and ideas. Cut out the “Pop Cards” on page 57 and 58 and use them to solidify the concepts taught in this unit.
Guiding Questions:
Ask: The Great Barrier Reef is just one example of how global warming can negatively impact the environment. There are similar ecosystems all across the world that are harmed by carbon emissions. Can you think of another example of an ecosystem that is struggling due to human activity?
Example: The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed by human activity. When the rainforests get cut down, the ecosystem suffers and organisms don’t have shelter or food.
Ask: We know that human activity causes carbon emissions, and that we all leave something called a “carbon footprint”. What does that term mean to you?
Example: A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon emissions that we generate through our actions.
So this means that each person leaves a carbon footprint on earth. The more we pollute the earth, the greater our footprint. We want to leave a SMALL carbon footprint, and not a large one.
Ask: Let’s all name three things that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Everyone turn to your neighbor, and together, think of three things we can do to help our planet.
Example: Carpooling with a neighbor, walking, or riding a bike to school.
Those are great examples! Let’s all commit to helping our planet. Remember that small, repeated efforts make a big and lasting change.
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Instruction day 14: Evaluate
Summary: Apply what you’ve learned to answer the questions.
Instructions: Read through each question on page 225 and assign all questions or let students choose two questions to write about. Let them discuss with others where they can find evidence in the article then give them time to write on their own. Encourage them to use diagrams, when appropriate, without copying exactly from the book. Use Guiding Questions as desired.
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