Understanding

By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit Subject Developed By Science Sean Mitchell Life Science: Sustainability of Ecosystems Grade Level Time Frame 10-20 hours 10

Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Broad Areas of Learning How are the BAL incorporated into this unit? Sense of Self, Community, and Place: Students possess a positive sense of identity and understand how it is shaped through interactions within natural and constructed environments by examining ecosystems, biodiversity, and population dynamics throughout the world (SE1-SE5). They are able to nurture meaningful relationships and appreciate diverse beliefs, languages, and practices from diverse cultures on our planet by exploring cultural perspectives on sustainability (SE1). Through these relationships, students demonstrate empathy and a deep understanding of self, others, and the influence of place on identity. In striving to balance their intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions, students sense of self, community, and place is strengthened through analyzing population dynamics and identifying cycles, change, and stability in ecosystems around the world (SE3-SE4). Lifelong Learners: Students are curious, observant, and reflective as they imagine, explore, and construct knowledge (SE1-SE5). They demonstrate the understandings, abilities, and dispositions necessary to learn from subject discipline studies, cultural experiences, and other ways of knowing the world by exploring cultural perspectives, biodiversity, population dynamics, cycles and change in ecosystems (SE1-SE4). Such ways of knowing support students appreciation of Indigenous worldviews and learning about, with, and from others. Students are able to engage in inquiry and collaborate in learning experiences that address the needs and interests of self and others by working together, being involved in class discussions, and group activities. Through this engagement, students demonstrate a passion for lifelong learning. Engaged Citizens: Students demonstrate confidence, courage, and commitment in shaping positive change for the benefit of all through investigating human impact on ecosystems and learning ways to live sustainably and reduce these negative effects of humans on ecosystems around the world (SE5). They contribute to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of local and global communities by exploring local and cultural perspectives on sustainability and investigating human impact on ecosystems (SE1 and SE5). Their informed life, career, and consumer decisions support positive actions that recognize a broader relationship with, and responsibility for, natural and constructed environments. Along with this responsibility, students recognize and respect the mutual benefits of Charter, Treaty, and other constitutional rights and relationships. Through this recognition, students advocate for self and others, and act for the common good as engaged citizens by exploring cultural perspectives on sustainability and human impact on ecosystems around the world (SE1 and SE5). Cross curricular Competencies How will this unit promote the CCC?

 Learning Outcomes What relevant goals will this unit address? (must come from curriculum; include the designations e.g. IN2.1) SE1: Explore cultural perspectives on sustainability. SE2: Examine biodiversity within local ecosystems. SE3: Analyze population dynamics within an ecosystem. SE4: Identify cycles, change, and stability in ecosystems. SE5: Investigate human impacts on ecosystems. Enduring Understandings What understandings about the big ideas are desired? (what you want students to understand & be able to use several years from now) What misunderstandings are predictable? Students will understand that... Studying ecological concepts highlights relationships and interdependencies among biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems. Different cultures understand these relationships in different ways, which can lead to differing perspectives on how best to adopt sustainable practices. Sustainability is a paradigm or worldview that refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The dynamic nature of ecosystems is revealed through the study of interrelationships such as the flow of energy through an ecosystem. The actual biodiversity of different types of ecosystems varies, even when those ecosystems are healthy. The change in population of a species may vary over time, due to both natural and human causes. Population dynamics is the study of these changes and the limiting factors that influence populations. Rapid population changes, such as the introduction of an invasive species or the extinction of a species due to bioaccumulation of toxins, may change the nature of interactions and interrelationships within an ecosystem. The Earth is a closed system in which matter is neither created nor destroyed. Nutrients are essential for life cycles through various geochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, and water cycle. Related misconceptions North American cultural perspectives on how best to adopt sustainable practices are superior to other cultures perspectives. Biodiversity is evenly spread over the globe. Knowledge: What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? This content knowledge may come from the indicators, or might also address pre-requisite

Essential Questions What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content? (open- ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked to the content of the enduring understanding) Content specific. What is sustainability? What is biodiversity and how is it measured? How does biodiversity serve as an indicator of an ecosystems health? How does energy flow through an ecosystem? How does protecting at-risk species help to improve an ecosystems health? What natural biotic and abiotic factors influence populations within ecosystems? How do scientists document population dynamics? How does the concept of cycles help humans understand the workings of a complex entity such as an ecosystem? How do carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen cycle through an ecosystem? How do human actions affect nutrient cycles in an ecosystem? Identify and explain some human impacts on ecosystems? FNMI, multicultural, cross-curricular What similarities and differences exist among cultural perspectives of sustainability? What are some at-risk species in Canada or in Saskatchewan that are significant to FNMI people? And how are the significant? How do individual cultures wants and needs influence the sustainability of our planet? Skills What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? List the skills and/or behaviours that students will be able to exhibit as a result of their

knowledge that students will need for this unit. Students will know...

work in this unit. These will come from the indicators.

Students will be able to

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills? (describes the learning activity in story form. Typically, the P.T. describes a scenario or situation that requires students to apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate their understanding in a real life situation. Describe your performance task scenario below) By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged? GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task G Goal The students main assessment will be a group presentation performance task. The student groups have created a What should students accomplish by unique presentation through the web based sharing cite Prezi. The groups will present their prezi presentations to completing this task? myself, my host teacher, and the rest of the class. The students will be asked questions with regards to the knowledge R Role content after their presentations. Each student will be assessed using the following rubric. I will assess each student What role (perspective) will your students be using this rubric and each student will also use this rubric to complete a self-assessment.
taking?

A Audience
Who is the relevant audience?

S Situation
The context or challenge provided to the student.

P Product, Performance
What product/performance will the student create?

S Standards & Criteria for Success

Create the rubric for the Performance Task

EVALUATION OF A PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE Knowledge Content of Ecosystem Sustainability: Listed below are the targets for this case. You will rate yourself on how well you have met the target and we will rate you as well. 1 2 3 4 Did not meet this Mostly met this Met this target I can explain this target. target. (I can completely. (I can target and give explain some of it) explain the whole examples that I target) discovered in my research. _____I can understand the cycling of nutrients and matter through ecosystems by tracking carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. _____I can explain different cultural perspectives on sustainability. _____I can describe the biodiversity within a local ecosystem by identifying a range of organisms. _____I can explain how the biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to its sustainability. _____I can describe the mechanisms of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. _____I can understand population changes within an ecosystem through migration, immigration, and succession. _____I can explain different ways in which populations increase, decrease, and remain constant based on natality rates, mortality rates, and carrying capacity. _____I can understand how humans have affected ecosystems. Other Evidence Student Self-Assessment Through what other evidence (work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, How will students reflect upon or self-assess their learning? journals or other means) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results? Formative and summative assessments used throughout the unit to arrive at the outcomes.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

What teaching and learning experiences will you use to: achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1? equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2? Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going? What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners been ascertained? Have the learners been part of the pre- planning in any way? What individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed? Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical environment be arranged to enhance learning? Problem-based learning (PBL) is an exciting way to learn biology and is readily incorporated into my lessons. PBL engages students in solving authentic biological case problems, stimulating discussion among students and reinforcing learning. A problem-based learning environment emulates the workplace and develops self-directed learners. This is preferable to a mimetic learning environment in which students only watch, memorize, and repeat what they have been told. How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set) I plan on getting the students engaged in this unit by showing a portion of an extremely interesting documentary series called Planet Earth. The series is about all the different biodiversity found around the world in different ecosystems. The series is beautifully captured with amazing cinematography and unique scientific speakers. It truly grabs your attention and investigates all kinds of incredible creatures found on our planet. What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and essential questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge? # Lesson Title Lesson Activities CCCs Resources Social 1 Ecosystem Identify and analyze all key terms involved with ecosystem biodiversity. Construct a list of the important Textbook/ Responsibility, Biodiversity key terms involved with biodiversity within ecosystems through definition, importance, and connection. Internet Literacies, Identity/ terms list for access Interdependen reference and ce, and Thinking. understanding 2 Grassland Examine all biotic and abiotic components involved in a local ecosystem. Identify distinguish all organisms Literacies, Textbook/ Identity/Interd ecosystem and within a local prairie ecosystem. Create a typical prairie food chain and classify the organisms according to ependence, Internet and Thinking. food chain trophic level, consumer level, and how they obtain food. Classify all other organisms within a local prairie access grassland ecosystem. Social 3 World Identify and examine the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems on Earth. Identify and distinguish Textbook/ Responsibility, ecosystems and the organisms and their relationships within different ecosystems around the world. From an ecosystem Internet Literacies, Identity/Interd food chains on Earth, create a food chain and classify organisms according to their trophic level, consumer level, and access ependence, how they obtain food. and Thinking. 4 Extinct, Identify and differentiate species in ecosystems, which are extinct, endangered, vulnerable, threatened, and Social Textbook/ Responsibility, endangered, extirpated. Construct and analyze extinct, endangered, vulnerable, threatened, and extirpated species Internet Literacies, Identity/Interd vulnerable, concept maps. Develop an understanding of each concept and identify examples of species in each. access

threatened, and extirpated species in ecosystems Ecosystem biodiversity summary.

ependence, and Thinking.

Identify and distinguish different components and species of ecosystems. Deliberate ecosystem components and species into specific learned classification systems and species at risk categories. Complete an overview worksheet of diversity in ecosystems by observing a power point presentation consisting of pictures of ecosystem components. Label the correct picture with the correct classification system or species at risk category to ensure topic understanding and knowledge.

Social Responsibility, Literacies, Identity/Interd ependence, and Thinking

Textbook/ Internet access/ PowerPoint presentation

Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)

Considerations
Required Areas of Study: Is there alignment between outcomes, performance assessment and learning experiences? Adaptive Dimension: Have I made purposeful adjustments to the curriculum content (not outcomes), instructional practices, and/or the learning environment to meet the learning needs and diversities of all my students?

Comments
There is a major alignment between outcomes, learning experiences, and performance assessment. The learning outcomes are directly linked and connected to the major performance assessment rubric. The students will be assessed on a rubric scale on how well they researched, presented, and understood all learning outcomes and indicators. For struggling students: Students who struggle with the PBL process will be put into collaborating case groups with students who excel at the process. This will enable them to learn through others as well as maintain success with the unit. Struggling students will also be given the opportunity to show their research and understanding in a variety of ways that suits their needs. For students who need a challenge: Students who need a challenge will be given the opportunity to research as much of the material in each disclosure of the case as they choose. This will push them to aim high and to strive for their best. Each lesson has a small amount of teacher directed instruction and learning, as well as a major component of the PBL process which is student driven learning. Students have access to and use resources daily. The students are required to research through technology-based resources each day. The incorporation of diversity in the lessons is done whenever possible. A diverse classroom is a classroom full of unique experiences and resources. FNMI elders are a unique resource in which Oskayak High school teachers can involve into units.

Instructional Approaches: Do I use a variety of teacher directed and student centered instructional approaches? Resource Based Learning: Do the students have access to various resources on an ongoing basis? FNM/I Content and Perspectives/Gender Equity/Multicultural Education: Have I nurtured and promoted diversity while honoring each childs identity?