Unit Plan: Biological Diversity

Understanding By Design Framework

Course

Science

Grade Level

Subject

Unit A: Biological Diversity

Time Frame

5 weeks

Developed by

Aragon, C., Garcia, M., Hrouda, M., Morin, M.

Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standard(s): Front Matter:
- Social and Environmental Contexts of Science emphasis on the human impact on the fish population
- Nature of Science emphasis on the role of variation in biodiversity
Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas:
Essential Questions:
Students will understand that . . .
Content specific . . .
- The loss of diversity can have astounding
- How does the disappearance of a species affect an
effects on the environment
ecosystem?
- Biological diversity is necessary for survival
- What impact does human activity have on biological
of a species
diversity?
- The applications of science often have
ethical, social, economic and political
Prior Knowledge:
implications
Related misconceptions . . .
Grade 7 Science, Unit A: Interactions and Ecosystem
Losing a species does not affect humans
Species have always gone extinct, so we dont
Unit Emphasis: Social and Environmental Contexts of Science
have to worry about a few animals or plants
and Technology
disappearing
There is nothing I can do to protect the worlds
biodiversity
All species have been discovered
Knowledge objectives (key outcomes): (Alberta
Skills/Attitudes objectives (key outcomes):
Learning, 2003)
Students will be able to . . .
Students will know . . .
- Ask questions about the relationships between and
- Investigate and interpret diversity among
among observable variables, and plan investigations to
species and within species, and describe how
address those questions
diversity contributes to species survival
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and develop
- Investigate the nature of reproductive
and assess possible explanations
processes and their role in transmitting
- Work collaboratively on problems; and use appropriate
species characteristics
language and formats to communicate ideas, procedures
- Describe, in general terms, the role of genetic
and results
materials in the continuity and variation of
- Interest in Science
species characteristics; and investigate and
- Stewardship
interpret related technologies
- Identify impacts of human action on species
survival and variation within species, and
analyze related issues for personal and public
decision making
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
Summative assessment: Create a database to synthesize work for present and future study.
o Students will work together to create a database of all their understandings of course material. They will
synthesize all the information from all disciplines to help understand the problem.
o The database will consist of a least 4 parts, each part representative of a summary of their understandings
of the weeks lessons and how the outcomes contribute to fish sustainability. The different parts will look
at the problem from various perspectives, economic, social, environmental and scientific. The database
will be a collaborative effort from all students, with each group of students contributing to a portion of the
database.
o The database will also provide a media that can be built on in the upcoming years and serve as an ongoing
look into fish sustainability. It will serve as a summary of all perspectives of the problem and synthesize
the art installation.
o The rubric for the database will require student input, this is a tool for developing student understanding
through self and peer evaluation, and provides students with clear expectations of requirements for
success.
o The project in itself was created with differentiation in mind, as students are able to use their individual
skills to contribute to a more collaborative project. There are various aspects to the creation of the
scientific database that will provide an outlet for student engagement.
Student Self-Assessments
Other Evidence (assessments)
Weekly Check-In while working through the
Weekly Journal Reflections
database
Think, Pair, Share
Journal entry check-in
Chaining
Self/Peer Evaluations
Commit & Toss
Class Discussions
T-Chart
Group Discussions
Teacher Monitoring
Exit Card
Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
En = Engage

Lesson Title

Exr = Explore

Exl = Explain El = Elaborate Ev = Evaluate

Lesson Activity

Key
Outco
mes

Class Discussion

Provocation: Excerpt from A

World Without Fish

Explore &
Describe
Evidence of
Human Impact
on Fish

Think, pair, share: Students will

investigate human impacts on fish
populations (pollution, climate
change, overfishing)
Resources to prompt discussion:
- Video: Climate Change
- Video: Pollution
- FNMI Article

Evidence

Key5E

Materials
Resources

Engage

Think, pair share

4a, b

A World
Without
Fish
By: Mark
Kurlansky

Overfishing: Zimbabwe
Case Study
Student rubric
design

Introduce summative project - Show

good/bad examples of databases.
- Ask for student input on
rubric
Provide students with an image of
the oldest fishing tool and the most
modern tool for fishing. Ask each
group of students to theorize how
weve gotten to the advancement of
todays tools.
2

Advancement
in Technology

Create a timeline with the class on a

large piece of paper on the board.
Fill in the missing advancements.

Teacher
monitoring

Engage
Large piece
of paper for
the timeline

4c
Class sharing
Explain

Classification

Point out the role of the

economy/government on the species
variation.
Class discussion, look at inanimate
objects. Students will look into the
process of naming and the reasons
for it. Students will then look at the
similarities and differences between
fish species. How do their names
relate to these commonalities?

Explain
Class Discussion

Exit Card: Own animal with its

classification, what are the relatives
of this animal? What are the
adaptations they use (lead in to next
lesson)?
Pick two examples of student work
from the previous Exit Card, allow
them to share their work with the
class to receive feedback.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis Inquiry Activity (Lord,

n.d.)
Provide each student with an animal
and a description of its role. Ask
each student to pair up with another
student to demonstrate the different
symbiotic relationships.
Explain:
- Teacher will keep track of
symbiotic relationships
created from each round on
the board.

A World
Without
Fish
By: Mark
Kurlansky
Exit Card

Review Exit Card

from last class
Engage
1b, c

Explore
Teacher
monitoring
Self/Peer
monitoring
Group work

Explain

Materials for
Symbiosis
activity

Discuss unique
characteristics of each
organism, how do these
allow for the symbiotic
relationship?
Class discussion

Inquiry: Show students 3 pictures of

animals camouflaged in their
environment. Where is the animal?
Why does it look this way? How
does the camouflage help it survive?

Variation

Watch the simulation from

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/conten
t/selection/stickleback/
Pose questions about what is
happening that encourage
discussion.

Engage
Teacher
monitoring class
discussion

Explain

Natural
Selection

Elaborat
Self/Peer
Evaluations

Heritable vs.
Non-Heritable
Characteristics

Explore
Teacher
monitoring

1b

Discuss adaptive radiation

Explain

FA Week 1 Journal Reflection:

How does what we were learning
contribute to the overarching
problem? Look into African Cichlid
Fish

Elabora

Predator vs. Prey Game:

Each student will be assigned a role
as predator, prey or resource. If
predator, students will go around
capturing the prey. All require
resources to survive. Teacher will
introduce changes to variability or
the environment to change

Images of
camouflage
animals

3, 2, 1 activity

Database - Checkpoint 1

Explore

1b

Formative Assessment: Case study

of the jellyfish. Read an excerpt
from A World Without Fish,
pages 13-17. Allow students to
respond through a 3, 2, 1 activity.

Introduce Charles Darwin,

Galapagos Finches. Show students a
picture of the finches, what are the
variations between the birds? How
might the variability affect natural
selection? Students will develop a
series of steps that would cause the
finches to all have different beaks.
Share their theories with the class.

Simulation

Weekly reflection

Predator vs. Prey

Game

Engage

Rules for the

game

Explore
1d

Popsicle
sticks for
game (acts
as viability
of organism)

dynamics. Monitor student response

to changes for understanding.

10

Asexual vs.
Sexual
Reproduction

Asexual
Reproduction

Sexual
Reproduction

Explain: Adaptability, natural

selection, discrete vs. continuous
- Who would survive to carry
on their genes? Why?
- If hair color is heritable,
than what is non-heritable?

Class participation

Discuss discrete vs. continuous

T-Chart

Database Checkpoint 2

Self/Peer/Teacher
Evaluation

Students will explore reproductive

strategies through an inquiry
activity. Put students into groups of
3-4. Each group are given an
envelope of pictures of animals with
brief description of the animals
lifestyle. They will stick each image
onto the collective table on the
board (sexual, asexual, both)
- As a class, evaluate the
placements. What are the
characteristics of each
category?
Explain: Discuss outliers and
advantages/disadvantages.
FA with whiteboards or paper
signs. Show the class pictures, write
if it is sexual, asexual or both.
Take a closer look into ASEXUAL
reproduction
- Refer to
http://ca.pbslearningmedia.o
rg/resource/tdc02.sci.life.re
pro.lp_reproduce/reproducti
on/ for videos.
- Advantages or
disadvantages? Which
strategy is better? Why?
SEXUAL reproduction
Assess prior knowledge by inquiring
about the animals that reproduce
sexually. List these on the board. In
consideration of these, brainstorm
commonalities of the characteristics
of sexual reproduction.

Sorting of pictures
into columns

Explain

Explore

Pictures of
animals with
a brief
description
Pre-prepared
columns on
the board

2a, c

2a, 3c

Whiteboard
activity

Explain

Small Group and

Class Discussion

Explore
Explain

Videos
Case Study

Think, pair, share

2a, b, d,
e
3c

Paraphrase

Explore

Previously
made
columns
Animation
of
reproductive
cycle

In your own words, come up with

the process at which youd
hypothesize a multicellular embryo
develops. Think, pair, share.
Discuss key terms: sperm cells, egg
cells, fertilization, zygote, cleavage,
embryo. Using an animation,
students will compare their
hypothesized answers to the
animation.
Elaborate - Journal Entry #2
Investigate the critically endangered
smalltooth sawfish. According to
Current Biology, the first genetic
evidence of wild-born
parthenogenetic offspring have
developed, this is a type of asexual
reproduction. Interestingly, these
fish have previously been sexual
reproducers. W
hy would a
previously sexual vertebrate have
developed asexual reproductive
strategies? What are the advantages
and disadvantages of each?
- Relate this back to our
overall problem. How do
reproductive strategies
affect fish biodiversity?
- Discuss these in class, but
students can respond to this
question more thoroughly in
their Week 2 Journal
Response

1. Introduction to
11
: DNA

Database Checkpoint 3
Pose the question: How do we know
we are related to another person? If
we were all alike (asexual), how
would this impact variability?
(Commit & Toss Activity)
- Students will answer the
question on a sheet of paper
anonymously. Then
crumple it up and throw it in
the air. Teacher will pick a
few exemplars, and discuss
responses.
Introduce DNA, genes,
chromosomes, alleles

Self Evaluation

Explain

Week 2 Journal
Response

Elabora

Evaluat

Commit & Toss

Activity

Engage

Pre-cut
paper for
simulating
DNA
activity

3a

Explain
Create your own
DNA molecule

Explore

Students will assemble their own

DNA molecule using the papers
provided, what steps would need to
be made to duplicate this?
Pose students this question: What do
you know about cells? (Chaining
Activity)
- Pass around a sheet of paper
with the question at the top.
Each student must provide a
comment or respond to the
previous comment.

1. Cell Division 12 Mitosis &

Cytokinesis

Define mitosis and cytokinesis.

Provide students with unlabelled
diagrams of each stage of mitosis.
Have them put them in the correct
order, with a rationale for what is
happening in each step (in their own
words)

Chaining Activity
Engage

Class Discussion
and Group
Sequencing
3b

As a class, go through each step,

using student ideas and modifying
as necessary.

Explain

Elaborate by separating the class

into groups, provide each group
with a stage in mitosis, have them
act it out with their bodies. Will be
presented in class the next day.
Formative assessment of mitosis
through presentations. Each group
will present their stages in sequence.
1. Cell Division 13 Mitosis and
Cytokinesis

14

Cell DivisionMeiosis

Class discussion: Think, pair, share.

Provide examples of instances
where mitosis occurs. What role
does mitosis have in embryo
development?
Engage: How does a baby get half
of his/her genes from his/her mother
and half of his/her genes from
his/her father?
Write the words on the board:
diploid cell, haploid cell, gamete,
homologous chromosome, zygote,
crossing over.
- Provide students with
diagrams of meiosis, have
students label each stage
using the terms listed.

Explore

Create your own

explanation of
mitosis using body
movements

3b

Mitosis
presentations using
kinesthetic
movement
Think, pair, share

Elabora

Evaluat

N/A

Engage

Group work
3b

Explore

Pictures of
the stages of
meiosis

Address the terms as they

come up. Provide students
with clues to discerning the
meaning of the words.
Prompt students to assess the
purpose of meiosis and compare
both cell division strategies.

15

16

17

18

19

Cell DivisionMeiosis

Patterns of
Inheritance

Proposed
Solutions

Extension:
Link to Fish
Sustainability

Extension:
Link to Fish
Sustainability

After students have compared

answers, read a description of the
process of meiosis, and have them
evaluate their answers. Self-evaluate
correct and incorrect answers.

Self-eval

Elaborate: Model meiosis using pipe

cleaners. Have students create a
model from the pipe cleaners, with a
rationale of each step. Compare
process to mitosis.

Model their
understandings

3b
Case Study: How would meiosis
have a role in fish inbreeding?
Use your response in Week 3s
Journal reflection.
Bring back to sticklebacks case
study. How can a hybrid stickleback
have phenotypically dominant
characteristics? Offspring? Propose
students with 3 responses to the
question, get them to choose a
response and rationalize their
thinking.
Database checkpoint 4
Each group picks 2 proposed
solution from a bag. Do research on
positive and negative effects of the
solution. Share your findings with
your peers.
Week 4 Journal Reflection
Synthesize understandings from all
courses. Assure students are linking
all perspectives.
Skype conversation with Mark
Kurlansky
Week 5 Journal Reflection: How
has your understandings changed
since Week 1?

Apply
understanding to a
case study
Weekly Journal
Argument
Analysis

Explain

Elabora
Evaluat

Pipe
cleaners

Explore

2c

Self/Teacher/Peer
Evaluation
Teacher
monitoring
4 c,d

Explain
Examples of
solutions in
a bag

Group discussion

Journal Reflections

Evaluat

Formative
assessment

Elaborat
Extend
Computer

Formative
assessment

Elaborat
Extend

Continue work on database

Stage 4 Reflection
Considerations
Comments
Is there alignment between
Yes, the first 3 stages sequentially outlines the progression of the unit. Through a
the first 3 stages?
backward design process, the unit is thoughtfully created with the end assessment in mind
during the creation of the unit. This allows for students to be working towards an
authentic goal, with a purpose in mind. The backwards design process also assures that the
curricular outcomes are being met.
How has learner
Throughout the unit, students are working in both small group, large group and
differentiation been
individually to accomplish certain tasks. They are also being assessed formatively
addressed?
throughout the unit, to assess their understanding and to help them progress individually.
Various formative assessment techniques were used to engage students in the learning. A
few examples include, kinesthetic movement, visual representations, inquiry-based
learning activities, etc. The summative assessment was created with differentiation in
mind. Students are able to contribute their individual skills to the overall database
creation, although a collaborative project, each student is integral in its creation. There are
different aspects required to creating a comprehensive database that analyzes overall
problem, therefore each student has an opportunity to engage in an aspect of the project.
How does the unit design
The project as a whole is interdisciplinary, various disciplines are required to provide an
include a variety of
overall understanding of the complex problem. Science is one perspective being
teaching experiences that
investigated by the students. FNMI considerations are embedded throughout the project.
includes: FNMI,
Big ideas like inquiry based learning, experiential learning, and the integration of
multicultural, and
Aboriginal ways of knowing are underlying the overall curricular outcomes. Students are
interdisciplinary activities.
investigating the effect of fish population decline on Aboriginal nations and the influence
technology has had on their fishing practices.
Sources consulted (APA
Alberta Learning (2003). Science 7-9 [Program of Studies]. [Edmonton], Canada: Alberta
format)
Learning
Genetic Science Learning Centre (n.d.). Stickleback evolution. Retrieved from
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/selection/stickleback/
Lord, J. (n.d.). Exploring symbiosis. Retrieved from
http://oimb.uoregon.edu/Documents/GK12/GK12-Fourth-Symbiosis.pdf
Kurlansky, M. (2011). World without fish. Workman Publishing: New York.
PBS Learning Media (n.d.). Reproduction. Retrieved from
http://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.repro.lp_reproduce/reproduction/

Adapted by Jeff Turner (2014) From:

Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development, Alexander, Virgina.
Llewellyn, D. (2013). Teaching high school science through inquiry and argumentation.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.