Aquarius Lesson Plan Focus Grade Level Focus Question Learning Objectives: Materials Audio/Visua
l Materials Teaching Time Seat Arrangemen
t Maximum Number of Students Key Words Background Information (Prior Knowledge) Understanding plants and animals within their ecosystem in the ocean according to the function they serve within the food chain. 5th grade How does the food chain work within the ocean and how do we know whom is a predator and whom is a consumer? NC State Objective and Goal Being Addressed: 5.L.2.2 Classify the organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors)/ ***Focusing on Oceanic Food Chains in particular. Learner Objective(s): Students know that organisms in an ecosystem can be producers, consumers, or decomposers. Students know that producers convert energy from the sun into organic matter through the process of photosynthesis. This organic matter is used by producers and consumers as food which provides the energy that fuels basic life processes. Consumers sometimes consume only or mostly other consumers as a food source. Producers and consumers produce wastes as they perform their life processes, and become waste organic matter when they die. Decomposers use these waste materials and other non-­‐living organic matter to fuel their life processes and recycle nutrients that are necessary for producers to carry out their life processes. Many computers, Smart Board in order to project Aquarius and demonstrate how even scientists today are researching and studying animal life and the food chain in the ocean with the assistance of research laboratories such as Aquarius. Smart Board, Aquarius demonstration videos (to go with lecture), computer access for student research, Microsoft Word (template provided) Probably over the course of three days, depending how much time is spent on the activity and how quickly students work/complete the assignment. Desks would be organized into even groups of five if possible. Mostly students would have access to the library and hopefully each a computer so they could work collaboratively yet still independently. 20-­‐25 Predators, plankton, larvae, ecosystem, food chain, algae, bacteria, diatoms, consumers 1. The lesson would begin by what the students already know about ecosystems and animals that thrive within them and how the food chain works. The instructor will discuss a short briefing on basic terminology and definitions that will be covered and comprehended throughout the lesson. Aquarius Lesson Plan -­‐Ecosystem, food chain, predators, consumers, plankton, larvae, algae, bacteria, diatoms. 2. A chart will be completed by what they know, what they want to know, and what they’ve learned (KWL) KWL Template: Opening Activity Learning Procedure ( Activity) 3. Students will understand the food chains within the ocean by creating a diagram of how the basic food chains function. -­‐Using plain white computer paper allow students to draw and label the diagram below as an example to follow. EXAMPLE: (Please excuse my terrible artwork, I am not much of an artist) 4. After creating the basic food chain students will then have access to computers and the library to research some of the animals that would fall into their food chain. Students will be required to investigate two species that fall into each individual portion of the Aquarius Lesson Plan food chain: plant plankton, animal plankton, fish larvae, small fish, and predators. EXAMPLE: 1. Plant Plankton: blue/green algae, and diatoms. 2. Then students should further their knowledge by including the definition of what exactly algae and diatoms are into their chart. 3. Students will determine whether they are consumers or predators and list it within their chart as well. Chart Template: Connections to Other Subjects Closing Activity and Assignment The connections with other subjects would include English because students are learning and defining vocabulary while writing/typing out recorded information about their topics using complete sentences. Technology is also incorporated through the use of toggling between windows, using a chart formation in Word to record research information in order to organize it (I will provide a template to help guide students in creating their columns and row in order to keep their assignment in chart format). Also internet surfing will play a huge role in learning how to manage and navigate the internet, more specifically, using Google. Closing activity will consist of have a small group discussion between groups of five students and share about their different species that they researched and compare material. My students will also complete their K-­‐
W-­‐L chart in order to wrap up assignments and have time to review and reflect as a class through some discussion about interesting facts and concepts and answer any unanswered questions. In closing introduce, the Aquarius Reef Base. It is an underwater research laboratory, the only one of its kind in the world. This ties into our lesson and our research on food chains because scientists have been given the chance to research animal and plant life of the oceans and live underwater for ten days at a time to do so. Scientists are given many extra opportunities to research the ocean and how plants and animal thrive in their ecosystem so in turn students in the classroom can learn about their discoveries. Aquarius Lesson Plan ***Show video clips of Aquarius (display on Smart Board): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj6frb_mHzQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyKAuuwOppY&feature=relmfu Enlighten students about the key facts of Aquarius and how it is a fully functioning reef on the bottom of the ocean off of the Florida Keys. -­‐Aquarius is 63 feet underwater, and aquanauts can live inside the laboratory for ten days at a time to complete research and studies. -­‐ Six bunks, a shower and toilet, instant hot water, a microwave, trash compactor, and a refrigerator even air conditioning and computers linked back to shore by wireless telemetry!. ***Show students what it looks like and the floor plan: (can be found on main website under “About Aquarius”) http://aquarius.uncw.edu/about/ Revert to the initial site to explore with students using the Smart Board and answering questions through class discussion (http://aquarius.uncw.edu/about/). The time frame for this will be approximately 30-­‐45 minutes. Students will turn in their (allow them to print each of their Food Chain Charts), KWL Chart (should have been written in on the KWL Chart Worksheet), and the Food Chain Diagram (they drew on a plain sheet of paper) assignments in a portfolio/printed format with an attached rubric of what is expected for completion. Aquarius Lesson Plan What to turn in specifically: 1. Food Chain Diagram 2. Food Chain Research Chart 3. KWL Chart ***Attach the two following rubric to the previous three assignments. Assessment Rubric For alternative completed work: Other Links and Resources Examples of Student Work can be referred to above within the lesson—
diagram, charts, ect. http://aquarius.uncw.edu/about/ Adapted from Amelia K. Moody’s Power Point Presentation for Assistive Technology Demonstration and Lending Site, Watson School of Education: rubric grading.