curtis_-_lesson_3_-ecosystems

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Life Science Lesson Project
Kristan Curtis
EDU 567 / Science Methods
Lesson Project 3
(Life Science, Grades 6-8)
Nov. 3, 2013
Life Science Lesson Project
Ecosystems and Invasive Species
Image: http://www.gaeppc.org/curriculum/
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Content Knowledge: Ecosystems and Invasive Species
It is easy to confuse the concept of an ecosystem with that of a habitat. A habitat
is the environment or living space that provides living creatures with the food, water and
shelter they need to survive (Pipe, 2005) whereas an ecosystem is a much broader
concept. The “Eco” in the word Ecosystem comes from the Greek word for “house”
(Davis, 2007). Ecosystems comprise everything that makes up the “house” as well as the
organisms that reside in it (Davis, 2007). Thus an ecosystem encompasses all of the
living (biotic) things (plants, animals and organisms) in a particular area; all of the nonliving (abiotic) things in the area, and the ways in which the biotic elements interact both
with each other and with the abiotic components of the system. (Davis, 2007 & eSchool
Today, 2010). Again, it is important to note, any interactions are considered part of the
ecosystem.
Examples of non-living ecosystem components include such environmental
factors as weather, water, sun, soil, and climate (Andre Rader Studios, 2013 & Davis,
2007). Other abiotic components of an ecosystem might include amount of rainfall,
temperature fluctuation or natural fires (Davis, 2007). All of these components help to
establish what types of organisms are able to live in a given ecosystem (Davis, 2007).
So, for instance, a pond ecosystem might include the air breathed by animals in the
system, the water they swim in, any plants living in the pond and the rocks and mud at
the bottom of the pond, as well as all animals and organisms living in the pond (Pipe,
2005). The prosperity of an ecosystem is dependent upon the energy moving in and out
of the system (Andrew Rader studios, 2013).
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In the study of ecosystems, interactions and connections must be understood. For
example, in a field ecosystem,
“the plants in the field anchor the soil. Worms and beetles are … moving around
in the soil, loosening it. This makes it easier for … burrowing animals such as
gophers or moles to create the tunnels… in which they live. The tunnels create
mounds in the field. The mounds … affect how the water flows through the field
when it rains…” (Davis, 2007).
Obviously, the biotic parts of an ecosystem interact with the abiotic parts, but they also
interact with each other. Bees pollinate flowers, animals eat plants and each other, and
worms and bacteria consume dead organic matter (Davis, 2007). Understanding these
interactions is important not only in understanding the concept of an ecosystem, but in
grasping the idea that introducing an external factor to an ecosystem is potentially
devastating, as it may disrupt the balance of interaction and thus cause harm to the
system.
There is a large array of concepts and vocabulary involved in the study of
ecosystems. Students must have an understanding not only of the concept of
“ecosystem,” but of a variety of related concepts such as: habitat (explained above);
biotic; abiotic; individuals; population; communities; niche; diversity; energy flow;
producers and decomposers; primary, secondary and tertiary consumers; food chains and
webs; trophic levels and energy transfer; competition; resources; herbivore; carnivore and
omnivore (Davis, 2007 & eSchool Today, 2010 & Pipe, 2005). Further concepts include
primary and secondary succession and an understanding of the types of relationships
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between organisms, such as, predator/prey, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism and
parasitism (eSchool Today, 2010 & Davis, 2007).
Students may need to understand the ideas of micro- and messo-ecosystems and
biomes (eSchool Today, 2010). The carbon, nitrogen and water cycles may also come
into play in the study of ecosystems (eSchool Today, 2010 & Davis, 2007). While there
is insufficient space here to go into depth on each of these topics, a Google search for any
concept listed or for “ecosystem vocabulary” will provide resources that offer
understanding of these terms, and Davis (2007) gives succinct summations of a very large
number of them. Teachers can and should access these resources as lessons require.
For this particular lesson, an understanding of invasive species is also required.
According to Simberloff (2013), a biological invasion occurs when a species that does
not naturally occur in a given region is introduced to the region and establishes a
population. If this new species is able to spread within the region, the species is then
called “invasive.” McGinley and Duffy (2011) define an invasive species as a non-native
species “whose introduction [to an ecosystem] does or is likely to cause economic or
environmental harm or harm to human health.”
Invasive species can be plants, animals, or other organisms (such as microbes)
(McGinley and Duffy, 2011). Most non-native or invasive species are introduced into an
ecosystem by humans; some deliberately and some by accident (Simberloff, 2013). Once
they are introduced, invasive species may do damage – oftentimes-severe damage – to
existing ecosystems by disrupting interactions between native species and between
species and their environments (McGinley and Duffy, 2011 & Simberloff, 2013). It is
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important to note that not all artificially introduced species do damage (Simberloff,
2011).
Invasive species are second only to destruction (e.g., deforestation) in threatening
the biodiversity of habitats (McGinley and Duffy, 2011). Nearly half of US endangered
species are at risk due to the effects of invasive (or artificially introduced) species or
because of these species’ impacts in combination with other ecosystem processes
(McGinley and Duffy, 2011). Introduced species are deemed to be more of a threat to
native biodiversity than pollution, harvest, and disease combined (McGinley and Duffy,
2011). Invasive species endanger biodiversity by causing disease, acting as predators or
parasites, competing with native species for resources, changing habitat or cross-breeding
with local species (McGinley and Duffy, 2011).
Invasive species do damage in a variety of ways. Because they have no natural
predators in a new ecosystem, they may flourish unchecked, thereby claiming large
amounts of nutrients, water and/or space and leaving less for native species, who may not
be able to survive (The National Invasive Species Council, n.d.). Invasive animal species
might prey on and severely diminish certain populations; and invasive plants, depending
on their growth and root patterns or systems, may have profound effects on erosion or the
water cycle (The National Invasive Species Council, n.d.).
Invasive species can have much larger effects as well. The Gypsy moth, for
example, was introduced in North America by Massachusetts naturalist hoping to use it
as a source of silk (Simberloff, 2011). Several caterpillars escaped and, over the next
eighty years, attacked 300 tree species and spread more than halfway across the United
States (Simberloff, 2011). Containment efforts ultimately led to the US Government
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spraying millions of acres with DDT in 1950s which did not contain they Gypsy moths,
but did do massive damage to other insects, birds, and finally people (Simberloff, 2011).
Individual states are still spending millions of dollars per year in attempts to control
Gypsy moth populations (Simberloff, 2011). Clearly, then, invasive species have the
potential to damage not only ecosystems but the economy and public health as well.
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References
Andrew Rader Studios. (2013). An ecological system. In Rader’s Geography 4 Kids.
Retrieved Oct. 25, 2013, from
http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_ecosystem.html.
Davis, B. (2007). Biomes and ecosystems. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Publishing.
ESchool Today (2010). Your cool facts and tips on ecosystems. In eSchool Today.
Retrieved Oct. 26, 2013 from http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-anecosystem.html.
McGinley, M. and Duffy, J.E., (April 8, 2011). Invasive species. In Encyclopedia of
Earth. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2013, from http://eol.org/info/460.
Pipe, J. (2005). Earthwise: Ecosystems. Mankato, MN: Stargazer Books.
Simberloff, D. (2013). Invasive species: What everyone needs to know. NY: Oxford
University Press.
The National Invasive Species Council, (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. In The
National Invasive Species Council. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2013 from
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/main_nav/mn_faq.html.
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Children’s misconceptions within this topic
For a variety of reasons, children may hold inaccurate knowledge about science
subjects. Most commonly, according to Gomez-Zwiep (2008), children “fill in the gaps”
in their knowledge with ideas of their own. If these misconceptions are not rooted out
and addressed, studies show that they may persist into adulthood (Gomez-Zwiep, 2008
and Allen, 2006). Understanding possible misconceptions within the topics of
ecosystems and invasive species and checking for them before, during and after the
lesson will be vital to successful teaching on this topic.
According to Fries-Gaither (2009), the list of possible student misconceptions
within this topic is extensive. For example, students may believe that plants are
dependent upon humans rather than that humans (and other animals) depend upon plants
for their survival (Armstrong, 2007 & Fries-Gaither, 2009), or that plants are defenseless
against herbivores, when in fact many plants have defense mechanisms that make them
difficult to digest or even toxic (Fries-Gaither, 2009).
Students may think that there are more herbivores because they have more
offspring (Hillman, 2013) or because herbivores are kept and/or cared for by humans
(Armstrong, 2007 & Fries-Gaither, 2009). They may believe that species higher on a
food chain or food web are predators to everything below (Armstrong, 2007 & FriesGaither, 2009 & Hillman, 2013), or that organisms higher up the food chain have more
energy because that energy accumulates upward through the chain (Armstrong, 2007 &
Fries-Gaither, 2009 & Hillman, 2013).
According to Fries-Gaither (2009), students often think that an ecosystem is
simply a collection of independent organisms, rather than understanding that ecosystems
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“include not just the organisms but also the interactions between organisms and between
the organisms and their physical environment” (Fries-Gaither, 2009). They also may
believe that communities of organisms do not change or change very little, even over
time (Armstrong, 2007). Students may believe that some organisms in an ecosystem are
unimportant and that changes in their population size will not affect the ecosystem, when
in fact all organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent (Fries-Gaither, 2009).
Students might expect that organisms coexist within ecosystems because they
have similar needs and behaviors – that all species in an ecosystem “get along,” rather
than understanding the competitive and predatory relationships that may be taking place
(Armstrong, 2007 & Fries-Gaither, 2009); that adaptation is the same as evolution
(Armstrong, 2007); that soil decreases in fertility over time (Armstrong, 2007); or that
new traits are developed by individuals (rather than over generations) in response to the
specific needs of those individuals (Fries-Gaither, 2009).
According to Armstrong (2007), students may believe that all populations are in
either a constant state of decline or a constant state of growth, depending on their position
in the food chain, or that population numbers will continue to grow until a limit is
reached, and then the population will falter and become extinct (Armstrong, 2007).
In short, a very wide range of student misconceptions is possible within the topic
of ecosystems. It will be of special importance for any teacher to be aware of the many
possibilities for erroneous thinking within this topic. For some excellent resources on
student misconceptions, use the two websites cited above and listed in the “References”
section below.
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References
Allen, R. (2006). Priorities in practice: The essentials of science, grades K–6: Effective
curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
Armstrong, M. (April 23, 2007). Common Ecological Misconceptions. In Overcoming
Ecological Misconceptions. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from
http://ecomisconceptions.binghamton.edu/carrycapacity.htm.
Fries-Gaither, J. (April, 2009). Common Misconceptions about Biomes and Ecosystems.
In Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/tundra-life-in-the-polarextremes/common-misconceptions-about-biomes-and-ecosystems.
Gomez-zwiep, S. (2008). Elementary teachers' understanding of students' science
misconceptions: Implications for practice and teacher education. Journal of
Science Teacher Education, 19(5), 437-454.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10972-008-9102-y
Hillman, S. (2013). Children’s ideas in science. Taken from
http://homepage.mac.com/vtalsma/misconcept.html, July 15, 2010.
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Lesson Plan
Title of Lesson: Alien Invasion!
(Adapted in part from Vital Signs. (March 19, 2013). Research jigsaw: Japanese
knotweed. In Vital Signs. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2013, from http://vitalsignsme.org/researchjigsaw-japanese-knotweed and Vital Signs. (n.d.). Mission: Invasive species. In Vital
Signs. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2013, from http://vitalsignsme.org/mission-invasive-species and
Vital Signs. (n.d.). Analysis: Biodiversity. In Vital Signs. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2013, from
http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-biodiversity)
Unit: Ecosystems
(NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea: LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems.)
Driving Question: How do changes in an ecosystem affect populations?
Lesson Objectives:
 Students will explain that availability of resources has an effect on
organisms in an ecosystem.
 Students will analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of
resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an
ecosystem.
 Students will construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that
changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect
populations.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): MS-LS2-1: Analyze and interpret data to
provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of
organisms in an ecosystem. (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect
relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of
organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.) MS-LS2-4:
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or
biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. (Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about
changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments
about changes to ecosystems.)
List of materials:
 Ecosystem vocabulary cards (in a hat, bowl, etc.)
 Laminated Food Web poster and dry erase markers (or Smart Board poster)
 Laptops (one per student or one per group) or research packets containing
printed materials from web resources included in lesson
Field tools (species ID cards, quadrats, pencils, measuring tape, etc. as
described in web links in lesson)
Science notebooks
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Procedures
Note: this lesson is designed to come at the end of a unit on ecosystems. Prior vocabulary
and content knowledge is assumed.
Engage: Seat students in heterogeneous fieldwork groups prior to starting the lesson.
“We’ve been doing a lot of studying about ecosystems in the past few weeks. In this
bowl, I have some vocabulary cards. As I approach your group, I’d like you to pick out
one card and then work in your group to come up with the best definition you can for the
word on your card.” Once students have had a chance to do this, have each group present
their definition to the class. Ask the class to offer feedback on the definition (“Suzy, what
do you think of this definition? Bob, is there anything you would add?”) You may
choose to do all cards in this manner, or simply go through each group once, completing
only a few definitions to activate prior knowledge.
At the front of the room, display a food web poster from which all arrows have been
removed (see sample). Together as a class, begin discussing the interrelationships of the
organisms shown on the poster, and begin filling in arrows. Ensure that the vocabulary
you just reviewed is being used when appropriate. It may be helpful to use different
colored markers for different animals so arrows are easier to read (see example). It’s not
necessary that the entire poster be completed. What is important is that students see and
discuss the interrelationships that exist between the living and non-living things in the
ecosystem.
(Note: This lesson is written to go from very broad to very narrow, to help students
extrapolate concepts to a variety of scenarios. For that reason, the sample food web
included at the end of the lesson depicts a Pacific coast ecosystem. Teachers might
choose to keep a local focus with the lesson, and thus use a poster showing local species,
or go even broader and choose, for example, an arctic or rainforest system.)
During completion of the poster, ask guiding questions and ensure students understand
the relationships between organisms in the ecosystem:
“Can you tell from looking at these animals what sort of ecosystem this is?”
“The Key says ‘gives energy to.’ What do we mean by that?”
“Which organisms on this poster give energy to which other organisms?”
“Where are the Producers? Decomposers? Consumers?”
“Remember we are thinking about ecosystems. What abiotic components could we add
to this poster?” (Sun, water, etc.)
“How do the ‘tertiary consumers’ on this poster put energy back into the system?”
When a portion of the poster has been completed, and you feel that students are
demonstrating a good grasp of concepts, stop and ask students: “If I were going to wipe
out one whole category on this poster, which one would probably have the most
devastating effect on this ecosystem?” Guide students, if necessary, to identify the row
of plants and insects (producers and decomposers). Ask them to name some ways that
this level of the food web could be significantly damaged. Students might come up with
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such ideas as forest fires, disease, drought, etc.
Write the term “Invasive Species” on the board. Spend a few moments asking students if
they know what this term means and, if necessary, parse with them the meaning of the
word “invasive.” Explain that students will be researching invasive species – and a
particular invasive species – in jigsaw groups.
Explore: Divide students into jigsaw groups. Distribute laptops (or a prepared research
packet with printouts) and the Research Jigsaw handout to each group. Ask groups to use
the resources provided and work together to answer their group’s research question. If all
students have laptops, one or two students in each group may research one link on the
handout, and then students can combine their results. Otherwise, students might share a
laptop, investigate links together, discuss and compose notes, an outline or a paragraph.
Each student in the group should bring a copy of their notes back to their fieldwork
groups. It will be very important to circulate through the classroom during this exercise.
The teacher must ensure that students are using laptops only for the task at hand, and
students may need scaffolding to understand the language on some sites, or how to use
the interactive website maps effectively.
Once research is complete, students should return to their fieldwork groups and share the
information they’ve learned. Students should then record in their Science Journals a
summation of research and their predicted answer to the research question, “Are invasive
species affecting populations in our local ecosystem?” Advise them to include
reasons/evidence to support their predictions.
Explain: Ask fieldwork groups to share their predictions and supporting reasons with the
class. Discuss the research and predictions, ensuring that each group has been
comprehensive in their use of supporting evidence. (“Did anything you learned surprise
you? Why?” “Why do you think so?” “What evidence supports that idea?” “Could
anyone add anything to that?” Discuss, using open questions and Talk Moves, how this
research is pertinent to our earlier discussion of ecosystems. (“Why would we look at
invasive species as part of our unit on Ecosystems?” “What might you expect to see in
our local ecosystem if your prediction is true?” “Would you make the same predictions if
we were looking at a desert or tundra ecosystem? Why?” Why is Japanese knotweed not
of concern in Japan?” “Can anyone rephrase that in their own words?”) Guide students
to apply the ideas that an invasive species will cause changes to available resources in an
ecosystem, that Knotweed might not be a problem in a different ecosystem, but that any
ecosystem might have its own invaders and that in their native habitats, species have
predators/consumers that keep the system in check. Ask students to write an entry in
their science notebooks that relates their earlier research and predictions to the study of
ecosystems in general.
Elaborate/Extend: Take students out into the field to see if they can prove that the
presence of knotweed decreases biodiversity and thus also decreases resources. (Prior to
the lesson, use the Vital Signs map at http://vitalsignsme.org/explore/map to locate
Japanese Knotweed growth close to your school – locations are plentiful.) Ensure that
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each fieldwork group has the necessary identification cards, tools and datasheets for an
Upland Species & Habitat Survey. Japanese Knotweed ID cards may be found here:
http://vitalsignsme.org/sites/default/files/content/ui_fallopia_japonica_062912.pdf
An equipment list is available here:
http://vitalsignsme.org/sites/default/files/content/equipment_SHUpland_092309.pdf and
datasheets are available here:
http://vitalsignsme.org/sites/default/files/content/level2_upland.pdf
Once in the field, complete the Vital Signs Invasive Species mission found here:
http://vitalsignsme.org/mission-invasive-species and/or here:
http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-biodiversity.
Note: for the purpose of this lesson,
students need only complete the
biodiversity mission – to compare the
biodiversity in quadrats placed in a cluster
of knotweed and quadrats placed outside
of a cluster of knotweed. In other words,
have half of the groups place their
quadrats in knotweed and count plant and
animal species within the quadrat. The
other groups should place their quadrats in
vegetation away from the knotweed and
count the species they find there. It is not
Image: http://www.nhbs.com/q2_quadrat_tefno_159626.html
strictly necessary to complete the Vital
Signs invasive species knotweed mission, although this is a great way for students to
become “citizen scientists” and contribute to their communities if the teacher chooses to
set up a class account and submit data. If you choose not to complete the full mission,
you may want to design simplified datasheets for your students and reduce the equipment
list to include only quadrats, clipboards, datasheets and pencils.
Be aware that equipment such as cameras, GPS units and quadrats may be available to
borrow from the Vital Signs program.
Once you return from the field, have students graph or chart their data into a single class
graph/chart. Make sure to distinguish which groups were counting species within the
knotweed and which were outside of the knotweed. Note the mission analysis tools
available from Vital Signs include ways to use computer software to analyze field data:
http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-biodiversity.
Discuss the graph with the class (“What is it telling us?”) Make sure to help students
make the connection that the Japanese Knotweed is sucking up valuable resources from
other plant species. (“What are those resources?”)
When the graph is complete, write the following categories on the board or overhead:
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Vocabulary
Prior Ecosystem Knowledge
Research Jigsaw
Fieldwork
Beneath these categories, write these two questions:
What does our data (graph and research) tell us about the effects of resource availability
on organisms in this ecosystem? Explain/support your answer with evidence.
Write an argument about how biological changes to an ecosystem affect populations.
Support your argument with evidence.
Ask students to answer the two questions in their science notebooks. Advise that the four
categories listed are all ways of showing understanding and/or using evidence.
Evaluate: Formative and summative assessment has been ongoing throughout this lesson
in the form of the questions asked at each step. Final evaluation should be done by
collecting and assessing the four different writing prompt answers in students’ science
notebooks.
Differentiation strategies:
Rather than heterogeneous groups, the teacher may assign specific groups to work
together, or to do particular areas of research.
Rather than writing their answers to the final questions, students might create a podcast,
poster, or model illustrating their arguments and analysis of data.
Graphic organizers might be used to assist with writing.
Consider various ways of graphing and charting data
Students with physical disabilities will need special consideration or accommodation for
fieldwork. They may need “buddies” assigned to them or an Ed. Tech. to be present.
You might also consider video- or audio-taping the fieldwork portion of the lesson.
Gifted students may investigate other local invasive species through the Vital Signs
website, or do some research on how/why various invasive species are transported.
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Sample Vocabulary Cards
Ecosystem
Habitat
Biotic
Abiotic
Producer
Consumer
Decomposer
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Offspring
Population
Community
Parasite
Adaptation
Organism
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Food web poster before completion
Key
 = Gives energy to
Image: https://bioscholars1st.wikispaces.com/Biomes
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Food web poster after completion
Key
 = Gives energy to
Image: https://bioscholars1st.wikispaces.com/Biomes
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Research Jigsaw
Question: Are invasive species affecting populations in our
local ecosystem?
Group 1 - What’s the big deal about invasive species?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyvPxU6LUu0
http://www.netplaces.com/kids-environment/how-we-affect-the-environment/invasivespecies.htm
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/spacescience/invasive-plants/
http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species.aspx
Group 2 - What is Japanese Knotweed, and what does it do?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7644242.stm
http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/maine.pdf
http://www.jksl.com/damage-caused.htm
http://www.ssisc.info/home/knotweeds
Group 3 - Where did Japanese Knotweed come from and where is it now?
http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FS_jaknotweed.pdf
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoffburg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Polygonum_cuspidatum.html
http://www.eddmaps.org/ipane/distribution/
http://vitalsignsme.org/explore/map
Group 4 - How do I recognize Japanese Knotweed?
http://vitalsignsme.org/sites/default/files/content/ui_fallopia_japonica_062912.pdf
http://umaine.edu/publications/2511e/
http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/publications/wd/documents/wd-0634.pdf
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/cindy/InvasiveSpeciesFieldGuide.pdf
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Rubric
Name:
CATEGORY
Analyzes data
Constructs
an Argument
Displays understanding through
writing
1/0
Records of and organization of data is incomplete/inaccurate and explanation may be logical
but reflects incomplete/
inaccurate data or scientific information.
No examples from text or
activities present (text/
activities not
referenced), but attempt
made is scorable OR unintelligible, unrelated or
copied from another student.
2
Usually records and organizes data in a logical
manner and develops a
reasonable explanation
based on collected data
and/or facts from reliable
scientific sources.
Relatively few key
terms present; or a majority of the key terms
are used inaccurately.
Connections between
concepts not present;
or generally incorrect.
3
Consistently records and
organizes data in a logical manner and develops
a reasonable explanation
based on data and/or
facts from reliable scientific sources.
Sufficient use of key
terms to illustrate comprehension; majority of
key terms used accurately. Connections between concepts are beginning, although they
may be limited to the
applications provided in
the text/activities.
Understanding is incompletely or not demonstrated. Explanation is
illogical or missing.
4
Commanding use of
key terms with very
few or no errors. Connections between concepts are well developed. Concepts presented demonstrate understanding at the
analysis, synthesis, or
evaluation levels.
Understanding is not
fully demonstrated/
core ideas missing. Explanation is reasonable
but reflects incomplete
or inaccurate understanding of classroom
activities, resources,
and investigations.
Records of and organization of data is incomplete
or missing and explanation is illogical or missing.
Understanding is
clearly demonstrated.
Explanation is consistently accurate and logical.
Understanding is demonstrated, but components
may be missing. Explanation is logical and
based primarily on
classroom activities and
resources and investigations conducted.
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References
Miller, R.G. & Calfee, R.C. (2004). Making Thinking Visible: A method to encourage
science writing in the upper elementary grades. Science and Children, (42) 3, 2025.
Quizlet (n.d.). Ecosystem vocabulary. In Quizlet. Retrieved Oct. 28, 2013 from
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 Kristan Curtis, 2013
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