Profile Sheet
Original Title: Locals Address the Current Black Bear Population.
Primary Subject Area: Science
Outside Subject Area: Language Arts
Description of student roles and problem situation: Students in this Problem Based learning
situation have a variety of roles to choose from. They can separate into groups of concerned
citizens, environmentalists, and city officials. The current increase in the Black bear population
has caused concern among many locals due to the Black Bears showing up in residential areas
posing a danger. At the end of this unit the students will present 3 probable solutions to the
Black Bear population problem in an oral presentation to follow students, parents and teachers
who will take on the role of “concerned citizens” and “city officials.”
Teacher: Amy Rasz
Grade level: 4th grade
Adaptations for Student from Non-Western culture:
Include resources from the student’s culture
Include audience member from the student’s culture
Research values system of culture and align instructional techniques and classroom activities
with these value systems
Adaptations for ESOL Student:
Include resources in student’s first language
Use community resources to include representative speaking student’s first language in audience
for presentations
Allow students to present in first language
Allow native language dictionaries
Title, Learner Characteristics, and
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
Teacher:
Title:
Primary Subject Area:
Outside Subject Area:
Class and Level
Grade Level:
Amy Rasz
Locals Address the Current Black Bear Population.
Science
Language Arts
Life Science (General)
4th grade
Primary Sunshine State Standards:
Science/Life Science- 4
Big Idea: Heredity and Reproduction
SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some
characteristics can be affected by the environment.
SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behavior may be shaped by heredity and learning
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards:
Reading/Language Arts-4
Strand: Communication
Standard 2: Listening and Speaking
LA.4.5.2.2: The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate
voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion
Learner Characteristics of Middle Grades Students:
Physical: Students at this age have “attained mastery over large and small muscles; one benefit
of this is a relatively orderly classroom. Fourth and fifth graders can sit quietly for extended
periods and concentrate on whatever intellectual task is at hand.” (p. 85) This physical
development will allow students to obtain knowledge from a guest speaker or the teacher when
presenting information pertinent to this project.
Social: At this age peer groups become extremely important, however “play continues to make
numerous contributions to children’s development. The benefits that elementary grade children
reap when allowed to play their own games include refining the skills of self-direction and selfcontrol, learning how to join the play activities of others, and fostering the development of such
cognitive skills as planning and using symbols.” (p. 85) The benefits of play will play a key role
in this unit. The students will break up into groups and assume the roles of different “experts.”
This will help to encourage an imaginative play role for the students in an engaging and
supervised environment.
Emotional: Students during this emotional stage have started to develop a sense of self. “During
this period, children develop a more global, integrated and complex self-image.” (p. 86) During
this time students are becoming more aware of themselves and their strengths and weaknesses.
This self-awareness will help the students when working in groups for this assignment. Each
student will be able to use their strengths to contribute to the group as a whole.
Cognitive: “The elementary grade child can think logically, although such thinking is
constrained and inconsistent. Most will have attained enough mastery of logical schemes that
they can understand and solve tasks that involve such processes as class inclusion, seriation,
conservation, and symbolic representation, provided that the content of the task refers to real,
tangible ideas that the child has either experienced or can imagine.” (p. 88) This PBL unit
allows the students to exercise their ability of logical thinking and problem solving through an
imagined problem.
Cognitive: It has been determined that elementary grade students preform about as well as
adolescent and adults in the area of memory. However “on tasks that require more complex
memory skills, their performance is more limited.” (p. 88) In this PBL unit the students will
need to draw upon their ability to recall information in order to compile and research needed
information on their topic. Also in this unit the student will, hopefully, take the knowledge that
they can recall and use it in such a way that it no longer becomes something from memory but
actual knowledge.
Learning Outcomes, Student Roles and Problem Situation,
Meet the Problem Method
Teacher: Amy Rasz
Problem: Locals address the current black bear population
Primary Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcomes:
SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some
characteristics can be affected by the environment.
LO #1 With the research provided by the teacher and/or student, the student will correctly
analyze and deduce 3current environmental factors that are affecting the Black Bear population.
(Analysis)
SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behavior may be shaped by heredity and learning.
LO #2 With the research provided by teacher and/or student, the student will correctly evaluate
the Florida Black Bears behaviors as heredity or learned with 80% accuracy. (Evaluation)
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcome:
LA.4.5.2.2: The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate
voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion.
LO #3 Using the rubric provided by the teacher for oral presentation requirements, the student
will receive a score of at least 20 on a oral presentation created and performed by the student of
3 realistic solutions to the Black Bear population problem. (Synthesis)
Description of Student Roles and Problem Situation:
Students in this Problem Based learning situation have a variety of roles to choose from. They
can separate into groups of concerned citizens, environmentalists, and city officials. The current
increase in the Black bear population has caused concern among many locals due to the Black
Bears showing up in residential areas posing a danger. At the end of this unit the students will
present 3 probable solutions to the Black Bear population problem in an oral presentation to
follow students, parents and teachers who will take on the role of “concerned citizens” and “city
officials”.
Walton County, Florida
Home of the World’s most Beautiful Beaches!
M*E*M*O
Date:
January 18, 2012
To:
Local Citizens, City Officials and Environmental
Conservationist.
From:
Amy L. Rasz, Environmental Conservationist
Subject:
Current Florida Black Bear Population.
As many of you know the Florida black Bear has been threatened, and
conservation efforts have been in place for several years. However,
recently the population has grown to the point that Black Bears are on
the verge of becoming a danger to locals. Many concerned citizens
have had black bears rooting through their trash and showing up in
their backyards. Several local restaurants have also had problems with
the Black Bear getting into their dumpsters. As a community we have
worked hard to increase the Black Bear population, however Black
Bears are something that could pose a danger to locals. We will be
holding a hearing to come up with solutions to this problem. The
hearing will be held on Wednesday afternoon, February 1, 2012.
The state has allocated funds totaling 2,500.00 for proposed
solutions.
Article:
Black Bear 3
Palm Beach Post News.com
Panhandle black bear sightings on the rise
NAVARRE, Fla. — Panhandle residents are reporting a record number of bear sightings
to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials.
Commission officials told the Pensacola News Journal on Monday that most of the
sightings are from Santa Rosa County in an area surrounding the Eglin Air Force Base
Reservation. The area is heavily wooded but has seen some development in recent
years.
Sarah Barrett, a specialist with the commission's Bear Management Program, says the
bears need a lot more food this time of year because they are trying to bulk up for
winter. She says the Bears' increased food scavenging coupled with the growing human
population has led more bear sightings.
The good news is that there has never been a report of an unprovoked bear attack in
Florida.
___
Information from: Pensacola News Journal, http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com
Problem Statement, Know/Need to Know Boards, and
Possible Resources
Teacher:
Title:
Primary Subject Area:
Outside Subject Area:
Class and Level
Grade Level:
Amy Rasz
Locals Address the Current Black Bear Population.
Science
Language Arts
Life Science (General)
4th grade
Primary Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcomes:
SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some
characteristics can be affected by the environment.
LO #1 With the research provided by the teacher and/or student, the student will correctly
analyze and deduce 3current environmental factors that are affecting the Black Bear population.
(Analysis)
SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behavior may be shaped by heredity and learning.
LO #2 With the research provided by teacher and/or student, the student will correctly evaluate
the Florida Black Bears behaviors as heredity or learned with 80% accuracy. (Evaluation)
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcome:
LA.4.5.2.2: The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate
voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion.
LO #3 Using the rubric provided by the teacher for oral presentation requirements, the student
will receive a score of at least 20 on a oral presentation created and performed by the student of
3 realistic solutions to the Black Bear population problem. (Synthesis)
Description of Student Roles and Problem Situation:
Students in this Problem Based learning situation have a variety of roles to choose from. They
can separate into groups of concerned citizens, environmentalists, and city officials. The current
increase in the Black bear population has caused concern among many locals due to the Black
Bears showing up in residential areas posing a danger. At the end of this unit the students will
present 3 probable solutions to the Black Bear population problem in an oral presentation to
follow students, parents and teachers who will take on the role of “concerned citizens” and “city
officials.”
Problem Statement: How can we, as Environmentalist, prevent potential problems caused by
the increase in the Black Bear population in such a way that:




The budget of $2500.00 is not exceeded
The timeline is adhered to.
Identify environmental factors that are playing a role in Black Bear behavior.
Pose possible solutions that are respectful to both citizens and Black Bear
population.
Know Board:
1)
2)
3)
4)
The Florida Black Bear is the largest native land mammal in the state of Florida.
Normally it is shy and secretive, hiding in dense vegetation and rarely seen in the wild.
The Florida Black Bear has sharp claws that help the bear climb trees or dig for food.
The Florida Black Bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both vegetable and animal
matter.
5) Because of their broad ecological requirements, Black Bears need a variety of habitats
over a large geographic area.
6) There are only eight locations in Florida where Black Bears live freely.
7) Automobiles are the number 1 killer of Florida Black Bears.
Need to Know:
1) Accurate estimate of Florida Black Bear population.
2) Has the Black Bear population truly increased in the past 20 years?
3) Is the decrease of the Black Bears natural habitat caused an increase in their sightings?
4) What percentages of Black Bears are killed each year from automobiles?
5) Where are most of the residential sightings of the Florida Black Bear occurring?
6) Where are most of the non-residential sightings of the Black Bear occurring?
7) At what time of year are most of the Black Bear sightings occurring?
8) How much land area is required for a Florida Black Bear to comfortably live?
9) How many people in the state of Florida have been attacked by a Florida Black Bear?
10) Do Florida Black Bears pose a physical threat to local citizens?
Possible Resources:
Websites:
http://www.bear.org/website/
http://www.bearstudy.org/website/
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bear/
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/black_bear.php
http://www.kidsplanet.org/coolstuff/bears/facts.html
Printed Materials:
http://myfwc.com/media/1620822/BearGuide.pdf
Non-printed Media:
Informational Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pf0cL6gUuXI#!
Guest Speaker:
Turtle Bob from E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation.
Books:
The Threatened Florida Black Bear by: Margaret Goff Clark
(provided by teacher and will be available in the classroom for the students)
Capstone Performance
The capstone performance for this lesson will consist of a group presentation and
individual report by each student. Each student in the group will participate in some portion of
the group presentation; therefore each student will receive an individual grade for the
presentation. The student’s individual report and group presentation will be graded using a
rubric. There will be two separate rubrics, one for the group presentation and one for the written
report.
In each student’s written report the student will take on their assigned role and come up
with two suitable solutions for the stated problem. The student will then choose which solution
out of the two they feel is best and give four justifications for choosing this solution over the
other one.
The team will review all of the chosen solutions from each team member and decide
which one they think is the best solution to the problem. The group solution chosen by the team
can either be one of the members’ solutions or a combination of several. The team will then
create an oral presentation focusing on the solution chosen by the group.
In the oral presentation each student will present their individual “best” solution. In these
presentations the students will able to choose the format in which they present as long as the
students meets the requirements of the rubric. Then an appointed group member will share the
group’s top idea with 2 justifications for choosing this solution over the others. The students will
be provided with class time of 45 minutes for 2 days to work on their individual reports and then
2 more days to work in their group in order to create their presentation, the presentation will then
take place the following day.
The presentation will take place in the classroom, but will be setup as a town meeting.
Six tables will be set up at the front of the room for each group to sit and face the audience.
Each group will have access to the whiteboard and multimedia devices for their presentation.
Each team member will have 2 minutes to present their “best” individual solution, and then 5
minutes for the appointed group member to present the groups chosen solution and justifications.
An audience will consist of parents and fellow teachers playing the role of city officials and
concerned citizens. There will be a time provided at the end of each group’s presentation for the
audience members to ask each group member a question concerning the Florida Black Bear. A
room layout is attached.
Students will also keep a journal of their information and how they organized it to help
them in development of metacognition. Each student will demonstrate the ability to review,
organize, apply and make various connections from their research in order to come up with
proposed solutions, by doing this they are learning more about their individual metacognition.
By reviewing and organizing the research each student is learning about the environmental,
behavioral and hereditary components of the Florida Black Bear.
Rubric to Assess the Capstone Performance
Report Rubric
Criteria
Content
Accuracy
Alignment to
Problem
Statement
Required
Components
Mechanics
Superior
20 points
All information is 100%
accurate and contains
references for where
information was found.
20 points
Each of the two solutions
align with all conditions
stated in the problem
statement.
50 points
Report must contain
a) The group’s problem
statement
b) At least 3 accurate
facts about the
Florida Black Bear.
c) At least 3 accurate
environmental
components that are
affecting the Florida
Black Bear.
d) The student will
correctly categorize 5
behaviors of the
Florida Black Bear as
either hereditary or
learned behaviors.
e) Two different
solutions to the
stated problem
f) Four reasons for
choosing one solution
over another
10 points
Report contains no
Adequate
15 points
80% of information is accurate
and contains 2 references for
where information was found.
Poor
5 points
Less than 80% of
information is
accurate and the
student has only
provided 1
reference for
information.
15 points
5 points
Only one solution aligns with all Neither solution
conditions in the Problem
aligns with all
statement.
conditions in
problem statement
40 points
10 points
The report contains
The report contains
a) 2 accurate facts about
less information
than listed in the
the Florida Black Bear
“Adequate”
b) 2 accurate
category.
environmental
components that are
affecting the Florida
Black Bear
c) The student will
correctly categorize 3
behaviors of the
Florida Black Bear as
either hereditary or
learned behaviors.
d) Two different solutions
e) Four reasons for
choosing one solution
over another
5 points
Report contains 2-3
3 points
Report contains
grammatical errors (spelling,
capitalization, punctuation,
subject/verb agreement)
grammatical errors.
more than 3
grammatical
errors.
Scoring Guide
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
60-69
F
Less than 60
Oral Presentation Rubric
Criteria
Delivery
Comprehension and
Accuracy
Quality of Individual
Superior
10 points
Maintains eye contact
with audience 90% or
more of the time;
fluctuations in volume
and inflection are
intended and add to
clarity of presentation;
no non-purposeful
movement; volume is
loud enough to be
heard in back of room
90% or more of the
time. Student will
adhere to a 2 minute
time frame for
individual presentation.
Students will use one
form of multimedia
devices or visual aid for
both individual and
group presentation.
10 points
Student answers all
audiences questions
correctly, providing at
least 2 accurate facts
10 points
Adequate
5 points
Maintains eye contact
with audience over
80% of the time (but
less than 90%); 1-2
non-purposeful
movements; volume is
loud enough to be
heard in the back of
the room 80-89% of
the time. Student will
adhere to a 2 minute
time frame for
individual presentation.
Student does not use
multimedia device or
visual aid for
presentation.
Poor
1 points
Eye contact is less than
80%; more than 2 nonpurposeful
movements; inaudible
in back of room more
than 20% of the time.
Student does not
adhere to time limit
and does not use any
form of visual aids in
presentation.
5 points
Student answers 75%
of audiences questions
correctly, providing at
least 1 accurate fact
5 points
1 points
Student fails to answer
questions correctly or
could not provide any
fact
1 points
Solution Explanation
Quality of Individual
Justification Explanation
Individual solution
aligns to all conditions
in group problem
statement
10 points
Reason given for
advocating the group
“best solution” Is
factually based,
accurate and fiscally
feasible
Solution aligns with all
but one condition
Solution fails to align
with 2 or more
conditions
5 points
Reason is based on
facts, accurate, but
may not be fiscally
feasible.
1 points
Reason is not based on
facts or accurate, but
may or may not be
fiscally feasible.
Score Conversion Chart
A
40-33
B
32-26
C
25-20
D
19-13
F
Less than 13
Two Alternative Solutions and “Best” Solution Analysis
Primary Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcomes:
SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some
characteristics can be affected by the environment.
LO #1 With the research provided by the teacher and/or student, the student will correctly
analyze and deduce 3current environmental factors that are affecting the Black Bear population.
(Analysis)
SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behavior may be shaped by heredity and learning.
LO #2 With the research provided by teacher and/or student, the student will correctly evaluate
the Florida Black Bears behaviors as heredity or learned with 80% accuracy. (Evaluation)
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcome:
LA.4.5.2.2: The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate
voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion.
LO #3 Using the rubric provided by the teacher for oral presentation requirements, the student
will receive a score of at least 20 on a oral presentation created and performed by the student of
2 realistic solutions to the Black Bear population problem. (Synthesis)
Sample Problem Statement
How can we, as Environmentalist, prevent potential problems caused by the increase in the
Black Bear population in such a way that:




The budget of $2500.00 is not exceeded
The timeline is adhered to.
Identify environmental factors that are playing a role in Black Bear behavior.
Pose possible solutions that are respectful to both citizens and Black Bear
population.
Solution One:
As environmentalist we can NOT condone the shooting of the Florida Black Bears. They are an
important part of Florida’s fragile native ecosystem, and are considered an umbrella species. An
umbrella species is an animal that, if protected, ensures the protection of many other native species.
The initial budget of $2,500 was adhered to and a grant will be written for the proposed solution. We
were able to come up with a proposed solution with in the time frame given We feel that this solution
respects the current population of Black bears along with the local residents. We also took into
consideration the environmental factors that might play a role in the current Black Bear situation. After
much research we propose that a fence be built in areas where the Black Bear population is the most
dense in order to decrease the amount of Black Bear and human encounters. The proposed fence will
also help decrease that number of Black Bears crossing highways and therefore reduce the number of
car accidents.
Pros :
1)
2)
3)
4)
Cons:
Decrease in the encounters of humans and Black Bear.
Decrease the number of automobile accidents caused by Black Bear.
A fence would preserve the current Black Bear population.
A fence is a nonviolent approach to control the Black Bear situation.
1) The fence could be a costly solution.
2) Funding for a fence has not yet been obtained.
3) The fence could hinder the migration of other native animal species.
4) The construction of the fence would be a large state wide project.
Consequences:
A fence would decrease the incidents of human and bear contact. The cost of the fence could
result in funding being pulled from other areas in need of state funding or an increase in state taxes.
Constructing a fence would be one solution to the Black Bear situation; however, a fence is not a
guaranteed solution. Bears might be able to find a way around or through the fence resulting in a great
number of money and resources wasted. Also, the fence could interfere with the migration of other
native animal species.
Solution Two:
Even though we are environmentalist, we condone a limited open hunting season on the Florida
Black Bears. The initial budget of $2,500 was adhered to and a grant will be written for the proposed
solution. We were able to come up with a proposed solution with in the time frame given We feel that
this solution respects the current population of Black bears along with the local residents. We also took
into consideration the environmental factors that might be playing a role in the current Black Bear
situation. After much research, we propose that a specific time of year be dedicated to bear hunting.
Each county in Florida could sell a certain number of bear tags to hunters to control the number of Black
Bears shot each season. By selling bear tags the county will be receiving extra funds and be able to keep
record of the number of bears that are being removed from the current population.
Pro:
1)
2)
3)
4)
The selling of “bear tags” would bring in extra funds to the state each year.
By controlling the black bear population you are ensuring food for the existing bears.
Decrease the number of black bear encounters with local residences.
Control the current Black Bear population and ensure that the population does not become too
large.
Cons:
1) Possible increase in hunting accidents due to the hunting of large game.
2) It might be hard to regulate how many Black Bears are being killed.
3) Ecosystem might be compromised.
4) The bear population that has been protected for years might be compromised.
Consequences:
Having an open hunting season on bears would help with the population control. Also a
decrease in the bear population would decrease the amount of automobile accidents cause by the Black
Bear population.
Justification:
Best Solution: Solution two. The current Black Bear population has increased greatly since the 1970’s.
In the 1970’s the population had dwindled to 300, the current population is somewhere in the 3,000’s,
this means the Black Bear population has increased by 100%.
(http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bear/) These statics show that the bear population is no
longer in decline but is healthy. The opening of hunting season would not cause any harm to the current
population if hunting is regulated. The hunting solution is the best solution because it is the most cost
effective. By allowing an open hunting season on bears it is not only saving the state money, but could
be a source of revenue. By selling hunting “tags” to hunters the state could gain funds and, know how
many black bears are being removed from the current population. If at any point the population
appeared to be in danger the state could put a hold on bear hunting. By controlling the Black Bear
population we will decrease the amount of automobile accidents caused by bears crossing the highway
in search of food. This solution would also ensure that there are adequate resources for the current
bear population. Some people might disagree to allow the Florida Black Bear to be hunted. However,
the current problem with the Black Bears needs to be addressed now before it becomes worse. If the
Black Bear population becomes too large that would have an adverse effect on a number of other
animal species. If the population continues to grow the bears could be at risk. If the population
increases too much the bears may be unable to find sufficient food in the wild, therefore increasing the
bears need to come into residential settings. By allowing a hunting season for the Florida Black Bear we
are helping keep the population at a healthy number. This solution is beneficial to both bear and
humans.
Debriefing Plan and Coaching Questions
PBL Title: Locals Address the Current Black Bear Population
Primary Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcomes:
SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some
characteristics can be affected by the environment.
LO #1 With the research provided by the teacher and/or student, the student will correctly analyze and
deduce 3current environmental factors that are affecting the Black Bear population. (Analysis)
SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behavior may be shaped by heredity and learning.
LO #2 With the research provided by teacher and/or student, the student will correctly evaluate the
Florida Black Bears behaviors as heredity or learned with 80% accuracy. (Evaluation)
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards and Learning Outcome:
LA.4.5.2.2: The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate voice, eye,
and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion.
LO #3 Using the rubric provided by the teacher for oral presentation requirements, the student will
receive a score of at least 20 on a oral presentation created and performed by the student of 2 realistic
solutions to the Black Bear population problem. (Synthesis)
Sample Problem Statement
How can we, as Environmentalist, prevent potential problems caused by the increase in the Black Bear
population in such a way that:




The budget of $2500.00 is not exceeded
The timeline is adhered to.
Identify environmental factors that are playing a role in Black Bear behavior.
Pose possible solutions that are respectful to both citizens and Black Bear population.
Debriefing Plan:
The teams of environmentalist, city officials and locals will make their presentations concerning the
black bear population during the “town meeting.” All teams will be present for each presentation, so
that each student hears all possible solutions. The teacher will act as scribe and record some key
characteristics of each teams solution.
After all groups have given their presentation the teacher will write the teams up on the whiteboard
listing them in order of Team 1 through Team 6. Next, the teacher will write out some key
characteristics of that team’s solution next to that teams number. Each student will then be given a
small piece of paper and asked to write the team’s number they feel presented the “best” solution to
the proposed problem. The students will then place their votes into a “ballot box” located in the back of
the room. After all votes are cast the votes will be counted by the teacher and the two “best” solutions
will be announced. The class will then discuss why they feel that these two solutions are the best.
Through class discussion the teacher and students will determine which of the two solutions they feel is
the ultimate “best” solution. This solution can be one of the top two or a combination of them. The
teacher will then write key point from the “best” solution on the board and discuss “why” these
solutions were the class’s choice.
Five Essential Concepts:
The “best” solution must utilize accurate information regarding the Florida Black Bear. This information
must include and explain how each of the following areas are effecting the Florida Black Bear.
1) Current Environment
2) Inherited characteristics
3) Learned characteristics
4) Current population
5) Potential dangers
In addition to the above information regarding Florida Black Bears, the student’s solution must
distinguish between what are environmental factors effecting and influencing the black bear. Also, how
this may influence some learned characteristics of the black bear. Students will present their
information using clear facts and have adequate research to support those facts.
Coaching Questions
C – Cognitive
M – Meta-cognitive
E – Epistemic
Type of
Question
C
M
E
C
M
E
C
Question
Meet the Problem
What is the student role in this problem?
What do you already know about the Florida Black Bears?
What do environmentalist do in the real world?
Know/Need to Know Board
What is the current Florida black bear population?
How do you “know” this?
Is it necessary to find the answers to all the “need to know” questions?
Problem Statement
What are some of the potential problems of an increase in the Florida Black Bear
population?
M
E
C
M
E
C
M
E
Are you comfortable with the problem statement your group has written? Would you
add anything?
Can you name some “conditions” that would be common to all problems?
Research
What type of statistics does the group need to find to support these potential
problems?
What terms can you think of that might be helpful in doing a “Google” search for this
problem?
Which resource is the most reliable one?
Generating Possible Solutions
What research do you have to back up this solution?
Why do you feel that Solution 1 is better than Solution 2? Explain your reasoning.
Do you think this solution would work in the real world?