Who's coming to dinner in your environmental neighborhood? Who will be
the predator and who will be the prey? The often precarious balance in
the food chain is affected by human intervention in both positive and
negative ways. Using video and interactive Internet resources, students
will explore examples of environmental balance in surprising places, even
in their own city. Through collaborative research and problem solving,
students will attempt to isolate the risks that endanger species and identify
the role humans, including students, can play to protect the environment.
Students will be able to:
- Identify the role predators and prey play in food chains
- Differentiate between food chains and food webs
- Identify factors that affect the balance in food webs including
both the positive and negative effects of human intervention
- Work collaboratively to research endangered species and propose
solutions to protect their environment and insure their survival
National
Science Education Standards
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/6d.html
CONTENT STANDARD A
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop abilities
necessary to do scientific inquiry and understandings about scientific
inquiry.
CONTENT STANDARD C
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
understanding of structure and function in living systems, reproduction
and heredity, regulation and behavior, populations and ecosystems, and
diversity and adaptations of organisms.
CONTENT STANDARD F
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding
of personal health, populations, resources, and environments, natural
hazards, risks and benefits, and science and technology in society.
CONTENT STANDARD G
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding
of science as a human endeavor, the nature of science, and the history
of science.
Video:
Wild TV #2: The Animals We Live With
The clip students will view explores the relationship between two inhabitants
of Jamaica Bay, diamondback terrapins and raccoons.
Web sites:
Chain
Reaction
http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm#
This interactive site explains and illustrates the food chain, the dependencies,
and the environmental effects and importance of each member of the chain.
This site requires the Shockwave plug-in.
EE Link - Endangered Species
http://eelink.net/EndSpp/organizations-stateandregional.html
This site provides a list of endangered species by region and state.
The "Related Pages" links include leading organizations, species
recovery programs, and zoo-based programs that may provide additional
resources.
ESpecies
Factsheets
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
ESpecies provides electronic fact sheets on over 50 endangered species,
organized by continent and listed by animal.
The
Wild Ones Animal Index
http://www.thewildones.org/animal.html
This Web site has articles about animals, their habits, habitat, threats
to survival, and the work being done on the animal's behalf. Categories
are organized by both habitat and animal classification. The site includes
information, photos, sound clips, and artwork.
Kids
Corner, Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html
This site provides numerous links including how many, and which, species
are listed the U.S. as threatened or endangered, and in which states.
May require more advanced reading skills and experience following links
to gather information.
Endangered!
Exploring a World At Risk
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/Endangered/index.html
This American Museum of Natural History site provides a virtual tour
of the museum's permanent exhibition hall devoted to the topic of biodiversity
and includes resources about endangered habitats and species.
"There Was an Old Lady" (song lyrics)
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/oldlady.htm
http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/17-07.htm
These sites provide two versions of song lyrics to be used to introduce
the lesson.
Software
HyperStudio
http://www.hyperstudio.com
Mac/PC, Knowledge Adventure, Inc.
HyperStudio is a classroom multimedia authoring tool for both desktop
and online multimedia communication.
Inspiration
(grade 6 to adult)/Kidspiration (K- grade 5)
http://www.inspiration.com
Mac/PC, Inspiration Software, Inc.
Inspiration and its junior version, Kidspiration, are visual learning
tools that provides graphical ways of working with ideas and presenting
information.
PowerPoint
http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/default.asp
Mac/PC, Microsoft Corporation
With PowerPoint older students can create and organize presentations
that include, graphics, animation, and sounds.
Per class:
- "There Was an Old Lady" lyrics
Per team of three students:
- Sheets of poster or large banner paper
- Crayons and/or markers
- Nature and wildlife magazines
- Scissors
- Glue sticks or other adhesive
- Access to a computer, the Internet, and multimedia software
Per student:
- Data Gathering Worksheet
- Research Organizer
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