UNIT STUDY MASTER PLAN
Topic: Biodiversity Grades k-12_________________________________ Date:_______________
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Objectives: Students will determine how their actions affect the environment through role playing (see garden game attached for one activity to accomplish this). Students will develop strategies for optimizing biodiversity in their own yards. Students will tally all of the insects they observe in a set environment and then graph the various species. Students will highlight the beneficial insects they found. Students will create intricate food webs based on their backyard surveys. Students will also create a web for the Cats of Borneo story. Students will reconstruct events of the same story and order the events. (See attached sheet.) Students will plan a 4 foot by 4 foot garden using the square foot garden charts at the end of "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. Students will try to optimize their food growing potential, estimate harvest and make a calendar of what they need to do when to grow the garden. Students will use a microscope to observe microbes in a natural environment. Students will grow rape plants (quick plants from Carolina Biological) and student genetic crosses. Students will create F1 and F2 punit charts for their hybrids. |
VOCABULARY diversity environment genepool beneficial insects ecosystem organism species mutualism commensalism competition food web detritivores organic decomposition primary consumer secondary consumer decomposers microbe producer |
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BOOKS Square Foot Gardening - Mel Bartholomew Organic Gardening Magazine (several articles on beneficial insects) Hands on Science Activities 6th - 9th grades- The Center for Applied Research in Education. |
SUPPLIES microscope seeds for garden and genetic crosses |
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HANDS ON PROJECTS *Garden Game (see attached sheet) *Yard survey: Students explore a set area (ie: a 10 by 10 foot area) to talley all of they living organisms in that area. You can then have them create different types graphs based on their data.) The instructor should also do this activity and all results should be compared so that the students who didn’t find that many organisms can benefit from modeling. *You can separate organisms from compost by placing the compost in a large funnel (fill to the top). Set the end of the funnel in a darkened container ( a coffee can with a lid covered in black paper and a hole the size the end of the funnel works). Line the bottom of the container with a brand new coffee filter. Hang a light over the funnel and let stand for 2 days. Students can then observe the filter paper and talley the organisms they find. (Again, making a graphs is a good math activity to end this project). *Have the students construct a bee house. We made one from a 4 inch diameter by 6 inch long white oak log. Drill holes randomly in the ends of the log. The holes should be about 1/3 of an inch diameter by 6 inches long. *Have students design a completely sustainable farm. Have them write a report about what they would include and why. Have them keep an eye on optimizing their system. |
FIELDTRIPS If I had found an organic farm, I would have taken the students. We visited one in New Mexico (the lady, Beth Crowder, actually writes for OG and went to highschool with my husband and I) when the kids were younger and it was terrific. We had a field trip to the local creek to observe the diversity of life found there. The creek runs along farm land (not organically farmed) and we discussed the impact that the surrounding land has on the creek. We also followed the water courses that lead to the creek from my home, pointing out how easily what I put on the lawn is carried down. |
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ASSIGNMENTS: Write a page about your favorite animal's eating habits and how what you at home put into the environment might affect that animal.
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