Birds of Prey Teachers Page A WebQuest for 4 th Grade

1. Birds of Prey Teachers Page A WebQuest for 4th Grade Designed by Debbie Popolillo based on a template from San Diego State University’s The WebQuest Page

2. Introduction This lesson was developed as part of the elementary science methods course at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. The book of The North American Owls by Helen Roney was the catalyst for starting this web quest. The last chapter of this book discusses the future for owls and what we have done as a society to cause some of the species to almost become extinct. The book would make a great read for the classroom before beginning this web quest.

3. Learners This lesson was designed for students in a fourth grade science class. The following information lists the knowledge your students should have prior to this lesson. All information was gathered from the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, chapter 15 “The Research Base”. THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT Several areas related to The Living Environment have received considerable research attention over recent years. These include student meanings of the terms animal, plant, and living; students' ideas about plant nutrition; and their understanding of genetics and natural selection. Little has been published about students' understanding of cells, or the dependence of organisms on one another and the environment, or the flow of energy through the living environment. Research has focused on what students understand about the living environment at isolated points in time or on how this understanding evolves naturally in students. Research on instructional interventions that improve students understanding is limited. Reviews of research can be found in Carey (1985), Good et al. (1993), and Mintzes et al. (1991). 5d Interdependence of Life Relationships between organisms Lower elementary-school students can understand simple food links involving two organisms. Yet they often think of organisms as independent of each other but dependent on people to supply them with food and shelter. Upper elementary-school students may not believe food is a scarce resource in ecosystems, thinking that organisms can change their food at will according to the availability of particular sources (Leach et al., 1992). Students of all ages think that some populations of organisms are numerous in order to fulfill a demand for food by another population (Leach et al., 1992). Habitat Middle-school and high-school students may believe that organisms are able to effect changes in bodily structure to exploit particular habitats or that they respond to a changed environment by seeking a more favorable environment (Jungwirth, 1975; Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985a). It has been suggested that the language about adaptation used by teachers or textbooks to make biology more accessible to students may cause or reinforce these beliefs (Jungwirth, 1975).

4. Curriculum Standards • National Science Education Standards • Life Science • CONTENT STANDARD C:As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of • THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANISMS • Organisms have basic needs. For example, animals need air, water, and food; plants require air, water, nutrients, and light. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. The world has many different environments, and distinct environments support the life of different types of organisms. • The behavior of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues (such as hunger) and by external cues (such as a change in the environment). Humans and other organisms have senses that help them detect internal and external cues. • ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS • All animals depend on plants. Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals eat animals that eat the plants. • An organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment. When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. • All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live. Some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are beneficial. • Humans depend on their natural and constructed environments. Humans change environments in ways that can be either beneficial or detrimental for themselves and other organisms. more

5. Curriculum Standards (continued) • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives • CONTENT STANDARD F:As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of • CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTS • Environments are the space, conditions, and factors that affect an individual's and a population's ability to survive and their quality of life. • Changes in environments can be natural or influenced by humans. Some changes are good, some are bad, and some are neither good nor bad. Pollution is a change in the environment that can influence the health, survival, or activities of organisms, including humans. • Some environmental changes occur slowly, and others occur rapidly. Students should understand the different consequences of changing environments in small increments over long periods as compared with changing environments in large increments over short periods. • English Language Arts Standards • Standard 4.Gathers and uses information for research purposes • Level II (Grades 3-5) • Benchmark 7. Uses strategies to gather and record information for research topics (e.g., uses notes, • maps, charts, graphs, tables, and other graphic organizers; paraphrases and summarizes • information; gathers direct quotes; provides narrative descriptions) • Benchmark 8. Uses strategies to compile information into written reports or summaries (e.g., • incorporates notes into a finished product; includes simple facts, details, explanations, and • examples; draws conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from data from different • sources; uses appropriate visual aids and media) • Standard 7.Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts • Benchmark 6. Uses prior knowledge and experience to understand and respond to new information • Standard 8.Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes • Benchmark 1. Makes contributions in class and group discussions (e.g., reports on ideas and • personal knowledge about a topic, initiates conversations, connects ideas and experiences with • those of others) back

6. Process Once each student has picked a bird, the groups are ready to begin the investigation. Each student will find the information they need in the links below that match the bird they choose. The following questions can be used as a guide during the quest. Is your bird extinct or heading for extinction? What caused the bird to become endangered or extinct? What is the birds habitat like? Are there any measures being done to save your bird? California Condor: Defenders of Wildlife Pinnacles National Monument National Parks Conservation Association Ivory Billed Woodpecker: Burney's Critter Corner Rediscovering the Ivory Billed Woodpecker Big Woods Cuban Red Macaw: Macaw Parrots JcMacaw homepage Macaw If you have access to more than one computer at a time and would like more than one group of children to work on this you can group children in three’s by birds. Have three students work on the Condor, three on the Ivory- Billed and three on the Maccaw. Or you can find different birds for each group by going to the following web pages. The National Geographic Humans Driving Birds to Extinction The Grinning Planet The Peregrine Fund

7. Resources Needed • Materials Needed: • Science journal • Folder for any printed material • Pens • Computer paper • Access to the internet • Power Point Program for presentation (optional) • Book: The Book of North American Owls by Helen Roney • Can be found at Amazon • The following web sites were used to retrieve the information on the birds. • California Condor: • Defenders of Wildlife • Pinnacles National Monument • National Parks Conservation Association • Ivory Billed Woodpecker: • Burney's Critter Corner • Rediscovering the Ivory Billed Woodpecker • Big Woods • Cuban Red Macaw: • Macaw Parrots • JcMacaw homepage • Macaw

8. Evaluation Print out the attached Rubric to evaluate your students performance.

9. Conclusion By participating in this web quest and using it in your classroom, your students will meet the National Science Standards and learn valuable information regarding society and the treatment of animals. In addition, they will be addressing Language Arts and Technology Standards through their group presentation . Your students will also learn the value of teamwork by working together to create a creative presentation. Thank you for using this web quest to enhance your science classroom.

10. Credits &References The following list are websites, books, or pictures that helped create this web quest. Thank You, Web Sites: The WebQuest Page The San Diego Zoo Defenders of the Wild Pinnacles National Monument National Parks Conservation Association Burney's Critter Corner Rediscovering the Ivory Billed Woodpecker Big Woods Macaw Parrots JcMacaw homepage Macaw Owl sounds Classroom Clip Art The WebQuest Page Pictures: Macaw bird page 3 flying condor Jon Concalosi/Area London Bald Eagle Photos The Nature Conservancy Books: The Book of North American Owls by Helen Roney