Presented by Sally Creel Science Supervisor Cobb County Schools - Marietta, GA

1. Discovering Science Through Inquiry • Presented by • Sally Creel • Science Supervisor • Cobb County Schools - Marietta, GA • sally.creel@gmail.com

2. Biomes & Ecosystems Topics • Introductory Activities • Overview of Resource • Sample Lessons: • Predators and Prey • Food Chains • Food Webs • The Energy Pyramid • Symbiosis

3. Ground Rules! It’s all about participation and respect!! • Cell phones silent…if you have to make/receive a call…please step out • Stay focused and productive during work/group times • Participate! Volunteer to report out! Everyone has knowledge/experience to share…. • ….and be respectful of the person/group sharing

4. Facts in Three Here’s a fun example activity for building classroom community… • Write down three facts related to you personally-two facts should be true, one false. • Don’t use facts that others might already know (e.g., I teach 7th grade science.) • Purpose of the game is for peers to guess the the false fact. • Select interesting true facts and create a believable false one. • At your table, take turns reading your facts and see if others can guess the false one. For example, here are my facts: • My absolute favorite soft drink is Pepsi! Can’t go one day without one! • In high school I went on an impromptu date to the opera wearing clothes I borrowed without asking from his mom. • My pets include two cats, a dog, a blue tongued skink, and two hissing cockroaches.

5. There’s No Substitute for the Real Thing! Analyzing Photographs Procedure: • This exercise illustrates the importance of first hand experience in science • Powerful way to advocate for time to engage in hands-on learning Groups each receive an orange Each group records what they observe about the orange using their five senses Each group reports out the number they generated in four minutes

6. 5 E Approach to Science Activity or task to assess learners’ prior knowledge and helps them become engaged in a new concept through the use of short activities that promote curiosity and elicit prior knowledge. Engage Provides students with a common base of activities within which current concepts (e.g. misconceptions), processes, and skills are identified and conceptual change is facilitated. Explore Focuses students’ attention on a particular aspect of their engagement and exploration experiences and provides opportunities to demonstrate their conceptual understanding or process skills. Explain Encourages students to assess their understanding and abilities and provides opportunities for teachers to evaluate student progress toward achieving the educational objectives. Evaluate Challenge and extend students’ conceptual understanding and skills. Through new experiences, students develop deeper and broader understanding, more information, and adequate skills. Extend Source: Bybee, R. (2006). 5E Instructional Model: Origins, Effectiveness, and Applications.

7. Inquiry: What is it? The inquiry-based classroom is in stark contrast to rote learning, memorization (merely for the sake of memorization), or fact-based learning. In an inquiry-based classroom, the teacher does not impart knowledge as much as create an environment in which students learn for themselves through their own inquisitiveness and experiences. Biomes and Ecosystems Teachers Guide p. 6

8. 3 Types of Inquiry

9. Understanding the Resource Discovering Science Through INQUIRY Biomes and Ecosystems

10. Understanding the Resource Introduction • What is Inquiry? • What the Research says • How to Use the Product • Correlation to Standards

11. Understanding the Resource Overview of Lesson • Standards • Essential Vocabulary • Lesson Essential Question • Brief synopsis of the 5E approach for this lesson

12. Understanding the Resource Teacher Background • This page provides a written overview of the lesson topic. Use this information as a way to prepare for instruction and classroom discussion.

13. Understanding the Resource Engage, Explore, & Explain Activities • Quick demo or “hook” activity for class • Then an opportunity to explore the lesson concept through experimentation • Followed by time to explain the info students have been learning

14. Understanding the Resource Inquiry Handbook • Accompanying the Explore activity is an experiment design page where students design and test an experiment related to the topic of study.

15. Understanding the Resource Inquiry Handbook • Reading passage with background information for students. • Leveled to meet the needs of various learners. Levels 6.5-7.2 Levels 4.5-5.2 Levels 3.0-3.5 Levels 1.5-2.2

16. Understanding the Resource Inquiry Handbook • Graphic Organizer to synthesize information gained from reading background information on the topic • One for each lesson in the resource

17. Understanding the Resource Engage, Explore, & Explain Activities • Quick demo or “hook” activity for class • Then an opportunity to explore the lesson concept through experimentation • Followed by time to explain the info students have been learning

18. Understanding the Resource Elaborate & Evaluate Activities • English language learners • Below-grade-level students • On-grade-level students • Above-grade-level students

19. Understanding the Resource Student Reproducibles • Electronic examples • Blank Templates

20. Let's Try It!

21. Lesson 9 – Predators & Prey Lesson EQ: • How do predators and prey interact with each other in the wild? • How do certain behaviors and characteristics of an animal determine its success as either predator or prey?

22. Lesson 9 – Predators & Prey Lesson Vocabulary • camouflage • predator • prey • trait • conceal • ecosystem • environment • feature • shortage • stalking Mits

23. Lesson 9 – Engage Predator & Prey Sort

24. Lesson 9 – Explore • Stage 1 - • Research & Report • Stage 2 - • Life in the Wild Game • Stage 3 - • Reflect

25. Lesson 9 – Explain • Set the purpose for reading • “ Pay close attention to the special characteristics of animals that are mentioned in the text.” • Monitor • “ Underline any characteristics you see” • Share findings

26. Lesson 9 – Explain • Record findings on a data chart • Create your own using a foldable.

27. Lesson 9 – Elaborate Above Level Learners On Level Learners Below Level Learners English Language Learners

28. Lesson 9 – Elaborate Let’s Review our Vocabulary predator camouflage trait prey

29. Lesson 9 – Evaluate Respond in writing to each of the following questions. Include examples, illustrations, details to support your answer. • How do predators and prey interact with each other in the wild? • How do certain behaviors and characteristics of an animal determine its success as either predator or prey?

30. Lesson 9 – Evaluate • Diagnostic or Pre-Assessment • Vocabulary Mit Game • Formative Assessment • Predator / Prey Card Sort • Predator / Prey Game • Life in the Wild data chart • 4 – square graphic organizer • Summative • Selected Response Assessment from Inquiry Handbook • Journal Response • Life in the Wild data chart • Open Response to EQ

31. Lesson 10 – Food Chain Lesson EQ: • How do changes in a food chain effect an entire ecosystem?

32. Lesson 10 – Food Chains • Knowledge Rating Scale • Rate your knowledge of the following words. (For the purposes of this exercise put yourself in the mind of your average student.) Know it Have seen/ No clue Heard it decomposer primary consumer producer secondary consumer carnivore cellular respiration herbivore omnivore scavenger photosynthesis

33. Lesson 10- Engage What are the basic needs of plants & animals? plants animals 1. Nutrients 2. Water 3. Air 4. Light 1. Food 2. Water 3. Shelter 4. Air

34. Lesson 10 - Engage Plants -> Mice -> Snakes -> Hawks 8 4 2 8

35. Lesson 10 - Explore Balanced Unbalanced

36. Lesson 10 - Explore • What happens to the food supply when there is the same number of animals at each level of the food chain? HINT: Think about how the energy flowed from one animal to the next in the Chain Reaction Game. • What would happen to the food chain if one living organism suddenly became extinct? HINT:Think about animal populations. • What would happen if there was only half as much food to start with (half as many peanuts)? HINT: Think about how energy is distributed in a food chain. Question Hypothesis Experimental Design Observation Conclusion

37. Lesson – 10 Explore Discussion… What Happened?

38. Lesson 10 - Explain • What is a Food Chain? • Based on this title…Predict what this selection is going to be about. • Read the passage silently for 2 minutes. • Partner read the passage. • Summarize your reading on a the following graphic organizer. Sun Producer Primary Consumer Food Chain Secondary Consumer Decomposer

39. Lesson 10 - Explain Look at the vocabulary words below. Use at least five descriptive words or phrases to create a vocabulary web for each word. Photosynthesis Energy from sun Plants Primary Consumer Producer Stores Energy Sugar Secondary Consumer Decomposer

40. Lesson 10 - Evaluate • Summarize what you have learned about food chains using no more than 140 characters. • Challenge: Try to incorporate as many vocabulary terms as possible. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT HELPS TEACHERS KNOW A STUDENT’S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION.

41. Lesson 10 - Evaluate

42. Lesson 11 – Food Webs Essential Question? • How does a food web help scientists better understand an ecosystem?

43. Lesson 11 – Food Webs Brain Buster

44. Lesson 11 - Engage • Food Web Activity • Lesson EQ: What happens when plants and animals begin disappearing from the food web? • Materials: • Ball of yarn • Food Web Cards

45. Lesson 11 - Explore

46. Lesson 11 - Explore Describe your ecosystem Before & After the organism you selected is eliminated.

47. Lesson 11 - Explain • We are going to read a passage called “A Web of Intrigue.” • Scan & highlight any vocabulary terms from word wall for this unit. • How many did you find? • Which words were repeated the most? • Now read the entire passage carefully. Using your highlighter, circle any words you encounter that you don’t know.

48. Lesson 11 - Explain Choose an ecosystem. Then, draw a plant or animal in that ecosystem in each of the circles below. Include and label at least one producer, primary consumer, omnivore, and secondary consumer. Use what you know about food webs to connect the plants and animals in the ecosystem.

49. Lesson 11 - Explain • What are some ways in which a food chain and food web are similar and different? • Explain the ecosystem you drew in your graphic organizer. Why did you connect your plants and animals the way that you did? • What do you think might happen to an ecosystem if there were no decomposers? • How does a food web help scientists better understand an ecosystem?

50. Lesson 11 - Explain • Each person needs 4 post it notes. • Draw something to represent each of the terms below on your post it notes. • Add your post it notes to our class chart. Producer Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Decomposer