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Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers
Insect Diversity in a Controlled Burn Area vs. a Control Area
Grade Level:9 th & 10 th Biology
Time: 4-6 weeks for unit; 9 days for lesson and presentations
Standards:
1. Colorado Science Standard 1:
Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations.
2. Colorado Science Standard 3:
Life Science: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment.
3.1 Students know and understand the characteristics of living things, the diversity of life, and how living things interact with each other and with their environment.
3.4 Students know and understand how organisms change over time in terms of biological evolution and genetics.
3. Colorado Science Standard 6:
Students understand that science involves a particular way of knowing and understand common connections among scientific disciplines.
Background:Students will need prior experience using digital cameras, using GPS, training in GIS, Excel, and Power Point; classification keys, knowledge of plants and animals of location; soil sampling techniques; weather collection techniques, sampling size techniques, building insect traps.
Learning Objectives:
- Practical application of student created identification keys.
- Using scientific equipment to define and characterize study site including GPS and GIS.
- Analysis of relative health of site.
- Doing actual scientific research.
Procedures:
Ecology Unit…
- Day 1: Organize students into collaborative groups and being teaching sampling techniques.
- Day 2: Finish teaching sampling techniques and allow time for student prep and/or practice for field trip. Any after school prep for field trip is completed.
- Day 3: Field Trip…gather data.
- Day 4: Students will organize data and begin analysis.
- Day 5-7: Finish analysis of data and create presentation.
- Day 8-9: Group presentations.
Assessment:Lab report, presentation and peer evaluations.
Enrichment: Students can analyze data from previous years to assess the trend of relative health of site. Inviting a guest speaker on conservation.
Resources:
- Most of the equipment is already a part of the school's inventory.
- Computer labs and software are in place.
- Site location is near school.
Barriers:
- Recent new restrictions on supervision of field trips.
- Get parental support and district support.
- Need GPS and other less expensive equipment.
- Apply for several small grants.
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