Olivia Meyer

September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Grade 7 Science
Unit A: Interactions and Ecosystems
September October 2015
Olivia Meyer

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Unit Summary
Ecosystems develop and are maintained by natural processes and are
impacted by human action. To foster an understanding of ecosystems, this unit
develops students' awareness of their components and interactions, as well as
natural cycles and processes of change. Building on this knowledge, students
investigate human impacts, and engage in studies that involve environmental
monitoring and research. By reflecting on their findings, students become aware of
the intended and unintended consequences of human activity, and recognize the
need for responsible decision making and action.

Rationale
In planning Grade 7 Unit A: Interactions in Ecosystems I wanted to be diverse
with my lessons to keep the students engaged and to reach each students learning
types. I am going to be using worksheets that will provide students with the
opportunity to apply the information that they have learned. This will provide
examples of questions that will appear on quizzes and the unit exam. I am also
incorporating different activities that will apply to the different types of learning
styles of the students. My belief is that the more variety in the lesson plans, the
more likely a teacher is to keep students engaged. This is why I chose the activities
and resources that I did. The different strategies of teaching (discussion, direct
instruction, activities, etc.) are used in many different ways to keep the lessons as
engaging as possible.
For the majority of my lessons the key concepts of the day are addressed
numerous of times through Think-Pair-Share, taking the information and putting it
into different forms, or classroom discussion. Students will be given daily or bi-daily
quizzes that will address the content covered the day before to refresh their
memories. These quizzes will be used as a formative assessment and create
motivation for the students to do their homework. These quizzes will be given in
individual, partner, and group methods. By having repetition of the material, I
believe it will help the students retain the information even better. The application
of information to local issues is another way that I believe will help the students
retain what they are learning. A major goal was finding resources and activities that
would represent the information, while also helping the students retain information.
Each of the assignments are designed in a way that will allow alteration for varying
demographics of students and their learning abilities. A lot of the assignments allow
the students to use their creativity while learning and demonstrating their learning.
My assessment strategy after indicating the learning objectives was to find a
number of different ways to assess the different kinds of students. I have the routine
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Length of Unit
(days)

quizzes and end of unit exam because testing is still a strong indicator of retention
and ability to apply knowledge outcomes. The students notes will incorporate the
different outcomes as well as some Kagan activities that I will be bringing into the
classroom. This will help the students learn in a different way. The Food Web
assignment will allow me to assess the knowledge and skill outcomes for that part
of the unit while allowing students to be creative in their demonstration of
knowledge. The Ecological foot print assignment will allow students to actually see
their own impact on the environment while meeting the outcomes of that part of the
curriculum. The Endangered animals assignment allows students to use the
computers to research different animals that are extinct and how humans are either
helping or hindering that animal. The students also get to see what impacts they are
contributing to that animals endangerment. These two assignments relate to the
students and different life problems. Finally, the (bi)-daily quizzes are going to be
used as a formative assessment which will allow the students to review what they
learned the day before. These will be given in different forms such as individually,
partner work, or group work. This allows students to not feel discouraged if they do
not know the answer or if they missed the day before.
Motivation:
Motivation will be demonstrated through my enthusiasm as a teacher in the
subject area. I will provide variety in my lessons through different activities,
assessments, and Kagan activities in the notes. This variety will help reach the
different demographics of learners through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning
activities. I believe that students should never be sitting for long so I will be
providing small brain breaks in between activities which will help me create a
smooth transition between activities. This will help the students motivation to learn
and will provide their brains to take a break so they can learn better.
Concepts that are going to be covered through instruction:

interactions and interdependencies

environmental monitoring
environmental impacts
producers, consumers, decomposers
nutrient cycles and energy flow

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

species distribution
succession
endangered species
extinction
environmental management

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic

Olivia Meyer
September October

Length of Unit
(days)

STS and Knowledge Outcomes Correlation

Key Concepts
Subsection
1.0Relationships exist 1.1 Defining an
between living things
Ecosystems and
and their
Learning about
environments
Basic Needs
- Interactions and
interdependenci
es
- Environmental
monitoring
1.2 Interactions
- Environmental
among Living
impacts
Things
- Environmental
1.3 Human
management
Impact on
Ecosystems

2.0 The flow of energy

and the cycling of
matter can be traced
and interpreted in
ecosystems
- interactions and
interdependencies
- procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers
- nutrient cycles and
energy flow
- environmental
impacts

2.1 Ecosystems
Have
Interactions
among
Producers,
Consumers, and
Decomposers
2.2 Food Chains
Demonstrates
the Flow of
Energy in
Ecosystems

2.3 Food Webs

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

STS and Knowledge Outcomes

- illustrate how life- supporting
environments meet the needs of living
things for nutrients, energy sources,
moisture, sustainable habitat, and
exchange of gasses.
- analyze an ecosystem to identify biotic
and abiotic components, and describe
interactions among them.
- describe examples of interactions and
interdependency within an ecosystem.
- identify examples of human impacts on
ecosystems, and investigate and analyze
the link between these impacts and the
human wants and needs that give rise to
them.
- analyze personal and public decisions
that involve consideration of
environmental impacts, and identify
needs for scientific knowledge that can
inform those decisions.
- analyze ecosystems to identify
procedures, consumers, and
decomposers, and describe how energy
is supplied to and flows through a food
web.
Describe and give examples of
energy and nutrient storage in
plants and animals
- analyze ecosystems to identify
procedures, consumers, and
decomposers, and describe how energy
is supplied to and flows through a food
web.
Describe and give examples of
energy and nutrient storage in
plants and animals
- analyze ecosystems to identify
procedures, consumers, and
decomposers, and describe how energy

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

is supplied to and flows through a food

web.
Describe how matter is recycled in
an ecosystem through interactions
among plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other microorganisms
Interpret food webs, and predict,
the effects of changes to any part
of a web
2.4 Matter
- analyze ecosystems to identify
Cycles in
procedures, consumers, and
Ecosystems
decomposers, and describe how energy
is supplied to and flows through a food
web.
Describe how matter is recycled in
an ecosystem through interactions
among plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other microorganisms
- Describe the process of cycling carbon
and water through an ecosystem
3.0 Changes can be
3.1 Investigating - investigate a variety of habitats and
observed and
the Distribution
describe and interpret distributions
monitored in
of Living Things
patterns of living things found in those
ecosystems.
in an
habitats
- interactions and
Environment
interdependencies
3.2 Interactions
- investigate and interpret evidence of
- environmental
and Changes
interaction and change
monitoring
Occur in
- environmental
Ecosystems
impacts
3.3 Succession:
- identify signs of ecological succession
- species distributions How Ecosystems in local ecosystems
- succession
Change over
Time
4.0 Maintaining
4.1 There are
- identify mechanisms by which
sustainable
Intended and
pollutants enter and move through the
environments requires Unintended
environment, and can become
knowledge, decisions, Consequences
concentrated in some organisms
and actions.
of Human
- identify intended and unintended
- endangered species
Activities within
consequences of human activities within
- environmental
Ecosystems
a local and global environment
monitoring
4.2 Information
- describe and interpret examples of
- environmental
from Scientific
scientific investigations that serve to
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

impacts
- extinction
- environmental
management

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Investigations
Can Assist
Environmental
Decision-Making
4.3 There are
Limitations to
Scientific and
Technological
Knowledge
4.4 Using
Evidence from
Many Sources
Can Help
Analyze a Local
Environmental
Problem

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

inform environmental decision-making

- illustrate, through examples, the limits

of scientific and technological knowledge
in making decisions about life-supporting
environments
- analyze a local environmental issue or
problem based on evidence from a
variety of sources, and identify possible
actions and consequences

1. Scientists examine cause and effect to see relationships between organisms,

places, things, ideas, and events.
- Why are scientists concerned about cause and effect?
- How can examining cause and effect help us understand relationships
between organisms, places, ideas, and events?
- To what extent can understanding cause and effect help us solve problems
and make decisions?
2. Scientists analyze and recognize how organisms, places, things, and ideas
change over time.
- Why should we understand how organisms, places, and ideas have changed
over time?
- How can organisms, places, and ideas change over time?
- How have the actions of organisms changed over time?
- Is the world today a better place than the world of the past? Will our future
world be better than today's world?
- How can technology help us recognize and analyze change over time?
- How can the study of science help us connect continuity and change?
3. Scientists study and compare organisms, places, ideas, and events to make
sense of our world.
- Why should we compare and contrast organisms, places, ideas, and events?
- Why should we recognize universal patterns that exist within our world?
- What tools can scientists use to compare and contrast organisms, places,
ideas, and events?
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

4.
5.
6.
7.
-

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Are the organisms, places, and events in the world becoming more alike or
more different over time?
How can technology help us study and compare organisms, places, and
events?
Scientists recognize and analyze multiple points of view to explain the ideas
and actions of individuals and groups.
Why should we recognize and analyze multiple points of view?
How can recognizing different biomes help in understanding of diversity?
How can differing points of view affect relations between and within societies?
How can the perspectives of a group affect their use of and impact on the
environment?
To what extent can examining multiple perspectives help us understand
conflict and promote cooperation and/or conflict resolution?
Scientists analyze and interpret evidence to solve problems and make
decisions.
What evidence do social scientists collect? H
How can you determine if evidence is valid and reasonable?
How can you use evidence to solve problems and make decisions?
What types of problems are of concern for historians, geographers, civic
leaders, economists?
To what extent can studying evidence from the past help us prevent future
problems and make decisions that will affect the future?
Scientists make inferences and generalizations about various types of
information and draw conclusions from a variety of sources.
Why are making inferences and generalizations and drawing conclusions
important in understanding our world?
How can making inferences about various types of information and drawing
conclusions help us understand our world?
How can we use various types of information to make inferences and
generalizations about various types of information?
How can we use a variety of sources to draw conclusions?
Why should we use a variety of information and sources to make inferences
and generalizations and to draw conclusions?
Scientists gather, classify, sequence, and interpret information and visual data
in order to recognize how organisms, places, and events shape our world.
Why do scientists gather, classify, sequence, and interpret information and
visual data?
How do scientists gather, classify, sequence, and interpret information and
visual data?
Why is visual data important for understanding organisms, places, and events
that shape our world?
To what extent does visual data help us to understand how organisms, places,
and events shape our world?

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

8.
-

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

What types of information and visual data do scientists gather, classify,

sequence, and interpret?
To what extent is visual data more powerful in helping us understand the
world than other types of information?
How can we use technology to gather, classify, sequence, and interpret
information and visual data?
Scientists recognize and analyze spatial relationships in order to see the
relationship between and among organisms and places.
What are spatial relationships?
Why should we be able to recognize and analyze spatial relationships?
How can recognizing spatial relationships help us to see the relationship
between and among organisms and places?
To what extent do spatial relationships influence the relationship between and
among organisms and places?
How do spatial relationships change over time

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Assessment Tool Overview

Assessment
Tool Title

Outcomes

Brief Description

(Bi)-Daily
Review Quizzes

All of them

Students will be given

daily quizzes that will let
them review what was
learned the previous
lesson. They will be given
as individual, partner, and
group questions. These
will be used FOR learning.

Topic 1 Quiz

- illustrate how lifesupporting environments

meet the needs of living
things for nutrients, energy
sources, moisture,
sustainable habitat, and
exchange of gasses.
- analyze an ecosystem to
identify biotic and abiotic
components, and describe
interactions among them.
- describe examples of
interactions and
interdependency within an
ecosystem.
- identify examples of
human impacts on
ecosystems, and investigate
and analyze the link
between these impacts and
the human wants and needs
that give rise to them.
- analyze personal and
public decisions that involve
consideration of
environmental impacts, and
identify needs for scientific
knowledge that can inform
those decisions.

This quiz will test the

students knowledge of
this topic. This will take
place after the topic has
been taught. This will be
used OF learning.

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Fo
r

AS

OF

1
0

Olivia Meyer
September October

Topic 2 Quiz

Topic 3 Quiz

Topic 4 Quiz

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Describe and give
examples of energy and
nutrient storage in
plants and animals
Describe how matter is
recycled in an
ecosystem through
interactions among
plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other
microorganisms
Interpret food webs,
and predict, the effects
of changes to any part
of a web
-Describe the process of
cycling carbon and water
through an ecosystem
- investigate a variety of
habitats and describe and
interpret distributions
patterns of living things
found in those habitats
- investigate and interpret
evidence of interaction and
change
- identify sings of ecological
succession in local
ecosystems
- identify mechanisms by
which pollutants enter and
move through the
environment, and can
become concentrated in
some organisms

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

1
0

This quiz will test the

students knowledge of
this topic. This will take
place after the topic has
been taught. This will be
used OF learning.

This quiz will test the

students knowledge of
this topic. This will take
place after the topic has
been taught. This will be
used OF learning.

This quiz will test the

students knowledge of
this topic. This will take
place after the topic has
been taught. This will be
used OF learning.

1
0

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

- identify intended and

unintended consequences of
human activities within a
local and global environment
- describe and interpret
examples of scientific
investigations that serve to
inform environmental
decision-making
- illustrate, through
examples, the limits of
scientific and technological
knowledge in making
decisions about lifesupporting environments.
- analyze a local
environmental issue or
problem based on evidence
from a variety of sources,
and identify possible actions
and consequences

Unit Exam

All of them

Estimating
Population Lab

analyze an ecosystem to
identify biotic and abiotic
components, and describe
interactions among them.

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

1
0

The unit exam will test the

students knowledge of
the whole unit. This exam
will take place after the
unit is taught. This will be
the last assessment of the
unit. This will be used OF
learning.
This lab will be an
evaluation on the students
learning of populations.
They get to work with
partners and figure out
the population of rats. This
is also cross-curricular as
this has some math in it.
This will be used OF
learning.

2
0

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Buried Alive

Symbiotic Bingo

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

- illustrate how lifesupporting environments

meet the needs of living
things for nutrients, energy
sources, moisture,
sustainable habitat, and
exchange of gasses.
- analyze an ecosystem to
identify biotic and abiotic
components, and describe
interactions among them.

This activity will just

require the students to
talk to their partners
about the questions listed
on page 14 after reading
the story about David
Blaine. This will be used
FOR learning.

-describe examples of
interactions and
interdependency within an
ecosystem.

This activity will help

students understand the
difference between the
different types of
symbiotic relationships.
Their goal is to try and
black out their card by
finding different types of
relationships. This will be
used FOR learning.

- illustrate how lifesupporting environments

meet the needs of living
things for nutrients, energy
sources, moisture,
sustainable habitat, and
Ecosystems: A
exchange of gasses.
role of Abiotic
- analyze an ecosystem to
Factors
identify biotic and abiotic
components, and describe
interactions among them.
-describe examples of
interactions and
interdependency within an
ecosystem.
Impacts on
- identify examples of
Ecosystems
human impacts on
ecosystems, and investigate
and analyze the link
between these impacts and
the human wants and needs
that give rise to them.
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Students will be watching

a video and answering
questions about the video.
They will have time to
discuss the answers with
others after to compare
answers. They will not
know that until after so
they pay full attention to
the video. This will be OF
learning.
Students will be working in
groups about the different
impacts on the ecosystem.
They will discuss different
impacts and they will each
have to come up with their
own impact on the

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Three Kinds of
Pollution Lab

Carnivore,
Herbivore, and
Omnivore

Decomposer
Activity

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

- analyze personal and

public decisions that involve
consideration of
environmental impacts, and
identify needs for scientific
knowledge that can inform
those decisions.
- identify examples of
human impacts on
ecosystems, and investigate
and analyze the link
between these impacts and
the human wants and needs
that give rise to them.
- analyze personal and
public decisions that involve
consideration of
environmental impacts, and
identify needs for scientific
knowledge that can inform
those decisions.

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

environment that they will

ask different students.
They will then peer
evaluate on how much
discussion was made by
each student. This will be
used AS and FOR learning.
Students will be in
partners during this
activity. This lab will be an
evaluation on the students
learning of the different
pollutions. They get to
create different types of
pollutions that are present
in our environment. The
students will answer
questions about the
different types of
pollutions. This will be
used OF learning.
During this activity each
student will have a name
of a different animal. They
have to go around the
classroom asking different
questions to figure out
their animal. Then they
have to figure out what
type of eater it is. They
will answer questions after
about the process of trying
to figure out what animal
they were and what
questions they used. This
will be used FOR learning.
The students will read
about the 5 types of
decomposers on page 32
and categorize them into
harmful or helpful
decomposers. If there is
time they can research

~
4

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

different types of
decomposers.
This will be used OF
learning.

Photosynthesis
and Cellular
Respiration

Food Chain
Activity

Food Web Poster

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Describe and give
examples of energy
and nutrient storage in
plants and animals
- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Describe and give
examples of energy
and nutrient storage in
plants and animals
- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Describe how matter is
recycled in an
ecosystem through
interactions among
plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other
microorganisms
Interpret food webs,
and predict, the

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

The students will be in

groups that they will have
to create different types of
kinesthetic symbols for
each aspect of the
different processes. This
will be used FOR learning.

Smartboard Activity.
Students will be separated
into groups of four and for
each ecosystem have to
discuss how the food chain
goes. This will be used
FOR learning.

Students will have to

express their creativity by
making a food web poster.
It has to include the sun as
energy source for plants, 3
producers, 10 consumers,
and one food chain is at
least 4 organisms. This will
let the students express
their knowledge of what
they have learned so far in
a different way. This will
be used OF learning.

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

effects of changes to
any part of a web

Food Web Chain

Reactions

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.
Describe how matter is
recycled in an
ecosystem through
interactions among
plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other
microorganisms
Interpret food webs,
and predict, the
effects of changes to
any part of a web

Water and
Carbon Cycles
Activity

Describe the process of

cycling carbon and water
through an ecosystem

Quiz-Quiz-Trade

- analyze ecosystems to
identify procedures,
consumers, and
decomposers, and describe
how energy is supplied to
and flows through a food
web.

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Students will be separated

into groups and will be
given the task of creating
a food chain. They will be
given materials which will
help them visually see the
impact and feel the impact
as well. Then there will be
questions that they have
to answer that will be used
OF learning.

Creating a song or a skit

for either the carbon or
water cycle. They will
present it the next day.
Half of the students will be
doing the water cycle and
half of the students will be
doing the carbon cycle.
They will be placed into
groups of three and they
will have the day to work
on it. This will be used AS
learning.
In this activity students
will be given index cards
with a question on one
side and the answer on
the other side. They will
then go find a partner and
quiz them with their card.

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Distribution
Activity

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Describe and give

examples of energy and
nutrient storage in
plants and animals
Describe how matter is
recycled in an
ecosystem through
interactions among
plants, animals, fungi,
bacteria, and other
microorganisms
Interpret food webs,
and predict, the effects
of changes to any part
of a web
-Describe the process of
cycling carbon and water
through an ecosystem
- investigate a variety of
habitats and describe and
interpret distributions
patterns of living things
found in those habitats
- investigate and interpret
evidence of interaction and
change
- identify sings of ecological
succession in local
ecosystems
- investigate a variety of
habitats and describe and
interpret distributions
patterns of living things
found in those habitats

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

The next person will then

quiz their partner with
their card. If they do not
get the right answer the
student who is quizzing
then has to ask thought
provoking questions that
do not give away the
answer completely. After
they are done quizzing
each other they will trade
their cards and then go
find someone else to trade
their cards with. This will
be used FOR learning.

We will be going outside

and the students will be
assessing their school
yard for the distribution of
living things. They will be
looking at the abiotic and
biotic factors around the
school yard and either
drawing or writing them
down. They will share their
ideas with others in the
class when we get back in
there. This will be used

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

FOR and AS learning.

To Change or
Not to Change
pg. 55

- investigate and interpret

evidence of interaction and
change

Survival in the
Field Activity

- investigate and interpret

evidence of interaction and
change

Venn Diagram
b/w Primary and
Secondary
Succession

- identify sings of ecological

succession in local
ecosystems

Succession
Rock-PaperScissors

- identify sings of ecological

succession in local
ecosystems

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Students will answer the

questions about the forest
on page 55. They will work
with partners to answer
the questions and then
compare their answers
with a group. This will be
used FOR learning.
Students will be separated
into groups and given the
task of making a
community of two
different species. They will
compete to see who can
collect food and record
the results. The students
are to answer the
questions individually. This
will be used OF learning.
Students will be making a
Venn Diagram between
Primary and Secondary
Succession. This will be
used for notes. The
students can use different
resources to come up with
the differences and the
similarities between the
two types.
This is a modified rockpaper-scissors activity, so
to speak. All students start
out as bare ground, for
which they are squatting
close to the ground with
their arms stretched out
horizontally. They must
hop around and find

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

someone else at the same

stage of succession that
they are (which will not be
difficult starting out, since
everyone is bare ground!).
Once they meet someone,
they play rock-paperscissors (explain this to
make sure everyone is on
the same page) and the
winner gets to move
further along in succession
to become grass. Grasses
are still squatting, but
wave their hands above
their head like grass
swaying in the wind.
Losers must find another
bare ground, and play
again. Grasses may now
play other grasses. The
game continues as
grasses become shrubs
(standing halfway with
their hands out in an
upside-down V) and
eventually trees (standing
tall with their hands
together above their
head). Since, in this simple
version of succession,
trees are the climax the
top rung of the ladder
once you become a tree
your feet are rooted in the
ground and you stand in
the same spot and get to
watch the other plants try
to move along the
successional path. As
facilitator, watch how the
ratios start to change.
When there are a few
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

trees, and several shrubs

and grasses, with maybe a
few bare grounders left,
have everyone stop,
freeze, and look around to
see the community that
has been created. Briefly
discuss how even with
trees around there is still
bare ground, grass and
shrub-life. You may wish to
freeze the game many
times and have the
students notice how the
structure of the
community looks. When
nearly all the students are
trees, holler out some kind
of natural or human made
disturbance (wildfire, wind
storm, logging operation)
and tell them the
disturbance cleared the
area down to bare
soil..have them start
again.
- identify mechanisms by
This lab will be an
which pollutants enter and
evaluation on the students
move through the
learning of human impact
environment, and can
on fish in an ecosystem.
Generation of
become concentrated in
They get to work with a
Fish Lab
some organisms
group and figure out the
- identify intended and
different impacts that can
unintended consequences of occur to an ecosystem.
human activities within a
This will be used OF
local and global environment learning.
Endangered &
- identify mechanisms by
Students are given the
Threatened
which pollutants enter and
task of researching a
Species
move through the
threatened or endangered
Assignment
environment, and can
species in Alberta and/or
become concentrated in
Canada. They will be
some organisms
writing a report on this.
- identify intended and
The students will be
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

~
4

~
4

Olivia Meyer
September October

4.3 Questions

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

unintended consequences of
human activities within a
local and global environment
- describe and interpret
examples of scientific
investigations that serve to
inform environmental
decision-making
- illustrate, through
examples, the limits of
scientific and technological
knowledge in making
decisions about lifesupporting environments

Ecological Foot
Print
Assignment

- analyze a local
environmental issue or
problem based on evidence
from a variety of sources,
and identify possible actions
and consequences

What Can You

Do to Reduce
Your Ecological
Impact

- analyze a local
environmental issue or
problem based on evidence
from a variety of sources,
and identify possible actions
and consequences

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

answering some questions

about the species that will
be included in the report.
This will be used OF
learning.

Students will work

independently on review
questions. This will be
used FOR learning.
Students are to take the
quiz online to see what
their ecological footprint
is. The students will
answer questions related
to their footprint. This will
be used OF learning.
This activity will take place
over the course of two
days. Activity 1 requires
the students to record
their water usage over a
24 hour period. Activity 2
will take place as a whole
group (I do not want
students touching the
garbage). Activity 3 will be
introduced a week ahead
so they can write down
their materials and goods
income. The students will
be required to answer
questions about all three
activities. This will be used
FOR learning.

~
4

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic

Olivia Meyer
September October

Length of Unit
(days)

Wednesday

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

Monday

Tuesday

SEPTEMBER

1
2
a)Go over Rules and a)
Expectations
b)
b)Introduce Unit A c)
c) Start topic 1

Thursday

Friday

Monday

Tuesday

LABOUR DAY 7

8
9
10
11
a)Finish symbiotic bingo
a)Topic 1.3 notes a)Work on Questions a)Topic 1 Quiz
b)Finish 1.2 notes
b)Impacts on
b)Review topic 1
c) Ecosystems: The roleEcosystems pg. 20
of Abiotic Factors c) Three kinds of
video
Pollution Lab
d)Start reviewing topic
1

Monday

Tuesday

3
4
Start topic 1.1
a)Review species, pop,
a)Review basic needs
Exploring Ecosystems
and community
b)Start 1.2 Notes
School yard
b)Finish topic 1.1 notes
c) Symbiotic bingo
Ecosystems/
c) Basic Needs activity
Estimating Populations
Buried Alive pg. 14
Lab?
d)

Wednesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Thursday

Friday

Friday

14
15
16
17
18
a)Go over topic 1 quiz
a)Go over carnivore, a)Go over decomposers
a)Review photosynthesis
a)Review Food chains
b)Start topic 2.1 notes Herbivore, and
b)Photosynthesis and and Cellular Respiration
b)Topic 2.3 notes
c) Carnivore, Herbivore,Omnivores.
Cellular Respiration
b)Topic 2.2 notes
c) Start food web poster
and Omnivore activity
b)Finish topic 2.1 notesactivity
c) Food Chain activity
c) Decomposers activity
c) Start topic 2.2 notes

Monday
21
a)Review food webs
b)Food Web Chain
Reactions pg. 40
c) Work on Food web
poster

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

22
23
24
a)Work on Food Web a)Review Cycles
d)Topic 2 Quiz
Poster
b)Review Topic 2
b)Topic 2.4 notes
c) Quiz-Quiz-Trade
c) Water and Carbon
Cycles activity

PD DAY 25

Tuesday

Friday

Wednesday

Thursday

28
29
30
OCTOBER 1
2
a)Go over topic 2 quiz
a)Review Distributiona)Review activity a)Survival in the Fielda)Finish 3.3 notes
b)Start topic 3.1 notes
b)Start topic 3.2 notes
b)Topic 3.2 notes b)Start 3.3 notes
b)Venn diagram b/w
c) Distribution activityc) To Change or Not toc) Get Survival in the
Primary and secondary
Change activity pg. 55
Field activity organized
c)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Thursday

Friday

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic

Olivia Meyer
September October

5
6
a)Review primary anda)Review topic 3
Secondary succession
b)Quiz-Quiz-Trade
b)Evolution - Succesion
c) Start review for 3

Monday

Tuesday

Length of Unit
(days)
7
a)Topic 3 Quiz

Wednesday

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October

8
9
a)Go over topic 3 quiz
a)Review 4.1
b)Start 4.1 notes
b)Generation of Fish lab
c) Start Generation ofc)
Fish lab

Thursday

Friday

THANKSGIVING 1213
14
15
16
a)Review Generation a)Finish
of
4.2 notes a)Work on Endangered
a)Review 4.3
Fish lab
b)Work on Endangered
& Threatened Species
b)Start 4.4 notes
b)Start 4.2 notes
& Threatened Species
Assignment
c) Ecological foot
c) Start Endangered & Assignment
b)Do 4.3 notes
print assignment
Threatened Speciesc) Get them to sharec) 4.3 Questions
quiz online
Assignment
Their ideas with others
www.earthday.org/footprin
t-calculator

Monday

Tuesday

19
20
a)Go over ecological a)Topic 4 Quiz
Footprint
b)What can you do to
Reduce your impact
Pg. 80
c) Review topic 4

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

21
a)Review day

22
Unit Exam

23

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

PD DAY 26

27

28

29

30

Lesson Plan 1
Spring 2015: Marynowski
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Olivia Meyer
September October

Subject Area
Grade Level
Topic
Length of Unit
(days)

Lesson Plan 2
Lesson Plan 3

Spring 2015: Marynowski

Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

Science
7
Unit A Interactions and
Ecosystems
September October