Assignment 1: Assessment Piece

Graeme Peters
Part 1:
Photo-Journal from Beaver Creek.
As we near the end of the year and the weather warms up, it seems like a good time to
head out and explore natural prairie ecosystems right in our own back yard. Beaver Creek is
nature preserve that is only 10 minutes outside the edges of Saskatoon. The goal of this nature
preserve is to save the natural species of plant life that was once commonly found across the
prairie, but now is only found in a few small patches. As we arrive at Beaver Creek, Ill hand out
a plant identification sheet with a list of plants that need to be identified. As you walk around,
look at different plants and use the guide to identify them. Once you have the right plant in front
of you, take a picture using your phone of the plant, you can even take a selfie if you like. Once
all the plants have been identified use the picture to make a photo-journal by uploading the
picture, and doing a short write up about what plant is in the photo, how you discovered the plant
and where the plant was located on the river bank. Lastly, make a short journal entry about your
time at Beaver Creek.
Plant Identification Booklet:
http://www1.foragebeef.ca/$Foragebeef/frgebeef.nsf/all/frg96/$FILE/riparianplantIDSk.pdf
Part 2:
River Ecosystem Presentation.
Now that weve identified the plants in a river/creek system, well consider how they
affect what type of soil is present and how plants shape the river systems. While at Beaver
Creek, we notice that in the flood plain of the river, large trees were found and on the upper
bank, on the outside of the bend, grasses and brush dominated the soil and larger trees werent
found until much farther back. Working in groups of two or three, pick the outer bank or flood
plain of a river system and create a slide for the following
- Title of ecosystem youve chosen
- Types of plants found in your ecosystem.
- Explain how plant morphology and physiology determines the role of plants in an
ecosystem. (Choose 2-4 plants and make one slide each)
- Identify factors that influence plant pollination and reproduction. (Climate, pollinator
population, pest levels, time of year, etc.)
- With specific consideration to Beaver Creek, justify the need for habitat protection and
restoration in terms of biodiversity
- The affects water has on your ecosystem: Why are the flood plains called flood plains,
and why is the outside bank generally higher than the inside?
You will also be marked on the quality and effort put into your presentation, as well as, your
public speaking and eye contact. Feel free to use photos from your photo-journal in your
presentation. Power point, or Prezi are acceptable forms of presentation. Work with your partner
or group to split up the work load evenly and prepare to present the PowerPoint or Prezi to the
class on the due date.
 Assignment 1: Reflection and Justification

Part 1 of this assessment was inspired in part by discussion with class mates and inspiration
from my Pedagogies of Place class. I chose the format of a photo journal because students are
going to have their phones out during the field trip regardless, so I figured I would put them to
good use and get them to take photos with them. I have taken into consideration that not all
students will have a cell phone. In these cases, I would ask some students to pair up, insuring that
at least one student has a cell per pair. Further adaptation could be the use of disposable cameras.
This would only be a practical application if the budget allowed of it. After the outing, I would
collect the cameras, and take it upon myself to get each one developed, again budget permitting.
To hit the outcome and indicator mark, this project encourages students to seek out identifying
characteristics of everyday plants seen in their own back yard and through inquiry questions has
them thinking about the steps the took to identify the plant, as well as where they found it in the
ecosystem. This connection of how and were they discovered the plant leads them to make
connections with the structure of the plant and its role in the ecosystem. The level in interest
from the students would hopefully be high, as they get to go on a field trip, use their phones to
take selfies, and explore a nature trail. I can see a few students not being as excited for the
exploration part but it is my hope that it would spark and interest in the outdoors and get them
spending more time outside. Literacies of the subject matter would only improve by students
learning the names of the plants.
The rubric for the Photo-journal has four columns and six rows. Each column represents one
of the four plants the that students must identify at Beaver Creek. The rows are the criteria for
the quality of the journal. The first row is for the quality of the picture. If the picture is blurry or I
cant tell what plant they are photographing, then it defeats the purpose of a photo-journal. To
get the mark the photo must be clear and of the correct plant. Row two is the description of how
the student used the plant guide to find that specific plant. The third row calls for the description
of the location of the plant at Beaver Creek. This ensures that the student have found the right
plant and it starts the connection between plant morphology and the immediate area they grow
in. Fourth row is simply a yes or no, did they find and identify the correct plant. If the photos are
labelled wrong I would talk with the student to see where the connection was lost, or if it is
simply the wrong plant, then I could use the rest of the information and still justify partial marks
for correctly identifying another plant. Due to this being a written assignment Ive added
marking for the reflection journal and grammar because even in science proper grammar and
sentence structure are still important.
Part 2 of the assessment was inspired by my previous teaching placement, where the students
were tasked with researching and presenting an incurable disease, such as AIDS or diabetes. The
goal is to use past knowledge gained from the trip out to Beaver Creek about that affect plants
have on aquatic ecosystems. Ive allowed them to choose either the flood plain or the upper bank
in the river system because it allows for a more diverse presentation day, and lets the student
focus on a more refined area.