Culminating Activity Outline Culminating Activity Title: Sustainability in Canadian Ecosystems Unit Title: Biology: Sustainable Ecosystems and

Human Activity
Curriculum Document: Ontario Science Curriculum Science 9-10 artner: !yler Straus and !revor "idd Course: S#C1

Unit Title: $nteractions in t%e %ysical Environment

Curriculum Document: !%e Ontario Curriculum &rades 9-10 Canadian and 'orld Studies artner: Scott C%ristian Course: C&C1 !otal !ime: ( )eriods *+,min-.

Culminating Activity Summary

/or t%is Culminating Activity t%e students 0ill be tas1ed 0it% e2amining an ecosystem in one o3 t%e 4 )%ysical regions o3 Canada- $n t%e region t%at t%ey %ave )ic1ed t%ey 0ill researc% t%e interactions o3 one s)ecies 0it% di33erent biotic and abiotic 3actors t%at it comes into contact 0it% *e-g-5 e2amining climate5 e2amining 3ood 0ebs5 )redator6)rey relations%i)s.Students 0ill t%en be tas1ed 0it% e2amining t%e %y)ot%etical situation t%at 0ould arise 3rom t%e com)lete removal o3 t%at s)ecies 3rom t%e ecosystem- Students 0ill be re7uired to 0rite a 0ritten )a)er discussing t%e %y)ot%etical situation5 t%e )a)er s%ould include sections discussing a33ect on )redators6)rey5 abiotic 3actors5 and discuss 0%at )otential creatures 0ould 3ill t%e nic%e o3 t%e no0 missing animalAlong 0it% t%e )a)er students 0ill create eit%er a )oster to be )resented at a science sym)osium 3or t%e sc%ool5 0%ere t%ere 0ill be a guest s)ea1er discussing conservation5 or t%ey 0ill create a )resentation to be )resented in class-

The Process
*0%at students are doing eac% day.

Timeline Day 1

Description of Tasks/Activities
8ibrary eriod: During t%is day students 0ill be tas1ed 0it% c%oosing t%e region o3 Canada t%at t%ey 0ill be

Day ,

Day 9

Day <

Day (

loo1ing at and t%e s)ecies t%at t%ey 0is% to investigateBe3ore researc%ing t%e student 0ill %ave a discussion 0it% t%e teac%er to loc1 in t%eir s)ecies *t%ere 0ill be no t0o students doing t%e same s)ecies in a )articular region5 but it could be c%osen 3or anot%er region as it may %ave a di33erent nic%e.- !%e teac%er 0ill suggest )ossible to)ics 3or researc% 8ibrary )eriod: $n t%e second day students 0ill be e2)ected to begin 0or1ing on t%eir )oster6)resentation and )a)er- Students s%ould )resent t%eir researc% to t%e teac%er in t%e 3orm o3 a discussion to gauge t%at t%ey are on trac1 0it% t%eir in3ormation and )re)ared to move on8ibrary6 eer :evie0 Day: During t%is day students 0ill s)end some time in small grou)s 0%ere t%ey 0ill discuss t%e researc% and %y)ot%etical situation t%at t%ey %ave created- !%is )rocess is designed to %el) students gain insig%t into some interactions in t%eir ecosystem t%at t%ey may %ave overloo1ed 0%ile also being a 0ay to )re)are students 3or )ossible 7uestions t%at may come u) during t%eir )resentations- A3ter t%e time s)ent in )eer grou)s t%ey 0ill %ave more time to 0or1 on t%eir )ro;ects- And t%e teac%er 0ill s)ea1 to students bot% 1 on 1 and during t%e )eer discussions to gauge understanding and 1ee) discussions on to)icStudents t%at o)ted to create a )a)er and an in-class )resentation 0ill be as1ed to )resent today- !%e )resentations 0ill be s%ort => minute )resentations- $3 not all students com)leted t%eir )resentations t%en t%ey 0ill be com)leted on anot%er day!%e 3inal day 0ill be s)ent as )art o3 t%e sym)osium- !%e class lecture 0ill be 3ormally ?cancelled@ but students 0ill be re7uired to attend t%e )oster )resentations and guest s)ea1er- Co33ee5 %ot c%ocolate5 and snac1s 0ill be available *t%is is a c%ance to %ave students e2)erience 0%at a real science con3erence may 3eel li1e.- !%e students 0%o are )resenting )osters 0ill be set u) and di33erent science teac%ers5 students and guests 0ill be able to as1 t%em 7uestions on t%eir to)ic- Students not )resenting 0ill be tas1ed 0it% creating an e2it card created by s)ea1ing 0it% 9 di33erent )oster )resenters to

ensure t%at students attend- One o3 t%e guests 0ill end u) doing a bonus )resentation on a to)ic related to ecosystems and sustainability-

ssential !uestion" of Units

!%ere are t0o essential 7uestions t%at 0e 0ant students to tie into t%eir learning isA?Does every s)ecies matterB@ and ?$s sustainability a %uman issueB@ !%ese 7uestions 0ill )ermeate student learning as 0e discuss in class: %uman interactions 0it% t%e environment and sustainability issues in various environments-

#pectations:
$nteractions in the Physical nvironment Stran's A Overall #pectations A)* +eographic $n,uiry: use t%e geogra)%ic in7uiry )rocess and t%e conce)ts o3 geogra)%ic t%in1ing 0%en investigating issues relateing to Canadian geogra)%yC %)* -atural Processes an' (uman Activity: analyse some interactions bet0een )%ysical )rocesses5 events5 and )%enomena and %uman activities in Canada %.* $nfluence of the -atural nvironment on (uman Activity: e2)lain %o0 )%ysical )rocesses and t%e natural environment in3luence %uman activity in Canada%/* Characteristics of Cana'a0s -atural nvironment: describe some natural )rocesses and 1ey c%aracteristics o3 t%e natural environment in Canada C)* 1anaging 2esources: assess t%e in3luence o3 )ersonal c%oices and community actions on t%e use o3 natural resources in Canada %iology: Sustaina&le cosystems an' (uman Activity Stran's Overall #pectations % %)* analyse t%e im)act o3 %uman activity on terrestrial or a7uatic ecosystems5 and assess t%e e33ectiveness o3 selected initiatives related to environmental sustainabilityC %.* investigate some 3actors related to %uman activity t%at a33ect terrestrial or a7uatic ecosystems5 and describe t%e conse7uences t%at t%ese 3actors %ave 3or t%e sustainability o3 t%ese ecosystemsC %/* demonstrate an understanding o3 c%aracteristics o3 terrestrial and a7uatic ecosystems5 t%e interde)endence 0it%in and bet0een ecosystems5 and t%e im)act %umans %ave on t%e sustainability o3 t%ese ecosystemsC

3earning +oals:
'%at is it t%at $60e 0ant my students to 1no0B By t%e end o3 t%is activity students s%ould be able to describe t%e many interactions bet0een a s)ecies and its environment- !%roug%out t%e units t%e many 3actors caused by %umans %ave been discussed- By t%e end o3 t%is activity students 0ill %ave a greater understand t%roug% inde)endent researc% on a region6ecosystem 3ound in Canada-

Success Criteria
Ho0 0ill $60e 1no0 students %ave ac%ieved learning goalsB Students 0ill 1no0 t%at t%ey %ave ac%ieved t%e learning goals by )resenting and discussing t%eir to)ic in t%e 3orm o3 a 0ritten )a)er and eit%er an in-class )resentation or a )oster )resentation-

2esources 2e,uire'
$t is im)ortant to %ave t%e library )eriod boo1ed 3or 9 )eriods as 0ell as a communal area boo1ed 3or t%e sym)osium on day (- /unds 3rom t%e science6geogra)%y de)artment 0ill be used to su))ly beverages and snac1s 3or t%e sym)osium- A student t%at decides to create a )oster board 0ill be re7uired to )urc%ase t%e )oster and materials on t%eir o0n-

2ationale for Peter0s Accommo'ations4

eterDs accommodations 3or t%is culminating activity are to )rovide additional o))ortunities to 0or1 1 on 1 0it% eter during t%e researc% )%ase- He 0ill be su))orted in a sca33olding manner to collect %is researc%- !o better accommodate eterDs strengt% t%ere 0ill be an increased 3ocus on %is e33orts during t%e )resentation6intervie0 )rocess-

2ationale for Culminating Activity

'%y 0e c%ose t%is )articular activity- '%y 0e c%anged it 3rom 0%at 0e described in unit )lan!%is activity 0as c%osen because it allo0s 3or students to researc% a to)ic t%at t%ey are interested in- $t allo0s 3or lots o3 creativity in %o0 t%ey )resent t%eir material and t%ey can be as elaborate as t%ey li1e 0%en develo)ing t%eir %y)ot%etical situation- Students could e2amine t%e e33ect o3 losing a )redator on an ecosystem and see t%at t%e )rey )o)ulation increases- !%is is an a))ro)riate observation5 but a 1een student can ta1e it several ste)s 3urt%er to e2amine t%e e33ect on )roducers and t%en t%e soil and t%en t%e climate-

Stu'ent (an'outs 5 attac%ed 2u&ric for C*A* 5 attac%ed *:itaDs rubric E lease also attac%F.