Ecosystem Unit Plan

Grade/Subject:

9-10 / Biology

Unit Name:

Ecosystem Interactions

Unit BIG Idea

How does human activities impact the environment

and biodiversity?

Next Generation Science

Standards

HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for

reducing the impacts of human activities on the
environment and biodiversity.* [Clarification Statement:
Examples of human activities can include urbanization,
building dams, and dissemination of invasive species.]

Arizona Science Standards

Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

Concept 1: Changes in Environments: Describe the
interactions between human populations, natural
hazards, and the environment.
PO.1
PO.3
PO.5

Common Core State

Standards (optional)

N/A

Culminating Assessment:
How will I measure mastery
of the standards?

SWBAT design, evaluate, and define a solution for

reducing the impacts of human activity

CALENDAR OF
DAILY OBJECTIVES
AND LESSON
SUMMARY
DAY

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE(S)

SWBAT predict the effects

of human activity on the
environment based on their
observations

SWBAT define the many

different types of human
impacts on the
environment

SWBAT Identify a type of

human impact on the
environment using current
events

LESSON
SUMMARY
List an agenda with
description of each
agenda item.

-Introduce new unit:

Ecosystem Interactions to
the students (5 mins)
-Ask the question: What is
your human footprint? and
get some feedback (5 mins)
-Show students the Human
Footprint Atlas and have the
students find their
hometowns on the map to
review the influence of their
area and make connections
to other students ( 10 mins)
- Have students make
predictions (in small groups)
based off of the map on
why some areas are more
or less affected by the
human footprints ( 10 mins)
- Ask the question: How do
you think humans are
impacting the environment?
and have a discussion with
the class to understand
their background knowledge
(10 mins)
- Introduce the different
types of human activities
that are impacting the
environment

- Review yesterdays
lesson ( 2- 5 mins)
-Have the students take
the Your Ecological
Footprint Quiz (15 mins)
-Discuss with the class
some of the findings (5
mins)
- Introduce to the class by
giving notes the many
different types of human
impacts we have on the
environment and the
different ways it is
effecting our planet
(25 mins)

-Review yesterday
lesson(2-5 mins)
-Ask students if they can
identify some
environmental effects
around their community.
(5 mins)
-Give each group of 3
students a current event
discussing an
environmental effect.
Have students read the
article in groups and take
short simple notes on the
current event or
highlight.(20 mins)
-Discuss as a whole class
interesting things they
read and what
environmental effect their
group read about. (5mins)
-Introduce the assignment
for the next class. (10
mins)

Formative
Assessment(s):
Describe an activity
used to elicit
PROGRESS toward
mastery of the
standards (should
align directly with
the daily objective).
Do not include
informal
assessments, such
as on-the-fly
questioning here.

- The students will have

given predictions in groups
to show they have reached
the objective of the day

-Students will complete

the online quiz
-The students will utilize
their notes to complete
and exit slip that shows
they can define the
different types of human
impacts on the
environment

-Students will use notes

on what we discussed in
class to complete an exit
slip on identifiable human
impacts around our state
community

DAY

-Evaluate the level of

understanding the students
have about their footprints
and impacts in order to
modify the next few lesson
given.

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE(S)

SWBAT Identify and

explain a human impact on
the environment using
current events and other
resources

SWBAT identify and

discuss the effects of
climate change on
biodiversity and
ecosystems

SWBAT utilize research

on the beneficial/adverse
effects of climate change
and apply it to a single
organism

LESSON SUMMARY
List an agenda with
description of each
agenda item.

-Review yesterdays
lesson(2-5mins)
-Students will receive
information on group
presentation project.
Teacher will assign each
group a different
environmental issue to
discuss. Topics include
deforestation, Water
pollution, overfishing,
global warming, acid rain.
(10 mins)
-Students will work in their
groups from yesterday
lesson to formulate a 5 to
10 minute presentation
discussing cause and
effect of the human impact
assigned by teacher
environment.(35 mins)
-Students will use whole
class to work on this.
-Teacher will walk around
to help students.

Discuss bckgd information

on human carbon
emissions and its effect on
climate (10 minutes):
https://www.koshlandsciencemuseum.org/explore-thescience/earthlab#.VDJGdPldWuI

Review major concepts

from climate change (5
minutes)

Students research from

the following websites to
discover the effects of
climate change on
ecosystems (30-40
minutes) - completing a
worksheet with research
questions:
1.
http://www.epa.g

Determine why they are

important to biodiversity,
as well as their other
value (economic,
ecological, etc.). Students
should also address how
the species will be
affected by climate
change.

ov/climatechange
/effects/polarregi
ons.html
2.

http://www.epa.g
ov/climatechange
/effects/eco.html

3.

http://www.epa.g
ov/climatechange
/effects/forests.ht
ml

4.

http://www.actio
nbioscience.org/e
nvironment/dero
cher.html

5.

http://www.actio
nbioscience.org/e
volution/barnosk
y.html

6.

http://www.actio
nbioscience.org/e
nvironment/loga

Students research an
unfamiliar organsism form
a list of endangered
species.
(http://www.fws.gov/)

nmacfarlane.html
7.

http://www.actio
nbioscience.org/e
nvironment/prat
o_fagre.html

Formative
Assessment(s):
Describe an activity
used to elicit
PROGRESS toward
mastery of the
standards (should
align directly with the
daily objective). Do
not include informal
assessments, such
as on-the-fly
questioning here.

-Students will present

information on a specific
environmental effect
assigned by teacher the to
whole class.

complete a worksheet that

summarizes their findings
as well as participate in
end-of-class discussion to
explain their findings

Students submit a 5
paragraph essay
discussing their findings.
Paragraphs:
1.
Intro
2.
importance to
biodiversity
3.
ecological/econo
mic importance their other values
4.
How they are
affected by
climate change
5.
conclusion

DAY

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE(S)

SWBAT analyze the

effects of human impacts
on biodiversity.

SWBAT use their

knowledge of biodiversity
and define what
ecosystem services are
provided by biodiversity.

SWBAT design and argue

a solution for reducing the
impacts of human activity
on the environment

LESSON SUMMARY
List an agenda with
description of each
agenda item.

Review content
from the previous
day. (2-5 mins)
Students will
review what
biodiversity is
through a class
discussion (5-7
mins)
Students will
analyze the
environmental
impact used in
their presenting
groups from days
3 and 4.
This time they will
research the
specific effects
that impact
biodiversity.
Students will use
same research
material from
days 3 and 4 but
will also be given
a specific video to
watch on their
environmental
impact relating to
biodiversity.

Formative
Assessment(s):
Describe an activity
used to elicit
PROGRESS toward
mastery of the
standards (should
align directly with the
daily objective). Do
not include informal

Students will come up with

concept map using sticky
notes.
I will give them a poster
board and sticky notes.
The sticky notes must
include:
1. The environmental topic
being analyzed.

Students will
share with the
class their
concept map
from the previous
day.
(from looking at
the impacts on
biodiversity the
students came up
with yesterday) I
will hand out
items or show a
short clip of what
some of that
biodiversity does
for humans.
This will lead into
a discussion of
ecosystem
services. (What
do the students
think ecosystem
services are?)
Students will
answer their
prediction of what
effect could
biodiversity have
on humans
relating to
ecosystem
services. They
will put their
answer on their
concept map.
They share with
the class their
groups answer.

For an exit slip students

will write one paragraph
defining what ecosystem
services are and how
these services relate to
their lives.

- Review yesterdays
lesson ( 2-5 mins)
-Introduce the Protecting
Earths Wildlife activity (5
mins)
-Split the classes into four
different groups and
assign each group their
animal and pass out the
reading hand-out ( 5 mins)
-Have the students read
about their article and
discuss in the group their
findings and notes ( 10
mins)
-Students will work in their
groups to create a poster,
storyboard, skit, etc to
explain their article and
the steps they would take
to create a solution or
reduce their problem ( 30
mins)

assessments, such
as on-the-fly
questioning here.

2. At least two effects that

the topic has on
biodiversity.
3. Predict why each effect
on biodiversity could
possibly have affect
humans.

DAY

10

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE(S)

SWBAT argue a solution

for reducing the impacts
of human activity on the
environment

LESSON SUMMARY
List an agenda with
description of each
agenda item.

-Break students up into

groups from the previous
day
-Allow students to review
and finish up their
presentations (10 mins)
-Have the students
present to the class
each solution for the
animal that they had and
allow for a debrief after
each group (40 mins)

Formative
Assessment(s):
Describe an activity
used to elicit
PROGRESS toward
mastery of the
standards (should
align directly with the
daily objective). Do
not include informal
assessments, such
as on-the-fly
questioning here.

-Students will turn in

their projects and will be
evaluated on their
presentation and the
information they
included pertaining to
the daily objectives

Resources:
Day One - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/14/g68/HumanFootprint.pdf
Day Two - http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator