Wednesday June 6 – Monday June 18, 2018

We need empty 1/2 liter plastic water bottles please!

FOCUS QUESTION: What are the factors that led to the untimely death of Rhapsody and her unborn baby?  And what can we do to help the endangered SRKW population?

AGENDA: Students will begin their three final assessments:  Summary chart, Rhapsody model, and Water Filtration Engineering Challenge.  These will all be DUE by MONDAY JUNE 18.

• For the summary chart (see link below), students will need to complete assignments and then write about: 1.) what they learned, 2.) how it connects to Rhapsody, and the 3.) NGSS standard addressed for each of the assignments.  This will be completed on the chromebook.
• For the model, students will need to list information about the factors leading the Rhapsody’s death and make connections between them on paper model.
• For the engineering challenge, students will design a filtration system, test it, make modifications to the system and test it again.  Students will then evaluate “competing” design models to determine the best design.

1. Summary Chart 
2. Rhapsody Model
3. Water Filtration Engineering Challenge

Tuesday June 5, 2018

NGSS STANDARD MS-LS2-1.  Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.]

Standard in “middle school friendly” language:

FOCUS QUESTION: If one organism’s population changes size dramatically, how will the other populations in the food chain be affected?

AGENDA: Students will brainstorm cause and effect relationships by completing population graphs for given scenarios.

1. Warm-up: Sample “Sketch a Graph”
2. Group “Sketch a Graph”
3. Sample Scenarios

Monday June 4, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: Why can the Puget Sound only support the energy needs of 200 Orca whales but there are millions of herring?

AGENDA: Students will complete their energy flow models and share them with the class.  Next, we will process the energy needs of different organisms in the food web and why.  Finally, we will record our ideas on an Energy Pyramid Diagram.

1. Complete Energy Models
2. Student energy model showcase
3. Energy Pyramid Diagram

This shows the 10% law – only 10% of the original stored chemical energy is passed on to the next consumer.

Friday June 1, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: How can a model be used to show the flow of energy in an ecosystem between living and non-living things?

AGENDA: Students will continue working on their models of energy flow in the Puget Sound.

1. Energy Model
2. Update notes

(Below is a picture of a student model completed during class.)

Thursday May 31, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: How does energy flow between living and nonliving things in an ecosystem?

AGENDA:  Students will work in groups to create a model to demonstrate how energy flows in an ecosystem.

1. Complete notes
2. PhET simulation – class demo (not available on chromebooks but work with a windows application)

Wednesday May 30, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: What is energy and what are examples of different types of energy?

AGENDA: Students will complete yesterday’s food chain notes.  Next, we will take notes on energy to apply to the Puget Sound ecosystem.

1. Complete food chain notes (see below)
2. Energy Video
3. Energy Notes

Tuesday May 29, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: What is a food chain and who are the “key players” involved?

AGENDA: Students will be introduced to Rhapsody, a pregnant SRKW that died just prior to giving birth.  Next, we will explore a Puget Sound Food Chain.

1. Review SRKW Information (Slideshow)
2. Rhapsody Video – What lead to the untimely death of Rhapsody and why isn’t the SRKW population recovering?
3. Rhapsody Notes (see below)
4. Puget Sound Food Chain Notes (see below)

Rhapsody Notes:

“Puget Sound Food Chain Notes” (Please note these are not yet complete – these will be completed tomorrow in class)

 

 

Friday May 25, 2018

FOCUS QUESTION: Who are the Southern Resident Killer Whales and why do we care?

AGENDA: Students will be introduced to the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) and will take notes on key pieces of information.

1. Slideshow background – this includes general information, population data, and a video
2. Notes

Wednesday May 23, 2018

Nature Vision with Mr. Mike 

FOCUS QUESTION: What is a watershed, what do we find in it, how do humans impact it, and how can we help it?

Today we are lucky to have a guest scientist from Nature Vision talking to us about the Cedar River Watershed and Puget Sound.  Students will participate in discussion, experiment, and organism tour.  All of the learning today will prepare us for our final unit on the Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcas).

Experiment Pictures – Notice the different amount of water and difference in water clarity between water filtered through plain soil vs. soil with a plant.

Organism Tour Pictures – These are pictures of organisms found in the Puget Sound region.  These were real animals that were confiscated from poachers or died of natural causes.

Thursday – Tuesday May 17-22, 2018

AGENDA: Students are completing 3 assessment activities for the end of our Natural Selection Unit: quiz (already completed – revisions can be made at any time), foldable, and comic.

1. Evidence for Evolution Foldable
2. “Natural Selection Comic” Instructions and Sample Scenarios

Example Student Comics:

Where to find more information:

1. Evidence of Evolution Video
2. The common genetic code – how do genetic similarities act as evidence of Evolution?
3. Rock Pocket Mouse Video
4. Natural Selection Reading
5. Galapagos Finch Evolution Video
6. Stickleback Fish – Making of the Fittest Video