Standard 1

Standard:
 

MS-LS1-4.

Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. 



Demonstration:

This video of the blue footed booby doing its famous mating dance will give students an example of an adaptive animal behavior, and spark their interest because it's hilarious. We'll follow the video with a discussion of why the birds do this dance, and brainstorming other similar animal behavior.
 

Activity:

Groups will each be given a card with an animal behavior (such as nest-building in birds, "dancing" in honeybees, or mimicking in mocking birds) and will brainstorm adaptive reasons for this behavior that would improve the probability of reproduction. Each group will decide on the most likely reason, and write a short paper "proving" their theory, using scientific reasoning.




Essential Questions:

How does your animal behavior increase the probability of reproductive success?

Think about typical human behavior - what behaviors increase the rate of reproductive success?

How are these behaviors related to the animal behaviors you researched?

Standard 2

Standard:

  --> MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

Demonstration:

This Gizmo demonstrates the water cycle and allows students to manipulate factors like wildlife, precipitation and industry to see the effect on the cycle.  The teacher could project the gizmo and manipulate it with student input. 


Water Cycle Gizmo  




Activity:

In groups of at least four, students will create a dramatic performance with each student playing a different role in the water cycle - sun's energy, gravity, water, environmental features. The performance should demonstrate how and why water moves through the cycle, and should be understandable to elementary students.  




Essential Questions:


What was the role of "your" part (gravity, sun's energy, etc.) in the water cycle?

What factors could influence how water cycles through an environment?

How could these factors be controlled?
 

Standard 3

Standard:

  --> MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.


Demonstration:

Use this map of worldwide fresh water resources to give students an example of resource distribution. Either project the image onto the board or ask students to bring it up on their own device, then ask students to pick one area, and come up with a hypothesis as to why the water resources are as high or low as they are in that spot. Discuss.   

Activity:

Each group of students will be assigned a different resource (water, oil, coal, etc.) and tasked with visually mapping the distribution of the resource over time, to show the change in the distribution. Groups will use large world maps and will decide how to represent the distribution and what time frame to use that will show the change in resources. Then groups will present their maps and explain to the class why the resource is distributed the way it is, using scientific evidence and research to back up their reasoning. 




Essential Questions:


How has the distribution of your chosen resource changed over time? Why?

What steps could be taken globally or nationally to help "even out" the distribution of important resources?

Standard 4

Standard:

  --> MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.




Demonstration:

 Either projected on the board, or onto individual student devices, teacher will use the Maine Explorers "Lake Invaders" activity (which is currently not supported on my old laptop, so I am unable to show an example) to demonstrate species interactions (specifically invasive species) in an ecosystem. With student input, teacher will manipulate factors including predator and prey populations, and students will see what happens to the other species' in the ecosystem.


Maine Explorer "Lake Invaders" 




Activity:

Students will play the "Ecosystem Game." --> Students are given formulas to model the population growth (or decay) of their assigned species. When other species in the room hit certain points, their own formula will change – for example, if their species is a predator species, when their main prey species hits a certain low point, their populations growth factor might drop. The students make tables of the population as it changes and when it hits what is a “critical point” for another species in the room (ie when the population size will affect another species growth or decay rate) the group rings a bell to indicate the change so that other groups can adjust their formulas.


Questions:

1.    How could human impact change the balance in an ecosystem?

2.    What do you think the most important species in our classroom ecosystem was? Explain.

3.    Generalize your previous answer to any ecosystem – what factors make a species “important” in its ecosystem, and why?