Ecology Lesson 10: Earth’s Systems and Climate Change
Title of Lesson: Earth’s Systems and Climate Change
Situation: 9th grade Biology 1, 35 high school students of mixed gender
Time: 85 minute block schedule
Concept or conceptual understanding (listed as a sentence or 2):
Students will be introduced to the “spheres” of earth, the processes they regulate and their interconnectedness. Students will understand the resources that humans use in each sphere and the consequences of our actions in terms of global change for humans and other organisms.
Real world connections (Relevancy):
Humans use resources from all of earth’s systems. Humans are impacting the functioning of Earth’s systems through agricultural practices and fossil fuel combustion in ways that affect both humans and the natural world.
AZ standards: (include grade level and text):
AZ Strand 1, Concept 1: Formulate predictions, questions, or hypotheses based on observations. Evaluate appropriate resources. POs 1
AZ Strand 1, Concept 2: Design and conduct controlled investigations. POs 1, 5
AZ Strand 1, Concept 3: Evaluate experimental design, analyze data to explain results and propose further investigations. POs 1, 6
AZ Strand 1, Concept 4: Communicate results of investigations. POs 2-4
AZ Strand 2, Concept 1: Identify individual, cultural, and technological contributions to scientific knowledge, PO 1, 3, 4.
AZ Strand 2, Concept 2: Understand how science is a process for generating knowledge. POs 1, 2, 4
AZ Strand 3, Concept 1: Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards, and the environment. POs 1-5
AZ Strand 3, Concept 2: Develop viable solutions to a need or a problem. POs 1, 2, 4, 5
AZ Strand 3, Concept 3. Analyze factors that affect human populations. POs 1-2
AZ Strand 4, Concept 3: Analyze the relationships among various organisms and their environment. POs 2
Strand 4, Concept 4: Understand the scientific principles and processes involved in biological evolution. PO 4
Strand 4, Concept 5: Understand the organization of living systems, and the role of energy within those systems. PO 3
Incorporation of inquiry:
Students will calculate their carbon footprint and discuss ways to reduce their impact. Students will calculate the carbon mass of four types of trees by taking field measurements and making calculations. Students will compare the amount of carbon in a tree to amount of CO2 the tree sequestered and how much gasoline burned to produce the CO2. Students will be introduced to various global change research in the area as well as a researcher from the Nature Conservancy to introduce the concept of migration corridors.
Behavior objectives:
Objective 1: Students will be able to define the earth’s spheres and diagram how they are linked.
Objective 2: Students will be able to define climate and microclimate and relate factors that influence climate.
Objective 3: Students will discover how they influence climate change and make recommendations for reducing their impacts.
Objective 4: Students will take measurements in order to calculate tree weight, carbon sequestration and gasoline carbon output.
Prior knowledge necessary:
Students will need to understand some principle of ecology, chemistry, graphing, algebra and measurements.
Identify possible student preconceptions:
Students will likely believe that they contribute very little to climate change.
They will believe that climate change is not local.
Materials:
Students will need lab notebooks, computers (library), 100 meter tape, clinometers, and calculators. Supplementary materials: worksheet for tree carbon exercise, powerpoint.
Safety:
Students will need to dress appropriately for outdoor activities.
Lesson Description:
Assessment:
Students will be assessed by observation, worksheets, lab notebooks and homework.
References: