Learning Exercise

Grade Level: Sixth Grade

Lesson Title: NASA Food Web
Objectives: 1. Students
will review the elements of an ecosystem. 2. Students will write expository
compositions. 3. Students with use technology to collaborate with peers.

CDE
Science: 5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among
themselves and with the environment. As a basis for understanding this concept:
5a: Students know energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by
producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis and then from organism to
organism through food webs. 5b: Students know matter is transferred over time
from one organism to others in the food web and between organisms and the
physical environment. 5c: Students know populations of organisms can be
categorized by the functions they serve in an ecosystem. 5d: Students know
different kinds of organisms may play similar ecological roles in similar
biomes. 5e: Students know the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can
support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as
quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, and soil composition.

CDE Language Arts: 2.2 Write expository compositions (e.g., description,
explanation, comparison and contrast, problem and solution): 2.2a: State the
thesis or purpose. 2.2b: Explain the situation. 2.2c: Follow an organizational
pattern appropriate to the type of composition. 2.2d: Offer persuasive evidence
to validate arguments and conclusions as needed. NETS: #7: Collaborate with
peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to
investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop
solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Website:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/antarctica2/main/t_guide/activity_152.html

Anticipatory Set: Students will visit site at
http://www.bigelow.org/edhab/fitting_algae.html


Critical Teacher Tasks: 1.
Facilitate discussion. 2. Instruct as a research activity. 3. Assess as needed
to drive instruction. 4. Monitor the use of the Internet. 5. This is a
writing/collaboration activity. 6. Model the expository composition.

Critical
Student Tasks: 1. Actively question the instructor. 2. Use the Internet in a
responsible manner. 3. Write down observations in science journal. 4. Work
collaboratively with peers. 5. Partner read for fluency as needed. 6. Create
notes and follow through with added research. 7. Write and present your
composition.

Assessment: Informal as needed with observations by teacher during
class time. Formal with the effort and achievement rubric. Composition will be
final assessment (both written and oral delivery). Copyright 2004 Troy Tenhet
Jr.