After reading "A Sound of Thunder," students will further investigate the impact of the "butterfly effect" as it pertains to a nonfiction piece (a news story from China) about the dwindling bee population and its effects on the pear industry. The US bee population has dwindled in the last few years, too, and a second video documentary on Colony Collapse Disorder allows students to make inferences and predictions about the impacts of bee loss on the US economy, too.
Students will then be able to investigate environmental issues of their own choices and research them using a variety of print and digital research tools. For more specifics, please contact me at connie_young@kernhigh.org .
Type of Material:
Self-Contained Lesson
Recommended Uses:
In-class learning
The "Cause and Effect Relationships--Silence of the Bees" lesson included on the PBS site provides a 2 day lesson for teachers to guide students in writing an essay synthesizing the cause and effect relationship that the bee's disappearance causes.
Video clips can be shown in class or for homework, if desired
Technical Requirements:
The video clips are central to the project, to spring students into critical thoughts and plans for their own investigations and research. Major funding for Teacher's Domain is provided by the National Science Foundation. Video collection which provided "Silence of the Bees," and the collapsing colonies is funded through "the United States Department of Education, under the Ready to Teach Program."
Identify Major Learning Goals:
**This review covers ONLY the PBS website as that is what was included in the MERLOT link.
Students will examine the impact of the disappearance of bees in both the South Sichuan Province of China, as well as in the United States. An included video segment, adapted from Nature: Silence of the Bees discusses the impact of this disappearance, as well as the effects that Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has on pollination and the world food supply. Additional lessons are included for further research and writing.
Target Student Population:
6-8 Science
9-12 Biology, Botany
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
It is recommened that a "A Sound of Thunder" be read prior to watching the video.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The learning materials is aligned with National Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards. The problem of the missing bees, the consequences of not having bees, and the sustainability of possible solutions are investigated.
Concerns:
The material described in the original overview was not included in the link (only the website). The lesson plan described sounds compelling and challenging for students, but there are no links to activities regarding "A Sound of Thunder", the "butterfly effect", or the related final research piece. The author's email is included for further reference, but it would help to have the entire lesson plan available so that users of MERLOT can use it in their classrooms.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
After watching video segments about colony collapse disorder and the disappearance of the bees, middle school and high school science students will be able to write an essay to synthesize the cause and effect relationships that these disappearances will cause. The material clearly explains all steps of the learning activities, including additional guidance for struggling learners. Framing, focusing, and follow-up questions are included to help teachers direct lessons. The unit's clearly stated learning objectives are to help students draw conclusions from cause and effect relationships. Assessments are included on the website, if desired, and follow up links for further research are included.
Concerns:
See previous note. This review is based solely on the materials available. The rating is based on the fact that the entire lesson was not available for review.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The website is very easy to use. The layout is effective and visually appealing, with large title text, and smaller subtexts set apart. The clear, easy to read sans serif font has plenty of spacing between items and lines. Clearly labeled links and videos work the first time a user clicks. Video use permissions are clearly noted on the website for educators.
Concerns:
See note on content quality.
Creative Commons:
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