Ecosystems 5th Grade

Introduction

BREAKING NEWS!!

There has been a terrible natural disaster which has completely mixed up all of the world’s ecosystem’s characteristics!  

The desert is freezing and there are tigers swimming in the ocean!  

We need YOUR help to help straighten up our ecosystems and get the animals back where they belong. 

Today, you will work in teams as science researchers to sort out this mess!  

Then, you will give a special "News report" on the evening news, outlining the characteristics of different types of ecosystems.

Task

Your team's job is to research the world's ecosystems and put them back together as nature intended them.

You and your research team will complete the ecosystems chart using the links provided on the Process page. Then you will report on the corrected ecosystems on an "Evening News Report". 

To do this, first, you will fill out a chart on the 5 different ecosystems. 

Then, you will create a "News Report" using your laptop to share with the class.

Process

RESOURCES

 Use the following to complete your research:

1.      ECOSYSTEMS Chart (Microsoft Word)

 

2.      Use the following sites to complete the ecosystems chart

 

Websites:

 

    a.      Estuaries/Salt Marshes:

             i.  http://mbgnet.net/salt/sandy/indexfr.htm

            ii. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/estuaries/1

           iii.  http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/intro/salt.htm

           iv. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/estuary/

           v. http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/estuaries.html

    b.      Oceans:

            i.  http://mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm

            ii.  http://www.earthskids.com/ek_science-marine.htm

           iii.  http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/

           iv.  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365256/marine-ecosystem

            v.  http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/

            vi. http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/marine.html

            

    c.       Lakes/Ponds:

              i.  http://mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/index.htm

             ii.  http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/habitat/lakes.htm 

             iii.  http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/freshwater.html

            iv.  http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/wwe/lake3.htm

            v. http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/freshwaterwetlands.html

 

    d.      Grasslands:

               i.   http://mbgnet.net/sets/grasslnd/index.htm

              ii.  http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grassland-profile/

              iii.  http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/

              iv.  http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/grass.htm

               v. http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/grassland.html             

 

    e.      Forests:

              i.  http://mbgnet.net/sets/temp/index.htm

             ii.  http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/

             iii.  http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/dforest.html

             iv.  http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/temperateforest.html

             v. http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/taiga.html

 

      

Evaluation

EVALUATION- use both rubrics below to ensure you include ALL parts in your work.

Ecosystems Webquest CHART Rubric

 

 

0 points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Estuaries/Salt Marshes

4 or more section were incomplete and/or incorrect

All but 2-3 sections for this topic are completed and correct

All but 1 section for this topic are completed and correct

All sections for this topic are completed and correct

Oceans

4 or more section were incomplete and/or incorrect

All but 2-3 sections for this topic are completed and correct

All but 1 section for this topic are completed and correct

All sections for this topic are completed and correct

Lakes/Oceans

4 or more section were incomplete and/or incorrect

All but 2-3 sections for this topic are completed and correct

All but 1 section for this topic are completed and correct

All sections for this topic are completed and correct

Grasslands

4 or more section were incomplete and/or incorrect

All but 2-3 sections for this topic are completed and correct

All but 1 section for this topic are completed and correct

All sections for this topic are completed and correct

Forests

4 or more section were incomplete and/or incorrect

All but 2-3 sections for this topic are completed and correct

All but 1 section for this topic are completed and correct

All sections for this topic are completed and correct

                                    

Chart score:        ____/15

 

Ecosystems News Report Team Individual Rubric

 

For your report, you:

0 points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Were on camera for at least three minutes

Less than 30 seconds

30 seconds

45 seconds

One minute or longer

Reported on your ecosystem’s CLIMATE

Climate was NOT reported on

_____

_____

Climate was clearly presented and correct

Reported on your ecosystem’s CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics were NOT reported on

_____

_____

Characteristics were clearly presented and correct

Reported on your ecosystem’s type (aquatic or terrestrial)

Type was NOT reported on or was incorrect.

_____

_____

Type was reported on correctly.

Reported on at least 10 animals that live in your ecosystem

4 or lessanimals that live in this ecosystems were presented

5-7 animals that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

8-9 animals that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

10 animals that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

Reported on at least 10 animals that live in your ecosystem

4 or less plants that live in this ecosystems were presented

5-7 plants that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

8-9 plants that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

10 plants that live in this ecosystems were presented and correct

Reported on at least 10 animals that live in your ecosystem

A food chain was NOT presented

2-3 organism food chain was presented

4 organism food chain was presented

5 organism food chain was presented

                                    

Score:         ____/21

                                         

Conclusion

I can't wait to see all your "News Reports" so we can get all the animals back into their natural habitats. Without your team of scientist many of our ecosystems would be facing a natural extinction!

 

 

Credits
Teacher Page

Jennifer Autry 

5th Grade

WS/FCS