Saving the Everglades: Young Environmental Scientists

Welcome, young environmental scientists! You have been selected to investigate Florida's Everglades and discover how plants, animals, and humans interact in this unique ecosystem. Your mission is to identify environmental challenges and recommend ways to protect the Everglades.

Guiding Questions
1. How do plants and animals depend on each other?
2. How does energy move through a food chain?
3. How do people affect the Everglades?
4. What can we do to protect this ecosystem?

Learning Objectives
Students will identify Everglades organisms (Remember), explain their relationships (Understand), illustrate a food chain (Apply), analyze environmental threats (Analyze), evaluate solutions (Evaluate), and create a digital conservation presentation (Create).

Florida Standards: SC.4.L.17.3 and SC.4.L.17.4.

You are part of a team of four young environmental scientists. Your team must investigate the Florida Everglades and create a six-slide digital presentation using Canva or Google Slides.

Your presentation must include:
1. Title and team members.
2. Overview of the Everglades ecosystem.
3. An illustrated Everglades food chain.
4. Two environmental threats.
5. Three conservation solutions.
6. A persuasive conservation message and source credits.

Each team member must contribute to the research and participate in a three- to five-minute presentation.

PROCESS

Step 1: Assign team roles.
Wildlife Researcher: Investigates native plants and animals.
Food Chain Specialist: Creates a diagram showing energy flow.
Environmental Investigator: Researches environmental threats and solutions.
Presentation Designer: Organizes the digital slides and visual materials.

Step 2: Research the Everglades.
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/plants.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/invasivespecies.htm

Step 3: Collect information.
Each student records at least three important facts and their sources.

Step 4: Collaborate online.
Create a shared Google Doc at https://docs.google.com. Each team member adds research, posts one progress update, and comments on another member's work. Use the class discussion board for asynchronous communication.

Step 5: Create the project.
Visit https://www.canva.com or https://slides.google.com to create a six-slide presentation. All students must contribute.

Step 6: Review the presentation.
Check scientific accuracy, spelling, image quality, research evidence, and source credits.

Step 7: Present your work.
Deliver a three- to five-minute presentation. Each group member explains at least one part of the project.

Performance Descriptions: 

4 Points – Excellent: Work is complete, accurate, well-organized, and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic.

3 Points – Proficient: Work meets most requirements, with minor errors or missing details.

2 Points – Developing: Work meets some requirements but lacks important information, detail, or organization.

1 Point – Beginning: Work is incomplete, contains significant errors, or demonstrates limited understanding.

Total Possible Score: 20 Points

Overall Grading Scale:

• 18–20 Points: Excellent
• 15–17 Points: Proficient
• 11–14 Points: Developing
• 5–10 Points: Needs Improvement

CONCLUSION

Congratulations, young environmental scientists! You have learned about the Everglades ecosystem, explored food chains, investigated environmental challenges, and developed ways to protect nature.

Reflect on these questions:
1. What was the most interesting fact you learned?
2. Why should we protect the Everglades?
3. What action can you take to help the environment?

Enrichment Activity: Visit https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/education/curriculummaterials.htm and explore an additional Everglades learning activity. Create a conservation poster that encourages others to protect Florida's ecosystems.