rdailey

**//Introduction://** This annotated bibliography of a diverse text set is intended for an 8th grade Life Science class. The 8th graders are working on an environmental science unit focusing on biodiversity that involves such topics as endangered species and extinction. The class has about 20 students with their ability level ranging from a low to moderate ability. Some students have trouble reading scientific text, so it is important to create a learning environment that encompasses all learning styles and enables students to get the information in a non-technical format. **1**//.// **Textbook**: Prentice Hall Science Explorer (Environmental Science) **APA citation**: Lisowski, M., Jones, L. Prentice Hall Science Explorer (Environmental Science), Biodiversity (pp. 95-105). Boston, MA: Pearson **Summary**: The textbook chapter entitled “Biodiversity” introduces the realm of biodiversity by introducing concepts as the value of economic biodiversity, factors affecting it, and examining endangered species, extinction and its causes. The chapter then recognized protecting biodiversity and its importance to future generations on earth. **Rationale**: I selected this text because it is a great easy introduction to the topic of biodiversity and has great pictures and valuable vocabulary terms that help build the base of these important concepts. It also has great questions that are critical and make students think outside the box and use what they have learned. **Purpose**: The purpose of this text is for introductory reading to get the students engaged in the topic. It is perfect for an 8th grade reading level and has bright, fascinating pictures and charts that make learning easy. * This is in a textbook so I was unable to attach to this document. **2**//.// **Poem**: Biodiversity: A Large Variety of Species Within an Ecosystem or Habitat **APA citation**: Jordan, A. (2008) Biodiversity: A large variety of species within an ecosystem or habitat. Retrieved September 28, 2008, from Washington Nature Mapping Program Web Site: http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/education/biopoem.html **Summary**: This poem depicts biodiversity in a vivid and colorful fashion. The writer conveys biodiversity in a different light and allows you to think about the concept from a student’s perspective because it is written by a middle school student. **Rationale**: I selected this poem because it is short, light and to the point. It paints you a picture of the importance of biodiversity in a subtle way. The way it is written relates to middle school students so they are able to view and use sample work. I think that by using sample work (from the same age group) it motivates students and gives them insight into other people’s thoughts about the subject matter. **Purpose**: To start a lesson and get students interested and engaged in the topic. It allows students to think about and read about biodiversity through the eyes of a middle school student. This perspective gives students a student-student approach to learning about biodiversity. The poem (format) is also a fun type of text with its colorful language and it provides information that a science textbook does not teach. * Click on link to view **3**//.// **Graph**: The Rideau River Biodiversity Project (Biodiversity Index Graph) **APA citation**: Bishop, J. (2007) The Rideau River Biodiversity Project Retrieved September 23, 2008, from nature.ca Site: http://nature.ca/rideau/e/el1ef-e.html **Summary**: This is a biodiversity index bar graph. Graphs are commonly used to distribute the results of data or research. This particular graph is a biodiversity index for aquatic plants and animals that reflect diversity and abundance in a specific area. Each bar in the graph represents its own value based on the index and is indicated by a specific color. This allows scientists to compare the bars and evaluate the graphs results in order to make informed decisions using this information. **Rationale**: I selected this graph because scientists use graphs all the time to display information. It is a good visual reference and resource that depicts information. This particular graph displays the biodiversity levels in certain areas and I thought that it was an interesting project that students would be motivated to use as a resource. **Purpose**: The use of graphs is for visual display of your findings (the answer to the question you are searching for). This graph indicates the value of biodiversity in and around the Rideau River. Using graphs to display scientific data is very common in the science field and they will have to do this in many science classes, so the earlier students are taught how to make graphs and use them appropriately, the more prepared they will be for high school and college. * Click on link to view **4**//.// **News Article**: National Geographic News (Ancient Ocean Cooling Sparked a Biodiversity Boom) **APA citation**: Johnson, K. (2008). Ancient ocean cooling sparked a biodiversity boom. Retrieved September 23, 2008, from National Geographic News Website: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/27279806.html **Summary**: This is a news article from a reliable source; National Geographic. 400 million years ago, warmer sea temperatures created a huge increase in aquatic biodiversity. In this article it states that there could be a possible biodiversity crisis or significant decrease if the earth’s climate continues to get warmer. Cooler temperatures are more hospitable of an environment to organisms. “Life can exist, but it is not as diverse.” **Rationale**: I selected this because it was a National Geographic article so it is from a reputable and reliable source. It is a really interesting article. It is important to use the news and incorporate it into your curriculum so that students can stay up to date as to what is going on with certain issues. This fosters the use of keeping up the news in the future to become well informed adults. It also helps students when they ask, “Why are we learning about this?” Well when something is newsworthy, students will understand more why they are learning about it and they are able to tie concepts from the classroom to real-life. **Purpose**: News resources keep you up to date with current events. This allows you to relate ideas in the classroom to real life interaction. The news also gets kids interested/engaged/motivated so that they will want to learn and will keep up with staying in touch with current news and events. News articles are documented and saved so that it is a reliable source to look back at history. The news now is history for future generations. *Click on link to view **5**//.// **Magazine Article:** National Wildlife Magazine**,** “Z” is for Biodiversity **APA citation**: Sachs, S.J. (2004). “Z” is for Biodiversity. National Wildlife Magazine (42,2) 1-4. **Summary**: This article is about the role of the zebra society in Africa and how their survival can prove positive for conservation efforts there. “The plains zebra plays an unmatched role in maintaining some of the most biologically diverse habitat on the planet.” Thus their survival is dependent upon the conservation efforts of Africa’s tropical grasslands. Their populations are decreasing and are concentrated in two areas instead of being scattered throughout the continent. Magazine articles are also a good text or resource for research or general reading for knowledge. **Rationale**: I selected this text because it is from a wildlife magazine. This is an informative and reliable magazine that has great educational articles, amazing photographs and really shows you the essence of wildlife in a magazine. **Purpose**: Magazine articles are very informative tools used for referencing certain concepts to learn about new things. Generally they are in color, well written articles that have pictures. Magazines are generally read for pleasure. Magazines make great educational tools because this one is a reliable source, some however are not. Magazines are a great way of reading lightly and learning great new concepts and expanding ideas instead of reading relentless textbooks for information. * Click link to view **6. Biodiversity Photograph** **APA citation**: David Hall, Seaphotos.com. Retrieved October 6, 2008 from Website http://marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/biodiversity.asp **Summary**: This photo represents aquatic biodiversity. It is a bright underwater photo of a diverse array of sea life. This image is beautiful and interesting. It is a great representation of underwater biodiversity. Visual tools are excellent tools to really see ideas and concepts that are being discussed. **Rationale**: I selected this photo because it is a beautiful interpretation of aquatic biodiversity. It makes you realize how beautiful yet delicate and sensitive the underwater ecosystem is. Having the ability to have such an accurate representation allows people to tie information and emotion together. Once emotion is evoked is when someone will further investigate and take a stake in something. This is what this photo evoked in me. This is helpful for students because they will be more engaged and motivated to learn the material and take it further. **Purpose**: The purpose of using this photograph is as a visual interpretation of biodiversity. This picture grabs learners in a different way and helps students understand concepts in a different way. When you can tie information together with a visual image it seems to mean more and you are able to get more out of it. It also aids in tieing classroom material to real-life issues. *Click link to view **7**//.// **Online Video Clip**: **APA citation**: http://www.marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/biodiversity.asp (video) **Summary**: This aquatic video (3 mins) has no words and shows different types of fish, plant life, whales etc in their natural habitat. It is beautiful and amazing. It is something that I have never seen before. It is a great educational resource because it depicts real-life biodiversity in our oceans. **Rationale**: I selected this video because it was intense and had such a huge variety of underwater plant and animal life. It makes you realize how important biodiversity is from an aesthetic point of view and how unique those organisms are because we don’t have the ability to see them everyday. Videos are great tools to introduce topics and to summarize topics. I would use this video at the beginning of my lesson so that my students would get hooked and be engaged and motivated to learn. I think that the students will get a lot out of the video; it is not just something boring to waste time. It is something really cool that I think kids would check out even if they didn’t have to for school. **Purpose**: This video can be used to introduce students to biodiversity. It is a good tool or different tool instead of reading and taking notes for students to view biodiversity at work in their natural habitat. Using video clips allows students to learn in a different way from a different view and evokes individual thought through emotion. * Click link to view **8**//.// **Online Quiz**: **APA citation**: MarineBio.org Creature Quiz archive. Retrieved October 6, 2008 from Website: http://[|www.marinebio.org/oceans/thecreatures/quiz_archive.asp]// **Summary**: This online marine biology quiz tests your skills of marine biology content. It has pictures and great questions, it is engaging, interactive and better than taking the same old paper and pencil quiz. **Rationale**: I selected this quiz because it was a good marine biology quiz that students can use and learn from to give them more interesting facts into the world of biodiversity whether it is on land or in the water. There are no pencils with online quizzes or paper, so you save trees and have a much more interactive part in learning. All you have to do is click, it makes taking a quiz easy and forces students to use their online reading skills. **Purpose**: Using the internet as a form of assessment allows students to have a different medium in which to be assessed from. Teachers don’t have to do the grading, the program does it for teachers so that saves time, money energy and trees. Using the internet to give quizzes allows them to be interactive but also allows them to use and work on their online literacy skills. This is very useful as they go through their school career and into adult hood. Students must become proficient in online reading because it is a tool that will be used heavily in their educational experiences and their futures. * Click link to view **9**. //**Game**: Layers of Life// **APA citation**: Layers of Life, Retrieved October 6, 2008 fromWebsite http:[|www.biodiversity911.org/swf/tree.htm] **Summary**: This game is a journey to the island of Sumatra to explore the layers of life in the rainforest. On the left side of the game is text (information) that helps give you additional information pertaining to the questions you have to answer to play the game. To play the game you click on the species that is the answer to the statement that is given. **Rationale**: I selected this game because it is a fun way to learn about the rainforest and organisms that occupy that ecosystem. It is an informative and hands on, fun, and interesting experience and you learn at the same time. **Purpose**: This is a fun way for kids to learn while they play. It is a great educational tool that allows students to be interactive while they learn at their level. This game also helps sharpen their geography skills, online literacy skills, and species identification skills. * Click link to view **10. Lesson Plan:** Why Preserve Biodiversity? **APA citation**: National Geographic Xpeditions Lesson Plan, Why Preserve Biodiversity. Retrieved from Website, http://[|www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g68/preserve.html]
 * Biodiversity **
 * Diverse Text Set **
 * By: Roberta Dailey **
 * 10/14/08 **
 * Prof. Julie Coiro **
 * A. PRINT RESOURCES **
 * B. Media Resources **
 * C. Online Interactive Resources **

**Summary**: This lesson plan is concentrated on preserving biodiversity and is written by National Geographic. The lesson is centered on endangered species and using the internet. By using related vocabulary students are expected to write essays about why they feel compelled to preserve biodiversity and convince the public that it should be preserved. **Rationale**: I selected this lesson plan because I think the students will value its concepts and they are able to tie what they learn in the classroom to their daily lives. They are able to take the information from this lesson and expand with their own ideas and do their own research and investigating on an individual basis. It is really well put together and organized and has all the keys elements it needs to be successful in the classroom. **Purpose**: This lesson plan is a guide for teachers to follow for their class routine. Without a lesson plan teachers would be frazzled and there would be no organization or flow to a class. Lesson plans are broken down into pieces starting at the beginning with an introduction to materials, objectives, goals, preparation materials, appropriate assessment etc. This lesson plan makes great use of time and resources and is able to hook students quickly and keep them interested in and out of the classroom. I would use all of these texts together to foster my students’ knowledge of biodiversity. The textbook, video clips, pictures, lesson plans all intertwine and have their own view or twist that sets them apart and engages students differently. Using all these different tools is really beneficial to students because everyone is a different kind of learner so with many texts my hope is that at least a couple of texts will reach every student. The goal of using different texts is to foster learning through different methods. If students have games and online quizzes, that is so much different than the traditional rote learning method by memorizing notes and spitting them back to the teacher. Kids get more out of their educational experience and value it more as well. Once they find a tool that they particularly like they can use them in the future and apply concepts using that tool to foster learning. It may be redundant, but I would want all texts to be used because they are indeed all different and pertain to the same but different aspects of biodiversity. I think it is important to have multiple resources instead of just one. Objectives: My Personal After defining important vocabulary and reading texts, students will organize key concepts into a visual manner. Given a guided note outline, students will make connections between the main idea and supporting details to organize in a visual manner. Gle 7.2 Use explicit information to answer questions, to state main idea, provide supporting details, or interpret maps, charts, timelines, tables, diagrams 7.3 Distinguish between information text types (reference, practical/functional, and informational) 8.5 Infer cause/effect relationships RI STATE Science Content Standards: 5-8 Content Standard C: As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of  -Populations and ecosystems -Diversity and adaptations of organisms C 4.a. A population consists of the individuals of a species together at a given place and time. All populations in an area and physical factors compose an ecosystem. A.9a-c, A.9.e-f Understand scientific inquiry by using different investigations, methods mathematics, and explanations based on logic and evidence. Comment from Jennifer Moretti 10/17/08

Roberta, I like your diverse text set. Scrolling through, I notice many different ways of teaching biodiversity to these 8th graders. I wasn't able to open the links, but you did a great job of describing them. Being an English/Reading person, I especially like the poem and magazine articles included here. The Sumatra rainforest game also looks fun! I wish I had been taught science using such broad resources. Great Job!

Roberta, You have selected an interesting variety of texts. Like Jennifer, I too am an English person and I liked your incorporation of the poem; it is a great way to connect the different content areas, and the fact that it was written by a student makes it even better! I would be interested to see how the diverse texts are used together in a culminating assessment. ~Joy Erickson

Roberta, I love the poem you selected on Biodiversity. It seems like a great way to get your students involved in science, and would appeal to those who are also interested in other subjects (e.g. poetry or english in this case). It would spark their interest and is also relateable, written by a middle school student. Great job! --Sam Miller

Hi Roberta, I enjoyed reviewing your diverse text set. I liked your use of the National Wildlife Magazine article on zebras. I am a big fan of animals. I feel that students would appreciate this text because it is different from the confusing textbooks required by schools. This would be a great attention-getter in a lesson. I also think online quizzes are a great way for students to test their knowledge. It gives them the ability to practice at their convenience. In addition, it allows them to prepare for in-class tests and quizzes using a different strategy than just simply open-book studying. -Allison Borges