dhusak

Deborah's Assignment


 * DIVERSE TEXT SET ASSIGNMENT:**
 * Man’s Impact on the Environment (9th-10th grade biology)**

This text set could be used for a high school biology unit exploring the effects of human impact on the environment. The class would be a 9th or 10th grade level college preparatory biology class. An appropriate previous unit would have covered ecosystems and biodiversity. The purpose of this unit is to explore, in detail, the effects of humans on multiple aspects of the environment through pollution, climate change, loss of habitat, reliance on monocultures and the introduction of invasive species.
 * Name: Deborah Husak**
 * Context for using the text set:**


 * A. Print Resources:**
 * Text #1:**
 * **Citation**: Biggs, A., Hagins, W.C., Holliday, W.G., Kapicka, C.L., Mackenzie, A.H....Zike, D. (2007) Biology. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
 * **Text Summary**: This is a biology text book for high school.
 * **Rationale:** This text has aspects that make it accessible to students. It lists objectives at the beginning of each section. It also list new vocabulary at the start of the section and marks them in bold within thetext. Each section is clearly divided into subtopics. The teacher manual has ideas for demonstrations, mini-labs, reading strategies, activities and questions to ask students. There are good pictures and tables on every page.
 * **Use of text**: Chapter 5 is about Biodiversity and Conservation. Section 5.2 (p122) is specifically about threats to biodiversity and addresses many issues about man’s impact on the environment. It does not have a lot of detail but could be used to provide a general overview of the unit.
 * **Attachment**: This is a large text book. I was not able to copy it.


 * Text #2: picture book**
 * **Citation**: Cherry, L. (1990). //The great kapok tree//. New York, NY. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
 * **Text Summary**:This is a picture book about a man who is planning to cut down a Kapok tree in the rainforest. Before he cuts the tree, he falls asleep. A variety of animals and a native child come to him and tell him why he should not cut down the tree. When he awakens he decides not to cut down the tree.
 * **Rationale**: The book is colorful and deceptively simple. Each animal explains a different way that deforestation affects the environment including loss of habitat, loss of pollinators, erosion, disruption of the food chain, and decreased oxygen. The dedication in the front of the book is sobering. The book is dedicated to “ the memory of Chico Mendes, who gave his life in order to preserve a part of the rain forest”
 * **Use of text**: This book could be used to introduce the lesson on deforestation. I could introduce the book as one that may be familiar but is worth a closer look because it list effects of deforestation. I would point out thededication after reviewing some of the points in the book and ask them what they think could have happened to Chico Mendes and why.
 * **Attachment**: This book had too many pages to copy and attach.


 * Text #3: personal account**
 * **Citation**: Branford, S. (2008). //The life and legacy of Chico Mendes.// BBC NEWS. Retrieved from http://new.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7795175
 * **Text Summary**: This article is a personal account by Sue Branford who met Chico Mendes in Brazil. She describes his appreciation for the rainforest and his battle against cattle ranchers who were slashing and burning rainforests. He was murdered in 1988. She also laments that the destruction continues.
 * **Rationale**: This article addresses the one of the obstacles to decreasing destruction of rainforests and describes a man who was willing to risk his life because he believed so strongly that the environment needed to be protected. I hope that the article brings the topics we are discussing from theoretical to a more personal level.
 * **Use of text**: After reading The Great Kapok Tree, and pointing out the dedication and asking students what they thought could have happened, I could have students read this article online and seek at least 3 reasons that Chico Mendes fought for the rainforest and one or two reasons that he failed.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #1 for a copy of this text.


 * Text #4: A poem**
 * **Citation**: Dooley, M. (n.d.) //1847//. In //Poems and Prose// (2007). Retrieved from http://poemsandprose.blog.co.uk/2007/04/14/1847~2088483/
 * **Text Summary**: This is a poem about the Irish potato famine that is written from the perspective of a child whose mother is dying they are shipped from Ireland to Liverpool.
 * **Rationale**: This is a short poem that captures the sorrow and devastation that occurred, in part, because of dependence on a monoculture of potato.
 * **Use of text**: I would use the poem to introduce the lesson on the risks of using monocultures. I think that tying the topic to an actual human experience will help students connect with the topic.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #2 for a copy of the poem.


 * Text #5: Graph**
 * **Citation**: USGS. //Species extinction and human population// (n.d.) In Center for Biological Diversity. (n.d.) //Human Population: a key factor in species extinction.// Retrieved from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/overpopulation/index.html
 * **Text** **Summary**: The graph shows extinction of species and human population growth from 1800 to 2012
 * **Rationale**: This is a good visual example of how human population growth may affect extinction rates.
 * **Use of text**: I would present the graph at the beginning of a lesson and ask students what they notice and if they think that the data is correlated and why.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #3 for copy of graph and website


 * Text #5A: An additional picture book**
 * **Citation**: Cheel, R. (2007). //Global warming alert!// New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company
 * **Text** **Summary**: This picture book covers the most important topics about global warming that will be discussed in class.
 * **Rationale**: This book has easy to read text and excellent pictures and graphs
 * **Use of text**: This book could be used with students who need a text at an easier reading level, or could be used with a makeup or extra credit assignment for a student who needs additional help.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #4 for a copy of a few pages to show reading level and content example.


 * B. Media Resources**
 * Text #6: music video**
 * **Citation**: Jackson, M. //Earth song// (1995). Retrieved from http://www.michael.jackson.com/us/earth-song-video
 * **Text Summary**:This is a video by Michael Jackson that depicts the effects of war, deforestation, pollution, and animal poaching.
 * **Rationale**: This video is very emotional and has strong images of man’s effect on the environment
 * **Use of text**: I would use this video as a way of introducing the entire unit on the effects of man on the environment. The images evoke emotional responses that will capture student’s attention and cue them to some of the themes that they will be studying.
 * **Attachment**: This is a video clip so there is no attachment


 * Text #7: image:**
 * **Citation**: //War of the worlds// (2010). Retrieved (March 23,2013) from http://www.endembelstage.com/war-of-the-worlds-2010.html
 * **Text Summary**:This is an image of a painting depicting large alien crafts attacking Earth.
 * **Rationale**: I chose this picture because it is surprising and strange and will be likely to arouse my student’s interest.
 * **Use of text**: I would put this picture on the smart board at the beginning of class. As students take their seats they may start to talk among themselves about it because it is surprising. I would ask students what is happening in the photo then to recall what the usual alien invasion movie entails. As we discuss alien invasions make a list of attributes such as why aliens invade (what do they want?) why are they so effective? What usually happens? I would use the list to connect to a lesson on invasive species and how they have advantages in a new environment.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #5


 * C. Online interactive resources**
 * Text #8: Interactive web site**
 * **Citation**: United States Environmental Protection Agency (2013). //A student’s guide to global climate change.// Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/expeditions/index.html
 * **Text Summary**: This is an up to date relevant web site about global climate change. It covers how global warming occurs, the effects of global warming, ways to prevent global warming and addresses misconceptions about global warming students may have.
 * **Rationale**: This site has very clear, relevant explanations and multiple options such as short videos, interesting quizzes, illustrated explanations of concepts (such as the carbon cycle) and even a way for students to calculate their own carbon footprint.
 * **Use of text**: I could use the videos to review concepts about global warming. The interactive exercises could be incorporated into some of the lessons on global warming or done by students with iPads or laptops if they are available. The site is simplistic for high school but would be an excellent supplement for review and introduction of key ideas.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #6 for the homepage of the website


 * Text #9: Interactive website**
 * **Citation**: BBC.(2013). //GCSE Bitesize//. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
 * **Text Summary**: This is a very useful website that contains relevant videos, fun quizzes, and very helpful explanations of many subjects and topics.
 * **Rationale**: This site is engaging and fun to use. It also has clear explanations and very short quizzes that can be done quickly in class. It is very easy to use. I was able to find many relevant videos, quizzes and instructional pages for science topics (like global warming and deforestation) by using the search bar on the home page.
 * **Use of text**: The site has very good short quizzes that could be used to assess student’s knowledge before and after a lesson on the topic. If the quiz showed that students needed more review it would be easy to choose one of the short videos or text explanations on the site to use before moving to another topic.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #7 for the homepage of the website.


 * D. Instructional Resources**
 * Text #10: National geographic teacher resources**
 * **Citation**: National Geographic. (2013). //Education beta.// Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/teaching-resources/?ar_a=1
 * **Text Summary**: This site has very high quality videos, interactive activities and lesson plans for teachers to use. It is easy to use. Typing the topic you want to cover in the search bar on the teacher resource page will bring you a variety of activities and lessons to use with students.
 * **Rationale**: The lessons can be chosen by student age and National Geographic is an excellent source for materials and images.
 * **Use of text**: I would use this site to get ideas for active lessons for the unit on human impact on the environment. There are lessons for every aspect of the unit (global warming, overfishing, habitat destruction….)
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #8 for the teacher resource page on the site


 * Text #11: Teacher resource**
 * **Citation**: Kirk, K. (n.d.). Teaching Environmental Issues and the Affective Domain. Retrieved from http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/environment.html
 * **Text Summary**: The site has recommendations for teachers on how to cover environmental topics that may involve personal or lifestyle barriers to understanding. It has very good advice for how to get students to make conclusions based on data and has examples of activities that challenge students to think about many aspects of environmental issues.
 * **Rationale**: The site is meant for college level classes but has good advice for any teachers of environmental issues.
 * **Use of text**: Many of the activities could be used in a high school classroom. Most of the activities involve active learning such as role playing activities.
 * **Attachment**: See attachment #9


 * Using these texts together in the classroom:**

I would use this text set over a period of several weeks as we explore each aspect of man’s impact on the environment. I would introduce the unit using the music video (#6) and ask students to list the types of environmental impacts they had see. I would use the K-W-L Plus for the first lesson and have students use their text book (#1) to complete the L (learned) column then have them work in groups to make a concept map. This text is an overview of most of the unit which we will explore in more detail over several weeks. The science text (#1)does not have a strong section on climate change so I will use the interactive web sites (#8 and #9) for the lessons on greenhouse gases, carbon cycle, and climate change. Students who need extra help understanding the concepts could do extra work or use text #5A. The poem (#4), graph (#5) and image (#7) would be used to hook the interest of students for the lessons on monoculture, extinction and invasive species. I would use resources from #10 to find pertinent articles, videos, and activities to use for each lesson. I would use the picture book (#2) to link to the story of Chico Mendes and the article (#3) for a discussion about deforestation. With the exception of #5A all of the texts will be appropriate for the entire class when used with appropriate lesson plans and activities.

//LS4 (9-11) -9b: Students demonstrate an understanding of how humans are affected by environmental factors and/or heredity by providing an explanation of how the human species impacts the environment and other organisms (e.g. reducing the amount of the earth’s surface available to those other species, interfering with their food sources, changing the temperature and chemical composition of their habitats, introducing foreign species into their ecosystems, and altering organisms directly through selective breeding and genetic engineering.//
 * Learning Objectives:**
 * Rhode Island GSE: Life Science**

Grades 9-10:#1 //Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanationsor descriptions//
 * Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects:**
 * Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-12:**

Grades 9-10 #2 //Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process phenomenon or concept: provide an accurate summary of the text.//

Grades 9-10 #7 //Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g. a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g. in an equation) into words.//