Haley

Haley Winsor November 1, 2007 EDC 448 The class that this text set is designed for is a 10th grade Introductory Biology class, with a diverse student body. The topic of study is Biodiversity. It will be covered in a broad sense and will incorporate much of what the class has already learned about living organisms. The ability level ranges from students who are at an 11th grade level in terms of reading to students who are far below grade level in reading comprehension. This text set covers many different present levels, and addresses difference in learning styles. The lesson of Biodiversity will include what it is, what are the implications and how conservation biology goes hand in hand with it.
 * Diverse Text Set**

Levine, J. & Miller, K. (1998). //Biology: The Living Science.// New Jersey, United States: Prentice Hall. (p. 269-273)
 * A, Print Resources**
 * Text #1:**


 * Summary:** This is a chapter on Biodiversity in a high school level text book. It is a very brief chapter introducing what Biodiversity is, and how it applies to; ecosystems, species, and genetics. On page 270, there is a pie graph that separates the species on earth and helps the students interpret the data.
 * Rationale:** I choose this text because it supplies a brief, yet effective, overview of what biodiversity actually is. The text is very readable and has bold and highlighted areas that would direct the student’s attention to the correct information. This would only take a couple of minutes for the students to read through. The graph is a great way to help visualize the diversity on the earth.
 * Use of Text:** I would use this text as an introduction. I would probably use a visual to engage the students at first (such as my video clips), however when introducing the basic subject, this section of the text provides a good introduction. I would definitely have the students apply the section that helps the students interpret the graph given, and would provide an additional graph that the class would interpret as a whole.
 * Attachment:** This is a 972page book, so I did not attach it

Morrison, G. (2002). //Pond//. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
 * Text #2**
 * Summary:** This is a children’s book that takes the reader through the Pond’s yearly cycle. It describes the changes in the environment and has much description of the animals that inhabit the pond. The story has subtext that explains a diverse set of organisms in the pond.
 * Rationale:** I selected this text because it is easy to read, and follows a pattern that all students can relate to (the seasonal changes). Because there are so many organisms that are described in each setting, it is easy to see the biodiversity that occurs in simply one pond.
 * Use of Text:** This is a lengthy book for a children’s text, however I would not necessarily have my students read the entire book. It would provide some insight into the many aspects of biodiversity and would provide visuals for interest, and hopefully draw on student’s experiences they may have with ponds. Students will briefly look through the book and discuss the implications of biodiversity on this ecosystem.
 * Attachment:** This is a book and is not attached.

Cherry, L (1990). //The Great Kapok Tree//: //A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest//: San Diego, California: Voyager Books.
 * Text #3**
 * Summary:** //The Great Kapok Tree// is a children’s story about the rainforest and conservation. It is a story of a man who was going to chop down a tree, and realizes the impacts of his actions.
 * Rationale:** I selected this story because firstly, I loved the story since I first heard it a few years ago. Not only is this story entertaining, but it relays a great message of conservation through the eyes of the animal inhabitants of the rainforest. Students will gain from the story the idea of species interdependence and it models the domino effects of conservation or lack thereof. Deforestation leads to a decrease in biodiversity and the story portrays this.
 * Use of Text:** The students would be read this story and asked to choose a character from the story. Each student would research their specific animal briefly, and determine different ways in which this specific species is being threatened by destruction of the rainforest. The students will then present their information to their group member in an informal discussion.
 * Attachment:** This is a book, so I did not include it here.

Staff. "//To save biodiversity, conservationists must show that ecosystem health is linked to human prosperity//." __Science News. Vol. 195 Issue 2621__ Sept. 2007: 27.
 * Text #4**
 * Summary:** The article presents the current issue of conservational biology. It presents the information that everyone is dealing with, not only the biologists. It addresses the growing problems with a decreasing biodiversity and is formatted in a persuasive way to convince (perhaps policy holders) that this issue must be dealt with.
 * Rationale:** I selected this article because I think it does a good job at representing the current issues that are going on about conservational biology. It is a real life article that does not simply theorize about conservation, it acts upon it. Students must recognize the current events associated with biodiversity.
 * Use of Text:** I would have to provide an introduction to this article. I would point out that this is the view of many people, however not everyone. It is simply an example of a concrete issue in this field. Students will be assigned to read this article, which would only take a few minutes, and then it would be discussed in class. After discussing this article, students would be assigned to research their own current issue dealing with the same subject. These days there is a surplus of resources discussing conservational biology (mostly because of the hot topic of global warming) therefore students should be able to find a source that interests them. This would give the students a chance to explore issues themselves and through the research, learn about a variety of implications of what we are covering.
 * Attachment:** See attachment #1

Rixen, C, Haag, S, Kulakowski, D & Bebi, P. “Natural avalanche disturbance shapes plant diversity and species composition in subalpine forest belt.”. Journal of Vegetation Science; Oct2007, Vol. 18 Issue 5, (p735-742)
 * Text #5**


 * Summary:** This is a 7 page article that is geared towards scientists. It is written in a mature manner and is sometimes difficult to understand. Because this is a primary source, it contains a lot of experimental values and information. The article is about how biodiversity can change due to natural disturbances, in this case, an avalanche.
 * Rationale:** I chose this text because it provides insight into how biodiversity can be affected by things other than humans. I did not want the students to think that biodiversity is solely dependent on the human population. I also chose this because it is a primary source, and although difficult, it is essential for students to at least be exposed to this type of writing.
 * Use of Text:** I will have the students read the text on their own. They will gather some information about natural disturbances; however the use of this text will mostly be for learning to read a primary text. I will have the students read the text and they write a response to how they felt about the style of the article. They will describe any struggles they had with this type of text, the positives and negatives. This will allow me to gauge how to go about teaching the daunting issue of primary sources, and will at least allow some exposure to this media.
 * Attachment:** See attachment #2

"//Coral reef//." Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 1 Nov. 2007 http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-74814
 * B. Media Resources**
 * Text #6**
 * Summary:** The clip is a short video comparing the diverse nature of the coral reef to the rainforests. It is an underwater look at the rainforest and, with the same perspective, takes a look at the diversity in the rainforest.
 * Rationale:** I chose this video clip to briefly introduce the following clip from //Finding Nemo//. It is very brief and will simply cue the students onto what they should be looking for in the following clip.
 * Use of Text:** I would most likely use this clip as the very first part of my lesson on biodiversity. It will capture the students’ attention and direct them in the right direction, so they recognize what to look for in the other texts, and have a concrete example of what we will be discussing.
 * Attachment:** This is a website.

[|Andrew, S]. [|Lee, U]. (editors). 2003. Finding Nemo (motion picture). Pixar Animation Studios. Scene times 6min 50sec – 12min (approximate)
 * Text #7**
 * Summary:** Finding Nemo is a very popular movie about an underwater adventure. The clip I chose is a great illustration of the wide variety of species that inhabit specific areas. The plot of the scene is not necessary to the purpose of the assignment.
 * Rationale:** I chose this text to engage the students, and get them thinking about other places, perhaps movies, news, real life experiences, that they have witnessed great biodiversity. I know that many people enjoy the movie Finding Nemo, and I think the clip will act to capture student’s interest and provide a concrete and exciting example of biodiversity.
 * Use of Text:** Like I had said in the last text, I would use this in conjunction with the previous clip. The previous clip is narrated to explain the biodiversity of the coral reef, whereas this clip will simply demonstrate it. Students will watch this clip in class and do a ‘quick write’ of describing what they see, and how biodiversity plays a huge role in the coral reef. This will allow the students to stay engaged and express their thoughts about the clip, in a quick and informal way.
 * Attachment:** This is a movie that can be accessed where recent movies are held.

"Biodiversity 911 Online." .World Wildlife org. 19 Oct. 2007 <http://www.biodiversity911.org/wildlife_trade/wildlife_trade_main.html
 * C. Online Interactive Resources**
 * Text #8**


 * Summary:** The website is geared toward children and has a basic overview of biodiversity as well as interactive games, video clips and many real world examples. The web design is colorful an animated and does a good job at directing the viewers attention in the right places. There are small quizzes that the students can take, to simply see what their previous knowledge of the topics are. There are links to other resources and links to ideas that students can use in their life.
 * Rationale:** I mostly chose this resource because it provides the students with a freedom to make their own choices of what they want to learn. Yes, I am assigning the general topic, however each student does not need to explore the same area. Since the topic is biodiversity, it would be contradictory if I treated the classroom without regard to diversity.
 * Use of Text:** I would use this text to allow the students to explore the topic with the freedom of the options of the site. Many students enjoy using the computer, and it is something they can relate to. This also demonstrates effective, safe and fun ways to use the internet to a student’s advantage. The students will be provided time to explore, and the class will discuss some of our findings and make conclusions about implications. I would also use this to gauge what topics interest the students the most, and plan my lesson accordingly.
 * Attachment:** This is a website.

"Biodiversity: Our Living Treasure." __New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy__. . . 19 Oct. 2007 http://www.biodiversity.govt.nz/index.html
 * Text #9**


 * Summary:** This site is a bit more professional and mature than the previous site; however it is created in a visually appealing and interesting way. The site is all about the biodiversity in New Zealand. So instead of having a topic discussing the entire world, this site focuses on the impact of biodiversity on New Zealand, however is relatable to anywhere on earth.
 * Rationale:** I chose this website because it provided a great amount of cultural perspectives on the idea of biodiversity. Because humans have a lot to do with the decreasing biodiversity, human culture has an impact on the issue as well. Through this site, the students can see this, and can be linked to many other resources available to them.
 * Use of Text:** I would use this text to allow the students to explore the site. This would cater to different learning styles and would provide visuals and interactive learning to take place. I would have the students compare how a country such as New Zealand approaches the environment as opposed to how the United States does. This would be in a short informal essay form. I would then have the students use this information and examples from the site to write a (theoretical) persuasive letter to our government, explaining biodiversity, and a few reasons why we are ruining it. The specifics of this assignment would be given to the student, and it would be used as a method of assessment.
 * Attachment:** This is a website

Bioedonline. 2004. 15 Oct. 2007 http://www.bioedonline.org
 * D. Instructional Resource**
 * Text #10**


 * Summary:** This website is a resource for science educators. It contains pre-made slide show presentations on many subjects. There are many resources for educators, such as suggested courses to take, a list of “hot topics” that an educator could build a lesson around, and various teaching methods to assist educators.
 * Rationale:** I chose this as an instructional resource because it provides many different suggestions that could greatly help in designing a lesson. There was specifically a slide show called “Diversity of Life: Introduction to Organisms”. This would be a great resource for me to either use parts of, or use as a model to how I could develop my own presentation. The site is an interactive and interesting site for me to explore for my own knowledge as well as applying it to my lessons.
 * Use of Text:** I would use this website as a great resource for information on certain content subjects, and also information on teaching strategies. I would use this to find certain visuals and resources that I could administer to my students. I would use this to gain some insight from other educators to see how their experience with certain lessons turned out, from there, I can better judge how to plan my lesson.
 * Attachment:** This is a website.


 * 3. How I would use these texts together:** As I stated in the ‘Use of the text’ some texts would be read in full, while others only portions are read. I would plan on using the texts in this order, Text #6(video), 7(video), 1(text book chapter), 8(interactive site), 4(news article), 9(interactive site), 2&3(children’s books), 5(primary source). I would be using text #10 (instructional resource) before creating the lesson and perhaps during. This order is created to first, engage the students; second to teach them the basics with the text; then to have them be interactive and use the computer; to relate their knowledge to current events; then to experience that current events in an interactive site, to then use children’s’ books to get a good hold on the information in a fun and outside-the-box way; and finally to stretch their minds a little with a higher level primary source, which is what they will see if they study the topic farther.


 * 4. What standards does this lesson cover:** Students will understand and be able to apply the following concepts
 * Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years.


 * Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.

(National Science Education Standard C “Interdependence of Species”)
 * Human beings live within the world's ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected.

(Rhode Island and New Hampshire Reading Level Expectations 8-7.3)
 * Demonstrate initial understanding of informational texts (expository and practical texts) by organizing information to show understanding or relationships among facts, ideas, and events (e.g., representing main/central ideas or details within text through charting, mapping, paraphrasing, summarizing, comparing/contrasting, or outlining) (Local)

//Hey Haley,// //First off, I have to say, I like how you really incorporated some real diverse texts in your print resources section. Kind of like math, I'm not a science person. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of science is interesting, but it's just over my head, but I accept that! Anyways, so when I saw that your first text was a actual science text book, I got scared. Ever since about 8th grade, science books and I have not been friends, however, you countered this text with the children's book// //Pond////, and// //The Great Kapok Tree////. I think this is a great approach to helping someone who does not do very well in science, supply them with both in-depth, and light reading about that topic. Nice choices!// //Once again, we find this nice balance in your media resources section. On one side you have an Encyclopedia article about coral reef, which is probably going to have some cool images, but some heavy reading. Then, on the other side is a clip from "Finding Nemo!" Once again, great job with your selections.// //I have to say, the biodiversity 911 site definitely intrigued me. I would love to visit it, but I couldn't get the link to work! Either way, Haley, you have an awesome text set, and as someone who has a hard time grasping science, I think this text set would definitely help be understand biodiversity!// //Best Regards,// //Phil

Hi Haley and Phil, Just wanted you to know I read Phil's message about the 911 link not working, so I made a quick edit and it works now. There was an extra character at the end of the URL.
 * -) Dr. Coiro//