swaterman


 * Stephanie Waterman **
 * DIVERSE TEXT SET ASSIGNMENT **

This text set could be used for 10th grade biology in a high school setting and is used to present the topic of biomes. It progresses from overall biome conditions to animal adaptations needed to survive in those conditions and then to the environmental impact of humans.
 * Context for using the text set: **


 * A. Print Resources: **
 * Text #1: Biology, the Web of Life **
 * Citation: Lisowski, M., Strauss, E. (1998). //Biology, the web of life.// Menlo Park, California: Scott Foresman, Addison Wesley.
 * Text Summary: This Biology textbook offers students a quick overview of biomes on the colorful pages 861-869. Basic rainfall/temperature data are presented for each biome.
 * Rationale: This text maps out the biomes in a very concise manner with very attractive photos used as the backgrounds for the entire page. When the students read about each biome, the text is actually printed within a large photo of a landscape of that biome. It also provides a great introductory paragraph that defines the term “Biome”. The reading level of the book is about 1 grade level below the 10th grade class and the majority of readers should not struggle.
 * Use of text: I will use this text at the very start of the lesson to get the class acquainted with biomes. It gives very brief examples of some of the aspects of biomes that we will focus on later such as annual rainfall, temperature, vegetation, and animal life.
 * Attachment: No attachment, students will read from text book.


 * Text #2: The Hottest Spot **
 * Citation: Bogo, J. (2003). //The hottest spot.// Audubon. Retrieved from http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/features0312/hottest_spot.html
 * Text Summary: This article written for the Audubon magazine describes both the land and aquatic aspects of the tundra biome and shows the effects of pollution and global warming (climate change) on the plants and animals that live there.
 * Rationale: Although this text is fairly rigorous, using it at the end of the unit will bring together all of the knowledge that the students have acquired and give it real-world meaning.
 * Use of text: This article will be one of the last things that I have the students read. It has a readability of 10.5, making this a challenging text for 10th graders. By using it at the end of the unit, they have already been provided with ample background knowledge and vocabulary. I plan to walk the students through the difficult text and have them mark up the pages while searching for specific knowledge such as “cause and effect”.
 * Attachment: See attachment #1 for a copy of this text


 * Text #3: Deforestation **
 * Citation: National Geographic. (2012, October 5). //Deforestation//. National geographic society//.// Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/
 * Text Summary: This is a short overview on the National Geographic website about the effects of deforestation.
 * Rationale: This website is fairly easy to read and covers the topic of deforestation concisely. It explains how deforestation changes the landscape and how this affects the local wildlife and environment. It also provides both the reason for clear-cutting and possible solutions. After learning how the climate/environment of forest biomes should be, the conditions created by the cutting of forests should provide good contrast for the students.
 * Use of text: This text will be used after the general information is presented and will kick-off the transition into how humans effect the biomes of the world towards the end of the unit.
 * Attachment: See attachment #2 for a copy of this text.


 * Text #4: Grasslands Conservation **
 * Citation: The Nature Conservancy. (2011, January 10). //Argentina: sustainable sheep grazing//. Retrieved from http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/africa/sustainable-sheep-argentina.xml
 * Text Summary: This is an article about the over grazing problem in the grasslands of Argentina.
 * Rationale: This text provides information that many students were probably not aware of. It describes the current state of many of the world’s grasslands and how humans have damaged this habitat. The text is fairly short and easy to read with a few new terms relating to conservation.
 * Use of text: This is another text that I will use to show how humans impact the environment. It presents new terms relating to conservation for use later in more difficult text and is best when read after students know the conditions of a grassland biome.
 * Attachment: See attachment #3 for a copy of this text.


 * Text #5: Arctic Adaptations **
 * Citation: National Park Service//.// (n.d.). //Arctic adaptations.// Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/akso/parkwise/students/referencelibrary/bela/arcticadaptations.htm
 * Text Summary: This text is an informational guide on the adaptations present in plants and animals of the arctic provided by the National Park Service.
 * Rationale: I chose this text because it is a great overview on the harsh conditions of the arctic and adaptations necessary to survive. Near the end, several animals are listed with their unique adaptations.
 * Use of text: This text will be paired with the desert adaptations video. These animals have adaptations for retaining heat while the desert animals were focused on expelling heat. Showing the adaptations in contrast will be great for the students to see.
 * Attachment: See attachment #4 for a copy of this text.


 * B. Media Resources **


 * Text #6: Desert Survivors **
 * Citation: Winzenriedk (2009, March 16). //Desert survivors// – Justus Overy and Kristin Winzenried. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKw7Ne_MA0
 * Text Summary: This Youtube video talks about the adaptations that different animals possess in order to survive in desert biomes.
 * Rationale: This video introduces a wide variety of desert dwelling animals and explains how each animal is able to survive in the hot and dry desert. The adaptation examples used are very interesting and show many methods of cooling/water retention that are drastically different from those used by the animals around here. The use of technical terms is very limited and examples are shown with numerous well-fitted photographs making this video easy to comprehend.
 * Use of text: This text will be used around the middle of the unit. By now, students are familiar with the environmental conditions within a desert biome.
 * Attachment: Link provided in citation.


 * Text #7: My Biome Song **
 * Citation: ParrMr (2011, March 28) //My biome song// – Parr. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A5eeE93uEA
 * Text Summary: This video is a song about biomes that a teacher created using the song “I’m Coming Home”.
 * Rationale: This song is a well known tune and provides information about biomes overall. It is an different way to get the students interested in the topic and is well done with the lyrics played on the video as they are sung for students to read along.
 * Use of text: This video can really be used anywhere there is extra time during the length of the unit. It could be used to grab student’s attention in the beginning or as a way to bring them back if they get bored or distracted.
 * Attachment: Link provided in citation.


 * C. Online interactive resources **


 * Text #8: Biomes Activity **
 * Citation: Teacher’s Domain//.// (2005, December 17). //Biomes//. Retrieved from http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.biomemap/
 * Text Summary: This is an interactive activity where students can click on little bubbles with the names of the different biomes on them and can access information about that biome.
 * Rationale: This is a small and colorful way for students to collect additional data relating to the different biomes. They pick and choose which data they are looking to find out and click on the appropriate bubbles. There is also a map that shows sample locations for each biome.
 * Use of text: This text will be used towards the beginning of the unit, after the use of the text book. Students can use their biome information packets to record additional data that they discover.
 * Attachment: Link provided in citation.


 * Text #8: Biomes of the World Interactive Map **
 * Citation: Audel, H., Coleman, J., Serengeti, S., Stenstrom, J., Walker, M. (2003) //Biomes of the world.// Retrieved from http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biomes/
 * Text Summary: This is an interactive map of the world. It shows the different biomes spread across the globe. Students can click on the different regions for more information.
 * Rationale: This map will help students get a feel for where biomes are placed in relation to each other, by latitude, and on the map in general. Clicking on the regions will give them access to more info about examples of that biome including a video shot in that region. The text on the website is not difficult to read and provides ample visual representation.
 * Use of text: I would use this text after the general textbook and overview interactive activity on biomes. It provides more info but adds another layer as it points out geographical locations of the biomes in a more visual manner.
 * Attachment: Link provided in citation.


 * D. Instructional Resources **
 * Text #10: Biomes Lesson Plan **
 * Citation: Bershad, C. (2009). //Biomes.// Teacher’s domain//.// Retrieved from http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco.lp_biomes/
 * Text Summary: This text is a lesson plan for biomes that provides many possible activities, worksheets, and brainstorming techniques to do with the class. It also contains a list of questions to ask students in order to get them thinking about biomes that they already know about.
 * Rationale: I chose this text because it really got me thinking about possible activities. The worksheets that it provides are very useful and the site even contains links to videos that I can show to the class. The sample questions to ask the students are really think outside the box and are a great way to create wondering among the students.
 * Use of text: This source provides me with a worksheet that students can use to keep track of the information that they learn about each biome. This sheet printed for each biome and made into a packet would be a great way to encourage note-taking. I would pass out this worksheet on the first day of the biome unit so that they can use it when reading the overview in the textbook. I would also use the questions on the first day before and after they read the textbook.
 * Attachment: See attachment #5 for a copy.


 * Using these texts together in the classroom: **

I would use these texts to create a unit of biomes and the environment. I would start off using the text book to get students familiarized with general features of biomes. The students would be given a packet with copies of the worksheet from the Biomes Lesson Plan (Text #10); each page will be designated to a biome. They will continue collecting data using the interactive websites on their own. This will be broken up at some point by playing the Biome song to re-motivate the students. We will then move on to the adaptations of the animals living in the conditions that the students have learned about. They will use texts #5 and 6 to contrast adaptations in desert and arctic conditions. The grasslands conservation article is a short piece that will introduce environmental impact and conservation, moving onto the piece about deforestation (which is slightly more difficult) and then to the hardest and longest piece titled, “The Hottest Spot”. This piece will conclude the unit and will require a lot of time to dissect and apply earlier themes. Every student should be able to use all of the texts provided.


 * Learning Objectives: **


 * Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-12: **


 * -Grades 9-10: #1 ** Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
 * -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
 * -Grades 9-10: #9 ** Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.


 * Rhode Island GSE: Life Science: **

//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.//