"A touch of the hand and this burning would, on the instant, beautifully reverse itself...suns rise in western skies and set in glorious easts, moons eat themselves opposite to the custom, all and everything cupping one in another like Chinese boxes..."
- Time Safari, Inc. Advertisement from Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder"
Mixing print-based and online research methods, this lesson introduces a new Greek element, "MICRO-" and revisits our "Nonfiction Tex Features" anchor chart to aid the textbook portion of the research process and presents a styrofoam "nesting cup" food chain activity to ground the online exploration in analog creativity. In student-driven research groups of four (4), we learned about the climate, flora/fauna, and location of the major land biomes, developing a graphic organizer and two "nesting cup" food chains for interactive peer-teaching stations through which we rotated at the end of class. Before the English class's short story and this science class branches off into the consequences of man-made disruptions in nature's order, this lesson allowed us to look at the natural interactions as if in a idealistic vacuum, which means the food chains neatly and smoothly "[cupped] one in another like Chinese boxes" within each biome.
Vocabulary Greek Element: MICRO-
Continuing our work with Greek and Latin elements from prior units, we looked at the Greek prefix "MICRO-." By brainstorming example words that began with that prefix, we filled out the graphic organizer to the right. On a teacher-made chart projected on the SmartBoard, we looked at the root words, discussed their meanings, and then added the prefix "micro-" and described what happened to the meaning of the word to hypothesize the specific meaning of the Greek element. We grounded the Greek prefix immediately in text through "MICROCLIMATE," which lied in the first two pages of textbook chapter 4-3: "Land Biomes" that we read aloud as an introduction to today's lesson topic and for a group look at a research resource. This Greek element will be revisited in the English classroom when you read Allen Ginsberg's poem, "Sunflower Sutra." MICRO (Greek): Very small, short, minute.
"MICROCLIMATE" and "MICROCOSM"
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Textbook Chapter Read-Aloud: 4-3: "Land Biomes" To immediately ground our newest Greek element, "MICRO-," receive teacher support in reading climate diagrams (since you will be required to read and replicate them for your specific biome in your research groups), and reinforce the nonfiction text features we discussed in yesterday's lessson, we read-aloud the first two pages of the eight-page chapter: 4-3: "Land Biomes." We discussed "microclimate" in terms of our Greek element, answered teacher-generated questions about the "climate diagram" on New Orleans, Louisiana, and used the "key concept" symbol - which emphasized the list of major biomes - to lead into the lesson's main activity: biome research. Asked to come up with their first and second biome choices by skimming the remaining textbook chapter (which provides a full page highlight for each land biome), students were placed in groups according to preference. |
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After reading aloud the first two pages of Textbook Chapter 4-3: "Land Biomes," as a teacher-supported introduction to one of today's main research resource and as a text into which we could immediately ground our new Greek element, we split up into groups of four (4) based on which biome we wished to explore:
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Student-Driven Research:
Biome-Specific Food Chain "Nesting Cups"
Biome-Specific Food Chain "Nesting Cups"
STEP 1: Research
With two primary sources of information at your disposal for this collaborative project - the Internet and our textbook (specifically Chapter 6-3: "Land Biomes") - each group of four (4) students will research the microclimate (i.e. rainfall, temperature, etc), location, and flora/fauna of their assigned biome. Through your research, you must fill in a graphic organizer (which every group member must complete) and design two foam "nesting cup" food chains (both of which must consist of four trophic levels) that exist in your biome. Below are several websites you may visit to gather the appropriate information: |
STEP 2: Draw Food Chain Species After you've researched the flora (plant life) and fauna (animal life) native to your assigned biome, pick a species and track its food chain, researching both its predators and preys. On 2.5 inch x 2.5 inch squares of blank white computer paper (please note: templates may be provided for you or you may have to measure your own), draw each species of the food chain you - as a group - decide to highlight. Each of your two (2) food chains must include at least four (4) trophic levels. They do not necessarily have to start with a "producer/autotroph" To assist your illustration process, you may wish to Google Image Search your chosen species. Colored pencils and crayons will be provided. |
STEP 3: Color-Code Trophic Levels Given sheets of multi-color construction paper, identify each of your food chain species trophic levels (hint: be aware that an "apex predator" may be a secondary, tertiary, etc. consumer). Then pair each illustration to its appropriate trophic level color, as laid out in the key below (i.e. If your food chain consists of a producer, pair it with yellow construction paper). With a glue stick (please no liquid glue), glue each illustration to its trophic level construction paper color. With scissors, cut out the drawing, leaving a border of the trophic level construction paper to color-code your food chain's trophic levels. |
STEP 4: Styrofoam "Nesting Cups" With a glue stick (please no liquid glue), attach each food chain species picture to a disposable syrofoam cup. In black Sharpie or marker, write the name of each species on the rim of the syrofoam cup (as pictured to the left). Arrange the cups in the correct sequential order and double-check your trophic level color-coding (i.e. Do the trophic levels progress appropriately or do they skip a trophic level?). To mimic how food chains are neatly ordered to maintain biome stability, also stacking the cups so that the trophic levels are "cup in one another like Chinese boxes." |
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STEP 5: Textbook Graphic Organizer To organize your research on your biome's mciroclimate and location, you will fill in a quick reference sheet, which includes a map, graph, and chart. On the map, color in the regions that exhibit your biomes's characteristics to see how prevalent your biome is internationally. Graph the average rainfall and temperature of your biome, as well, keeping in mind that the pregiven unit measurements are Meters and Celsius. Use a bar graph for the monthly rainfall and a line graph for the temperature fluctuations. Interpret the graph in your own words on the lines provided below. The textbook will be the best source for the graphic organizer. Refer to the "Text Features" anchor chart we created in yesterday's lesson to help you find the relevant information quickly and accurately. Be prepared to explain how your species are "interconnected" when your peers' rotate through your biome station. |
Biome: a particular physical environment that contains a characteristic climate and assemblage of plants and animals.
Food Chain: A series of predator-prey relationships in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten.
Trophic Levels: each step in a food chain.
Interconnectedness: the quality or condition of people or things being meaningfully and/or complexly related or connected.
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Peer-Teaching Stations Dispersed around the room, there were pre-made signs for each biome, so each group found its assigned biome and set up their food chains - but in a jumbled order. When finished groups started to rotate to one another to learn about the other biomes, they were expected to arrange the food chains in the correct order, identifying the trophic levels as they arranged them. Each group should have been prepared to briefly discuss their graphic organizer and each of their species in their two food chains, so they could engage the visiting group in conversation and answer their questions. |