ENGLISH UNIT
Bradbury, R.
(1952). A sound of thunder. In McDougal Littel (Ed.) (2005), The language
of literature: Grade 10 (pp. 72-81). New York: McDougal Littel.
As the first of two short stories in the English section of this unit (and thus the first of two primary texts), Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" introduces students to the main ideas of the unit - interconnectedness, individual worth, accountability - in an lower reading level text. Therefore, use of "A Sound of Thunder" scaffolds students to the second short story, Williams’s “The Girls,” in which the main themes of the unit are embraced more complexly. While the majority of the reading will be done for homework, students will revist the text in class and close read sections in order to analyze the effects of the text's language, text structure, imagery, and characterization on the its bigger-picture themes. With a food chain described in the text conveying a main theme, the short story links to the science unit on ecosystems and allows students to use and activate their background knowledge of food chains and food webs learned in biology to make new meaning from "A Sound of Thunder."
Bradbury, R. & Corben, R. (2003). A sound of thunder. In The Best of Ray Bradbury (pp. 10-11). IBooks.
Since students may have difficulty visualizing the unique setting of Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" because it is a composite of prehistoric and futuristic elements, two pages of this graphic novel adaptation of the short story will be used in conjunction with a video-based portrayal of the setting to provide students with a more concrete grasp of the setting and the plot elements imagined by the author (i.e. antigravity Path, sterilization of suits, time machine, etc). In terms of text, the two pages only cover the plotline that students have already read for homework, so there is not threat of plot spoilers. Students will be led into the reading by a discussion of what the antigravity Path may look like based on newly established knowledge of the Latin prefix, "anti." Students will confirm their hypotheses with the graphic novel's illustrations. The graphic novel provides a static presentation of the setting, so students can have a reference material later and use it, if needed, when they quickly sketch the scene.
Daniels, G., McGrath, D., Cohen, D. S., & Kushell, B. (Writers), & Reardon, J. (Director). (1994). Treehouse of horror V [Television series episode]. In Mirkin, D. (Producer), The Simpsons. Fox Studios.
With a segment of this The Simpsons episode adapting Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” the television episode supplements the short story to modernize the classic work of science fiction for student engagement and motivation purpose and to provide students’ with more examples of chaos theory and further practice recognizing cause/effect text structure. In addition to analyzing the parody’s accuracy in alluding to Bradbury’s original, students will also focus on a key difference between Eckels and Homer Simpson to stir their thinking about the unit theme of accountability and the character relationships in “A Sound of Thunder.” Since Homer travels back in time multiple times to try to fix his original mistake and Travis (in one reading of the short story’s conclusion) deprives Eckels of that opportunity despite Eckels’s pleas to be allowed to do so, students will argue how Eckels should have been held accountable for his misstep, integrating text details from both the television episode and the short stories in their written responses. The writing assignment requires students to synthesize multiple texts to form a cohesive argument and apply a key unit term to their rationale.
Ghose, T. (2013). Staggering stats: Cats kill billions of animals each year. LiveScience. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/26670-cats-kill-billions-animals.html
As a nonfiction twin text for Wiliiams’s short story, “The Girls,” this LiveScience popular science article provides students with the information necessary to analyze whether the fiction text’s portrayal of the girls’ cats and Arleen’s statistic about cat predation is accurate. Furthermore, the article presents the idea of outdoor domestic cats being an “invasive species” – a science term students will have learned in the science section of this interdisciplinary unit. Based on Williams’s characterization of the girls and Arleen, the characters naturally fall into the opposing viewpoints in the real-life debate within the scientific community. Therefore, in a persuasive writing assignment and student debate, students will demonstrate their knowledge of the science concept “invasive species” and the short story’s characterization simultaneously. Students will assume the voice and perspective of one character – Arleen or the girls – and write a persuasive argument using text details from both the short story and LiveScience article to address their intended audience: the opposing character. This debate will allows students to apply the science concept to a new context, practice their persuasive writing skills, and approach a real-life scientific debate through the synthesis of fiction and nonfiction sources.
Pandika, M. (2013). Fossils suggest T. rex was, indeed, king of the food chain. LA Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/15/science/la-sci-t-rex-hunter-20130716
As a nonfiction twin text for Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” this LA Times article provides students with information about the short story’s featured dinosaur – the Tyrannosaurs rex – to provide them with a shared knowledge base, reinforce science concepts that they have learned in biology (i.e. food chain, apex predator, and scavenger), and provide a nonfiction lens with which to view and analyze Bradbury’s fictional portrait of the dinosaur. Students first exposure to the research article strategy, CHoMP, occurs during the reading of this article. The strategy is integrated into both disciplines to provide students lower-risk practice with popular science article reading comprehension that will scaffold them to the independent navigation of articles in their science class’s final research project. This article prepares students for their homework reading in which Eckels finally encounters his T. rex. And its information will be used in the following day’s lesson when students are called to analyze the accuracy of Bradbury’s portrayal of the T. rex and decide whether Eckels’s was justifiably scared based on the real-life habits and appearance of the dinosaur.
Pound, E. (1912). Portrait d’une femme. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174182
Since Ezra Pound’s poem, “Portrait d’une Femme,” operates around an allusion to the Sargasso Sea – a polluted ecosystem looked at in detail in the science section of this interdisciplinary unit – and portrays human interconnectedness through that overarching allusion, students examine the poem as another example of the parasitic consequences of interconnectedness immediately after they look at how parasitic relationships are portrayed in William’s short story, “The Girls.” The poem offers another text form and shows other ways that an author can develop a portrait of negative interconnectedness. With Williams’s using character names and a parallel animal metaphor, Pound employs a science allusion and nautical jargon and phrasing to portray parasitism. Students will map out the “inputs” and “outputs” of the female protagonist’s interactions with others on a graphic organizer to understand how the allusion operates in the poem.
Prince, S. A. (2010). I pray that generations… [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2059/i-pray-that-generations-/
As a black-and-white linoleum cut painting, Steve Prince’s “I Pray that Generations…” provides students with a premade visual summary of a key point in Travis’s ideas about chaos theory in “A Sound of Thunder.” Therefore, for visual literacy development, students will analyze the painting after a close reading of the associated short story text excerpt. In “A Sound of Thunder,” Travis claims that an “entire history of life” of mice are embedded within “one particular mouse” (p. 74). Similarly, the painting features a primary female subject; however, embedded within her linework are abstract faces meant to represent how she is composed of her lineage. In the artist’s own explanation of the piece, Prince writes, it “represents the significance of an individual's relationship to past, present, and future generations” because “each person has generations built into them.” Prince’s explanation reinforces how the painting taps into several interdisciplinary unit themes, like interconnectedness and accountability: “…we affect lives through our actions for generations. Ultimately, the piece beckons us to be accountable for our actions because we have the power to speak – life or death.” Students will color in all of the faces and bodies they find within the painting before attempting to synthesize it with “A Sound of Thunder.” Then students will be required to explain, in writing, its relevance to Travis’s point that a single death affects “families of the families of the families” of that one mouse and “an entire future nation” (p. 74).
The Sci-Fi Spot (2010). A sound of thunder (2005) - Trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmKsKhMcIg
Since students may have difficulty visualizing the unique setting of Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" because it is a composite of prehistoric and futuristic elements, a section of this movie trailer will be used in conjunction with two pages of a graphic novel adaptation of the short story to provide students with a more concrete grasp of the setting and the plot elements imagined by the author (i.e. antigravity Path, sterilization of suits, time machine, etc). Since the movie trailer deviates heavily from the text and it ends in plot spoilers, only a predetermined clip will be shown (0:25 - 0:57). Students will be led into the reading by a discussion of what the antigravity Path may look like based on newly established knowledge of the Latin prefix, "anti." Students will confirm their hypotheses with the video's depiction of it. The video provides an in-action portrayal of the elements, which is why it is used in addition to a graphic novel adaptation.
Scott, J., & Borgman, J. (2014). Zits comic from Septermber 21, 2014 [Comic]. Retrieved from http://zitscomics.com/comics/september-21-2014/
The Zits comic strip provides students with a concrete example of how symbiotic relationships between animals can be transferred to human relationships, scaffolding students to the application of symbiotic relationships onto the character relationships in “The Girls” (i.e. houseguests, Mommy/Daddy; girls and Mommy/Daddy). The Sunday comic strip compares a mutualistic rhinoceros/bird relationship with a mother/son relationship by having the mother and son physically become the animals to which they are being compared. Offering two ways for students to grasp the metaphor, not only do several panels depict scenes in which the bird-mother is helping the rhinoceros-son and the rhinoceros-son showing gratitude for the bird-mother’s actions, but the father summarizes the mutualistic human relationship in the concluding panel. Students will revisit the comic after learning the Latin prefix, “meta-” in a vocabulary mini-lesson to discuss why the comic is metaphor (not a simile) based on the visual techniques in the comic. Since the comic strip shows that others – specifically cartoonists Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman – have recognized that symbiotic terminology can be applied to human relationships to enhance comprehension of them, the comic shows students that the classroom activity in which they are tasked to transfer symbiosis to “The Girls” character relationships is not a stretch just to make an interdisciplinary connection between science and English.
Williams, J. (2004). The girls. In Chabon, M. (Ed.) (2005), The Best American Short Stories 2005 (pp. 212-222). New Yokr, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
As the second of two short stories in the English section of this unit (and thus the second of two primary texts), Williams’s “The Girls” continues students analysis of what fiction has to say about interconnectedness, accountability, and individual worth. Revolving around a household of characters uniquely, parasitically, and meaningfully connected, the short story requires that students examine interconnectedness through character relationships. In a similar fashion to the instructional format of Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” students will read the text for homework, entering class prepared to close read and reexamine sections. With Arleen presenting a statistic about cats’ bird predation, the short story offers its content to the science classroom through the concept of invasive species. Additionally, the animal interactions that parallel character relationships and the ability to classify those character relationships in terms of symbiosis – a science concept that students will explore in the science section of this unit – furthers this short story’s natural cross-curricular potential. Students will apply both those science concepts onto the text to elevate the meaning of Williams’s piece of Gothic fiction and better understand its commentary on the unit’s themes.
As the first of two short stories in the English section of this unit (and thus the first of two primary texts), Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" introduces students to the main ideas of the unit - interconnectedness, individual worth, accountability - in an lower reading level text. Therefore, use of "A Sound of Thunder" scaffolds students to the second short story, Williams’s “The Girls,” in which the main themes of the unit are embraced more complexly. While the majority of the reading will be done for homework, students will revist the text in class and close read sections in order to analyze the effects of the text's language, text structure, imagery, and characterization on the its bigger-picture themes. With a food chain described in the text conveying a main theme, the short story links to the science unit on ecosystems and allows students to use and activate their background knowledge of food chains and food webs learned in biology to make new meaning from "A Sound of Thunder."
Bradbury, R. & Corben, R. (2003). A sound of thunder. In The Best of Ray Bradbury (pp. 10-11). IBooks.
Since students may have difficulty visualizing the unique setting of Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" because it is a composite of prehistoric and futuristic elements, two pages of this graphic novel adaptation of the short story will be used in conjunction with a video-based portrayal of the setting to provide students with a more concrete grasp of the setting and the plot elements imagined by the author (i.e. antigravity Path, sterilization of suits, time machine, etc). In terms of text, the two pages only cover the plotline that students have already read for homework, so there is not threat of plot spoilers. Students will be led into the reading by a discussion of what the antigravity Path may look like based on newly established knowledge of the Latin prefix, "anti." Students will confirm their hypotheses with the graphic novel's illustrations. The graphic novel provides a static presentation of the setting, so students can have a reference material later and use it, if needed, when they quickly sketch the scene.
Daniels, G., McGrath, D., Cohen, D. S., & Kushell, B. (Writers), & Reardon, J. (Director). (1994). Treehouse of horror V [Television series episode]. In Mirkin, D. (Producer), The Simpsons. Fox Studios.
With a segment of this The Simpsons episode adapting Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” the television episode supplements the short story to modernize the classic work of science fiction for student engagement and motivation purpose and to provide students’ with more examples of chaos theory and further practice recognizing cause/effect text structure. In addition to analyzing the parody’s accuracy in alluding to Bradbury’s original, students will also focus on a key difference between Eckels and Homer Simpson to stir their thinking about the unit theme of accountability and the character relationships in “A Sound of Thunder.” Since Homer travels back in time multiple times to try to fix his original mistake and Travis (in one reading of the short story’s conclusion) deprives Eckels of that opportunity despite Eckels’s pleas to be allowed to do so, students will argue how Eckels should have been held accountable for his misstep, integrating text details from both the television episode and the short stories in their written responses. The writing assignment requires students to synthesize multiple texts to form a cohesive argument and apply a key unit term to their rationale.
Ghose, T. (2013). Staggering stats: Cats kill billions of animals each year. LiveScience. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/26670-cats-kill-billions-animals.html
As a nonfiction twin text for Wiliiams’s short story, “The Girls,” this LiveScience popular science article provides students with the information necessary to analyze whether the fiction text’s portrayal of the girls’ cats and Arleen’s statistic about cat predation is accurate. Furthermore, the article presents the idea of outdoor domestic cats being an “invasive species” – a science term students will have learned in the science section of this interdisciplinary unit. Based on Williams’s characterization of the girls and Arleen, the characters naturally fall into the opposing viewpoints in the real-life debate within the scientific community. Therefore, in a persuasive writing assignment and student debate, students will demonstrate their knowledge of the science concept “invasive species” and the short story’s characterization simultaneously. Students will assume the voice and perspective of one character – Arleen or the girls – and write a persuasive argument using text details from both the short story and LiveScience article to address their intended audience: the opposing character. This debate will allows students to apply the science concept to a new context, practice their persuasive writing skills, and approach a real-life scientific debate through the synthesis of fiction and nonfiction sources.
Pandika, M. (2013). Fossils suggest T. rex was, indeed, king of the food chain. LA Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/15/science/la-sci-t-rex-hunter-20130716
As a nonfiction twin text for Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” this LA Times article provides students with information about the short story’s featured dinosaur – the Tyrannosaurs rex – to provide them with a shared knowledge base, reinforce science concepts that they have learned in biology (i.e. food chain, apex predator, and scavenger), and provide a nonfiction lens with which to view and analyze Bradbury’s fictional portrait of the dinosaur. Students first exposure to the research article strategy, CHoMP, occurs during the reading of this article. The strategy is integrated into both disciplines to provide students lower-risk practice with popular science article reading comprehension that will scaffold them to the independent navigation of articles in their science class’s final research project. This article prepares students for their homework reading in which Eckels finally encounters his T. rex. And its information will be used in the following day’s lesson when students are called to analyze the accuracy of Bradbury’s portrayal of the T. rex and decide whether Eckels’s was justifiably scared based on the real-life habits and appearance of the dinosaur.
Pound, E. (1912). Portrait d’une femme. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174182
Since Ezra Pound’s poem, “Portrait d’une Femme,” operates around an allusion to the Sargasso Sea – a polluted ecosystem looked at in detail in the science section of this interdisciplinary unit – and portrays human interconnectedness through that overarching allusion, students examine the poem as another example of the parasitic consequences of interconnectedness immediately after they look at how parasitic relationships are portrayed in William’s short story, “The Girls.” The poem offers another text form and shows other ways that an author can develop a portrait of negative interconnectedness. With Williams’s using character names and a parallel animal metaphor, Pound employs a science allusion and nautical jargon and phrasing to portray parasitism. Students will map out the “inputs” and “outputs” of the female protagonist’s interactions with others on a graphic organizer to understand how the allusion operates in the poem.
Prince, S. A. (2010). I pray that generations… [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2059/i-pray-that-generations-/
As a black-and-white linoleum cut painting, Steve Prince’s “I Pray that Generations…” provides students with a premade visual summary of a key point in Travis’s ideas about chaos theory in “A Sound of Thunder.” Therefore, for visual literacy development, students will analyze the painting after a close reading of the associated short story text excerpt. In “A Sound of Thunder,” Travis claims that an “entire history of life” of mice are embedded within “one particular mouse” (p. 74). Similarly, the painting features a primary female subject; however, embedded within her linework are abstract faces meant to represent how she is composed of her lineage. In the artist’s own explanation of the piece, Prince writes, it “represents the significance of an individual's relationship to past, present, and future generations” because “each person has generations built into them.” Prince’s explanation reinforces how the painting taps into several interdisciplinary unit themes, like interconnectedness and accountability: “…we affect lives through our actions for generations. Ultimately, the piece beckons us to be accountable for our actions because we have the power to speak – life or death.” Students will color in all of the faces and bodies they find within the painting before attempting to synthesize it with “A Sound of Thunder.” Then students will be required to explain, in writing, its relevance to Travis’s point that a single death affects “families of the families of the families” of that one mouse and “an entire future nation” (p. 74).
The Sci-Fi Spot (2010). A sound of thunder (2005) - Trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmKsKhMcIg
Since students may have difficulty visualizing the unique setting of Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" because it is a composite of prehistoric and futuristic elements, a section of this movie trailer will be used in conjunction with two pages of a graphic novel adaptation of the short story to provide students with a more concrete grasp of the setting and the plot elements imagined by the author (i.e. antigravity Path, sterilization of suits, time machine, etc). Since the movie trailer deviates heavily from the text and it ends in plot spoilers, only a predetermined clip will be shown (0:25 - 0:57). Students will be led into the reading by a discussion of what the antigravity Path may look like based on newly established knowledge of the Latin prefix, "anti." Students will confirm their hypotheses with the video's depiction of it. The video provides an in-action portrayal of the elements, which is why it is used in addition to a graphic novel adaptation.
Scott, J., & Borgman, J. (2014). Zits comic from Septermber 21, 2014 [Comic]. Retrieved from http://zitscomics.com/comics/september-21-2014/
The Zits comic strip provides students with a concrete example of how symbiotic relationships between animals can be transferred to human relationships, scaffolding students to the application of symbiotic relationships onto the character relationships in “The Girls” (i.e. houseguests, Mommy/Daddy; girls and Mommy/Daddy). The Sunday comic strip compares a mutualistic rhinoceros/bird relationship with a mother/son relationship by having the mother and son physically become the animals to which they are being compared. Offering two ways for students to grasp the metaphor, not only do several panels depict scenes in which the bird-mother is helping the rhinoceros-son and the rhinoceros-son showing gratitude for the bird-mother’s actions, but the father summarizes the mutualistic human relationship in the concluding panel. Students will revisit the comic after learning the Latin prefix, “meta-” in a vocabulary mini-lesson to discuss why the comic is metaphor (not a simile) based on the visual techniques in the comic. Since the comic strip shows that others – specifically cartoonists Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman – have recognized that symbiotic terminology can be applied to human relationships to enhance comprehension of them, the comic shows students that the classroom activity in which they are tasked to transfer symbiosis to “The Girls” character relationships is not a stretch just to make an interdisciplinary connection between science and English.
Williams, J. (2004). The girls. In Chabon, M. (Ed.) (2005), The Best American Short Stories 2005 (pp. 212-222). New Yokr, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
As the second of two short stories in the English section of this unit (and thus the second of two primary texts), Williams’s “The Girls” continues students analysis of what fiction has to say about interconnectedness, accountability, and individual worth. Revolving around a household of characters uniquely, parasitically, and meaningfully connected, the short story requires that students examine interconnectedness through character relationships. In a similar fashion to the instructional format of Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” students will read the text for homework, entering class prepared to close read and reexamine sections. With Arleen presenting a statistic about cats’ bird predation, the short story offers its content to the science classroom through the concept of invasive species. Additionally, the animal interactions that parallel character relationships and the ability to classify those character relationships in terms of symbiosis – a science concept that students will explore in the science section of this unit – furthers this short story’s natural cross-curricular potential. Students will apply both those science concepts onto the text to elevate the meaning of Williams’s piece of Gothic fiction and better understand its commentary on the unit’s themes.
English Unit: Annotated Bibliography | |
File Size: | 19 kb |
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SCIENCE UNIT
Berger, M. (2013). What would your city look like with Beijing's air? A smog simulator. Marketplace. Retrieved from http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/we-used-be-china/what-would-your-city-look-beijings-air-smog-simulator
During the industrial pollution lesson, student volunteers will come to the SmartBoard to stimulate the Chinese air quality (when affected by its consecutive days of smog) onto other famous city skylines, like Paris, San Francisco, and New York. The little activity will bring the international phenomenon to the United States, helping students relate and theorize their reaction to such air visibility. The stimulator is non-scientific (developed through pictures of the Beijing skyline before and during its smog); however, the activity still serves a valuable purpose by bringing air pollution to the United States.
Bradbury, R. (1952). A sound of thunder. In McDougal Littel (Ed.) (2005), The language of literature: Grade 10 (pp. 72-81). New York: McDougal Littel.
Students will refer to their English copies of Ray Bradbury’s short story, “A Sound of Thunder,” in science class several times throughout the unit. To introduce the concept of keystone species, students will sketch the setting (i.e. Time Safari, Inc. advertisement, government, etc.) before and after Eckels time travels. After learning about poaching through a New York Times blog article, students will determine whether Time Safari, Inc. is a poaching or hunting organization in a quick write. Studnets will also refer back to the pull quotes in the specific copy of “A Sound of Thunder” to contemplate the role of text features and lead into nonfiction text features, like bold vocabulary and figures. Students will also refer to Travis’s comment about the introduction of bacteria into the prehistoric environment during the first invasive species lesson.
ChinaForbiddenNews (2013). Chinese Communist Regime: ‘Smog helps Chinese people stay united’ [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAboha1-_ck
As a recorded segment from a Chinese news broadcast, this video provides subtitles to the primary source and details various health and traffic hazards of China’s 2013 smog. It also alludes to a piece of propaganda in which a journalist listed five “surprising benefits” of smog. Students will take notes during the video clip, informed that they should focus on the effect of the smog, which will continue the unit reading skill of recognizing the cause/effect text structure. After receiving and reading through the piece of porpoganda that was alluded to (and summarized) in the video, students will rewrite the list into the “5 Surprising Detriments of Smog” according to their notes from the video. The assignment reinforces the importance of accurate information in a Public Service Announcement and encourages students to identify the main ideas in the video.
Digitelly (2013). A tale of two cockatoos [Video file]. Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/69789070
As another example of unequal conservation efforts to showcase individual worth and the effect of human activity in the biosphere, this motion-stop animated video compares and contrasts the habitats and eating habits of two white-tailed black cockatoos: the Baudin and the Carnaby. Even though both are endangered in Australia, only Carnabys receive conservation efforts and publicity due to differences in eating and shelter habitats. During the video, students will complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the birds. The teacher will lead a discussion afterwards.
Estrin, J. (2013). Documenting elephants’ compassion, and their slaughter. The New York Times’s Lens: Photography, Video and Visual Journalism. Retrived from http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/documenting-compassionate-elephants-and-their-slaughter/?smid=tw-share&_r=0
As another case study for a human threat, one lesson will focus on elephant poaching and dehumanization. Students will use the reading strategy, CHoMP, on this New York Times blog article to continue practice with the note-taking and paraphrasing strategy. The article addresses both elephant poaching for ivory tusks (dehumanization) and their mourning rituals (humanization). Students will use text details from the article to pinpoint the reason why their ivory tusks are valuable to humans and a humanizing trait about them. This will lead into a hands-on, research activity in which students condusct short research in groups to identify humanizing traits and the valuable animal part/product of other poached species, like rhinoceros, ginseng, and parrots.
Entomological Society of America (2013). Invasive species [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAY_UsGjyZk
After the textbook reading on invasive species, students will watch this animated video (available on YouTube) to bring to life the concept. With two monster-like species – Oliver and Frank – with different habitats, eating habits, and reproduction rates, the video is engaging and informative. Students will use the scenario depicted in the video (city-dweller Frank invades Oliver’s island habitat) and the information provided by the textbook except to fill in a T-chart on the general causes and effects of invasive species (i.e. competition, eating native species resources, etc.).
FFUNCTION (2010). The mysterious honey bee extinction [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://dailyinfographic.com/the-mysterious-honey-bee-extinction-infographic
In one lesson, keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – a Public Service Announcement, a short video documentary from Time, and this infographic – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the infographic – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
Garbutt, C., & Ogilvy (2011). WWF Bluefin Tuna overfishing: Would you care more...? [Images]. Retrieved from http://www.creativeadawards.com/would-you-care-more-if-i-was-a-rhino-3/
To learn about conservation efforts and the difference between high-profile and low-profile endangered species, students will view this Public Service Announcement series from the World Wildlife Fund. Spotlighting the low-profile endangered species – the bluefin tuna – the posters show the tuna with a panda, rhinocrous, or gorilla mask with the caption, “Would you care more if I was [rhinocerous/gorilla/panda]. Before viewing the three posters, students will brainstorm an endangered species they would donate to if they could only donate to one. This will activate students prior knowledge of endangered species and probably amount to a bunch of sticky notes listing high-profile endangered species. The teacher will lead a discussion on the difference after the viewing the WWF posters and call upon students to reflect on the unit theme of individual worth and its presence in our conservation efforts.
GreenpeaceVideo (2014). Everything is NOT awesome [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbliUq0_r4
As an audiovisual Public Service Announcment, Greenpeace launched a video commenting on Lego’s partnership with the petroleum company, Shell, who is currently drilling for oil in the arctic. Students will watch the video after the teacher summarizes the contemporary oil spill hazard. In a teacher-facilitated discussion, students will critic the video’s persuasive techniques. After completing the lab report, “Pesky Petroleum: Cleaning Up an Oil Spill,” students will write a letter as the lab’s conclusion. Using their observations during the lab report on the difficulty of an oceanic oil spill cleanup, students will persuade Shell not to drill in the arctic. This assignment scaffolds students to their final project in which they will be required to write a persuasive letter to the human threat endangering their self-selected threatened species.
Groc, I. (2014). Shooting owls to save other owls: Protecting habitat hasn't stopped the spotted owl's decline. Will shooting its rivals help? National Geographic. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140717-spotted-owls-barred-shooting-logging-endangered-species-science/
After being introduced to the invasive species case study on barred and spotted owls through a short video documentary of the situation, students will read a National Geographic article, “Shooting Owls to Save Other Owls,” about the invasive species dilemma in groups based on subheadings: “Of Owls and Men,” “Better Adapted to Our World,” and “Ethical Dilemma.” Although students will already have practice with the reading strategy, CHoMP, from English class, this will be the first time they will be tasked to implement the staretgy on a popular science article in science class. Therefore, the teacher will model the strategy on the untitled introductory section in a whole-class setting. After that “I do” portion, the “We Do” groups will work together on their assigned section, which they will summarize to the class. Students will use the article in a writing homework assignment that asks them to consider the quality of the spotted owl conservation effort: killing barred owls.
It’s Okay to be Smart (2013). How to read science news [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHew7MqP4UM
To follow up on the teacher’s modeling of how to distinguish between reliable and nonreliable news sources (i.e. databases and recommended websites are probably safe, but Google searches that yield blogs probably aren’t) for the final project, students will watch this short video from Joe Hanson. It provides eight points about differentiation. Students will receive a worksheet, listing the eight points afterwards to use as a reference while searching online for popular science articles. To show that the video is relevant to students’ searches, the librarian will show students how to limit their searches on the databases to only peer-reviewed articles, which is one of Joe Hanson’s points.
Kinetic City (n.d.). Nowhere to hide [Online game]. Retrieved from http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?act=4&virus=flossil
Interaction with this online game bookends the industrial pollution lab report, “Pesky Petroleum: Cleaning Up Oil Spills.” After the teacher briefly summarizes the peppered moth color evolution during England’s industrial revolution, student volunteers will read aloud the overview of the game projected on the SmartBoard. Before the lab, students will observe the bug-bird relationships in a green, non-polluted environment. The teacher will lead a discussion afterwards, so students can share their observations and hypotheses (i.e. the green bug population grew more rapidly than the red bug because they blended into their environment, so the birds couldn’t see them to eat them). A student volunteer will increase the pollution level – which arises from the fictional Orange-O-Dyne factory – and the bird-bug relationship will be left to play out during the course of the lab. After the lab, the teacher will bring the class back to the SmartBoard to observe and discuss the new predator-prey relationships that resulted (i.e. orange bug population now exceeds the green bug because the pollution from the factory dyed the forest orange).
Koerth-Baker, M. (2014). Consider the cane toad. Ensia Magazine. Retrieved from http://ensia.com/voices/consider-the-cane-toad/
After students receive “I do” and “We do” practice with CHoMP on the second invasive species day through the National Geographic, “Shooting Owls to Save Other Owls,” students will read “Consider the Cane Toad” article for homework and implement CHoMP as the “You Do” portion of the lesson. Students must use text details from both “Consider the Cane Toad” and “Shooting the Owls to Save Other Owls” in a homework writing assignment to reflect on the quality of the spotted owl conservation effort. The article suggests that the usual response to invasive species – “eradication” – may not be as necessary as once thought because of the invasive species’ – and its invaded enviornment’s – ability to adapt to one another. Therefore, “Consider the Cane Toad” will prompt students to question the “lethal removal” of the barred owl conservation effort, despite how the hunters stressed it as the only viable option.
Manchester Climate Monthly (n.d.). Save the bees public service announcement [Image]. Retrieved from http://manchesterclimatemonthly.net/2014/03/15/if-we-die-were-taking-you-with-us-say-the-bees-and-theyre-not-wrong/
In one lesson, honeybees are the subject of a keystone species case study. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – an infographic, a short video documentary from Time, and this Public Service Announcement – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the PSA – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
National Geographic (2014). Killing one owl to save another owl? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGFPsgQzeds
In the second lesson on invasive species, students will explore the contemporary situation between the barred owl and the spotted owl. The case study begins with this video to provide students an overview of the problem (i.e. barred owls are mirgrating northwest into spotted owl territory and driving the native species to endangerment) and proposed solution (shooting barred owls to control the population). Since students will only read a subheading of the National Geographic article on the subject, this audisovisual introduction will not only bring the bird species and hunters to life, but it will provide students with an overview that will contextualize the small sections they read about.
NOAA, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, & New York Sea Grant Institute (n.d.). Nab the aquatic invader!: Be a sea grant super sleuth [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.iisgcp.org/NabInvader/index.html
As an interactive website that hosts “Wanted” profiles for myriad aquatic invasive species, “Nab the Aquatic Invader!” includes cartoon pictures of each species, their scientific names, a physical descitption, and a mock “interrogation” in which the species themselves report their invasive “crimes.” As a potential reading accommodation, some profiles are read aloud upon clicking into them. Students will navigate the website independently, choosing a single species to highlight on a graphic organizer. Student will share their chosen species in a group of four, pick the “worst” invader (i.e. which is the most successful in taking over its non-native habitat), and share that pick to the whole class to ultimately vote which is the worst of all the group picks. Written on a sheet of paper and submitted as an exit ticket at the end of class, the silent vote will be announced at the beginning of the next day’s class.
Rauhala, E. (2013). China: Here are some great things about toxic air. Time. Retrieved from http://world.time.com/2013/12/09/china-here-are-some-great-things-about-toxic-air/
After watching a Chinese news program with subtitles from the China’s 2013 smog, students will read through the “5 Surprising Benefits of Smog” list issued by Lei found on in this article. The list was extracted from the article and rearranged on its own worksheet. The video alluded to and superficially summarized the list. Students will brainstorm about “propaganda” on a semantic web before reading the list, so they will connect the term – learned in English class through the Time Safari, Inc. advertisement – to a real-life, international example. Based on the information in the video (which detailed the health and traffic hazards of smog on humans), students will rewrite “The Five Surprising Benefits of Smog” into a Public Service Announcement entitled, “The Five Surprising Detriments of Smog.”
Rikkiibell (2012). The shrimp from shark tale [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJvsk7NsZe4
To introduce the concept of animal humanization for the lesson on poaching and dehumanization, students will watch a clip from the animated movie Shark Tale. Set in an underwater shark restaurant, the clip depicts one shark trying to force his brother, Lenny, to eat a shrimp. In a desperate desire for mercy, the shrimp soon breaks into his life story about raising his nephew and working two jobs. Moved by the story, Lenny gathers up all the shrimp from the table and helps them escape from a crack in the window. On a semantic web, students will brainstorm about shrimp with a specific color colored pencil before watching the video. After watching, students will use a different color to record the traits provided by the video (i.e. blue collar worker, etc). Students will then discuss the effects of the humanization on Lenny – and themselves, as viewers.
Time (2013). TIME explains: Why bees are going extinct [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykq3q5XDjnY
In one lesson, a keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – an infographic, a Public Service Announcement, and this short video documentary from Time – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the infographic – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
Wiggins, B. (2013). Stung (pp. 8-9, 16-19, 88-89, 90-91). New York, NY: Walker Books.
In one lesson, a keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will read an excerpt from Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung, and map its cause/effect text structure on a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor Worksheet to continue work with the unit’s overarching lens on the text structure. Students will ultimately synthesize three nonfiction texts to compare and contrast its portrait of bee extinction to the fictional portrait. Students will argue the degree of scientific accuracy in Stung in a writing homework assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction. Since the excerpt does not address the fictional cause (i.e. bee flu epidemic and vaccinations), the teacher will provide background information
Williams, J. (2001). Save the whales, screw the shrimp. In Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals (pp. 3-20). New York, NY: Vintage Books.
To combine the Public Service Announcements and the Time Safari, Inc. advertisement (from English class) with another example of a persuasive text, students read Joy Williams’s persuasive environmentalist essay, “Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp,” in a jigsaw activity. Each group of four is assigned two sections (approximately four double-pages) and must fill in a main idea and three supporting detail graphic organizer for each section. The essay comments on man’s attitude toward the environment they polluted. After students read Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “Sunflower Sutra,” in English class, they will compare and contrast how each text presents man’s view of polluted nature (i.e. in “Sunflower Sutra,” the view is more optimistic while in Williams’s essay, she claims humans have become indifferent toward the environment). The teacher will connect the author of this essay to the author of “The Girls” short story read in English class.
World Wildlife Fund (2014). WWF Together [Video playlist]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkjfC5se7c&list=PL0WSjIIFKH_jtsKOBdOtry7IoL4T8CsNs
This YouTube playlist compiled sixteen videos, each of which spotlight a different, high-profile endangered species, like the monarch butterfly, elephants, and whales. Each video provides serval fun facts about the species and offers one or two reasons for the species endangerment (which is often linked to human activity). Students will use this online playlist to self-select an endangered species to research for their final science projects. However, in light of the unit theme of individual worth and the lesson on low-profile threatened species, students will be strongly encouraged to use this list as a means of avoiding the high-profile species and choosing a lesser-known one.
During the industrial pollution lesson, student volunteers will come to the SmartBoard to stimulate the Chinese air quality (when affected by its consecutive days of smog) onto other famous city skylines, like Paris, San Francisco, and New York. The little activity will bring the international phenomenon to the United States, helping students relate and theorize their reaction to such air visibility. The stimulator is non-scientific (developed through pictures of the Beijing skyline before and during its smog); however, the activity still serves a valuable purpose by bringing air pollution to the United States.
Bradbury, R. (1952). A sound of thunder. In McDougal Littel (Ed.) (2005), The language of literature: Grade 10 (pp. 72-81). New York: McDougal Littel.
Students will refer to their English copies of Ray Bradbury’s short story, “A Sound of Thunder,” in science class several times throughout the unit. To introduce the concept of keystone species, students will sketch the setting (i.e. Time Safari, Inc. advertisement, government, etc.) before and after Eckels time travels. After learning about poaching through a New York Times blog article, students will determine whether Time Safari, Inc. is a poaching or hunting organization in a quick write. Studnets will also refer back to the pull quotes in the specific copy of “A Sound of Thunder” to contemplate the role of text features and lead into nonfiction text features, like bold vocabulary and figures. Students will also refer to Travis’s comment about the introduction of bacteria into the prehistoric environment during the first invasive species lesson.
ChinaForbiddenNews (2013). Chinese Communist Regime: ‘Smog helps Chinese people stay united’ [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAboha1-_ck
As a recorded segment from a Chinese news broadcast, this video provides subtitles to the primary source and details various health and traffic hazards of China’s 2013 smog. It also alludes to a piece of propaganda in which a journalist listed five “surprising benefits” of smog. Students will take notes during the video clip, informed that they should focus on the effect of the smog, which will continue the unit reading skill of recognizing the cause/effect text structure. After receiving and reading through the piece of porpoganda that was alluded to (and summarized) in the video, students will rewrite the list into the “5 Surprising Detriments of Smog” according to their notes from the video. The assignment reinforces the importance of accurate information in a Public Service Announcement and encourages students to identify the main ideas in the video.
Digitelly (2013). A tale of two cockatoos [Video file]. Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/69789070
As another example of unequal conservation efforts to showcase individual worth and the effect of human activity in the biosphere, this motion-stop animated video compares and contrasts the habitats and eating habits of two white-tailed black cockatoos: the Baudin and the Carnaby. Even though both are endangered in Australia, only Carnabys receive conservation efforts and publicity due to differences in eating and shelter habitats. During the video, students will complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the birds. The teacher will lead a discussion afterwards.
Estrin, J. (2013). Documenting elephants’ compassion, and their slaughter. The New York Times’s Lens: Photography, Video and Visual Journalism. Retrived from http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/documenting-compassionate-elephants-and-their-slaughter/?smid=tw-share&_r=0
As another case study for a human threat, one lesson will focus on elephant poaching and dehumanization. Students will use the reading strategy, CHoMP, on this New York Times blog article to continue practice with the note-taking and paraphrasing strategy. The article addresses both elephant poaching for ivory tusks (dehumanization) and their mourning rituals (humanization). Students will use text details from the article to pinpoint the reason why their ivory tusks are valuable to humans and a humanizing trait about them. This will lead into a hands-on, research activity in which students condusct short research in groups to identify humanizing traits and the valuable animal part/product of other poached species, like rhinoceros, ginseng, and parrots.
Entomological Society of America (2013). Invasive species [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAY_UsGjyZk
After the textbook reading on invasive species, students will watch this animated video (available on YouTube) to bring to life the concept. With two monster-like species – Oliver and Frank – with different habitats, eating habits, and reproduction rates, the video is engaging and informative. Students will use the scenario depicted in the video (city-dweller Frank invades Oliver’s island habitat) and the information provided by the textbook except to fill in a T-chart on the general causes and effects of invasive species (i.e. competition, eating native species resources, etc.).
FFUNCTION (2010). The mysterious honey bee extinction [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://dailyinfographic.com/the-mysterious-honey-bee-extinction-infographic
In one lesson, keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – a Public Service Announcement, a short video documentary from Time, and this infographic – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the infographic – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
Garbutt, C., & Ogilvy (2011). WWF Bluefin Tuna overfishing: Would you care more...? [Images]. Retrieved from http://www.creativeadawards.com/would-you-care-more-if-i-was-a-rhino-3/
To learn about conservation efforts and the difference between high-profile and low-profile endangered species, students will view this Public Service Announcement series from the World Wildlife Fund. Spotlighting the low-profile endangered species – the bluefin tuna – the posters show the tuna with a panda, rhinocrous, or gorilla mask with the caption, “Would you care more if I was [rhinocerous/gorilla/panda]. Before viewing the three posters, students will brainstorm an endangered species they would donate to if they could only donate to one. This will activate students prior knowledge of endangered species and probably amount to a bunch of sticky notes listing high-profile endangered species. The teacher will lead a discussion on the difference after the viewing the WWF posters and call upon students to reflect on the unit theme of individual worth and its presence in our conservation efforts.
GreenpeaceVideo (2014). Everything is NOT awesome [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbliUq0_r4
As an audiovisual Public Service Announcment, Greenpeace launched a video commenting on Lego’s partnership with the petroleum company, Shell, who is currently drilling for oil in the arctic. Students will watch the video after the teacher summarizes the contemporary oil spill hazard. In a teacher-facilitated discussion, students will critic the video’s persuasive techniques. After completing the lab report, “Pesky Petroleum: Cleaning Up an Oil Spill,” students will write a letter as the lab’s conclusion. Using their observations during the lab report on the difficulty of an oceanic oil spill cleanup, students will persuade Shell not to drill in the arctic. This assignment scaffolds students to their final project in which they will be required to write a persuasive letter to the human threat endangering their self-selected threatened species.
Groc, I. (2014). Shooting owls to save other owls: Protecting habitat hasn't stopped the spotted owl's decline. Will shooting its rivals help? National Geographic. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140717-spotted-owls-barred-shooting-logging-endangered-species-science/
After being introduced to the invasive species case study on barred and spotted owls through a short video documentary of the situation, students will read a National Geographic article, “Shooting Owls to Save Other Owls,” about the invasive species dilemma in groups based on subheadings: “Of Owls and Men,” “Better Adapted to Our World,” and “Ethical Dilemma.” Although students will already have practice with the reading strategy, CHoMP, from English class, this will be the first time they will be tasked to implement the staretgy on a popular science article in science class. Therefore, the teacher will model the strategy on the untitled introductory section in a whole-class setting. After that “I do” portion, the “We Do” groups will work together on their assigned section, which they will summarize to the class. Students will use the article in a writing homework assignment that asks them to consider the quality of the spotted owl conservation effort: killing barred owls.
It’s Okay to be Smart (2013). How to read science news [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHew7MqP4UM
To follow up on the teacher’s modeling of how to distinguish between reliable and nonreliable news sources (i.e. databases and recommended websites are probably safe, but Google searches that yield blogs probably aren’t) for the final project, students will watch this short video from Joe Hanson. It provides eight points about differentiation. Students will receive a worksheet, listing the eight points afterwards to use as a reference while searching online for popular science articles. To show that the video is relevant to students’ searches, the librarian will show students how to limit their searches on the databases to only peer-reviewed articles, which is one of Joe Hanson’s points.
Kinetic City (n.d.). Nowhere to hide [Online game]. Retrieved from http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?act=4&virus=flossil
Interaction with this online game bookends the industrial pollution lab report, “Pesky Petroleum: Cleaning Up Oil Spills.” After the teacher briefly summarizes the peppered moth color evolution during England’s industrial revolution, student volunteers will read aloud the overview of the game projected on the SmartBoard. Before the lab, students will observe the bug-bird relationships in a green, non-polluted environment. The teacher will lead a discussion afterwards, so students can share their observations and hypotheses (i.e. the green bug population grew more rapidly than the red bug because they blended into their environment, so the birds couldn’t see them to eat them). A student volunteer will increase the pollution level – which arises from the fictional Orange-O-Dyne factory – and the bird-bug relationship will be left to play out during the course of the lab. After the lab, the teacher will bring the class back to the SmartBoard to observe and discuss the new predator-prey relationships that resulted (i.e. orange bug population now exceeds the green bug because the pollution from the factory dyed the forest orange).
Koerth-Baker, M. (2014). Consider the cane toad. Ensia Magazine. Retrieved from http://ensia.com/voices/consider-the-cane-toad/
After students receive “I do” and “We do” practice with CHoMP on the second invasive species day through the National Geographic, “Shooting Owls to Save Other Owls,” students will read “Consider the Cane Toad” article for homework and implement CHoMP as the “You Do” portion of the lesson. Students must use text details from both “Consider the Cane Toad” and “Shooting the Owls to Save Other Owls” in a homework writing assignment to reflect on the quality of the spotted owl conservation effort. The article suggests that the usual response to invasive species – “eradication” – may not be as necessary as once thought because of the invasive species’ – and its invaded enviornment’s – ability to adapt to one another. Therefore, “Consider the Cane Toad” will prompt students to question the “lethal removal” of the barred owl conservation effort, despite how the hunters stressed it as the only viable option.
Manchester Climate Monthly (n.d.). Save the bees public service announcement [Image]. Retrieved from http://manchesterclimatemonthly.net/2014/03/15/if-we-die-were-taking-you-with-us-say-the-bees-and-theyre-not-wrong/
In one lesson, honeybees are the subject of a keystone species case study. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – an infographic, a short video documentary from Time, and this Public Service Announcement – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the PSA – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
National Geographic (2014). Killing one owl to save another owl? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGFPsgQzeds
In the second lesson on invasive species, students will explore the contemporary situation between the barred owl and the spotted owl. The case study begins with this video to provide students an overview of the problem (i.e. barred owls are mirgrating northwest into spotted owl territory and driving the native species to endangerment) and proposed solution (shooting barred owls to control the population). Since students will only read a subheading of the National Geographic article on the subject, this audisovisual introduction will not only bring the bird species and hunters to life, but it will provide students with an overview that will contextualize the small sections they read about.
NOAA, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, & New York Sea Grant Institute (n.d.). Nab the aquatic invader!: Be a sea grant super sleuth [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.iisgcp.org/NabInvader/index.html
As an interactive website that hosts “Wanted” profiles for myriad aquatic invasive species, “Nab the Aquatic Invader!” includes cartoon pictures of each species, their scientific names, a physical descitption, and a mock “interrogation” in which the species themselves report their invasive “crimes.” As a potential reading accommodation, some profiles are read aloud upon clicking into them. Students will navigate the website independently, choosing a single species to highlight on a graphic organizer. Student will share their chosen species in a group of four, pick the “worst” invader (i.e. which is the most successful in taking over its non-native habitat), and share that pick to the whole class to ultimately vote which is the worst of all the group picks. Written on a sheet of paper and submitted as an exit ticket at the end of class, the silent vote will be announced at the beginning of the next day’s class.
Rauhala, E. (2013). China: Here are some great things about toxic air. Time. Retrieved from http://world.time.com/2013/12/09/china-here-are-some-great-things-about-toxic-air/
After watching a Chinese news program with subtitles from the China’s 2013 smog, students will read through the “5 Surprising Benefits of Smog” list issued by Lei found on in this article. The list was extracted from the article and rearranged on its own worksheet. The video alluded to and superficially summarized the list. Students will brainstorm about “propaganda” on a semantic web before reading the list, so they will connect the term – learned in English class through the Time Safari, Inc. advertisement – to a real-life, international example. Based on the information in the video (which detailed the health and traffic hazards of smog on humans), students will rewrite “The Five Surprising Benefits of Smog” into a Public Service Announcement entitled, “The Five Surprising Detriments of Smog.”
Rikkiibell (2012). The shrimp from shark tale [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJvsk7NsZe4
To introduce the concept of animal humanization for the lesson on poaching and dehumanization, students will watch a clip from the animated movie Shark Tale. Set in an underwater shark restaurant, the clip depicts one shark trying to force his brother, Lenny, to eat a shrimp. In a desperate desire for mercy, the shrimp soon breaks into his life story about raising his nephew and working two jobs. Moved by the story, Lenny gathers up all the shrimp from the table and helps them escape from a crack in the window. On a semantic web, students will brainstorm about shrimp with a specific color colored pencil before watching the video. After watching, students will use a different color to record the traits provided by the video (i.e. blue collar worker, etc). Students will then discuss the effects of the humanization on Lenny – and themselves, as viewers.
Time (2013). TIME explains: Why bees are going extinct [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykq3q5XDjnY
In one lesson, a keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will synthesize three nonfiction texts – an infographic, a Public Service Announcement, and this short video documentary from Time – to fill in a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor graphic organizer, continuing the unit’s work with the cause/effect text structure. Students will ultimately use the information from the infographic – and the other two nonfiction sources – to evaluate the scientific accuracy of a dystopian fiction excerpt on bee extinction (Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung) in a homework writing assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction.
Wiggins, B. (2013). Stung (pp. 8-9, 16-19, 88-89, 90-91). New York, NY: Walker Books.
In one lesson, a keystone species case study highlights honeybees. Students will read an excerpt from Bethany Wiggins’s YA novel, Stung, and map its cause/effect text structure on a Cause/Effect Campfire Metaphor Worksheet to continue work with the unit’s overarching lens on the text structure. Students will ultimately synthesize three nonfiction texts to compare and contrast its portrait of bee extinction to the fictional portrait. Students will argue the degree of scientific accuracy in Stung in a writing homework assignment. The assignment requires students to integrate multiple sources of information and compare and contrast two types of sources: fiction and nonfiction. Since the excerpt does not address the fictional cause (i.e. bee flu epidemic and vaccinations), the teacher will provide background information
Williams, J. (2001). Save the whales, screw the shrimp. In Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals (pp. 3-20). New York, NY: Vintage Books.
To combine the Public Service Announcements and the Time Safari, Inc. advertisement (from English class) with another example of a persuasive text, students read Joy Williams’s persuasive environmentalist essay, “Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp,” in a jigsaw activity. Each group of four is assigned two sections (approximately four double-pages) and must fill in a main idea and three supporting detail graphic organizer for each section. The essay comments on man’s attitude toward the environment they polluted. After students read Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “Sunflower Sutra,” in English class, they will compare and contrast how each text presents man’s view of polluted nature (i.e. in “Sunflower Sutra,” the view is more optimistic while in Williams’s essay, she claims humans have become indifferent toward the environment). The teacher will connect the author of this essay to the author of “The Girls” short story read in English class.
World Wildlife Fund (2014). WWF Together [Video playlist]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkjfC5se7c&list=PL0WSjIIFKH_jtsKOBdOtry7IoL4T8CsNs
This YouTube playlist compiled sixteen videos, each of which spotlight a different, high-profile endangered species, like the monarch butterfly, elephants, and whales. Each video provides serval fun facts about the species and offers one or two reasons for the species endangerment (which is often linked to human activity). Students will use this online playlist to self-select an endangered species to research for their final science projects. However, in light of the unit theme of individual worth and the lesson on low-profile threatened species, students will be strongly encouraged to use this list as a means of avoiding the high-profile species and choosing a lesser-known one.