Evaluate Ecosystems

Category: Investigation

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will collect and analyze data from a field study.
2. Students will write an environmental impact statement.
3. Students will explain the interactions between different systems found within an ecosystem.
4. Students will design a plan to improve an ecosystem.

Materials, equipment and / or facilities:

-Maps available for student use, or just for demonstration (teacher's choice)
-Non-cultivated area close to school to walk or ride to.

Prerequisite instruction:
This lesson requires students to take as many measurements in their ecosystem as possible. The more the students know, the better this lesson works. The teacher should take as much time as possible in teaching specific skills, but a simplified method could be used. Also, research could help the students with information.

Examples of skills:

• Plant sampling
• Soil testing
• Water testing
• Map skills (topography, coordinates, vegetation etc..)
• Interspecies interactions
• Population counts

Sequence and duration of each part of lesson:
Part 1 (45 min)

1. The teacher should have already talked about some factors that effect ecosystems.
2. Tell students that they are going to have to do a field study on a particular area of interest. Suggest some possible locations around your school. Give them these specific requirements.
   a. The data should be taken over a thirty-day period.
   b. Students may work in pairs.
   c. The area should be at least 1 acre.
   d. They will write an environmental impact statement (see handout 1)
   e. They need to keep a detailed field notebook (as teacher requires)
   f. Report on progress after 15 days (written or oral)
   g. They will give a 10 minute oral presentation, complete with pictures, slides, video, charts, graphs.
3. Take students to an area in which you want to demonstrate some techniques of the field study (Assign students before-hand to teach specific skills, or the teacher can demonstrate)

   Part 2 (45 min)
   

   • Have students go to the library or bring in research materials to find information about the area of their choice.
   • They should record all information in their field notebook along with a description of the book or reference material.

   Part 3 (Student homework time)
   

   • Students should report after about 15 days on their progress (either written or oral)

   Part 4 (at the end of 30 days)
   
   • Students should turn in the environmental impact statement, and schedule a time to do their oral presentation.

   Part 5 (2 hr 45 min)
   
   • Students should do their oral presentations.

   Evaluation:
   1. The quality of the environmental impact statement would be a good evaluation.
   2. The quality of the oral presentation should evaluate the learning that took place.
   3. Students could judge each oral presentation from 1-10 based upon quality
   4. This investigation could actually be a good assessment of understanding of systems, scientific method, ecosystems etc...
   

   ---

   Environmental Impact Statement Handout

   Ecosystem choices: You need to choose a location that you can visit on a regular basis. It needs to be at least 1 acre (approx 43,000 sq. ft.), and it needs to have been shaped by nature. (Meaning: It should not have been cultivated by man)
   Important times:
   • Environmental impact statement due 30 days from today
   • Progress report due in 15 days
   • Approximately every other day, you should visit your ecosystem
   Materials needed:
   • a field notebook
   • a camera, (video or regular with slides)
   • some way of testing water (if present)
   • some way of testing soil
   • field guide for identifying plants, birds, insects, mammals, etc.. (or go to the library with pictures and samples)
   • rope and stakes for taking population studies
   • thermometer
   • map of the area
   Specific Requirements for Impact Statement:
   1. It needs to contain the following information:
      a. Physical features -location, water, rocks, soil, vegetation, roads, trails, one or more map of some kind.
      b. Dominant plant species- drawings, photos, descriptions
      c. Dominant animal species-drawings, photos, descriptions
      d. Human Impact-Why do people come here? What do they do? What impact do they have on plant, animal, soil, water, erosion.
      e. Recommendations for future-What could you do to help preserve, or improve this ecosystem
      

   2. Using the above information each student should prepare a separate report in scientific format.(see below) You should conduct an individual study, survey, or population count for this section. This should include the following in order:
      1. Title
      2. Purpose/Problem/Question: What are you trying to find out?
      3. Materials/Equipment: List materials needed
      4. Method/Procedure: Summarize in your own words the steps involved in conducting this study. Make sure it is detailed enough so that someone else could reproduce your procedure.
      5. Results: This is where you show your data in tables, graphs, and charts with very brief explanations
      6. Conclusion: Based upon your data, you conclude that...

   ---

   Copyright 1996. Utah State Office of Education, Curriculum Section, 250 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111.

   ---

   Return to Earth Systems Home Page