Global Biomes in the Global Classroom Anna Nelson-Lenhart 7 th Grade

Summary This project is designed to teach students about their own ecosystem as well as other ecosystems throughout the world. In the process, students will learn how to use a variety of technological resources as well as strengthening global partnerships.

Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: Ongoing global partnerships Student exposure to diverse cultures Learning about global differences First-hand accounts of living in different biomes Opportunity to gather data for future projects Weaknesses: Possibility of lack of cooperation with partner classrooms Ridged schedule Must bridge the cultural gap Heavy reliance on technology

Logistics Class will learn about basics of each biome and then vote on their three favorites Teacher will use ePals to contact one or two classrooms in these biomes Classes will share information about their own biome via wikis, photos, and videos, Students will learn about their partner classrooms biomes in the process

Timing Teacher should make contact with partner classrooms months before the unit is to be done Unit will last 6 weeks 3 days a week Organization and staying on task is very important

Assessment Students will have formative and summative assessment Will be graded on: – each assignment – Participation in the global classroom partnership – Final Test at end of unit

Teacher involvement All team teachers can participate but it is not necessary Participating teachers should stick to topics but can choose their own assignments Very important that all topics are synchronized and everyone stays on task

Week 1 Topic: Climate, temperature, and pressure Constructing climatograms with Excel and by hand Posting climatograms on wiki

Week 2 Topic: Plants Students will learn about native plants and how to identify them Students will also record plants in a plot to understand grouping and spacing Students will post pictures of Native plants and drawings of plot On wiki

Week 3 Topic: Animals Students will learn about local Animals and the local food web Students will look for Animals around school property, take pictures, and identify Students food webs and photos will be posted to wiki

Week 4 Topic: Humans adaptation to the environment Students will look at how people live is effected by their environment – Housing – Food Students will sample local food and may post pictures of their houses on the wiki

Week 5 Topic: Environmental Issues Students will research an environmental issue effecting their biome and write an newspaper article about it The newspaper will be posted to students’ wiki

Week 6 Topic: Service project Students will participate in a service project to help their community Students will also take a test on the things they have learned in this unit Students will write thank you cards to partner classrooms

NET-S standards Creativity and innovation: When students make a newspaper article about an environmental issue in their community, they will be creating original work and generating new ideas. Communication and Collaboration: Students will use photos, video, and wikis to share their knowledge with their global peers. Research and Information fluency: Student will have to find information about the general characteristics of a certain biome as well as information about an environmental issue during this project. The will also process data when making their climatograms. Critical thinking, Problem solving, and decision making: Students will identify problems in their environmental community when they create their newspaper articles. Digital Citizenship: Students will only use safe sites to share their information with their partner classrooms. They will also learn how to better use technology by exposure to many forms of information sharing such as wikis. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students will learn how to use wikis effectively and will work through problems as they arise.

National Science Education Content Standards Unifying concepts and processes in science: Students will fulfill this standard by comparing their Biome with partner classrooms. They will be able to see then change in climate that occurs around the world and how this is connected to the plants and animals found and how people live. Science as Inquiry: Students will demonstrate their understanding of scientific concepts by relating different temperatures and amounts of precipitation to the biomes they produce. Physical, Life, Earth, and Space Science: Students will learn about the populations that live in different ecosystems in different parts of the world Science and Technology: Students will link science and technology by creating climatograms. They will understand how data can be displayed graphically and how computers can help us process data. Science in personal and social perspective: When students study how we adapt to the different biomes we live in and how this affects the plants we eat they will gain an understanding of how resources are used. Students will also research issues in their environment and learn about some of the hazards facing their biome. History and nature of science: Students will understand how science is a human endeavor when they map the plants located in their plot. They will be able to make a connection between research and learning new things about the world around them.