SAMPLE LESSON

TITLE: The Story in Color! 

OVERVIEW: Using the Habitat maps for four different dates, covering approximately 40 years, students will discover the major changes in habitat types for a selected site. 

SUBJECT AREA: Environmental Science 

GRADE LEVEL: Middle school 

OBJECTIVES:

       To identify habitat patterns and develop habitat appreciation.

       To use modeling in explanation of habitat change.

       To differentiate between habitat types

        To recognize selected patterns illustrated in designated images.

        To understand the processes involved in habitat change. 

STANDARDS:

         National Geography Standards

                   Essential Element 1. The World in Spatial Terms

                    Content Standard: Unifying Concepts and Processes

Standard. As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the following concepts and processes:

                                -Systems, orders and organization

                                -Evidence, models and explorations

                                -Constancy, change and measurement 

       National Math Standards

                 Standard 8. Patterns and Functions

                  The mathematics curriculum should include explorations of patterns and functions so that students can:

-analyze functional relationships to explain how a change in one quantity results in a change in another.

LOUISIANA STATE FRAMEWORKS 

Louisiana Social Studies

G-1A-M2 Interpreting and developing maps, globes, graphs, charts, models, and databases to analyze spatial distributions and patterns.

         G-1B-M3 Identifying criteria used to define regions and explaining how and why regions change.

         G-1D-M1 Analyzing and evaluating the effects of human actions upon physical environment. 

 Louisiana Science Content Standards

         S1-M-A4 Developing descriptions, explanations, and graphs using data.

        SE-M-A4 Understanding that human actions can create risks and consequences in the environment. 


CROSS CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS: geography, earth science, life Science, mathematics 

PROCESS SKILLS: Observing, communicating, comparing, inferring, classifying 

TIME: Teacher Preparation 1 Hour

            Class time-two 50 minute class periods 

 MATERIALS: Teacher-Background information, photo essay, Skills and Technique sheets for

            Skill 1 Map Use, Element 3 Classification of Wetland and Upland Habitats

            Skill 3 Visual Recognition, Element 1 comparison of Habitat Maps 

            Student: Habitat map sections- 1956, 1978, 1988, 1995, color classification scheme, colored pencils 

PROCEDURE:

                    1.  Students should brainstorm the definition of wetlands and their benefits.

2.Class discussion of wetland types should follow to identify the students’ expectations of what plants and animals are found in various types of wetlands.

3.  The photo essay should be shown to confirm or direct student responses and introduce the Habitat classification scheme.

4.  Following distribution of the color scheme and the Habitat maps, students should begin their exploration of the site’s habitats by the coloration process. 

NOTE: Students may do each map by themselves or in cooperative groups. If there are time constraints each student may be assigned the task of coloring one particular year.

5.  After completion of the coloring process, comparisons between the two images should be made by the student group.

                  6.  Class discussion and question wrap-up. 

ASSESSMENT:

Student group work should be monitored.

Completed colored images should be evaluated.

A student generated chart to illustrate percent of change for selected habitat types should be made. 

REFERENCES:

Geography and GIS Sites www.frw.tuu.nl:80/nicegeo

GIS in Education danet.wicip.org/gisedu

First National Conference on the Education Applications of Geographic Information Systems (EdGIS) Report. (1955).

Looking at Earth. (1996). Priscilla Strain & Frederick Engle. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc.