Getting Organized. Specific Outcomes. Assessment. 12 Lesson 1: Everything You Do Affects Something or Someone

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1 1 Lesson In this lesson: Students begin their exploration of habitats by discovering what they already know about habitats and food chains and what they would like to learn about them. They read about and discuss the process of Scientific Inquiry. Specific Outcomes This lesson gives students opportunities to: compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and plants in different habitats and communities (T1) demonstrate awareness of the Aboriginal concept of respect for the environment (T3) determine how personal choices and actions have environmental consequences (T4) share with others information obtained by observing (P2) communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways (P3) show respect for Aboriginal peoples and other cultures (A4) Also A5 Assessment Everything You Do Affects Something or Baseline Task: Have students write in their Science Journals a description of themselves living in a particular habitat. Ask them to describe the environment and plants and animals living there. Save these descriptions to use in Lesson 12. Monitor students during discussions as they use the vocabulary and terminology specific to this unit. (T1, P3) Observe the students reactions to their guest speaker. How well do they listen? Do they Student Book pages 4 5 Someone treat the speaker with respect? Do their comments indicate that they understand the stories and what they represent? (T3, A4, A5) Review students answers for Reproducibles 1A and 1B. (T3, P2, P3, A4, A5) Getting Organized Materials: Science Journal for each student, pens/pencils Time Required: Activate min; Explore min; Apply min Advance Preparation: Invite an Aboriginal speaker for Lesson 1. Lesson 3 requires live materials that need to be ordered in advance: pond cabomba, cactus, crickets, pond snails, and sowbugs. Ask students to bring in pictures representing different B.C. habitats, such as temperate rainforest, ocean, prairie, boreal forest, marsh, and alpine tundra. These pictures can be used in Lessons 3 and 4 and throughout the unit. You will probably need to discuss these habitats with the students first, and perhaps provide a sample picture of each habitat. Alternatively, you may wish to supply a selection of photos yourself. A good source of photos is British Columbia Magazine, published by Tourism British Columbia, Website: For a good list of sites of habitats, including pictures, check the Biomes Theme Pages at Oceans habitats can be found at For printable maps, including relief maps, visit 12

2 Lesson Vocabulary conclusion: the best answer to a question, based on the interpretation of the data that has been gathered and the outcome of your experiments food chain: the transfer of food energy from one organism to another from producer, to consumer, to decomposer habitat: the place where an organism naturally lives or grows that provides it with everything it needs to survive hypothesis: possible answer to a question based on your knowledge and observations, stated in a way that can be tested investigation: exploring a question by building a model or conducting an experiment scientific inquiry: the steps that scientists follow when asking and attempting to answer questions traditional knowledge: knowledge discovered and used by Aboriginal peoples; it is passed down through the generations by oral tradition and is collectively owned Preconceptions Students may think that habitats never change. Ask what happens when a natural disaster, such as a forest fire occurs. How does a habitat change as a result? Science Journals Distribute or ask students to make Science Journals (a notebook or lined pages stapled together). See the Program and Assessment Guide for more on how to use and assess Science Journals. Explain that they will use their Science Journals to record personal observations, to make notes about things that they find particularly interesting, and to note questions that they would like to pursue. Model how to make a proper journal entry, with the date and time recorded. 13

3 Content Background Different plants and animals live and interact in the same habitats. They interact with members of their own population as well as with others in the environment. Natural cycles and systems, such as food chains and food webs, provide balance in the environment. Every part of every habitat is inextricably linked. If a natural disaster occurs or even one species is lost, the habitat must adapt over a long period of time to maintain a balance. If the changes are too sudden, the habitat may be destroyed. A new habitat may be formed that attracts species from elsewhere that are better adapted to this area. A habitat can only survive and thrive if all the interrelationships work, thereby keeping a balance between growth (of plants and animals) and transformation (decomposing to deposit nutrients into the soil; using plants or animals for food). The process of Scientific Inquiry, which involves making hypotheses and then testing them through observation and investigation, helps students understand what makes a healthy habitat and eventually, how to design and create one themselves. In this unit, students will have opportunities to learn about the approach many Aboriginal peoples in British Columbia take to the environment and its components. It is a multidimensional approach, and an important aspect is the respect for the environment and for the plants and animals that are part of it. Two Reproducibles are provided in this lesson to help develop a context in which your students can understand and appreciate the ideas your Aboriginal guest may present. The traditional knowledge of Aboriginal peoples in Canada includes a detailed understanding of the environment. Such knowledge systems are passed down by oral tradition, in contrast to Western scientific knowledge, which is written down. Traditional knowledge comes from the experiences of many generations and is collectively owned. Western scientific knowledge is reported in peer-reviewed journals, and is often considered proprietary. 14

4 Activate Begin by explaining to students that everything a living thing does affects other living things. Ask: How does something you do affect the person sitting beside you? Invite students to read the first paragraph on page 4 of the Student Book. Ask: What stories do you know about how people or other living things have greatly affected the environment? Invite students to tell their stories. Caring and Sharing Centre You may wish to set up a centre for the students to enjoy and contribute to. Its focus will be caring for the environment and the organisms that live within it, and appreciating the fact that we all must share it. The Centre would be an ideal place for students to learn more about the Aboriginal concept of respect for the environment. Some students may be familiar with this concept, and may wish to share what they know in a class discussion or poster. In addition, you may wish to use (or direct students to use) Websites such as these: schools/projects/haida_legends/ and At the Centre, put books such as How We Saw the World, Little Water and the Gift of the Animals, Keepers of the Earth, A Trilogy of Okanagan Legends, and Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (see Additional Resources on page 11 of this Teacher s Guide). The stories in these illustrated books (which are meant to be read aloud) provide many examples of how the Aboriginal peoples of North America view the environment. You may wish to begin by distributing Reproducibles 1A and 1B. Reproducible 1A asks students to think about how to care for a creature and keep it from harm. By considering how important their pet animals are to them, students may be helped to realize how Aboriginal cultures care deeply for the environment and consider that all parts of it must be looked after. Reproducible 1B will help students appreciate the way many Aboriginal peoples utilize all parts of the plants or animals they use for food, clothing, and shelter. You may wish to let the students work on Reproducible 1B at home. Encourage their creativity. (For example, they might make up a game that involves popping the bubble wrap who doesn t love to do that!) Students can contribute pictures and stories about their pets for the Centre. They can get ideas for other additions from the above websites and from the information your Aboriginal guest provides. Inviting a Speaker Invite an Aboriginal speaker to discuss his or her understanding of, and respect for, the environment. Share traditional and contemporary stories and legends of Aboriginal peoples in B.C. that illustrate the concept of the interconnectedness of life. Prepare your students ahead of time by discussing some of the ideas raised by Reproducibles 1A and 1B. Ask for their ideas about how to show respect for your guest and how to show appreciation for the stories and information that he or she provides. 15

5 Explore Discussing Habitats Discuss the boxed questions on page 4 of the Student Book. Refer students to the definition of habitat and food chain in the Glossary on page 48 of the Student Book. Ask: What do you know about habitats and food chains? On the board, list students ideas about what habitats are and how they differ for various living things. Ask: What do you want to find out about habitats? To encourage discussion, ask: What are some of the differences between an ant s habitat and a bird s habitat? How do plants and animals affect other plants and animals? What do plants and animals need to survive in their habitat? How could you find out? Encourage students to think of ideas for experiments and investigations that could lead them to answers to their questions. Ask students to turn to Lesson 12 in their Student Books and take a look at the Think Tank project. Explain that they will be able to use what they learn in this unit to design and make a model of an ideal habitat for an animal. Instruct students to use their Science Journals to note their ideas for this project as they progress through the unit. Point out the Glossary on page 48 of the Student Book. Remind students that they can use these definitions to confirm the meaning of words. Using Scientific Methods Explain to students that observation (using one or more of the senses to find out about objects, events, or living things) is a cornerstone of science. Observation prompts people to ask as well as answer questions. Explain to students that science is like a game for understanding the world, and the game is played by certain rules called Scientific Inquiry. Read through the steps of Scientific Inquiry on page 5 in the Student Book. Encourage students to ask questions if they don t understand any part of the process or the vocabulary. Point out that scientific inquiry is a process that often goes in a cycle. The answer to a question frequently leads to other questions, thereby starting the process anew. Have students copy the steps into their Science Journals so that they can refer to them during their explorations. Ask students whether any of their questions about habitats appear as lesson titles in the table of contents. Explain that as they explore the answers to these questions, they will use scientific methods described on page 5 of the Student Book. Discuss the terms hypothesis, hands-on exploration, data, and apply. Have students provide examples in their own words of a hypothesis and a conclusion. 16

6 Traditional Knowledge Contrast the way scientific information is presented in the student book with the passing down of traditional knowledge. Some students may be unfamiliar with the concept of traditional knowledge systems. To explain, ask students if their parents cook family recipes, or if their parents learnt from their parents special ways of treating a sore throat or a cold, two examples of the passing down of knowledge learned through experience and stories from one generation to the next. As an example, explain to students that the Pacific yew tree can be used to make medicine. Aboriginal peoples in B.C. have known how to do this for a long time it is part of their traditional knowledge. What Is a Fair Test? Explain to students that comparing different things through tests and experiments is important in reaching a conclusion. To make accurate conclusions, the comparisons must be fair. For example, suppose you are trying to find out which of two types of batteries lasts longer. Battery A has not been used yet. Battery B has already been used twice. Would the comparison be fair? Would you be able to reach an accurate conclusion from this experiment? In grade 5, students will learn about controlled and manipulated, or test variables. For now, explain the concept of a fair test in which the experimental set-ups are exactly the same, except for one factor. 17

7 1A Name Date A Special Animal Do you have a pet? Would you like to have a pet? What sort of pet would you like? Imagine that you have just the pet you d like, or team up with a friend who does have a pet. Think about and answer the following questions. 1. How do you care for your pet? 2. How do you feel about your pet? How do you show your feelings for it? 3. What part does your pet play in your life? How would your life be different without it? 4. What do you know of your pet s likes and dislikes? How do you know? 5. What do you do to protect your pet and keep it from harm? 6. Use the back of this page to write a story about your pet in which it does something very special. 18 Copyright 2005 Scholastic Canada Ltd.This page may be reproduced for classroom use by the purchasing school.

8 Name Date Waste Not, Want Not 1B 1. Have you ever played the game where you put yourself at the centre of the universe? It goes like this: my name is, and I live at in the community of in the province of in the country of on the planet, in the universe. 2. You are just one person, but in a way, you are the centre of the universe because everything you do affects the place where you live and others who live there. For example, you might buy candy in a little plastic container. You might buy a video game that comes packaged in a molded clear plastic container, attached to a thick piece of cardboard. You might buy some electronic equipment that comes in a cardboard box, bubble wrap, and pieces of Styrofoam. Imagine if everyone in the class bought one of those items. There would be a large pile of garbage when you threw out all those unwanted packages. Imagine that garbage multiplied many, many times as more people, just like you, throw out their unwanted packaging. 3. The Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia have a special friendship with Earth. They have understood for a long time the effects people have on the places where they live. They have learned to use every part of plants and animals for food, clothing, and shelter. Why don t you try the same thing? Choose some packaging that you have at home. Work with a partner and see how you can use that packaging instead of throwing it away. Could you use it for storage? For carrying other items? Could you make a game out of it? Could you use it in a sculpture or other art project? Use your imagination, and have some fun! Copyright 2005 Scholastic Canada Ltd.This page may be reproduced for classroom use by the purchasing school. 19