This unit plan focuses on teaching ecology to second year high school biology students over approximately one week. The unit will explore the interactions between living and non-living things in ecosystems and how humans impact environments. Students will learn about food webs, energy flow, succession, and human influences on ecosystems. Assessments will include surveys, worksheets, tests, and a reaction paper following a field trip to the zoo. The unit aims to help students understand that all life is interdependent and ecosystems seek to maintain balance.

1. Unit Plan Template <br />Click on any descriptive text, then type your own. <br />Unit AuthorFirst and Last Name Sittie Hadjirah Tan BaserSchool DistrictCebu CitySchool NameCebu Normal UniversitySchool City, StateCebu City, PhilippinesUnit OverviewUnit TitleEcologyUnit SummaryEcology is the study of living and nonliving things in an environment and how they depend on and interact with one another for survival. The impact, both positive and negative, of humans on environments will be explored. Through this unit students will understand that life is dependent on the well being of the environment. Subject AreaBiologyGrade Level Second Year High SchoolApproximate Time Needed 1 weekUnit FoundationTargeted Content Standards and Benchmarks (BEC COMPETENCIES)Explain how parts of an ecosystem are related and how they interact Explain how energy is distributed to living things in an ecosystem Explain how communities of living things change over a period of time Describe how materials cycle through an ecosystem and get reused in the environment Analyze how humans and the environment interact Describe common patterns of relationships among populations Describe the relationships among producer, consumer, decomposer, prey, and predator Predict the effects of changes in one population in a food web on other populations Recognize a community as all the populations of organisms living together in an ecosystem Explain that every organism in an ecosystem is directly or indirectly linked to other organisms Describe types of interrelationships to include parasitism, mutually beneficial relationships, competition, and predator/prey relationships Describe how all organisms acquire energy directly or indirectly from the sunlight Explain how energy flows through each link in a food web Explain the energy relationships in an ecosystem's food web Predict the effects of changes in one population in a food web to other populations Describe how populations of animals, plants, and other organisms in an ecosystem coexist in a natural balance Recognize how populations are dependent upon one another Explain how natural events, human activities, and the introduction of non-native species change environments Explain how the population of animals, plants, and other organisms in an ecosystem are affected when plant populations change Describe the likely succession of a given ecosystem over time Describe how ecosystems change over time and follow a predictable pattern Explain how ecosystems follow predictable patterns or stages called ecological succession Describe the features of the various stages of ecological succession from pioneer species to a climax community Explain how humans use and benefit from plant and animal materials Describe the ways in which humans alter the environment Evaluate the positive and negative effects of human activities on the environment Student Objectives/Learning OutcomesIdentify the parts of an ecosystem.Enumerate the different types of ecosystems and its components.Analyze various biotic factors affecting flow of energy within ecosystem.Illustrate how man influences ecosystem and the extent to which this helped and/or harmed the ecosystem.Curriculum-Framing QuestionsEssential Question What type of an ecosystem do we live in?How are species interdependent and interrelated? Unit QuestionsHow does the environment regulate population size and ecosystem stability? Content QuestionsHow do ecosystems respond to positive and negative inputs? Assessment PlanAssessment TimelineBefore project work beginsStudents work on projects and complete tasksAfter project work is completedAllow the students to express their expectations and initial reactions on the guide questions. Human Environmental Impact Survey – Students will do a self-survey, identifying the possible positive and negative impacts they have on the environment and how the environment reacts to these inputs. The students will then broaden their survey to include local, state, national and global human impact events. The students will create a final written response to the information gathered during the survey. This written response will ask them to apply all ecological principles presented during the unit, ask them to add personal commentary on the current state of human impact and give at least one specific example of an action to improve human/environmental relations.The initial survey will be assessed based on introspection and completion. The final survey will be assessed using the final written response. An analytical rubric will be used assessing their proper use of new vocabulary, the organization of their argument, the application of ecological principles, the quality of support given to their argument and the quality and creativity of their proposed improvement to human/environmental relations.Assessment SummaryAside from the usual paper-pencil exams and activity worksheets, students will also be given the chance to participate in different activities and games. A field trip to the zoo will serve as culmination to the lesson. A reaction paper regarding the field trip experience will be assigned to the students after completion of the unit.Assessment RubricsClassroom participation - 20Paper-pencil test - 20Worksheets - 10 Total 50 pointsUnit DetailsPrerequisite SkillsEnumeration of what comprises an ecosystem.Identify the relationship between organisms found in an ecosystemAppreciation of the importance of each component in a certain environment Instructional ProceduresThe class will start of with a presentation then followed by a short lecture discussion on the parts and composition of an ecosystem. A game will then be used in relation to the discussion. Activity worksheets will then be distributed for the students to answer. A unit test will then follow after all parts of the lesson have been tackled. A bring-home reaction paper will then be assigned to the students.Accommodations for Differentiated InstructionSpecial Needs StudentsLimited number of students should be assigned per class, preferably with similar special needs. Short discussions are to be presented to prevented fatigue. Audio-visual materials which support the special needs are to be used. Nonnative Speakers Audio-visual materials with subtitles are to be given. Constant follow up and demonstration/return demonstration to assess for understanding. Allow students to ask questions for clarification. Gifted/Talented StudentsA test can be given for initial evaluation. Stress on topics which needs reinforcement. Interactive discussion can be used to promote exchange of ideas.Materials and Resources Required For UnitTechnology – Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed) <br /> FORMCHECKBOX Camera FORMCHECKBOX Computer(s) FORMCHECKBOX Digital Camera FORMCHECKBOX DVD Player FORMCHECKBOX Internet Connection FORMCHECKBOX Laser Disk FORMCHECKBOX Printer FORMCHECKBOX Projection System FORMCHECKBOX Scanner FORMCHECKBOX Television FORMCHECKBOX VCR FORMCHECKBOX Video Camera FORMCHECKBOX Video Conferencing Equip. FORMCHECKBOX Other FORMTEXT Technology – Software (Click boxes of all software needed.) FORMCHECKBOX Database/Spreadsheet FORMCHECKBOX Desktop Publishing FORMCHECKBOX E-mail Software FORMCHECKBOX Encyclopedia on CD-ROM FORMCHECKBOX Image Processing FORMCHECKBOX Internet Web Browser FORMCHECKBOX Multimedia FORMCHECKBOX Web Page Development FORMCHECKBOX Word Processing FORMCHECKBOX Other FORMTEXT <br />Printed MaterialsAudersik, T. et. al. (1999), Biology: Life on Earth, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Biggs, A. et. al. (1995), Life Science, Ohio: McGraw Hill/Glencoe Division of MacMillan.Hadsall, A. et. al. (2008), Exploring Science and Technology II, Makati City, Philippines: Diwa Learnins Systems Inc.Practice Taking the HAS, Biology Interdependence of Organisms (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004) http://www.mdk12.org/assessments/high_school/index_ d.htmlSuppliesSound system, television with DVD player, computer, and projector.Internet Resourceshttp://christinecharisma.tumblr.com, www.biology4teachers.comwww.copernicusproject.ucr.edu/ssi/HSBiologyResources.htmwww.interactive-biology.comOther ResourcesField trip to the zoo<br />Programs of the Intel® Education Initiative are funded by the Intel Foundation and Intel Corporation.<br />Copyright © 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Education Initiative, and Intel Teach Program are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.<br />