Project-Based Unit

 

 Lake ecology in the Mount Washington Valley area

ubject Area

Grade Level

Time to Complete

Science

Six

School year

 

Author’s Name

School Address

Phone, E-mail

Don Bean, Mary Ellen Antonioli, Kim Harvey, Peg Horan: 6th grade teachers

Conway School District

603 356 5533
     

Framing Question

What are changes in lake ecology over a period of time? (over one school year)

What are the causes of these changes? How are the three test lakes similar? Different?

 

Workplace or Community Context

The sixth graders and staff will be working with Tin Mountain Conservation Center throughout the school year. We will compare our results with the results from the North Conway Sewage Treatment Plant.

 

The Project

Overview

Tin Mountain staff will cooperatively work with the grade six teachers in teaching two in-class lessons about ecology, water sheds, and the field testing. We will be field testing our test sites (Echo Lake, Conway Lake, and Crystal Lake) three times during the school year. ( fall, winter, spring) We will test for pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, phosphorous, and turbidity.

Alignment with New Hampshire Curriculum Frameworks

Framework

How it is addressed in your project

Pose questions for scientific investigations and make predictions about the outcomes

Students will make predictions based on first on-site test.

 

  

Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, organize, and interpret data

Students will use Ph meter, DO kit, secchi disc, and thermometer to test the lake.
Identify and describe examples of New Hampshire animals and plants that live together in one ecosystem, e.g. forest, seashore, lake, river, stream

Students will make observations and draw plant life of the test site.

List some ways that the Earth's water supply can be conserved

Students will brain storm and list ways each can conserve our Earth's water supply.
   

Work in small teams to investigate problems, but form own conclusions

Students will work in groups of 5-6 to test the water.

Timeline

[In the table below, break your project down into achievable steps or milestones and describe each. Also, in sequence, list and describe classroom and workplace activities that support your project.]

Project Step or Supporting Activity

Description

Classroom lesson #1

Staff will discuss lake classification, potable water, water sheds, pollution, and land use.

Classroom lesson #2

Review of testing procedures and vocabulary for field tests.

On-site lessons #1-3

Students will work in groups with adult supervision to conduct tests and observations and record these.

Classroom follow-up lessons after each on-site visit

Sixth grade teachers will guide students through the analysis of data, the recording of the data, and the sharing of this data with the other Conway sixth grades. A comparison of all three sites will be made and recorded.

Project Resources

[Include published curricula, texts, lessons you developed, materials, technology, people and places that you will use as resources for the project-based unit.]

Tin Mountain Conservation Center, North Conway Sewage Treatment Plant, Interactive Lake Ecology by Mark. T. Denonocour (publisher NH Environmental Services) , Echo Lake, Crystal Lake, Conway Lake

 

Assessment

We will use an observation checklist to record behavior and participation on the field trip and class sessions, and a rubric to evaluate their science notebook, charts, graphs, and presentations. (See attached rubric and checklist.)

Implementation Plan

  1. When do you plan to implement your project-based unit?

    2. Fall of 2000

  2. List the steps you need to take to implement your project-based unit. Include approximate meeting dates with your peers and your project-based learning consultant.

April,2000 June 17,2000 August 28, 2000 (meeting with peers and Tin Mountain staff)

September will be first classroom and on-site visits. Repeat in January and May.

Behavior/Participation Observation Checklist

Lake Ecology Unit

Name : _____________________________ Date: ____________

Student …..

listens attentively during instruction. _____

follows directions given by leaders. _____

makes appropriate remarks and asks questions which are relevant. ____

makes observations and participates willingly in all activities. _____

completes all required tasks. _____

uses good manners. _____

is helpful to others and provides leadership for other students. _____

 

Comments __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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