How is a movie theater like a desert biome? Compare systems to ecosystems with a set of activities that focuses on accessing multiple intelligences and building upon knowledge. As learners discuss the ways elements of an ecosystem depend on each other, they determine how these delicate relationships can be damaged by human impact or neglect.

Concepts

ecosystems, biomes, desert biome, desert ecosystems, forest ecosystems, rainforests, marine ecosystems, environmental stewardship, human impact on the environment

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Combine lessons from earth science and language arts to craft the writing portion of the assignment; or create a cross-curricular project between science and social studies to study the impact of human behavior on the environment
• Encourage small groups to research specific ecosystems on their own, and present their findings to the class
• Incorporate into a unit on biomes or environmentalism

Classroom Considerations

• Rubric includes criteria for assessment but no point allotment system

Pros

• Addresses multiple learning styles and intelligences
• Organized into Marzano's Categories of Instructional Strategies

Cons

• None