Explain Their Chesapeake Ecosystem to class
In this part of the lesson the teacher will act as a facilitator for the class discussion. Each group will be asked to explain the ecosystem model they have made. It might be also useful for the teacher to take a picture of each group’s finished work so that in case discussion is so lively, that there will not be enough time to complete the discussion, you can continue the discussion the next day by presenting their collages in a PowerPoint presentation. This way you can re-use the same materials for your next class period
Objectives
  1. Allow students to correlate diet composition of the different groups selected in this lesson to create a food web and food chain. – The diet composition of the different components in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem model is a very powerful tool in showing how components in an ecosystem interact – competition and predation. I was very excited how I could incorporate diet composition for students to see the complexities of the natural world. They should see that animals for example depend on all kinds of things in their environment and then trace this relationship in order for them to make sense of how textbooks actually come up with food webs and food chain.
Materials
1. Students finished model of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, using the components given to them from the harvest of the Chesapeake basket.
2. Digital camera - to take pictures of students work
3. Computer to create powerpoint presentation of student work (in case lab cannot be completed in a day).
Procedure

In this part of the lesson the teacher will act as a facilitator for the class discussion. Each group will be asked to explain the ecosystem model they have made. It might be also useful for the teacher to take a picture of each group’s finished work so that in case discussion is so lively, that there will not be enough time to complete the discussion, you can continue the discussion the next day by presenting their collages in a PowerPoint presentation. This way you can re-use the same materials for your next class period.

 

The discussion set up will be informal, students will bring their Ecosystem model Presentation Board collage and explain why they have arranged their parts in the way they did.

 

Note: Students might arrange the  parts of their ecosystem based on what part of the water they will see the organisms, while others might arrange their groups by their trophic positions (trophic level 1 in the bottom, followed by 2 etc. Still others might just focus on the food chain relationship. This will be encouraged to enable them to see the various ways you can look at the ecosystem and develop higher level thinking.
References
State Standards
1.1.2- The student will modify or affirm scientific ideas according to accumulated evidence.
1.2.1- The student will identify meaningful, answerable scientific questions.
1.2.2- The student will pose meaningful, answerable scientific questions.(NTB)
1.4.1- The student will organize data appropriately using techniques such as tables, graphs, and webs (for graphs: axes labeled with appropriate quantities, appropriate units on axes, axes labeled with appropriate intervals, independent and dependent variables on correct axes, appropriate title).
1.5.2- The student will explain scientific concepts and processes through drawing, writing, and/or oral communication.
1.5.4- The student will use tables, graphs, and displays to support arguments and claims in both written and oral communication.
1.5.5- The student will create and/or interpret graphics. (scale drawings, photographs, digital images, field of view, etc.)
1.5.6- The student will read a technical selection and interpret it appropriately.
6.3.2- The student will evaluate the interrelationship between humans and water quality and quantity. At least — fresh water supply point source/nonpoint source pollution waste water treatment thermal pollution Chesapeake Bay and its watershed eutrophication human health
Lesson Resources