Land Use Issues

Lesson 1

1. Analyze the interpendence of Earth’s systems--water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle--and organisms.
2. Analyze methods of environmental conservation and their importance.
3. Relate the periodic Table of Elements to atomic structure.
4. Draw appropriate conclusions and report them, applying standards of scientific communication.Each outcome will be allocated aprroximately one week.
   Outcome Number 1.....200 minutes

   Objectives:
   Students will: illustrate and explain the “constant exchange of the elements between, air, earth, water, plants and animals”, describe how nature’s recycling processes ensure that all living things are able to live and grow, and define the following terms: precipitation, decompose, nitrates, nitrogen, cycles, evaporation, bacteria, elements, carbon, closed system, condensation, nitrites, fixed nitrogen, oxygen.

   Materials:
   30 copies each: Earth's Closed System- The Greenhouse Effect, 110 copies each: KWL- word forms, General Science basal (books one and two), 2 packages clear plastic wrap, 15 large plastic bowls, 15 small containers, 15 weights or small rocks- water- sunshine, periodic table of elements- overhead and transparency, samples of solid carbon (fossils), terrarium, aquarium, plants fish, special ed. folders, students contracts, observation sheets

   Procedure:
   Day 1
   Interest builder: Heat and the death of over 500 people in Chicago. July 1995 The heat index and why the combination of extreme heat and high humidity can be dangerous. Distribute the KWL handout.Students will: Orally read The Greenhouse Effect and Earth’s Closed System, highlighting vocabulary words as instructed. Illustrate or trace, an label stages of the water cycle. (reference: General Science page 146 or Ecology)
   Homework: Complete the word formhand-outs for the following: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation. Describe each term in one or more paragraphs. Please paraphrase 1. The Water Cycle 2. Ecosystems

   Day 2
   Students will: build a water cycle- refernce: Ecology page 12, observe the process of transpiration- reference: General Science book 2, page 458 (concept development), complete science observation sheet, discuss what would happen if evaporation did not occur.
   Homework: Read chapter 19.1. Answer review question and the challenge assignment.

   Day 3
   ...Review/discuss homework
   Students will: describe photosynthesis; define the elements carbon and oxygen, and locate their atomic numbers, mass and their symbols. General Science page 590; re-read the Greenhouse Effect (silent or orally- optional); and write a hypothesis explaining how the greenhouse effect may have contributed to the death of over 50 people in Chicago. (assessment of concept development)

   Day 4
   Students will: discuss nitrogen- nitrites- nitrtates, define nitrogen, and locate its symbol, atomic number and mass, illustrate or trace, and label the nitrogen cycle, discuss hypothesis, review test questions or re-teach if necessary. Optional: observe the relationship between fish and plants in an aquarium-- carbon dioxide - oxygen cycle.

   Day 5
   ...Assessment
   The point value of each question is ten points. The range of points for each question is 0-10. Grading criteria:

   
   
   1. Mastery of stated goals
   2. Basic understanding of the closed system, and cycles concepts
   3. Vocabulary mastery
      • 100-92 = A
      • 91- 80 = B
      • 79- 65 = C
      • 65- 55 = D
      • 54- below is unacceptable
      • minus - and plus + grades are relevant

   The final grading criteria includes quality of classroom and home assignments, plus participation.

   Specials Needs Students:
   The water cycle activity, the observation activity, and the illustrating or tracing activities should provide concept development. Vocabulary development can be modified as needed.

   References:
   Ecology Usborne Publishing LTD. 1988
   General Science Silver Burdett and Ginn. 1989
   The American Heritage Dictionary Houghton Mifflin 1985
   The Land We Depend On Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 1989
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