Lesson 1

Objective:
The learner will understand the natural habitat of and identify different types of aquatic life. The student learner will understand the conservation and protection of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.

Activity:
Students will read material on estuaries and make a scrapbook of aquatic animals.

Materials:
old magazines (preferably fishing sport) or students may draw their own pictures, glue, construction paper, scissors

Vocabulary:
estuary, marshland, habitat, wetland, aquatic, photoplankton, salinity, species

Assessment:
Students will be able to identify the species in a food web in an estuary with 80% accuracy.

State Goal: SC1- Students will have a working knowledge of the concepts of basic vocabulary of biological, physical, and environmental sciences and their application to life and work in contemporary society.
Outcomes: SC1- Describe the basic needs of familiar organisms. SC8- Use observation, classification, and metric measure to answer questions; communicate the results in an unbiased fashion.

Lesson 2

Objective:
Students will understand the implications of destroying ecosystems and the importance of rebuilding them.

Activity:
Students will read material on information sheets. Students will duplicate the colonization of a new habitat by devising a time line.

Materials:
construction paper, markers or crayons

Vocabulary:
colonize, blue-green algae, spores, adapt, pollinator, rain forest

Assessment:
Students will make their own booklets illustrating the colonization of a new habitat.

State Goals: SC1- Students will have working knowledge of the concepts of biological, physical, and environmental sciences and their application to life and work in contemporary society.
SC2- Students will have a working knowledge of the social and environmental implications and limitations of technological development.

Outcomes: SC1- Describe the life cycle and basic needs of familiar organisms.
SC5- Describe the characteristics of the Earth's spheres geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, exosphere, and biosphere ( in relation to habitats and water pollution)
SC6- Recognize the need for protecting and conserving and limiting the use of natural resources in the environment.

Lesson 3

Objective:
Students will learn how to distinguish real wetland plants from imaginary ones and understand how wetland plants adapt to their habitats.

Activity:
Students will use activity page 18 and circle which plants are real and which plants are imaginary. After choices are made teachers will give background information on each plant.

Materials:
pictures of wetland plants, construction paper, scissors, glue, crayolas or markers, stapler, pencils

Vocabulary:
pollen, aquatic plants, hydrophytes

Assessments:
Students will draw 2 pictures, 1 of a real plant and 1 of an imaginary plant.

State goals: SC3- Students will have a working knowledge of the principles of scientific research and their application in simple research projects.

Outcomes: SC1- describe the life cycle and basic needs of familiar organisms.

Lesson 4

Objectives:
Students will learn about the types of animals that live in the desert, and how desert creatures react to desert rain

Activity:
Students will discuss desert toads and cut and paste frog organs

Materials:
scissors, glue, copy of frog organs

Vocabulary:
toad, larvae, desert, seasonal

Assessment:
Performance assessment: Observe correct placement of frog organs. Students will be able to locate and glue the organs with 90% accuracy.

State Goals: SC1- Students will have a working knowledge of the concepts of basic vocabulary of biological, physical, and environmental sciences and their application to life and work in contemporary society. SC2- Students will have a working knowledge of the social and environmental implications and limitations of technological development.

Outcomes: SC1- Describe the life cycle and basic needs of familiar organisms. SC2- Demonstrate that living and nonliving things are composed of different types of matter and have properties that may change. SC6- Recognize the need for protecting, conserving, and limiting the use of natural resources in the environment.

Lesson 5

Activity:
Students will write one page reports on the positive changes they see in the environment and lsit the things they can do and will do to help preserve sea otter habitats. Students will recreate an oil spill using water and Wesson oil. Students will work in pairs to perform experiment and record data. Students will rub Wesson oil on their hands and try to remove it using plain water, record observation. Students will use soap to wash the oil from their hands and rinse their hands in the tubs provided, record observations and discuss. Field trip to Shedd Aquarium.

Materials:
Wesson oil, water, large tub of water- tub should be large enough for students to wash their hands

Vocabulary:
sea otter, coastal region, conservationist, colony

Assessment:
Students will be assessed on a one page report based on the field trip experience.

State Goals: SC1- Students will have a working knowledge of the concepts of basic vocabulary of biological, physical, and environmental sciences and their application to life and work in contmeporary society.