worms in alberta: invasive species and ecosystem...
TRANSCRIPT
AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca
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WormsinAlberta:InvasiveSpeciesandEcosystemInteractions
TEACHERSGUIDE
Inthisseriesoflessonplans,Grade7studentswilllearnaboutinvasivespeciesandecosysteminteractionsbyinvestigatingearthwormsinAlbertaandcontributingtoacitizenscienceresearchproject.TheselessonsalignwiththeAlbertaGrade7ScienceProgramofStudy,UnitA–InteractionsandEcosystems.OverviewofLessonActivities
• IntroduceearthwormsasinvasivespeciesinAlberta• Identifydifferentwaysofcollectinginformation(e.g.earthwormcollection,talking
toexperts,computerresearch,etc.)• Collect,analyze,andevaluatedataaboutearthworms• Researchtheimpact(bothpositiveandnegative)ofearthwormsonthe
environmentandtheimpactofhumansonearthwormsDuration6Lessons(approximately8classperiodsof50minutes)Lesson1:IntroductionLesson2:EarthwormCollectionPreparationLesson3:EarthwormCollectionLesson4:EarthwormDataAnalysisLesson5:EarthwormImpactsLesson6:ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta? http://www.photl.com/221692.html
AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca
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BackgroundInformationEarthwormsarenotnativetoAlberta,ormostofCanada,afterbeingextirpated(localextinction)bythemostrecenticeage10,000yearsago.Asaresult,Canada’sforestshavelargelyadaptedtoanenvironmentwithoutearthworms.Theshadedareasinfigure1representwherenativeNorthAmericanspeciesarelocated.ThethicklineindicatestheWisconsinanglacialmargin.
Figure1.DistributionofnativeNorthAmericanearthworms
(Hendrix,P.F.&Bohlen,P.J.(2002).ExoticearthworminvasionsinNorthAmerica:Ecologicalandpolicyimplication.BioScience,52(9),801-811.)
Earthwormswerere-introducedtoCanadathroughhumanactivitiesasaresultofcolonizationandthespreadofagriculture.TheseearthwormscontinuetobeintroducedintoCanada’sforestsbytheactivitiesofhumanssuchasdriving,inwhichearthwormcocoonsarethoughttohitcharideinthemudattachedtovehicles,orthroughangling,whenanglersdumpearthwormsaftertheyaredonefishing.RecentevidencebyDr.ErinCameronattheUniversityofAlbertahasshownthatearthwormintroductionisanongoingprocessratherthanasingleeventandsoearthwormspreadcontinuesintoremoteareasofAlbertaandCanadathroughhumanaction.Earthwormsarebrokenintothreebroadcategories.Litterdwellingearthwormshavenopermanenthomesandonlyresideintheleaflitterlayerofforests.Theseearthwormsarecommonlysmallandhaveadeepredpigment.Soildwellingearthwormsarequitesmallandarerarelyseenabovethesurfaceunlessduringaheavyrainfall.Theylackskinpigmentationandasaresulttheycanappeargreyish,yellow,pinkorwhiteincolour.Finally,deepburrowingwormsliveinpermanentburrowsinthesoil.Apileofleavesandfecescalled‘middens’oftencoverstheburrows.Deepburrowingwormsaretypicallythelargestoftheearthwormsandaredeeplypigmented,oftenwithapurplishcolour.
AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca
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EarthwormschangeCanada’sforestsbyreducingtheleaf-litterlayertypicallypresentontheforestfloor.Soildwellinganddeepburrowingwormsmayactuallyeliminatethelayercompletely.ThedestructionoftheleaflitterlayercanresultinforestsbecomingCO2emittersratherthancarbonstoragesites,thereductionofhabitatforbirdsandinsects,theintroductionofplantsdeepintoforeststhatwouldotherwisebefoundontheedgesofforests,andtheleachingofnitrogenintowaterways.Formorebackgroundinformation:
• Cameron,E.K.(2010).Gotbait?Howwe’vespawnedanundergroundinvasion.ConservationMagazine,14,20-22.Retrievedfromhttp://magazine.ab-conservation.com/index.cfm/issue/springsummer-2010-volume-14/
• GreatLakesWormWatch:EarthwormEcologicalGroups• OrganicGardening.com• WormFacts• ContainthoseCrawlers(MinnesotaDepartmentofNaturalResources)
AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca
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Lesson1:IntroductionPurpose
• Identifywhatstudentsknowaboutearthworms• IntroduceearthwormsasaninvasivespeciesinAlberta• Considerthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’
OverviewInthislesson,studentswillfirstbeaskedwhattheyknowaboutearthworms.Oncetheyhaveconsideredthis,studentswillbeintroducedtoDr.ErinCameron’sresearchprojectaboutearthworms,specificallyintroducingearthwormstothestudentsasaninvasivespeciesinAlberta.Studentswillthenbeaskedtoconsiderthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’andidentifywhatthekindsofinformationtheyneedinordertoanswerthisquestion.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions
§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments
§ describeandinterpretexamplesofscientificinvestigationsthatservetoinformenvironmentaldecisionmaking
AttitudeOutcomesInterestinScience
§ Showinterestinscience-relatedquestionsandissuesMaterials
• Picturesofearthwormsoractualearthworms• KWLchart(individual)• KWLchart(class–useposterpaperoruseanonlinetoolsuchasGoogleDocs)• Accesstointernetandprojector• Video-TalkingwiththeExpert:Dr.ErinCameronvideo
LessonActivities1. Introduction(5min)
Beginbyshowingstudentsapictureofanearthworm(orifyouareable,bringinsomeearthwormsforstudentstolookat)andaskthemiftheyknowwhattheyare.Ifstudentsrespondwith‘worm’,askthemiftheyknowaboutanyspecifickindsofworms(e.g.tapeworms,earthworms,roundworms,hookworms,inchworms,etc.)andwhatkindofwormthismightbe.
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2. KWLChart–Earthworms(20min)Onceyouorthestudentshaveidentifiedthisasanearthworm,havestudentsusetheKWLchartstoindividuallywritedownasmanythingsastheycanaboutearthwormsundertheKcolumn(iftheyarenotsureaboutsomething,theycanplaceastarbesideit).DothefirstonewiththestudentstodemonstratehowtheKWLchartworks(seebelow).HavestudentssharetheiranswersasaclassandrecordtheirresponsesontheclassKWLchart(ifpossible,setupasaGoogleDocforthealltheclasstosee).IfquestionsaboutearthwormsariseduringthisdiscussiontheycanbeaddedtotheWcolumn.Additionally,studentswillbeguidedtoaddmoretotheWcolumninthenextlesson.ExamplesThefollowingchartindicatespossiblestudentresponsesfortheKcolumn.Questionpromptsareprovidedforyoutohelpsolicitresponsesfromstudents.Thelastcolumnincludesadditionalresourcesandinformationidentifyingwhererelatedcontentisaddressedinthefollowinglessons.
PossibleStudent
ResponsesQuestionPrompts LessonLinksandAdditional
ResourcesLivemostlyinorontopofsoil(canbefoundunderrocksandtrees,nearwater)
Wheredoearthwormslive?Haveyouseentheminplacesotherthantheground?
Inlesson3studentswilllearnaboutthe3classificationsofearthwormsandtheirhabitat.
Eatdirt,manure,smallerthings(bacteria,fungi),deadanimalorplantmaterial
Whatdoearthwormseat? InLesson5studentswillreadinformationabouthowearthwormsobtaintheirnutrients.
Shapedlikeatube,havesegments,reddish-brownincolour
Whatdoearthwormslooklike?Dotheyalllookthesame?
InLesson3studentswilllearnaboutthethreemaintypesofearthwormsandlearnthattheyvaryinsizeandcolor.Additionalinformationregardingearthwormclassificationcanbefoundontheprojectwebsite.
Baitforfishing Whathumanactivityusesearthworms?
InLesson5studentswillexploretheeffectsusingearthwormsforbaitcanhaveontheenvironment.
Birdseatthem Whatthingseatearthworms?
Earthwormsarealsoeatenbyfish,moles,andturtlesamongotherthings.StudentswillexplorethisrelationshipinLesson5
Goodforsoil* Whydoyouwantearthwormsinyourgarden?
Earthwormshelptoaeratethesoilandcyclenutrients.However,theycanbeharmfultosomeecosystems.[Seelesson5]
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Inthechartbelowwehavelistedpossiblestudentresponsesthatmaycontainmisconceptionsorscientificallyincorrectideas.IfstudentsstatetheseduringtheKWL,promptthemtoclarifytheirideabyasking,“Howdoyouknowthis?”DuringthediscussionyoumightalsoaskstudentshowconfidenttheyareintheircurrentideasaboutearthwormsandletthemknowthattheywillhavetheopportunitytorevisittheKWLchartduringthefollowinglessonsandrevisetheirideasastheylearnnewthingsaboutearthworms.Youmightalsohavestudentsstarstatementswheretheclassdiscussionraisesdisagreementoruncertainty.Fortheteacher’sinformation,thechartbelowincludesadescriptionofthecorrectscientificidea,lessonlinks,andadditionalresources.Sincethepointofthispartoftheactivityisforstudentstofreelysharetheirideasandpriorknowledgeitisbesttoaddressthespecificmisconceptionsthatariseinthefollowinglessonswhereappropriate.Formisconceptionsthatarenotdirectlyaddressedinthefollowinglessonswehaveprovidedadditionalresourcesthatcanbeusedtoaddressthetopics.Itisimportanttobeawarethatsincethesearecommonmisconceptionsandthescienceisnotalwaysstraightforwardtoexplain,theInternetisalsofullofmisinformationregardingthesetopics.Astheseideasareaddressedduringthefollowinglessons,havestudentswriteinthecorrectionintheLcolumnforthingstheyhavelearned.
PossibleStudentMisconceptions
ScientificIdea LessonLinksandAdditionalResources
Cutinhalftheywillsurvive Earthwormshaveaheadandatail.Ifyoucuttheminhalf,sometimesoneendwillsurviveandregeneratesomeofthemissingsegments.Althoughsometypesofwormscanregeneratenewwormsfromboththeheadandthetailend(dependinguponwherethecutoccurs),thisisextremelyunlikelyintheearthwormspeciesthatstudentswillencounter.
Thefollowingsourcesprovideadditionalinformationregardingearthwormregenerationandposethetheoreticalpossibilitythatregenerationcouldresultintwoworms.- EarthwormRegeneration
Cometothesurfacewhenitrainssotheydon’tdrown*
Wormscanliveinwaterforafewdaysaslongasthewaterhasenoughdissolvedoxygen.Thecurrenttheoryisthattheycometothesurfacebecauseitiseasiertomoveoverlandwiththeincreasedhumidity.
Resources:- ScientificAmerican
article
Earthwormsarethesameeverywhere*
Thereareover3000speciesofearthwormsaroundtheworld
Resources:• Earthwormdiversity
AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca
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3. TalkingwiththeExpert:Dr.ErinCameron(20min)Nowthatstudentsknowalittlebitmoreaboutearthworms,tellthemtheywillbewatchingavideofeaturingsomeonewhostudiesearthworms,Dr.ErinCameron.Handoutthe“TalkingwithanExpert”videoguide.Asstudentsarewatchingthevideohavethemwriteanswerstothequestionsontheguide.Considerstoppingthevideoasthedifferenttopicsarediscussed.Discusstheanswerswiththeclassinordertoclarifyconceptsandterminologypresentedinthevideo.AfterviewingthevideoandcompletingthevideoguidehavestudentsfillinanythingnewtheyhavelearnedaboutearthwormsundertheLintheirKWLchart.Sharesomethoughtsasaclass.ExampleStudentsshouldhavethefollowingkeypointsaddedtotheLcolumn:• EarthwormsinAlbertaareaninvasivespecies(i.e.nonativespeciesinAlberta)• NativeearthwormswereeliminatedfrommostofCanadabyglaciersduringthelast
iceage.
4. Closure(5min)Tellstudentsthatoverthenextfewdaystheywillbetryingtoanswerthefollowingquestion:ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?Askstudentstospendtheremainderofclasstalkingtoapartnerortwoaboutwhatkindsofevidencetheywouldneedtocollectinordertoanswerthisquestion(thiswillgetthestudentsthinkingabouttomorrow’slesson).
AdditionalResourcesNSTA-TheWonderofWorms(commonmisconceptions)http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201302SmithWormMisconceptionsTable.pdf
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Lesson2:EarthwormCollectionPreparationPurpose
• Considerthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’• Identifydifferentwaystocollectinformationtoanswerthequestion• Prepareforearthwormcollection
OverviewStudentswillbeaskedtoconsiderthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’Theywillthenidentifythekindsofinformationtheyneedinordertoanswerthisquestion.Finally,studentswillpreparetoseeifthereareanyearthwormsintheirschoolyardasonewayofcollectingdata(orothersiteasdeemedappropriatebytheteacher).ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions
§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem§ identifyexamplesofhumanimpactsonecosystems,andinvestigateandanalyzethelink
betweentheseimpactsandthehumanwantsandneedsthatgiverisetothem§ analyzepersonalandpublicdecisionsthatinvolveconsiderationofenvironmentalimpacts,
andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisionsSkillsOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning
§ identifyscience-relatedissues§ identifyquestionstoinvestigatearisingfrompracticalproblemsandissues
Materials
• Article–EarthwormsinAlberta(1or2copiespergroup–incolourifpossible)• KWLchart(individual)• KWLchart(class–setupasagoogledoc)• Accesstointernetandprojector• Videos
§ SitePreparation§ FlipandStrip§ HandSampling§ MiddenCount§ MustardExtraction
LessonActivities1. Introduction(10min)
Assignstudentstogroupsof3or4(theywillworkontherestofthelessonsinthisgroup)andaskeachstudenttoshareonethingtheylearnedaboutwormsinthepreviousdaysclasswiththeirgroup.Asaclassreadthearticle‘EarthwormsinAlberta’
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whichsummarizesthespreadofwormsinNorthAmericaandintroducesstudentstothethreetypesofearthwormstheymightseewhilecollectingearthworms.
2. ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?(15min)Intheirgroups,havestudentsthinkaboutwhattheywouldneedtoknowinordertoanswerthequestion‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’OntheirKWLcharts,undertheWcolumn,havestudentswritedownquestionstheywouldneedansweredinordertodecideifearthwormsshouldbebannedinAlberta.Asaclass,havestudentssharetheirresponses.Inthechartbelowaresomesuggestedpromptsthatcanbeusedtoguidestudentstosomeofthekeyideasthatshouldbeincluded.Asyouaredoingthis,havetheclassconsiderhowtheymighttryandfindoutthatinformation(puttingthatinbracketsbesideeachquestion).Belowaresomekeythingsthatthestudentsshouldhaveasyouwillbedoingtheseinsubsequentlessons.
W
Whatdoyouwanttoknow?Prompts
Doearthwormscauseanydamage?(Internetsearch,talktoanexpert)
Whymightsomeonewanttobanearthworms?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]
Whatarethebenefitsofearthworms?(Internetsearch,talktoanexpert)Whousesearthworms?(Internetsearchortryandcollectearthworms)
Isthereanyreasonpeoplemightnotwantearthwormstobebanned?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]
Whereareearthwormslocated?(internetsearch,tryandcollectearthworms)
AreearthwormsanissueeverywhereinAlberta?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]
Howdidearthwormsgettonewlocations?(Internetsearchoranalysisofwhereearthwormsarefound)
HaveearthwormsalwaysbeenfoundinAlberta?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]
3. EarthwormCollectionPreparation(10min)
AskstudentsiftheycanrememberwhatDr.Cameron’sresearchwasaboutandsharesomeanswers.Next,tellthemtheyaregoingtobecollectingearthwormdatatohelpthemlearnmoreaboutearthwormsandcontributetothecitizenscienceprojectdescribedbyDr.Cameron.Citizenscienceisresearchthatisundertakenbynonprofessionalscientistsorordinarycitizens.Showstudentsthevideo–SitePreparation.Afterthevideoiscomplete,discussthequestionsforconsiderationwiththeclass.Theseparticularquestionsfocuson
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Foundation3:Skills,intheAlbertaScience7-8-9ProgramofStudies.Specifically,thesequestionsbegintoaddressusingtoolsandapparatuseffectivelyandaccuratelyforcollectingdata,andestimatingmeasurements.
4. EarthwormCollectionMethods(15+min)
Therearemultiplemethodsforearthwormcollection.Abriefsummaryofthefourmethodtypesaredescribedbelow(foradditionalinformation,clickhere).Themustardextractionmethodisthemosteffectivemethodforcollectingalltypesofearthwormsandtheonethatwesuggestyouuse.However,theothermethodscanalsobeusedtoprovideadditionaldata.Onceyouhavedecidedwhichmethod(s)youwillbeusingtocollectearthwormswiththeclass,showstudentsthecorrespondingvideo(s).Afterthevideo(s),discusswiththeclassthekeypointsandquestionsforconsideration.MustardExtraction:collectingearthwormsthatcometothesurfaceafterpouringmustardwaterintothesamplearea;themustardwateractsasanirritantsoearthwormsmovetothesurface.
SitePreparation-QuestionsforConsideration1. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttosamplemorethanoneplot?
Togetanaveragenumberofwormsinthewholesamplearea.Theplotsizeissmallandtheearthwormsmaynotbeequallydistributedinthelargerareathatwearesampling.
2. WhydoesDr.Cameronmeasuretheleaflitterinallfourcornersoftheplot?
Again,togetanaveragefortheplot.Theleavesandothermaterialmaybepiledupinonecornersoifweonlysampledinonecornerourestimatemaybetoohighortoolowforthewholeplot.
KeyPoints• mosteffectivewayofsamplingforearthworms• mustardisanirritanttowormswhichiswhytheycrawltothesurface• requiresmorepreparationaheadoftime• bestforcollectingalltypesofearthworms
QuestionsforConsideration
1. Whywouldweonlycounttheearthwormsthatemergefromwithinoursampleareaandnotoutsideofit?
Wemightusethesampleplottoextrapolatetoalargerarea.Theonesoutsidethesampleareamaybesampledbysomeoneelse.
2. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttowait5minuteseachtimewepourthemustardwater?
5minutesallowstheearthwormstimetocrawltothesurface.Ifwedonotwaitenoughtimethenwemaynotbecollectingalloftheearthwormsinthatarea.
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FlipandStrip:flippingrocks,leaves,andlogs,strippingoffbarkandjustgenerallyhuntingaroundforearthworms.
HandSample:usingasmallspadeorshovelanddiggingthesoiloutofasamplearea(approximately15cmdeep);thensearchingthroughtheremovedsoilforearthworms.
KeyPoints• simpleformofsampling(althoughdiggingcanbedifficultdependingon
thesoil)• needtogetdeepintothesoilforabettersample• bestforcollectinglitterdwellingandsoildwellingearthworms(thedeep
burrowingearthwormscansensethevibrationsofthedigging)QuestionsforConsideration
1. Whataretheadvantagesofhandsamplingforearthworms?Itissimpleandonlyminimaltoolsarerequired.Thesampleplotareaissmallandyouareabletosiftthroughallofthesoilinthatplot.
2. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttodigatleast15cminthegroundtoobtainyoursample?
Inordertocollectasmuchoftheareawheretheearthwormsmaybepresent.
KeyPoints• simpleformofsampling• needsomewayofidentifyingthesamplearea• notasaccurateasothermethodsasthesampleareaislargerandthere
isagreaterpossibilityofnotcollectingalloftheearthworms• bestforcollectinglitterdwellingandsoildwellingearthworms(you
mightsometimesfinddeepburrowingearthworms)QuestionsforConsideration
1. Whataretheadvantagesofsamplingforearthwormsusingtheflipandstripmethod?
Itisverysimpleandnospecialtoolsormaterialsarerequired.2. Howisthesampleareaintheflipandstripmethoddifferentfromthe
sampleareainotherearthwormcollectionmethods(orinhowthesitepreparationvideodisplayed)?
Theothersampleareas(andtheoneshowninthesitepreparationvideo)isspecifically25cmx25cm,whileinthismethodyouneedtoidentifyalargerareawhichisnotasspecific.
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MiddenCount:identifyingmiddens(pilesofearthwormfeces);eachmiddenholdsoneearthworm.
5. Closure
Remindstudentsthattheywillbeoutsideduringthenextclasstocollectearthwormdataandtheyshoulddressappropriatelyfortheweather(e.g.ifitissupposedtoraintheyshouldbewearingwaterproofshoesandtheymaywanttobringachangeofclothesincasetheygetwet).Ifstudentswillbeusingtheapp,askthemtodownloadthewormtrackerapp(whichcanbedownloadedforfreehere)totheirmobiledevice(currentlyonlyavailableforiPadoriPhone).
KeyPoints• notdifficult,althoughyouneedtobeabletoidentifyamidden• eachmiddenhasaburrowholeinthemiddle• onlyoneearthwormlivesineachburrowhole• bestforcollectingdeepburrowingearthworms(theyaretheonlykind
thatlivesintheburrows)QuestionsforConsideration
1. Whataretheadvantagesofsamplingforearthwormsusingmiddens?Itisverysimpleandnospecialtoolsormaterialsarerequired.
2. Whymightwenotgetanaccuratenumberofearthwormsinoursampleareaifweareonlycountingmiddens?
Weareassumingthateachmiddenhasanearthwormlivinginit,whichcouldcauseustooverestimatethenumberofearthworms.Thereisonlyonespeciesofearthwormthatcreatesmiddens,thereforewemaybeunderestimatingthenumberofearthwormsintotal.
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Lesson3:EarthwormCollection
Purpose• Identifydifferenttypes(adultsandjuveniles)andspeciesofearthworms• Collectdatausingoneormoreearthwormcollectionmethods
OverviewStudentswillbeintroducedtodifferentspeciesofearthworms.Theywillthencollectearthwormdatausingoneormoreearthwormcollectionmethods.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge3.Monitoralocalenvironment,andassesstheimpactsofenvironmentalfactorsongrowth,healthandreproductionoforganismsinthatenvironment
§ investigateavarietyofhabitats,anddescribeandinterpretdistributionpatternsoflivingthingsfoundinthosehabitats
4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments
§ describeandinterpretexamplesofscientificinvestigationsthatservetoinformenvironmentaldecisionmaking
§ analyzealocalenvironmentalissueorproblembasedonevidencefromavarietyofsources,andidentifypossibleactionsandconsequences
SkillOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning
§ selectappropriatemethodsandtoolsforcollectingdataandinformationPerformingandRecording
§ usetoolsandapparatuseffectivelyandaccuratelyforcollectingdataAnalyzingandInterpreting
§ classifyorganismsfoundinastudyplotCommunicationandTeamwork
§ communicatequestions,ideas,intentions,plansandresults,usinglists,notesinpointform,sentences,datatables,graphs,drawings,orallanguageandothermeans
AttitudeOutcomesCollaboration
§ WorkcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideasSafety
§ Showconcernforsafetyinplanning,carryingoutandreviewingactivitiesMaterials
• Powerpointpresentation–IdentifyingEarthworms• AlbertaWormInvasion–WormTrackerApporEarthwormDataSheet(oneper
group)andcomputersthatstudentscanusetomanuallyenterthedataathttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca/app/
• UserguidefortheWormTrackerApp• EarthwormCollectionKit(onepergroup)
§ Quadrat(forinstructionsonhowtocreatethis,clickhere)
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§ Magnifyingglasses§ Ruler§ 3plasticcupsfilledhalfwaywithwaterandsealedwithalid§ Mustardwater–one2Ljugpersamplesite(ifusingthemustardextraction
method)§ Spadeorshovel(ifusingthehandsamplemethod)§ Gloves(optional)§ Tarpsorgarbagebagsforcollectionmaterials
LessonActivities1. Introduction(10minutes)
Remindstudentsthatonewaytohelpusmakedecisions(forexample,withourfocusquestion‘shouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’)istocollectsomedataorevidence.Thedatathatstudentswillbecollectingisacountofhowmanyandwhatkindsofearthwormsthereareinachosensite(thismaybeasitechosenonschoolgroundsoryoumaychoosetogooffschoolgroundswiththeappropriatepermission).GothroughwiththestudentsthePowerPointpresentation–IdentifyingEarthworms.Theyshouldbeabletoidentifyjuvenile,litterdwelling,soildwellinganddeepburrowingearthworms.
2. EarthwormCollection(40+min)Adjusttheinstructionsasnecessarydependingonthemethod(s)youchoosetouseandthenumberofclassesyouhavetodedicatetothisactivity.ProvideeachgroupwithanEarthwormCollectionKit.Haveyourgroupscollectearthwormdatain3differentareas(ideally,studentswouldbeabletocollectdatainmultiplehabitats–example,schoolyard,woodedarea,andneararoadside).Studentswillusethecupstocollecttheirearthwormstemporarilywhiletheyaresamplingthesite.Oncetheyhavecompletedtheirsampling.Havethemreturntheearthworms.
3. Closure(5min)Oncetheactivityiscomplete,makesurethatstudentshavereturnedtheirearthworms,dumpedthewaterintheplasticcups,andputallmaterialsbackinthekit.Ifthereisextramustardwateritwillkeepforafewdaysbutwillthenneedtobeflusheddownthesinkwithwater.*Ifstudentsrecordedthedataonthepaperdatasheets,providethemtimetomanuallyenterthedataoncomputersoncebackintheclassroom.
MustardWaterPreparation(perjug)Mix20gramsofgroundmustardpowderwith2Lofwaterinajug.Shakewell.Preparethemorningoforthenightbefore.Ifyoupreparethemixturetooearlythemustardmayhardentothebottomofthejug.
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Lesson4:EarthwormDataAnalysis
Purpose• Analyzedatacollectedfromearthwormcollection
OverviewStudentswillbegintoanalyzethedatatheyhavecollectedandcompareittootherdatathathasbeencollectedacrossAlberta.Theywillthenhaveachancetodevelopideasaboutthedatathathasbeencollected.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions
§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem§ identifyexamplesofhumanimpactsonecosystems,andinvestigateandanalyzethelink
betweentheseimpactsandthehumanwantsandneedsthatgiverisetothem§ analyzepersonalandpublicdecisionsthatinvolveconsiderationofenvironmentalimpacts,
andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions3.Monitoralocalenvironment,andassesstheimpactsofenvironmentalfactorsongrowth,healthandreproductionoforganismsinthatenvironment
§ investigateavarietyofhabitats,anddescribeandinterpretdistributionpatternsoflivingthingsfoundinthosehabitats
4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments
§ identifyintendedandunintendedconsequencesofhumanactivitieswithinlocalandglobalenvironments
§ analyzealocalenvironmentalissueorproblembasedonevidencefromavarietyofsources,andidentifypossibleactionsandconsequences
SkillsOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning
§ stateapredictionandahypothesisbasedonbackgroundinformationoranobservedpatternofevents
PerformingandRecording§ estimatemeasurements
AnalyzingandInterpreting§ compileanddisplaydata,byhandorcomputer,inavarietyofformats,includingdiagrams,
flowcharts,tables,bargraphsandlinegraphsAttitudeOutcomesScientificInquiry
§ Seekandapplyevidencewhenevaluatingalternativeapproachestoinvestigations,problemsandissues
Collaboration§ Workcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideas
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Materials• Computers,iPads,orsmartphoneswithGoogleEarthinstalledoneach• AnalysisofEarthwormDataHandout
LessonActivities1. Introduction(10+min)
IfstudentsusedapapercopyoftheEarthwormDataSheet,theywillneedtoinputthedataintotheweb-basedapplication.Inputtingtheirdatamaytaketime;thereforeyoumayneedmorethanonedayforthislesson.OncedatahasbeenuploadedeitherthroughtheWormTrackerapportheweb-basedapplication,studentscandownloadthemostrecentmapdatafileforGoogleEarth.GoogleEarthThefollowingtutorialwillassistyouindownloadingGoogleEarth:SettingupGoogleEarthforExploringYourData.OnceyouhavedownloadedGoogleEarth,watchthefollowingtutorial:ViewingyourDatainGoogleEarth.BothvideosarealsoavailableonAlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerwebsite.
2. DataAnalysis(30+min)DemonstrateforthestudentshowGoogleEarthworks(ifyouneedinstructionsonhowtodothis,seethelinksabove).Havestudentsdownloadthemapdatafromthefollowinglink(ifthisdoesnotworkyoucandownloadthe.kmlfilefromtheWormTrackerwebsitehere).OncethestudentshaveopenedthemapdatainGoogleEarth,havethemworkwiththeirgrouptoanswerthequestionsontheworksheet–AnalysisofEarthwormData.
3. Conclusion(10min)Gothroughtheworksheetwiththestudents(alternatively,youmaychoosetousethisworksheetasaformofassessment).
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Lesson5:EarthwormImpacts
Purpose• Researchtheimpactofearthwormsontheenvironmentandtheimpactofhumans
onearthwormsOverviewStudentswillresearchinformationabouttheimpactofearthwormsontheenvironmentortheimpactofhumansonearthwormsandbecomean‘expert’inoneoftheseareas.Theywillthenconductajigsawactivitytosharethisinformationwithothers.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions
§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem§ identifyexamplesofhumanimpactsonecosystems,andinvestigateandanalyzethelink
betweentheseimpactsandthehumanwantsandneedsthatgiverisetothem§ analyzepersonalandpublicdecisionsthatinvolveconsiderationofenvironmentalimpacts,
andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments
§ identifyintendedandunintendedconsequencesofhumanactivitieswithinlocalandglobalenvironments
§ analyzealocalenvironmentalissueorproblembasedonevidencefromavarietyofsources,andidentifypossibleactionsandconsequences
SkillsOutcomesPerformingandRecording
§ researchinformationrelevanttoagivenproblemorissueCommunicationandTeamwork
§ communicatequestions,ideas,intentions,plansandresults,usinglists,notesinpointform,sentences,datatables,graphs,drawings,orallanguageandothermeans
AttitudeOutcomesCollaboration
§ WorkcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideasMaterials
• KWLchart(individualandclass)• ImpactsofEarthwormsHandout(canbemodifiedifnotallarticlesareused)• Impactsarticles
§ ImpactsofEarthwormsinGardens§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonOtherSpecies§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonVegetation§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonLeafLitter§ ImpactsofEarthwormsontheNutrientCycle(optional)§ ImpactsofEarthwormsandComposting
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§ ImpactsofHumansonEarthwormmigration§ ImpactsofFishingonEarthwormmigration
LessonActivities1. Introduction(5min)
Remindstudentsthatoneofthepurposesoftheearthwormcollectionactivitywastocollectsomedatatohelpanswerthequestion,‘shouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’.UsingtheclassKWLchart,brieflyhighlightsomeofthekeypointsfromthedataanalysisandhavestudentsfillinthisinformationontheirKWLchartsunderL.
2. ImpactsJigsaw(35min)
OntheKWLchart,revisitwithstudentssomeoftheotherwaystocollectinformation,specificallydoingsomecomputerresearch/talkingtoexperts.GiveeachstudentacopyoftheImpactsofEarthwormsHandout.a) Inordertolearnabouttheenvironmentalimpactsthatearthwormshaveandthe
impactsthathumanshaveonearthwormmigration,assigneach‘expert’grouponeoftheimpactarticles(youmayhavetoassignthesamearticletomorethanonegrouporgivemorethanonearticletoagroupdependingonhowmanygroupsyouhave).
b) Haveeachgroupreadtheirarticle(s)andsummarizethepositiveandnegativeimpactsonthehandout.Computersshouldbeavailableforstudentsincasetheywouldliketodosomemoreresearchregardingtheirassignedtopic.Studentswillbecomethe‘experts’fortheimpacttheyareassignedsoallstudentsinthegroupwillneedtobeabletobrieflysummarizetheimpactfortheirpeersinthenextpartoftheactivity.(20min)
c) Regroupthestudentssothatthereisatleastone‘expert’fromeachimpactinthenewgroups.Haveeach‘expert’provideabriefsummaryoftheimpact;explaininganypositiveornegativeimpactsonotherspecies,populationsorecosystems.Thestudentsshouldfillinthechartonthehandoutforeachimpactbaseduponthe‘expert’presentation.(15min)
3. Conclusion(10min)
Oncetheyhavecompletedthejigsaw,havetheoriginal‘expert’groupscomebacktogetherandsummarizewhattheyhavelearnedabouteachoftheimpacts(somegroupsmayhavegatheredmoreorlessinformationsothisisachancetohearwhatwassaidineachgroup).AskstudentstoconsideriftheythinkanythingshouldbedonetocontrolearthwormsinAlbertaforthenextlesson(e.g.shouldtheybebannedorcontrolledinsomeotherway).
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Lesson6:ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?
Purpose• EvaluatewhetherearthwormsshouldbebannedinAlberta• Presentfindingsfromresearchanddecision
OverviewInthislesson,youwillreviewwithstudentswhattheyhavelearnedsofaraboutearthwormsanddiscusswhymakingdecisionsaboutwhetherearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlbertaisnotaonesidedissue.StudentswillthenevaluatetheinformationtheyhavegatheredandmakeadecisiononwhethertheythinkearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlberta.Theywillpresenttheirdecisionandevidencetotheclass.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions
§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem§ identifyexamplesofhumanimpactsonecosystems,andinvestigateandanalyzethelink
betweentheseimpactsandthehumanwantsandneedsthatgiverisetothem§ analyzepersonalandpublicdecisionsthatinvolveconsiderationofenvironmentalimpacts,
andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments
§ identifyintendedandunintendedconsequencesofhumanactivitieswithinlocalandglobalenvironments
§ describeandinterpretexamplesofscientificinvestigationsthatservetoinformenvironmentaldecisionmaking
§ analyzealocalenvironmentalissueorproblembasedonevidencefromavarietyofsources,andidentifypossibleactionsandconsequences
SkillsOutcomesPerformingandRecording
§ researchinformationrelevanttoagivenproblemorissue§ selectandintegrateinformationfromvariousprintandelectronicsourcesorfromseveral
partsofthesamesourceAnalyzingandInterpreting
§ identifystrengthsandweaknessesofdifferentmethodsofcollectinganddisplayingdataCommunicationandTeamwork
§ communicatequestions,ideas,intentions,plansandresults,usinglists,notesinpointform,sentences,datatables,graphs,drawings,orallanguageandothermeans
§ defendagivenpositiononanissue,basedontheirfindingsAttitudeOutcomesInterestinScience
§ Showinterestinscience-relatedquestionsandissues,andpursuepersonalinterestsandcareerpossibilitieswithinscience-relatedfields
MutualRespect§ Appreciatethatscientificunderstandingevolvesfromtheinteractionofideasinvolving
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peoplewithdifferentviewsandbackgroundsScientificInquiry
§ Seekandapplyevidencewhenevaluatingalternativeapproachestoinvestigations,problemsandissues
Collaboration§ Workcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideas
Materials
• KWLcharts(individualandclass)• Computers,mobiledevices• Postermaterials• AlbertaEarthwormInvasionProjectRubric
LessonActivities1. Introduction(5min)
HavestudentstakeouttheirKWLcharts(andprojecttheclassKWLchart)andtheirImpactsofEarthwormsHandouts.Brieflydiscusswithstudentswhattheyhavelearnedinthepreviouslessonsabouttheimpactsofearthwormsonotherspecies,populations,andecosystemsandtheimpactsthathumanshaveonthemigrationofearthworms.Remindstudentsoftheoverarchingquestionfortheunit:ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?Tellthemthatinthislessontheywilltakeontheroleofadifferentmemberofthecommunity(e.g.fisherman,forester).FromtheperspectiveofthatmemberofthecommunitytheywillbeaskedtocometoadecisionaboutwhetherornotearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlbertaandifso,how?Controllingearthwormscouldincludeacompleteorpartialbanonthesaleofearthworms,effortstoeliminateearthwormsalreadypresentinAlberta,and/oreducationalcampaignstochangepeople’sbehavior.
2. ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?(2classes)Forthisactivity,youshoulddecideonthedifferentrolesthatyouwillassignstudents.Possiblerolesinclude:fisherman,forester,gardener,natureclubmember,environmentalist.Thedifferentroleswillhavedifferentprimaryconcerns.Possibleareasofconcernforeachrolearelistedbelow.
§ Fisherman–willlikelybeconcernedwithanydecisionthatwouldaffecttheirabilitytousewormsasbait.
§ Forester–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpacttreespeciesinforests.
§ Gardener–willlikelybeconcernedwithanydecisionthatwouldlimitearthwormsingardensorpurchasedforcomposebins.
§ Natureclubmember–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpactwildlifespecies.
§ Environmentalist–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpactnativespeciesandchangestocarbonandnitrogencycling.
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Assignstudentstogroupsandassigneachgrouptotakeononeoftheroles.Intheirgroups,studentsshoulddecidewhatactionsshouldbetakenregardingearthwormsinAlbertafromtheperspectiveoftheroletheyareassigned.Theyshouldsupporttheirdecisionbasedonevidencefromthedatathathasbeencollectedonearthwormsandwhattheyhavelearnedthroughtheimpactsactivity.Studentsshoulddiscusstheimpactsoftheirdecisiononearthworms,humans,otherspecies,andtheenvironment.Oncetheyhavemadetheirdecision,studentswilleithercreateaposterormakeamultimediapresentationtopresenttheirdecisionandtheevidencetosupporttheirdecision.Encouragestudentstosearchoutadditionalinformation(e.g.fromtheInternet)ifneededtosupporttheirdecision.
3. Conclusion:TownHallMeeting(1class)Havestudentspresenttheirposterormultimediapresentationtotheclass.Aseachgrouppresents,encourageotherstudentstoaskquestionsofthegroupsabouttheirdecisions.Forexample,aretheirimpactsofthedecisionthatthegrouphasn’tconsidered?Afterallofthegroupshavepresented,haveeachstudentdecidewhatapproachtheythinkisbestandwriteareflectiondescribingtheirdecisionandtheirreasonsforit.
4. AssessmentTherubriclistedinthematerialslistcanbeusedtoassessthegroupprojectsormodified(byremovingthe“presentation”criteria)tobeusedasanindividualassessmentforthefinalstudentreflections.