Student Project

Students will create an ecosystem that provides the necessary environmental factors that will sustain plant life. Students will collaboratively design, build and monitor their ecosystem.

Objectives

In this MST project, students will individually research tropical, desert and aquatic ecosystems. Groups will choose an environment(s) they want to build. Individually, students will design a blueprint that they will use as a basis for the group model. Students will combine their ideas to develop a group blueprint and model ecosystem.

After completing this project, students will be able to:

• design a blueprint for their ecosystem;
• build a functional ecosystem from their blueprint;
• work cooperatively in groups with enhanced team work skills;
• collect data while monitoring the growth of the ecosystem;
• graph the data collected;
• manipulate a variable to see how it affects the ecosystem; and
• prepare an individual lab report that presents their research and data.

Sample Activity

Students will begin by independently researching different examples of ecosystems and the different environments in which plants live. Individually they will design their own blueprint, labeling each part carefully. After this, they will come together as a group and collaborate to develop a group blueprint which they will use to construct their ecosystem. Students will have to decide: 1) which environment(s) they will be using; 2) the number of plant clippings needed; 3) the amount of nutrients to use; 4) the amount of water needed; 5) the tropic level; and 6) if it is a closed or open system.

Students will decide which variable to manipulate. They will observe the ecosystem every few days and note any changes. They will keep a journal of their findings that will include height of water, height of soil, color of plant(s), and the number of leaves. The goal is to sustain life for four weeks. At the end of the project, students will submit a lab report.

Math, Science, Technology, and Everyday Connections

The connections to math include collecting data as students make quantitative observations. Students will measure the following items:

1. the number of plant clippings
2. depth of the soil
3. the height of the water
4. the height of the plant and
5. width of the leaves.

Students will then organize this data into a chart and prepare graphs.

Science investigations begin with basic observations, a proposed question, and experimental design, leading to the development of critical thinking skills. Students will observe their ecosystem and record the color of their plant(s). Students will research what their plants need to survive. They will choose which environment(s) they are going to build. They will have to choose how many clippings of each plant(s) to use to allow each plant ample room to grow. Students will also have to decide how they will provide the nutrients for their plant(s). They can choose from a soil, gravel or sand base and whether it is an open or closed system.

Students will use computers to aid in their research, as well as formatting a spreadsheet for their collection of data and as electronic journals to keep track of their findings. The use of a microscope is also necessary for the recording of initial observations.

The students will make connections to their everyday lives by learning and understanding the interdependency of living things. They will understand know that their survival depends on basic necessities of life.

Instructional Design/ Methods and Strategies

Scientific inquiry is a process that stresses critical thinking, student planning, design and implementation. By allowing students to design and build a model based on their own research, the students are taking ownership of the content more so than through lecture style learning. The goal for this project is to sustain life within their ecosystem(s), which illustrates the interdependency of living organisms.

Cross- and Interdisciplinary Links

In addition to the biological, environmental, mathematical and technological links previously discussed there are links to art and language arts. Students will design their own blueprint and make a detailed, color sketch of their ecosystem each time observations take place. There is a strong connection to English because the students are reading, writing, researching and working on their note taking skills. The students will also be required to write a poem about their ecosystem.

Gender & Ethnicity Issues

This project illustrates equal learning opportunities for all students. They are given the freedom to investigate an ecosystem of their choice, which may relate to their own cultural background. This MST project invites both male and female students to participate in all aspects of project. The cooperative learning groups will be heterogeneous.

Science and MST Standards Addressed

This project addresses the national science standards (1,2,4,5) and the New York State MST Standards (1-7).

Implementation Plan

This project will be implemented at the beginning of the unit on ecology. As an introduction, students will visit a botanical garden to observe and explore ecosystems. An educator from the gardens will provide the students with relevant information on their ecosystems. Local florists and the botanical gardens will be asked to donate plants and soil.

Evaluation/Assessment Plan

The students will be graded on their ability to keep their ecosystem alive. Students will be required to write a lab report that will include the items listed below.

1_ Title page

2_ Research question

3_ Background information

4_ Hypothesis

5_ Identification of variables: manipulated, responding, controlled

6_ Materials

7_ Procedure

8_ Chart of observations

9_ Graph of one set of data

10_ Conclusions

11_ Bibliography

Executive Summary

"Building Ecosystems" is a gender-balanced Math, Science & Technology (MST) project designed for middle school, life science classes. Emphasis is placed on content, group work, and the process of inquiry-based science. The project requires a minimum time frame of four weeks, during which time students will research, design and build an ecosystem. Each student in the class independently researches ecosystems. They then draw a blueprint of a model they would like to build to sustain life for the plants in their ecosystem. After completion of independent work, students are then grouped to collaborate on a single ecosystem and blueprint they will use to create their model.

Technological connections to this project occur through student use of computers to research ecosystems and chart data. Students will frequently collect data and make quantitative observations based on the measurement of plant growth, water levels, leave width, and soil depth, while using their understanding of mathematical concepts. Finally, students will gain a better understanding of the importance of the interdependency of life through their experiences with ecosystems.

Upon completion of this MST project, students will use their journals to write an individual lab report illustrating their procedure for creating their ecosystem, data collected, sketches of the progression of the ecosystem over time, and any additional observation/conclusions they have made. Assessment of each student’s efforts for this project will be based on their participation, their lab report, and whether or not they were able to sustain life within their ecosystem.