Prospect Park Zoo:Middle Grades
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Previous Learning : The study of an Ecosystem. What are the parts of an ecosystem?
What are the interactions within an ecosystem?
Aim: Why
does organisms become extinct?
Vocabulary : Extinct, interaction, endangered, ecosystem, vulnerable,
food web, food chain.
Motivation: Students will be shown skeletons of various organisms,
slides of organisms that are endangered species and pictures of organisms
that are extinct. Information and itinerary will be discuss before trip.
Materials: Overhead projector, slides, fossils, photographs transparencies.
Development: Students will be broken up into three groups for a tour
of the zoo.
Group
1 Extinction: This group will research organisms that have become extinct.
They will record the names of the animals, their habitats, possible causes
for extinction and effects on food web and food chain.
Group 2 Endangered Species: This will concentrate on organisms that
are on the endangered species list. They will
identify their habitats, causes for endangerment, and what's being done
to protect them.
Group 3 Vulnerable: This group will concentrate on organisms that are
considered to be vulnerable to extinction. They will
identify their habitats, causes for vulnerability and what's being done
to protect them.
Post
Visit: Evaluation of exhibits to be given to zoo staff. Each group
will give a presentation of their findings.
Each presentation will be accompanied by graphs, photos, and research data.
Personal theories and arguments to defend theories will be encourage.
Homework
: Write a one-page essay on "my favorite animal or exhibit at the Prospect
Park zoo".
MSTEP
Webmaster | NYU
home page | School of Education
| School
of Education Webmaster