The Great Aquarium Quest!

Erica Gregson

12th Grade Marine Biology Lesson Plan

“Big Idea” this lesson plan supports:   Different ecosystems and their species are controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors

Lesson Plan Component	Criteria
Title - Name of Lesson	Exploring the Earth's Ocean Ecosystems at the New England Aquarium (Five day lesson including field trip to aquarium)
GSE’s/GLE’s/ Frameworks/Common Core/NETS- Standards (listed under Course Documents)	NETS Standards 1. Creativity and Innovation 2. Communication and Collaboration 3. Research and Information Fluency 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making 5.  Digital Citizenship 6. Technology Operations and Concepts GSE’s S:SPS2:11:1.1  Explore new phenomena through investigations conducted for different reasons, or to check on previous results. S:SPS3:11:1.2  Identify global researchers in a field of interest. S:SPS4:12:1.1  Select and analyze information from various sources (including electronic resources, print resources, community resources) and personally collected data to answer questions being investigated. S:SPS4:12:2.3  Create a multimedia presentation incorporating numeric symbolic and/or graphic modes of representation to share scientific ideas, plans, results, and conclusions. S:SPS4:12:9.1  Collaborate with interested learners using appropriate web resources and publication media such as journals (print and electronic). S:LS2:11:1.2  Describe how the interrelationships and interdependencies among organisms generate stable ecosystems that fluctuate around a state of rough equilibrium for hundreds or thousands of years. Marine  Biology Course Competencies Student will be able to 1.     Explain the physical and abiotic features of the ocean relating to marine life 3.     Describe ecological concepts as it pertains to the marine environment, especially related to specialized marine ecosystems
Lesson Objective(s) - The Student can or will … using a verb from Blooms Revised Taxonomy Sub Categories Each of the categories or taxonomic elements has a number of key verbs associated with it Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) Remembering Understanding Applying Analysing Evaluating Creating Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)	A.  Student will be able to explain the physical and abiotic features of the ocean relating to marine life B. Student will be able to apply ecological concepts as they pertain to the marine environment, especially related to specialized marine ecosystems C.  Student will be able to compare and contrast different ecosystem using biotic and abiotic features D.  Students will be able to design and produce a digital photostory that demonstrates their knowledge of  three different marine ecosystems and the inhabitants of each E. Students will be able to use a webquest to identify species, describe habitats. and collecting data while on a field trip
Materials - What will they need to complete this assignment? Be as specific as possible.	Digital video and still cameras Habitat data collection sheets (Found on web  quest and their google drive) Laptops and internet access Webquest   Rubric for digital photostory (See below)
Anticipatory Set - Prior Knowledge - How will you “hook” students prior to teaching the lesson	Students will learn about different  phylum of organisms and the roles that each can play in a marine biome.  This lesson and field trip will be  a cumulative exercise that will require students to apply vocabulary and ecological concepts from several prior units .  They will be excited to explore the aquarium and follow the webquest  through the different ecosystems.  They will have one class period prior to the trip to explore the aquarium map and plan their strategy for data collection.
Procedures - What will student and teacher do? Best practices - Ask 3 questions here to promote higher order thinking related to lesson plan.	Day 1 -  Students will be given an opportunity to meet in groups of four and plan their route through the aquarium and select three habitats to explore using resources on the webquest site Day 2- Field Trip day Students will collect cameras and make sure at least one person in the group has their smart phone. Groups will proceed through the aquarium guided by the questions on the web quest and should obtain pictures and video or organisms and habitats. They should be answering the question “What adaptations would be beneficial for each habitat?” Students will read signs and placards at each exhibits to begin to gather basic information about each ecosystem and the inhabitants of each. Day 3-4 Photostory Production In the same groups of four students will use a digital photostory app (such as animoto) to assemble the pictures and videos from the field trip Each group should use the resources that they gathered at the aquarium as well as complete additional research as needed. Groups will work collaboratively on their projects using the gapps accounts and by sharing and editing pictures and videos with apps from the Google web store Groups should consider “Which species do you think could be moved to a different one of your selected habitats and still be successful?” They should also make sure to answer the question “What is the keystone species in each ecosystem? Where are they located in a food web of that ecosystem?” Students should score themselves using the rubric provided below Day 5 - Students present photostories in class
Closure - How will you have students reflect on what has been learned in this lesson?	Students will  present and self evaluate their own projects.  They will be given an opportunity to explain their contributions and assess their own learning.
Assessment- Assessment is directly correlated to stated objectives (listed above) and provides an opportunity for every student to demonstrate progress toward meeting the objective(s)   Create a rubric that shows objectives relating to project. - Assessment can be completion of project. Something student creates.	Completed web quest and digital photostory that compares and contrasts inhabitants of  three different habitat tanks at the New England Aquarium will be used as the summative assesmeent for this lesson.  Webquest questions should guide the learners through their selected habitats. An Exaple of a student artifact Made using Animoto
Modifications/ Accommodations Lesson plan includes appropriate modifications and/or accommodations for students needing enrichment, remediation, or alternative strategies Students with IEP - Individualized Educational Plans or 504’s would require modifications or accommodations -	Modified -  students with IEP’s and other modifications should only compare and contrast  inhabitants of two ecosystems.  They will have an adult assist them with data collection while at the aquarium Reach -  students who have demonstrated proficiency in prior ecosystem units shall compare and contrats inhabitants of  4 habitats