Submitted by: Andrea Colyer
Collaborators: Michelle Grubbs
School: Springfield Park
Summary
In order to help students understand how plants and animals interact with one another in an ecosystem, each group of students chose a particular ecosystem to research in small groups. Students identified plants, animals, and nonliving objects in that ecosystem as well as human impact on the system. They used their information to collaborate and create a group wall mural. After completing the mural, they worked individually to create a Comic Life product that explained how each plant, animal, nonliving object and human impact representation uniquely fit into the mural. The murals along with the Comic Life projects were displayed in the library and hallway as well as posted to VoiceThread for discussion.
TIPC Ratings
Developing: The students were given a project rubric to guide their research. The librarian modeled how to effectively find sources for their research. Students were given a wide variety of resources both in print and electronic form including school databases, from which to ascertain their information. They used keyword searches, book indexes and table of contents to find relevant resources. They were assigned the task of identifying and solving human impact situations on environments.
Approaching: The students worked as a team to research and create a poster for their selected ecosystem. The students also worked as a team to create a Comic Life with photos and text to explain their ecosystem. Finally, photos of the students work were uploaded to VoiceThread so that students could ask questions and make comments in real and non-real time. They had to work collaboratively on identifying how humans impact the ecosystem and a solution.
Developing: Students were presented with an open-ended assignment in the creation of an ecosystem. They were also given the open ended task of determining how these environments were being damaged or destroyed and what could be done to help prevent this. Students recorded solutions to human impact in VoiceThread.
Approaching: Students were given a great deal of flexibility in the creation of their ecosystem mural. Their products represented a collaborative effort that identified and attempted to solve current real world issues. Their products brought awareness to others about how they treat the environment. They were able to be creative in the pictures and words they chose to express what they contributed and why in their Comic Life projects.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- Lesson Plan
- Student Research Guides
- Project Rubrics
- Document to Site Sources
