NGSS Targets
DCI:
5-LS1-1.Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.]
CCC:
Energy and Matter: Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems. (5-LS1-1)
SEP:
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
5-LS1-1.Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.]
CCC:
Energy and Matter: Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems. (5-LS1-1)
SEP:
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Student Learning Outcomes
- The students will construct a cause and effect chart for the environmental issue of deforestation.
- The students will identify the impact deforestation has on the environment and demonstrate the effect one aspect of an ecosystem has on its environment through creating a comic book.
- The students will formulate solutions to deforestation based on the causes and effects they discovered by discussing ideas with their group members.
Engage
Read a story entitled, "Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees," written by Franck Prevot. This is an inspiring story about a woman who was passionate about the environment and peacemaking. She was a world changer through her reforestation ideas and her work in planting thirty million trees in thirty years.
After reading this story, engage in a discussion with the students about their thoughts on the book. Ask the students questions like:
After reading this story, engage in a discussion with the students about their thoughts on the book. Ask the students questions like:
- Whose job is it to care for the environment?
- What is the environment?
- Does the environment care for itself or do other people/things have a role in it?
- Can you think of anything you do or have done to help the environment or hurt the environment? (leaving things where they belong, watering plants, walking instead of driving, etc.)
- Do you think it is important to take care of our environment?
Explore
Have the students find a partner to have a discussion about all the things we have learned so far about disruptions in ecosystem. Ask what happens when you take one thing out of the food web. Ask what happens to everything that's left behind.
Give an introduction to deforestation by explaining that there are lots of different environmental issues that effect where and how we live. Some things are caused by humans, some are not but most things that happen to the environment are a combination of natural causes and human causes. Give an example of something that happens in the environment that can be explained by natural causes and human causes (use one of their examples from earlier if possible). Example: Global warming - it is natural for the earth to change temperatures over time (different eras of time) however, this is happening much faster because of the machines humans use (cars, factories, etc.) that cause the globe to warm faster Can someone think of another example of something that happens to this earth that is both natural and effected by humans?
Today's issue that we are going to focus on is deforestation. Can anyone guess what that means? Yes, that's when we cut down a lot of trees. Can anyone think of reasons why humans want to cut down trees? Even just looking in this room, what can we think of that came from trees? (paper, the structure of this building, etc.) Now based on everything we have learned in this unit, let's make a list of why it would be bad for the environment to cut down a bunch of trees. Think of the food web, energy transfer, the movement of matter. Think about other plants and animals, the sun, water, and anything that might be effected by cutting down trees.
Next, the students will connect the dots with all of these prompting questions and they will make a chart (example attached below). In this chart they will write down problems, causes, the impact on the environment, and steps to protect the environment. First they will try this on their own and if there are a lot of gaps or inconsistencies in the beginning that is okay. They will then discuss and check with a partner to see if they have similar charts.
Give an introduction to deforestation by explaining that there are lots of different environmental issues that effect where and how we live. Some things are caused by humans, some are not but most things that happen to the environment are a combination of natural causes and human causes. Give an example of something that happens in the environment that can be explained by natural causes and human causes (use one of their examples from earlier if possible). Example: Global warming - it is natural for the earth to change temperatures over time (different eras of time) however, this is happening much faster because of the machines humans use (cars, factories, etc.) that cause the globe to warm faster Can someone think of another example of something that happens to this earth that is both natural and effected by humans?
Today's issue that we are going to focus on is deforestation. Can anyone guess what that means? Yes, that's when we cut down a lot of trees. Can anyone think of reasons why humans want to cut down trees? Even just looking in this room, what can we think of that came from trees? (paper, the structure of this building, etc.) Now based on everything we have learned in this unit, let's make a list of why it would be bad for the environment to cut down a bunch of trees. Think of the food web, energy transfer, the movement of matter. Think about other plants and animals, the sun, water, and anything that might be effected by cutting down trees.
Next, the students will connect the dots with all of these prompting questions and they will make a chart (example attached below). In this chart they will write down problems, causes, the impact on the environment, and steps to protect the environment. First they will try this on their own and if there are a lot of gaps or inconsistencies in the beginning that is okay. They will then discuss and check with a partner to see if they have similar charts.
Explain
The students will still be using their charts, but now we will watch a video that will fill in some gaps for the students. They should be able to discover a lot of aspects of deforestation and its effects before this video because we have been learning about how important each part of an ecosystem is. This video will help explain the specifics of deforestation: ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/155b1914-bc29-42b0-b2c7-dc8bf60b57de/155b1914-bc29-42b0-b2c7-dc8bf60b57de/. Pause the video throughout to check in with the students and make sure they are following.
After this, allow the students to go back to their chart and add things they gathered from the video. Then we will come back together as a class. Have the same chart they created on a poster board so that you can compile their thoughts into one place for the class to see together. Ask the students to help you fill this out and make it discussion oriented so that the students have to give reasoning for their answers.
The students will use this information to create a comic book page to explain the effects of deforestation and to inspire people to help make a change. You can split the students into groups of four. Each group will create a full comic book, but each student will do their own page on a specific aspect from the lesson. They need to include a lot of pictures with captions or dialogue to show what is going on. They can have the creative freedom to represent deforestation however they choose, but the four topics (one per student in each group) will be as follows:
After this, allow the students to go back to their chart and add things they gathered from the video. Then we will come back together as a class. Have the same chart they created on a poster board so that you can compile their thoughts into one place for the class to see together. Ask the students to help you fill this out and make it discussion oriented so that the students have to give reasoning for their answers.
The students will use this information to create a comic book page to explain the effects of deforestation and to inspire people to help make a change. You can split the students into groups of four. Each group will create a full comic book, but each student will do their own page on a specific aspect from the lesson. They need to include a lot of pictures with captions or dialogue to show what is going on. They can have the creative freedom to represent deforestation however they choose, but the four topics (one per student in each group) will be as follows:
- Explain deforestation
- Describe the cause and effects of deforestation
- Give examples of how deforestation impacts the environment
- Give examples of what we can do to make a change
Elaborate
We spent the whole lesson talking about deforestation and the negative effects of cutting down trees, but there are times when cutting down trees or allowing trees death in natural ways is actually really important. Ask the students if any of them can think of reasons why this might be the case. To help prompt them more, you could show them some before and after pictures of a fire (the big Yellowstone one from the 1980s is a good example). Show three pictures:
- Before the fire with a lot of trees
- After the fire with all the burned trees
- Evidence of the underbrush that grows as a result of the trees being burned down
Evaluate
Formative: The charts the students make that talk about the problem, causes, impact, and solutions.
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Summative: The comic book will be the summative assessment. This will be a compilation of what the students learned about the effects of deforestation and how it relates to energy transfer and the movement of matter.
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Materials
- Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees," written by Franck Prevot (children's book)
- Paper to make the chart
- Paper and color materials for comic book
References
5-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/5-ls1-1-molecules-organisms-structures-and-processes.
5-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/5-ls2-1-ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics.
Prévot, F., & Fronty, A. (2017). Wangari Maathai the woman who planted millions of trees. Watertown: Charlesbridge.
Nelson, Kara. Study of environmental issues: Deforestation. betterlesson.com/lesson/633532/study-of-environmental-issues-deforestation.
5-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/5-ls2-1-ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics.
Prévot, F., & Fronty, A. (2017). Wangari Maathai the woman who planted millions of trees. Watertown: Charlesbridge.
Nelson, Kara. Study of environmental issues: Deforestation. betterlesson.com/lesson/633532/study-of-environmental-issues-deforestation.