Daily Lesson GAME Plan (Problem Based Learning Lesson)
Lesson Title: Endangered Animals Grade Level: Middle Grades (8th Grade cience) Content Standards: #$% E&'lain ho( se&ual re'roduction results in genetic !ariability (hich leads to natural selection$ #$) Discuss the relationshi' bet(een s'eciation* natural selection* ada'tation* and e&tinction$ ISTE NETS-S +$ ,reati!ity and inno!ation /$ ,ommunication and collaboration #$ 2esearch and information fluency Instructional Objective(s): tudents (ill de!elo' a 'lan to sa!e an endangered animal from e&tinction$ 3he 'lan (ill include a (ritten argument for go!ernment funding* an identification list of en!ironmental threats* and a breeding 'rogram outline$ A,34"N e!ore-Class "re#aration: 3he com'uter lab should be signed out for a full (ee. to ensure that any delays5'roblems can be handled (ithout students losing (or. time$ 3he students should already .no( about food chains from 're!ious years* but a re!ie( may be necessary$ 3he teacher (ill co!er the conce't of breeding 'rograms in an earlier Genetics unit$ 3he teacher (ill create a list of fifteen endangered s'ecies that may be researched$ 3he [Link] of (riting 'ersuasi!e essays is co!ered in English class$ During ,lass 3ime #6- class 'eriods Day + instruction and choose s'ecies Day / research and Po(erPoint design 4nstructional Acti!ities +) 3he last 'art of natural selection (e&tinction) (ill be discussed as the rise of mammals (as due to the elimination of dinosaur com'etition$ Materials and 2esources ,om'uters (ith internet access Microsoft Po(erPoint Microsoft 7ord -$ ,ritical [Link]* 'roblem sol!ing* and decision [Link] 0$ Digitial citi1enshi' %$ 3echnology o'erations and conce'ts Related Lessons: Natural selection and affecting factors Unit: E!olution G"AL
Day # 8inish Po(erPoint creation and letter Day - 'resentations
/) tudents (ill be 'aired together by the teacher$ 3hey (ill choose from a list of fifteen endangered s'ecies to research$ 3hey (ill ans(er the 9uestion: ;o( can humans hel' sto' the e&tinction of your chosen animal s'ecies< 7hat can they do to hel' the re'o'ulation of the s'ecies< #) tudents (ill com'lete three tas.s i) ,reate a list of the factors that ha!e caused the 'o'ulation reduction$ ii) De!elo' a solution to sa!e and re'o'ulate the (ild (ith the s'ecific s'ecies$ iii) 7rite a 'ersuasi!e letter to the go!ernment of the animal=s homeland to su''ort funding the s'ecies= sur!i!al$ -) 3he final 'roduct (ill be a short # slide Po(erPoint that tells the class about the chosen s'ecies and their 'light$
Notes: 3he 7orld 7ildlife 8und has a listing of +>> endangered s'ecies along (ith information about habitats and threats against the animals on their (ebsite htt':55((($(orld(ildlife$org5home$html$ 3his can be used for original research by the teacher to choose the +0 s'ecies as (ell as the students for a fact basis$ M"N43"2 On$oin$ %ssess&ent(s): tudents (ill be gi!en a class 'artici'ation grade for their (or.* remaining on tas.* and their 'resentations$ 3he teacher (ill monitor during the (or. sessions$ tudents (ill recei!e a formal grade for their 'ersuasi!e letter$ %cco&&odations and E'tensions:
tudents are e&'ected to do their (or. in class$ ;o(e!er* they (ill be allo(ed to use &6bloc. and ; time to also (or. on the 'ro?ect$ 3his (ill allo( students (ho do not ha!e internet access at home the same o''ortunity to finish on time$ ome students may be gi!en a brainstorming guide to hel' them organi1e their 'ersuasi!e letters$ ac(-u# "lan: 4f the com'uter lab is only a!ailable for a limited time* the Po(erPoint 'resentations can be re'laced (ith standard 'resentations that include homemade 'osters$ 7hile this is not 'referable* resources are limited$ 3he student research and argument is the ma?or focus of the lesson$ E@ALAA34"N Lesson Re!lection and Notes: 3his lesson is designed to e&'ose students to areas of science that they can acti!ely be in!ol!ed in at their current ages as (ell as (hen they get older$ By limiting the choices* the teacher is able to control the outcome (ithout directly instructing the course(or.$ Pairing (ill also be essential in [Link] grou's that ha!e enough technology [Link] to be inde'endent$
