GRADE 2 SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL TASKS. The Environment

Transcription

1 GRADE 2 SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL TASKS The Environment Grade-Level Expectations The exercises in these instructional tasks address content related to the following science grade-level expectation(s): Contents SE-E-A3 Describe a variety of activities related to preserving the environment (GLE 48) SE-E-A4 Describe how consumption of resources can be reduced by recycling, reusing, and conserving (GLE 49) SE-E-A5 Describe ways in which habitat loss or change can occur as a result of natural events or human impact (GLE 50) LS-E-C1 Identify the components of a variety of habitats and describe how organisms in those habitats depend on each other (GLE 35) These instructional tasks contain a set of document- or resource-based exercises about the environment and ways humans can both help and harm the environment. Teachers may choose to use or modify the tasks as part of an instructional lesson or as a formative or summative assessment. The printable student version excludes teacher directions. Objective(s) Scaffolding Exercise 1 Scaffolding Exercise 2 Interpret a diagram Determine specific relationships between living things using a diagram Investigate endangered and threatened animals Investigate natural and human threats to animal populations Scaffolding Exercise 3 Classify actions as ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle Culminating Exercise Plan actions to benefit a particular environment Explain reasoning behind planned actions Scoring Rubric Scoring Notes Printable Student Version

2 Scaffolding Exercise 1 epa.gov Student Directions Step 1: In groups of 3, discuss what this picture shows. As a group, write four specific details it shows. Step 2: Choose three of the living things from the diagram and describe the relationship between them. Present your ideas to the class in the form of a song, poem, or skit.

3 Scaffolding Exercise 2 Teacher Directions The poster above shows Endangered, Threatened, and Candidate Species of Louisiana (2013). Display the poster for students and brainstorm reasons why the specific wildlife pictured might be dying out. As a class, study one of the animals. Investigate natural and human impacts and steps being taken to protect the animal. Image from:

4 Reduce Reuse Recycle Scaffolding Exercise 3 Student Directions Some of your friends saw the sign above in their neighborhood. They wanted to see if people are following directions on the sign and helping the environment. They kept a log over the next 3 days. Your friends need your help organizing the log. With a partner, make a chart like the one above. Organize the sentences on your chart to help find out if people are following the three R s. Some of the sentences may not belong on your chart.

5 A boy shared his books with a friend. A man took his own grocery bags to the store. A woman went to the secondhand store to buy a shirt for working outside. A man threw his empty drink can in the garbage. A girl turned off the lights when she went out of the room. A man rode his bike to the store instead of driving his car. A family used empty bottles to plant vegetable seeds. A boy turned off the water while he was brushing his teeth. A family drove around because they didn t have anything fun to do. A girl started a compost pile in her backyard. A girl used left-over fabric to make a tent to play in. A woman unplugged her computer when she wasn t using it.

6 Culminating Exercise Student Directions Kerri went camping in Louisiana. He wanted to do something good for the environment before he left. Write about two things he might do. Describe how each thing Kerri will do helps the environment.

7 Rubric Key Elements: A. Response clearly describes one way Kerri can help the environment AND the benefit of this action. B. Response clearly describes a second way Kerri can help the environment AND the benefit of this action. 2 Points Response includes both key elements. Response contains no scientific errors. 1 Point Response includes one of the key elements. Response may include scientific errors. 0 Point Response does not include any key elements.

8 Scoring Notes The following are examples only. All reasonable, valid responses should be accepted. Kerri walked around the campground and picked up litter that was on the ground. He recycled things like plastic, cans, and paper. This made the campground look clean and kept animals from getting sick or hurt from human trash. He also kept a lot of garbage out of the landfills by putting things in the recycling bin. Kerri asked the campground worker if any of the local animals were endangered. He learned that Louisiana Pine Snake is in danger of becoming Threatened. Kerri knows that many people kill snakes. He made posters with drawings of the Louisiana Pine Snake. He wrote on the poster, Don t harm me. I help the environment. Then Kerri put the posters up all around the campground. Kerri saw that there were no recycling bins around the campground. There were only garbage cans. He talked to the manager and they decided to create recycling bins out of plastic storage containers the manager was about to throw away. Kerri made signs for the bins and put them around the campground. This helped the environment because less garbage was thrown away. Kerri made signs to clearly mark hiking trails around the campground. This helped keep people out of the rest of the woods. Animals need some parts of the woods just for themselves so their ecosystem isn t hurt by people.

9 Printable Student Version

10 Step 1: In groups of 3, discuss what this picture shows. As a group, write four specific details it shows. Step 2: Choose three of the living things from the diagram and describe the relationship between them. Present your ideas to the class in the form of a song, poem, or skit.

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12 Reduce Reuse Recycle Some of your friends saw the sign above in their neighborhood. They wanted to see if people are following directions on the sign and helping the environment. They kept a log over the next 3 days. Your friends need your help organizing the log. With a partner, make a chart like the one above. Organize the sentences on your chart to help find out if people are following the three R s. Some of the sentences may not belong on your chart.

13 A boy shared his books with a friend. A man took his own grocery bags to the store. A woman went to the secondhand store to buy a shirt for working outside. A man threw his empty drink can in the garbage. A girl turned off the lights when she went out of the room. A man rode his bike to the store instead of driving his car. A family used empty bottles to plant vegetable seeds. A boy turned off the water while he was brushing his teeth. A family drove around because they didn t have anything fun to do. A girl started a compost pile in her backyard. A girl used left-over fabric to make a tent to play in. A woman unplugged her computer when she wasn t using it.

14 Kerri went camping in Louisiana. He wanted to do something good for the environment before he left. Write about two things he might do. Describe how each thing Kerri will do helps the environment.