National 4-H Curriculum

Guided Inquiry Activity Template (unformatted)

NOTE: Prior to sharing this document with Peer Reviewers or
Council, please title the files as follows: Level#Activity# - Activity
Title For example: 1.1 Pantomime for a Purpose
Activity Title: Intro to Ecology
Skill Level Beginning
Learner Outcomes:
1. Be able to explain how a habitat works using select vocab words.
2. Students will identify the effect of invasive species on the environment.
3. Students will demonstrate that they have a working knowledge of the
select vocab words.
4. Students will be able to compare their prior knowledge learned in their
science classes the activities we provide for them.
Education Standard(s): Montgomery County public Schools
Success Indicators: Build a paper habitat, to understand how the species
that live there can survive.
Life Skills
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Will connect different producers/predators/consumers/prey to
ecosystems Virginia.
Tags: ecosystems, environments, habitats, ecology, Food Chains, Food Webs,
Ecological Pyramids , earth science, eco kids, rainforest, ocean, etc.

Time Needed (to complete the activity: 45 minutes

Materials List (includes, supplies, equipment, handouts) (list none if no
materials are needed)
1. Flip Chart Paper
2. Markers/Crayons
3. Colored Paper
4. Printed Sheets (Animals, Plants, Bugs, Invasive Species
5. Note Cards (Review Game)
6. Scissors
7. Glue Sticks
Space (setting needed to conduct the activity): one large classroom, so the
groups for the activity can be spread out a little.

Suggested Group Size

3-5 Students per group
Acknowledgements (activity author, author title, activity adapted from if
appropriate; we must have permission if we are adapting an activity)
Introduction Not all species that call Virginia their home are native to the state. Typically
species that are native to the region are species that were in a region before
human habitation. Many of the non-native species introduced to Virginia
were introduced for production reasons. Virginia Places states that, The
balance of nature in the state of Virginia has been tilted by non-native
species. Some were brought here - cows, horses, honeybees, pigs, potatoes,
and most other agriculturally-valuable species are not native to Virginia.
Even the species of tobacco that we grow is not native. Even with that said
not all species that are brought are good, these harmful species are known
as Invasive Species, these animals are typically harmful to the environment
they are in. They may eat food that is needed by native species, or even
destroy the habitat that they live in.
Opening Questions:
-what would your definition of ecology be based on the information you
already know?
- What is one of your favorite habitats in the state of Virginia?
- do you know what an invasive species is?
- Why are there different habitats within each state, or city?
-have you ever seen an invasive species in person?
Background information:
Experience explain the step by step process of what the facilitator would
do.Follow the experiential learning cycle. Explain:

Before the Activity (steps facilitator must take prior to the

activity)

Lets Do It! (steps to conduct the activity)

Talk It Over:
Share: why are we going over what knowledge you already have before
talking about this new lesson/activity?

Why are we going over some basic vocabulary before completing the
activities? This is to help the learners remember what the terms such as
predator or prey mean and how they fit into a habitat.
Why did we have you build these ecosystems? Building the ecosystems is
a way for the learners to be creative and have to think through what each
species is in their habitat before labeling them. This was also so they could
have experience sharing with other what they have learned. This is a way for
the teacher to make sure they have an understanding of the material.
Reflect: which one of the animals in your ecosystem is the predator? Why
are they?
What is the importance of this ecosystem?
What is the main food source for the predator animals in your ecosystem?
Generalize: How do invasive species affect our lives?
Are invasive species good for the ecosystem?
Can the different habitats have an effect on one another?

Term and Concept Discovery

Technology can be such an important part of teaching in todays society.
There is an app called project Noah that allows the students to enter in any
sites in nature and will tell them about what they are seeing and the
importance. The teachers of the students will have to give about two weeks
to let them enter things in and have a learning experience. They can then
come to class ready to share what they have seen and how it is part of the
habitat. This activity will give the learners a chance to share what beginning
knowledge they have before we really get into the details of the lesson. They
can then compare this to what they will have learned after building their
habitats.
Review card game (I have, who has?) this card game is made on flash cards
with pictures of species. The learners will play the game by one person
starting by saying I have the word who has the picture? Whoever has the
picture will say I have the picture of who has the word? This game is
designed to help them learners thing about the pictures they have and what
type of species they might be( plants, animals, fungi, etc.) this game is a
review to help them with the last activity of building their own habitats.
Through developing a habitat/ ecosystem and being able to label which
species is a consumer, predator, invasive species, producer, etc. will help
them to put the general knowledge to use. This will help them understand
how ecosystems work and function.

Apply: students will apply goal setting, problem solving, leadership skills,
personal exploration, and teamwork.
Variations (other ways to do the activity): watch short videos on multiple
ecosystems. Drawing activity to show how different habitats provide humans
with their needs. Interactive lecture.
References (this is essential if any sources were used to develop and/or
adapt the activity)*
We will be using pictures of the internet to print out foe the students
to use during the activity of building their ecosystem.
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/natural/invasives.html
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/invspfactsheets
Learn More/ Virtual Fun/News/Did You Know these are additional URLs
that would be appropriate top post on the website hosted by National 4-H
Council. You can post the URLs here for now. At the end of this project, the
links will be posted to the website. So, be sure to transfer the links to the
template called Additional Resources (URLs) to submit to Council.
Youth Handouts with answer keys
Artwork/Graphics provided or needed (notes to graphic designers)

Simple pictures of animals, trees, plants, soil, etc. will be printed for the kids
for their ecosystems.