Lindsey Polizzotti

Date: 5/1-5/5
Title: Environmental Issues in the Biomes
Purpose: To apply general knowledge of environmental problems and human impact to identify
and describe problems within a biome and evaluate solutions for addressing the problems.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will answer a series of questions to guide them through researching an environmental
problem of their choice related to their assigned biome.
Students will create a webpage to summarize their research on their chosen environmental
problem.

Student Objectives:
I can identify environmental problems within my biome and describe how humans contribute to
each problem.
I can define an environmental problem and identify what contributes to the problem and
secondary effects it can have on the environment.
I can research and evaluate the effectiveness of potential solutions in their ability to reduce the
environmental problem.

Standards:
7.MS-LS2-4 Analyze data to provide evidence that disruptions (natural or human-made) to any
physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
7.MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for protecting an ecosystem. Discuss benefits
and limitations of each design.
7.MS-LS2-6(MA) Explain how changes to the biodiversity of an ecosystem- the variety of
species found in the ecosystem- may limit the availability of resources humans use.
7.MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence that human activities and
technologies can mitigate the impact of increases in human population and per capita
consumption of natural resources on the environment.

Lesson Outline Monday.

 1) Go over objectives
2) Brainstorm a list of general environmental problems they know of from prior background
knowledge and the recent documentary we watched, the 11th hour.
a) Global warming, Forest fires, pollution (air, water, waste), climate change,
deforestation and loss of habitat, poaching, non-native/invasive species.
3) Hand out research packet.
4) Go over Part 1: Students will create a list of environmental problems within their biome
with their group by using a variety of sources.
5) Students will check in with teacher then rank the issues/problems from 1 being most
critical to address and higher numbers less critical based on their groups opinion.
6) With guidance of teacher students select an environmental problem from their list they
are interested in learning more about.
7) Remind students that they will start their individual research tomorrow.
Lesson Outline Tuesday.
1) Review Objectives
2) Go over part 3: Individual Research expectations.
a) Individual research
b) Comprehensive
c) Check for website quality
d) Remember to record all your resources, may help to use a numbered system.
3) Check in with students as they work to ensure they are on track.
4) Let students know they should have completed research on part 3 A-D. before
tomorrows class.
Lesson Outline Wednesday.
1) Review Objectives
2) Go over part 3: Individual Research expectations E-G
a) Evaluating solutions
b) Do not limit yourself to just the common fixes. Look up new innovations,
research, combination of solutions etc.
c) Be specific, just saying stop global warming is not a solution. Need to give
specific ways to do that.
d) You may want to use an additional sheet of paper for added details.
3) Check in with students as they work to ensure they are on track.
4) Let students know they should have completed research on part 3 E-G before tomorrows
class.
Lesson Outline Thursday
1) Review Objectives
2) Go over final pat of individual research, H and Part 4: adding research to the website.
a) Remind students to go back and make sure all parts are filled in.
b) Review how to get to google sites to access their website and that this will be a
page within their teams website.
3) Check in with students as they work to ensure they are on track. Help anyone who is
behind in their research.
4) Look over their solutions pages to ensure they added enough detail.
5) Let students know they should have all their in depth research completed before
tomorrows class.

Lesson Outline Friday

1) Review Objectives
2) Distribute and go over rubric for grading website
a) Both their individual pages and group page but focus on the individual for today.
b) Reassure them they will have two weeks (after next week) to complete their team
and individual web pages.
c) Remind them that they need to cite their sources and make sure the text on their
page is in their own words.
d) Remind students to use the rubric as a checklist to ensure they dont leave
anything out.
3) Check in with students as they work. Make sure they have completed their research.
4) Remind students to have a great weekend and rest up for MCAS on monday. Reassure
them they do not need to work on the webpage over the weekend.

Resources: Building Prior Knowledge used the resources below.

Watched 11th hour documentary last week for background information.
Pearson Interactive Science Grade 7 textbook.
No Impact Project Curriculum http://noimpactproject.org