Ms. Tumino

JHS 144

Microsoft Clip Art

Biodiversity is the variety of life. Currently, we have only identified 1.7 million species on Earth. However, some scientists believe that there may be only 100 million species on Earth. Most people recognize biodiversity of species at different levels. Some may look at a high level of biodiversity, which would be look at all species on Earth and some may look at biodiversity on a lower level, which may mean only focusing on species in an isolated area, such as a pond.

Biodiversity is important to people and the health of the ecosystem. It provides us with things like: food, materials, medical discoveries, clean water, and oxygen. All organisms play some role in an ecosystem. Some are producers, including plants and certain bacteria that can synthesize foodstuffs from gaseous and other non-living sources. Others are herbivores (deer and songbirds), carnivores (foxes and vultures) and decomposers (most fungi and bacteria). All of these— including you — are a part of a cycle of energy that is captured from the physical environment, and degraded from one level of organisms to another before being returned to the non-living world. If one of the major links in this "food chain" is eliminated, the cycle may be permanently disrupted. However, even with all the benefits of biodiversity, biodiversity has been threatened. Extinction is a natural part on Earth. Over the course of Earth’s history, most species have eventually become extinct due to slow, gradual changes on Earth. However, more currently, species are going extinct at an accelerated, dangerous rate due to non-natural environmental changes caused by human activities.

You are a part of a team of conservation biologists brought in to assess the state of biodiversity loss in New York State. You will investigate the core reason for this problem, assess its severity, and evaluate the effectiveness of the public policies currently in place to address biodiversity loss. Finally, your team will design a policy that will fill the gaps found in the existing policies.

As science students, you and your classmates are very much interested in finding out whether there is really a problem with biodiversity in New York State that might have been caused by human activities such as things like pollution or removal of habitats as a result of building. Utilizing the internet and textbook resources, your research should produce a PowerPoint presentation (7 slides minimum) that uses the TIPS Science Public Policy Analyst steps noted below under Process. Your goal will be to evaluate existing public policies relative to biodiversity and, upon analysis, suggest new policies to address the problem of loss of biodiversity.

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Your classmates—individually or in groups—will use the Science PPA steps indicated below to complete your project. You must review and complete the worksheet(s) applicable to each step in the process. This will help you to develop and complete your investigation. The Science PPA steps are as follows:

o Define the problem

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html

o Gather Evidence

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/gather.html

o Identify Causes

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/identify.html

o Evaluate a Policy

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/existing.html

o Develop a Solution

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html

o Select the Best Solution

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/bestsol.html

Microsoft Clip Art

Ø New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/279.html

Ø New York State Biodiversity Clearing House

http://www.nybiodiversity.com/threats.html

Ø New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation

http://www.nysparks.com/environment/biodiversity.aspx

	1	2	3	4
Presentation of Information CCLS W.6.2a CCLS W.6.2f CCLS W.6.4	Topic is not introduced. Ideas, concepts, and information are disorganized. Strategies such as definition, classification, conparison/contrast, and cause/effect; including formatting, graphics, and multimedia are not used to aid comprehension. A concluding statement or section is omitted or irrelevant. Ending is abrupt.	Topic is not clearly introduced. Ideas, concepts, and information are basically organized . Strategies such as definition, classification, conparison/contrast, and cause/effect; including formatting, graphics, and multimedia may not be used to aid comprehension. A weak concluding statement or section follows vaguely from the information or explanation presented.	Topic is introduced. Ideas, concepts, and information are organized using strategies such as definition, classification, conparison/contrast, and cause/effect; including formatting, graphics, and multimedia to aid comprehension. A concluding statement or section follows from the information or explanation presented.	Topic is clearly introduced, previewing what is to follow. Ideas, concepts, and information are logically organized using many strategies such as definition, classification, conparison/contrast, and cause/effect; including formatting, graphics, and multimedia to aid comprehension. A strong concluding statement or section follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
Information and Evidence CCLS W.6.2b CCLS W.6.9 CCLS W.6.7 CCLS R.6.1	Topic is insufficiently developed. Facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples are insufficient or inaccurate. Sources are not credible. Evidence fails to support analysis, reflection, or research.	Topic is partially developed with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples, using some credible nonfictional sources. Evidence besically supports analysis, reflection, and research.	Topic is sufficiently developed with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, and other information and examples, using several credible nonfictional sources. Evidence supports analysis, reflection, and research.	. Topic is well developed with many relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, and other information and examples, using many credible nonfictional sources. Evidence strongly supports analysis, reflection, and research.
Language and Wording CCLS W.6.2c CCLS L.6.3 CCLS L.6.3a CCLS L.6.6 CCLS CCRL.3 CCLS CCRL. 6	Sentence patterns are highly repetitive and basic. General vocabulary is far below grade-appropriate. Domain-specific vocabulary is not used. Appropriate transitions to clarify relationships among ideas and concepts are not effectively used.	Sentence patterns are not varied for meaning, reader interest, and style. Writing is repetitive. General vocabulary is slightly below grade-appropriate. Little domain-specific vocabulary is used. Some appropriate transitions indicate relationships among ideas and concepts.	Sentence patterns are adequately varied for meaning, reader interest, and style. General vocabulary is grade-appropriate. Domain-specific vocabulary is used throughout paper. Appropriate transitions clarify relationships among ideas and concepts.	Sentence patterns are highly varied for meaning, reader interest, and style. General vocabulary includes words and phrases beyond grade level. Domain-specific vocabulary is properly used throughout paper. Appropriate transitions create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
Conventions of Standard English CCLS L.6.2 CCLS CCRL.1 CCLS CCRL. 2	Command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling not demonstrated. Many errors interfere with comprehension.	Command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling is weak. Few errors appear, some of which may interfere with comprehension.	Command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling is clear. Errors are minimal and do not interfere with comprehension.	Command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling is clear. May include few minor errors that do not interfere with comprehension.
Revision CCLS W.6.5	With some guidance and support from peers and adults, writing remains undeveloped and is not strengthened by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.	With some guidance and support from peers and adults, writing is somewhat developed and strengthened by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.	With some guidance and support from peers and adults, writing is developed and strengthened by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.	With some guidance and support from peers and adults, writing is developed and strengthened by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Purpose and audience are addressed.
Adherence to Task CCLS W.6.4	Many aspects of the task have not been addressed. Many specifics may be incomplete or omitted.	Most aspects of the task are addressed. Some specifics may be omitted or too generally addressed.	All aspects of the task are adequately addressed. No additional elaboration is included.	All aspects of the task are fully addressed, including additional elaboration beyond what was required.

Biodiversity is an important aspect of our lives. It is essential that humans do everything that we can to reduce the threat of biodiversity. The more you spread this message, the more humans will be aware of ways to conserve life. Your PowerPoint presentation, which included your PPA Steps was your first step in spreading the message. Now, it is your responsibility as a citizen to find other ways to continue this extremely important conversation.

English Language Arts Standards

CCLS W.6.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

CCLS W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCLS W.6.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

CCLS W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

CCLS W.6.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCLS L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCLS L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

CCLS L.6.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

CCLS CCR.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCLS CCR.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCLS CCR.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

CCLS CCR.6: Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Living Environment Standards

Standard 4.3: Individual species change over time.

Standard 4.4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

Standard 4.6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Standard 4.7: Human activities and decisions have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.

Information that was gathered for this webquest was obtained from the following internet sites;

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/169/biodiversity

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-biodiversity-important.html