Mr. R. Suruj

 

The Bronx Academy of Health Careers

 

The Living Environment

 

                       

 

Introduction:

Our planet is like a living organism ( http://erg.ucd.ie/arupa/references/gaia.html .) Its main parts, the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere interact with each other to maintain an overall balance of nature. Disruption of any one part will undoubtedly cause an imbalance. Humans are rapidly contributing to this imbalance. We have altered planet earth in the last five hundred years in more ways than our predecessors have in the past two thousand. A major damage we have wreaked on our blue planet is the destruction of species. Each organism is part of a grand web of living things interacting with their non-living environment. Biodiversity is necessary for healthy ecosystems. The destruction of species reduces the stability and balance in ecosystems and leads to more losses. This lesson will allow you to explore what biodiversity is and why it is crucial to preserve it.

 

Task:                                    

A. You will be working in teams of 3 to 4. Your team is to accomplish the following:

1.      A Power Point presentation (at least 8 slides) providing data and information on biodiversity, reasons for loss of biodiversity, and policies to protect it.

You and your team members will use the internet (pertinent websites are listed below) and other available resources to do your research. A minimum of six different online websites and three journal articles must be used. You and your team can refer to the PPA for help in your tasks.

2.      Your team will do an oral presentation using the PPA (http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ppa/intro.html) as an aid.

 

 

BIODIVERSITY
 
Process:                                                                               

1.      Form groups of four. Choose a team leader, recorder of information, research specialist and timekeeper to monitor others.

2.      The following T.I.P.S. links (1 – 6) will guide you in completing the six steps of the PPA for your report. Read all directions carefully and then fill out worksheets for each step. Use the websites listed below to complete tasks.

v     Use worksheet #1 to define and describe the problem.

v     Use worksheet #2 to gather evidence for this problem.

v     Use worksheet #3 to determine the causes of this problem.

v     Use worksheet #4 to describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem. Get together as a team again and discuss findings.

v     As a team use worksheet #5 to develop solutions/policies for the problems for this existing policy.

v     9Individually and then as a team, use worksheet #6 to select the best policy for this problem.

3.       You will make an oral presentation to renowned Biologists and Systematists and must be prepared to answer questions on your topic. You will use Power Point to facilitate your presentation. See guidelines below.

Ø      Your first slide should show your name and title of project.

Ø      Use at least seven more slides to conduct your presentation. You may use pictures, drawings, and graphs imported from the hard-drive and / or the Internet.

 

Resources:           

The following websites should help you accomplish tasks.                                                        

You should also avail yourself of the following search engines: Google, AltaVista, and Lycos.

You may return to this website at anytime by clicking on the back button.

 

Glossary:

 

http://www.npc.edu/Bio105/resource/glossary.htm

 

General Information:

 

http://www.wri.org/wri/biodiv/bri-ntro.html

 

http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/Envfacts/facts/biodiversity.htm

 

http://www.ciesin.org/docs/002-616/002-616.html

http://www.eco-online.qld.edu.au/novascotia/index.html

 

Causes for Biodiversity Loss:

 

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/policy/macro_economics/root_causes.cfm

 

http://www.fern.org/pages/cbd/bioloss.html

 

http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/invasives.html

 

http://www.iisd.org/agri/nebraska/focus4.htm

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/agriculture/forums/Patricia-Dines/msg00044.html

 

 

Integrated Pest Management

 

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/ipm.htm

 

http://www.irri.org/Biodiversity/sustainable.htm

 

http://www.irri.org/Biodiversity/teaching.htm

 

http://www.iisd.org/agri/nebraska/focus4.htm#Question2

 

http://www.iisd.org/agri/nebraska/focus4.htm#Question3

 

News Releases:

 

http://www.cec.org/news/details/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=2441

 

 

 

Evaluation:

 

 

 

Name: ________________________

Teacher:

 

 

Your oral presentation will be graded according to the following rubric:

Points

5

4

3

2

1

Eye Contact

Holds attention of entire audience with the use of direct eye contact

Consistent use of direct eye contact with audience.

Displayed little eye contact with audience.

Displayed minimal eye contact with audience.

No eye contact with audience

Pacing

Excellent use of drama and student meets apportioned time interval

Good use of drama and student meets apportioned time interval

Delivery is patterned, but does not meet apportioned time interval.

Delivery is in bursts and does not meet apportioned time interval.

Delivery is either too quick or too slow to meet apportioned time interval

Voice

Use of fluid speech and inflection maintains the interest of the audience.

Satisfactory use of inflection but does not consistently use fluid speech.

Displays some level of inflection throughout delivery.

Consistently uses a monotone voice.

Whispers or mumbles, hardly audible.

Introduction and Closing

Student delivers open and closing remarks that capture the attention of the audience and set the mood.

Student displays clear introductory or closing remarks.

Student clearly uses either an introductory or closing remark, but not both.

Student does not display clear introductory or closing remarks.

No introduction or closing remarks.

Visuals

Student made excellent use of visuals to reinforce screen text and presentation.

Visuals related to text and presentation.

Student occasional used visuals that support text and presentation.

Student occasional used visuals that rarely support text and presentation.

Student used no visuals.

 

 

New York State Performance Standards: 

 

This web quest focuses on the following Science Performance Standards:

     S5 Scientific Thinking

S5d: Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and opinion.

S5e: Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations.

S5f: Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and data.

      S6 Scientific Tools and Technologies

S6d: Acquires information from multiple sources.

      S7 Scientific Communication

S7a: Represents data and results in multiple ways.

S7b: Argues from evidence.

 

This web quest also focuses on the following English Language Arts Performance Standards:

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a:  Produce a report of information.

E3c:  Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

E4b:  Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

 

 Conclusion:       

By accomplishing the tasks of this project, you will gain insight as to why biodiversity is crucial and why its rapid loss is a social problem that affects all of us.  You will learn some of the existing causes of biodiversity loss and should be able to list your own reasons.

 

In preparing your Power Point Presentation and the written report, you will be able to profile policies that are already in place and recommend new approaches that will put a check on biodiversity loss.

 

You will gain insight as to the need for rapid intervention and reveal ways in which we can all contribute at the local and global levels to preserve biodiversity for present and future generations.

 

You will become familiar: with the PPA-format for future Web Quests and Power Point Presentations; and the use of technology to learn.                      

                                          

 

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