Ecosystem Investigations
by Laura Lombas, lmlombas@charter.net

Content Area(s)
English/Language Arts
Science

Grade Level(s)
3, 4, 

Overview
Students will research, document, and report on five important ecosystems in Louisiana. They will work in cooperative groups to highlight the organisms in an assigned ecosystem then create a presentation for the other groups. The presentation will consist of a slide show and reports on specific organisms from the ecosystem.

Software
Notepad
Sketchy

Technology
Digital camera feature in Zire 72
“Knee Deep In Wetlands” CD
”Explore Coastal Louisiana with Boudreaux” CD
Power Point
Computer and Presentation Station
Websites:

http://www.cajunprairie.org/

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/

http://lacoast.gov/

http://www.laforestry.com/resources/resource3.htm

http://www.lastateparks.com/arbor/Arbor2.htm

Objectives
Students will perform investigations of life in Louisiana ecosystems.
Students will identify different plants and animals native to each Louisiana ecosystem.

LS-E-A4 recognizing that there is great diversity among organisms;

LS-E-B1 observing and describing the life cycles of some plants and animals;

LS-E-B3 observing and recording how the offspring of plants and animals are similar to their parents;

LS-E-C1 examining the habitats of plants and animals and determining how basic needs are met within each habitat;

LS-E-C2 describing how the features of some plants and animals enable them to live in specific habitats;

Use technology resources to assist in problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (2,4

Use technology tools (e.g., publishing, multimedia tools, and word processing software) for individual and for simple collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities for a variety of audiences.

Use a variety of developmentally appropriate resources and productivity tools (e.g., logical thinking programs, writing and graphic tools, digital cameras, graphing software) for communication, presentation, and illustration of thoughts, ideas, and stories (e.g., signs, posters, banners, charts, journals, newsletters, and multimedia presentation.) (1,

Procedures
1. Students will use the internet, cd's, and reference books to get an overview of the different ecosystems in Louisiana.
2. Students will view websites and USGS software to identify different organisms native to Louisiana and each ecosystem. Discuss each.
3. Visit the school’s learning walls depicting five different ecosystems. (salt marsh, fresh water marsh, coastal prairie, pine forest & bog, and hardwood forest).
4. Students will be divided into cooperative groups and assigned one of the walls to tour. They will discuss and identify the plants and animals native to that ecosystem by taking photos and typing notes about the ecosystem.
5. Students use the computer to create photo trading cards on an organism that they viewed on the walls.
6. Students will beam their notes on the different species to a designated reporter and create a report on that ecosystem which will be presented to the class.
7.Using Sketchy students can create their own drawings of their favorite organism from the ecosystem and print it for display with the stories.
8. Students’ work is displayed throughout the school.

Other Supporting Material
Ecosystem%20Power%20Point

Submitted on: 5/10/2005 11:30:29 PM