Unit Planning

What follows is one of many ways to plan a unit. No one method of planning is prescribed for use. What is important is that unit be planned. Through planning, the maximum benefit for the students in each classroom can be achieved. The topics can be adapted to the interest, needs, and conditions which prevail within each class. Unit planning is an important part of adapting the curriculum to the classroom.

Unit Overview

This unit builds upon understandings developed during elementary and middle level science classes. How animals adapt to their environment, the effects of weather on living organisms and on the abiotic environment, food chains and food webs, human impact on the environment, characteristics of populations and of individuals, and nutrient cycles are all ideas which students entering grade 11 have encountered.

The initial lesson gives students a chance to describe their experiences in, and ideas about, the ecosystems of Saskatchewan, to listen to the experiences of others and to summarize their understandings. Following this introduction, each student group develops a fully articulated plan to study one aspect of one or more ecoregions of Saskatchewan. The plan must clearly outline time lines, types of data to be collected, initial sources of data, as well as how the data will be organized, analyzed and presented.

The students will report their findings to the class and prepare exam questions dealing with their study. These questions may be used on the unit exam. Finally, the class will consider the present and future Saskatchewan environment in a global context .

Ecology is an area of scientific study encompassing a wide range of disciplines such as botany, geology, chemistry, physics, meteorology, agriculture, population dynamics, and economics. Through the study of ecology, students have an opportunity to synthesize and restructure much of their previous experience and understanding to enhance their knowledge of the way the planet works.

Saskatchewan is rich in diverse and unique ecosystems. The study of the local ecosystem gives the students a chance to examine the complexity of their surroundings. At the same time, this unit gives the opportunity to consider other areas of Saskatchewan and appreciate the diversity of the whole province. This study could be integrated with the unit on the diversity of life.

This unit has been written to illustrate how the Dimensions of Scientific Literacy and the Common Essential Learnings can be emphasized in the biology classroom. In addition, a variety of instructional methods and evaluation strategies are encouraged. There are opportunities for adapting the topics and the teaching to the needs and interests of the students. Incorporating the Indian and Métis perspective in the classroom and encouraging participation in a variety of roles by both females and males is illustrated and encouraged.

Many of the goals expressed in the previous paragraph can be achieved through appropriate use of cooperative learning groups. Group activities require individual commitment to the task and a sustained, quality commitment to the group. There must be con crete, legitimate evaluation of the group's performance at specified intervals by each individual member of the group. This stimulates individuals to maintain a commitment to the group, and provides information for the group about their progress in the task and about their progress as a functional group. Ideas on cooperative group learning can be found in Together We Learn by Judy Clarke.

Benefits of cooperative group learning include:

• student-centred learning, with the teacher as a facilitator;
• the opportunity to use alternative, and several, types of evaluation;
• teachers and student experiencing methods from each of the five categories of instructional strategies; and,
• using resource-based approaches.

Unit Outline

Part 1 - Discovery of information (3 hours)
Part 2 - Planning for the study (1-2 hours)
Part 3 - The Study (7 hours)
Part 4 - Preparing for Reporting (3 hours)
Part 5 - Describing the ecosystems (4 hours)
Part 6 - Saskatchewan, and the global context (6-7 hours)

Unit Overview

Unit Outline

Guidelines for Groups

Unit Plan

Preplanning Requirements

As long as possible before starting this unit, start gathering resources for student to use in parts 1, 3 and 6. Keep in mind the principles outlined in Selecting Fair and Equitable Learning Materials (Saskatchewan Education, 1991) and Divers e Voices (Saskatchewan Education, 1992) when acquiring resources. The reference list in this model unit (page 77) is one place to start. Science: A Bibliography for the Secondary Level - Biology, Chemistry, Physics will have citations for useful sources of information. Scan newspapers and magazines for articles dealing with the environment of Saskatchewan and with world environmental issues. Consult immediately with the teacher-librarian and other school staff to enlist their help in locating resources.

Consider how this unit can be integrated in your course outline. Part 3 of the unit - the student research - would best be spread over four to eight weeks. This would allow students time for finding resources, for planning and executing experiments , and reflecting on what they are doing.

Unit Overview

Unit Outline

Preplanning Requirements

Unit Plan

Guidelines for Groups

Some principles which should guide each group's work during this unit are outlined below. Detailed instructions for each task are included in the full description of the unit. Distribute this list to all students when beginning this unit.

• Within the limits of time and resources, gather information which is as complete as possible.
• Document all the information you collect. Documentation can include maps of an area, tapes of interviews, pictures of areas or organisms, drawings, bibliographical notations, and so on. It should be possible for anyone to relocate or confirm your in formation or sources now or in years to come.
• Review the data you have collected for bias. One type of bias is indicated by the name of the publishing organization or information about the author(s). Another is in the presentation. Selecting Fair and Equitable Learning Materials (Saskatchewan Education, 1991) and Diverse Voices (Saskatchewan Education, 1992) give guidance on identifying bias in written and audio-visual materials.
• To facilitate information sharing among all groups in the class, ensure that the information collected daily is turned in as a group package to the teacher, as well as being recorded on the group's summary sheet. Each component of this group package must be identified by the individual collector's name and the date collected.
• Decide how to share your section with the class. A concise summary of the submitted information, checked by the teacher, should be duplicated for each member of the class.
• Create at least three test questions worth a total of 30 marks on a 100 mark one hour test, with an answer key for each question. These questions may become part of the unit test.

References to objectives, factors of the Dimensions of Scientific Literacy and assessment strategies follow each of the activities of this unit. They are listed to help you become familiar with the full range of instructional goals during Biology 20. This is not meant to imply that the objectives listed are the only objectives which can be achieved, or that the evaluation techniques are the only ones which can be used. They are there to emphasize that consideration of these helps ensure the development of an understanding of science in all its facets.

The Biology learning objectives listed are taken from the Curriculum Guide. Some have been modified to fit the goals of this model unit. New objectives which arise from the students' ideas or concerns during the class discussions, or which are added from your experiences and perceptions of the study are encouraged. The Common Essential Learnings objectives are foundational objectives, and as such are much broader and less specific than the Biology learning objectives. Learning objectives directed towards achievement of these CEL foundational objectives can be found in Incorporating the Common Essential Learnings and the Adaptive Dimension: A Resource Package (Saskatchewan

Education, 1991), a resource distributed with the inservice/leadership package for Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice (Saskatchewan Education, 1991).

Adjust the time allotted, add, delete or modify activities as appropriate. Customize this unit to fit the needs of your students and the facilities and resources with which you work.

Model Unit

Unit Planning Guide

References

References

Andrews, W. (1986). Investigating Terrestrial Ecosystems. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall.

Andrews, W. (1986). Investigating Aquatic Ecosystems. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall.

Canadian Wildlife Federation. (1991). Project WILD Activity Guide. Ottawa, ON.

Clarke, Judy. (1990). Together We Learn: Cooperative Small Group Learning. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall.

Gayton, Don. (1990). The Wheatgrass Mechanism. Saskatoon: Fifth House Publishers.

Gilroy, Doug. (1976). Prairie Birds in Colour. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.

Prairie Habitat Joint Venture Board. (1990). Prairie Habitat: A Prospectus. (Contact Saskatchewan Parks and Renewable Resources, Wildlife Branch, Ducks Unlimited or the Canadian Wildlife Service for copies.)

Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA). (1988). Prairie Soils: The Case for Conservation. Regina.

Richards, J. Howard and Fung, K.I. (1969). Atlas of Saskatchewan. Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Agriculture. (1982). Understanding Salt-Affected Soils. Regina.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund. (1991). Managing Saskatchewan Rangeland. Regina.

Saskatchewan Education. (1991). Incorporating the Common Essential Learnings and the Adaptive Dimension: A Resource Package. Regina.

Saskatchewan Education. (1991). Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook. Regina.

Saskatchewan Environment. (1980). Landscapes:A Guide to the Landforms and Ecology of Southern Saskatchewan. Regina.

Saskatchewan Environment and Public Safety. (1991). Environmental Challenges Ä The Report of the Saskatchewan Environmental Assessment Review Commission. Regina.

Savory, Allan. (1988). Holistic Resource Management. Washington, DC: Island Press.

University of Saskatchewan Extension Department. (1987). Guide to Farm Practice. Saskatoon. (out of print)

Vance, F., Jowsey, J. and McLean, J. (1984). Wildflowers Across the Prairies. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.

Willock, Thomas. (1990). A Prairie Coulee. Edmonton: Lone Pine Publishing.

Canada Land Inventory soil maps are available for purchase from Canada Map Office, Energy, Mines, Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E9

Saskatchewan soils maps are available from Saskatchewan Soil Survey Office, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 0W0