Earth & Space Biology

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Cathleen Hopkins
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1 Earth & Space Biology Biology Grade 7 Grade 7 Biology Earth & Space Earth & Space Grade 7 Grade 7

2 Science 7 This kit blends the Big Ideas in Biology and Earth Science. We can use fossil records, and geological dating as ways to understand the evolutional process of adaptation, survival, and extinction. Changes in continental masses during ice ages are also examined as a means of understanding how organisms change over time. By moving from local to global and back again, we can focus on scientific use of questioning, observing, in the development of ideas. An electronic copy of this teacher guide can be found on Learn71: portal.sd71.bc.ca/group/wyhzgr4/pages/default.aspx

The simple act of asking questions has the massive potential of turning passive learners into actively, engaged

3 Suggested Ways to Embed Assessment for Learning Strategies: When we ask lots of questions, our students get curious and THEY do the work. The simple act of asking questions has the massive potential of turning passive learners into actively, engaged students. So ask lots of content related questions! Scholastic s Issues 21 have units on Climate Change and Ocean Pollution that fit nicely with these science topics. The teacher guides for the units are FILLED with questions!

Suggested Ways to Engage Students in Science Inquiry: A Need to Know PLEASE consider launching this work with a Youtube video from the, Nature is Speaking series.

4 Suggested Ways to Engage Students in Science Inquiry: A Need to Know PLEASE consider launching this work with a Youtube video from the, Nature is Speaking series.. In one of these videos, Julia Roberts voice is that of Mother Nature. The message is profound and clear. Talk about establishing a need to Know! Another video in the Nature is Speaking series features Liam Neeson as the voice of ICE! Driving Questions How can you prove/disprove that evolution exists? After thousands of years, in what ways do organisms change? How have people changed? What can bird beaks tell us about evolution? What contributes to the adaptation, survival or extinction of organisms over time? How does fossil evidence support the evolution of geological time? How and why have Earth and its climate changed over time? How do people and their practices impact Earth over time? What types of activities produce greenhouse gases? An authentic Purpose Significant Content Unfortunately many teachers are experiencing higher numbers of passive students. When we create authentic purposes for their work, we stand a better chance of increasing their levels of engagement. Please consider: Heritage or Inquiry Fair involvement, Showcasing work as a link from the school s website Sharing with buddy classes or on a parent night Write persuasive letters to politicians convincing them of the actions required to provide solutions We loop back to our driving question and our need to know. The content becomes significant when it matters to our students. How can we make this material relevant?

Suggested Ways to Weave Aboriginal Ways of Knowing within this unit: Learning is experiential and place-based: By going to our local museum, connecting with its curators, digging fossils at Trent

5 Suggested Ways to Weave Aboriginal Ways of Knowing within this unit: Learning is experiential and place-based: By going to our local museum, connecting with its curators, digging fossils at Trent River, and visiting the Cumberland Gravel Pit, we are meeting this First People s principle of place-based learning. Recognizing the consequences of one s actions: By examining our role in global warming, and our negative influences on our environment, we offer an exploration or inquiry into the cause and affect of our lifestyle and actions. Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities: When we connect with local experts in our community, we offer a window into career options for our students. Local experts can provide examples of real-world scientists. Elders in our community may have knowledge about fossils or expertise in the areas of study contained within these science strands. Learning Involves patience and time: The concepts within the Biology and Earth & Space units fit together like puzzle pieces that need to be explored. Understanding the connections between these two strands takes time and patience. Learning is Embedded in Memory, History, and Story: Haida Gwai Legend of Raven and the First Peoples

Big Ideas: Many students like to see the big picture before moving into the

Within this science unit there are two stories we want to tell: the story of

development, and the story of the earth s surface based on plate tectonics and

A book like Life of Earth: The Story of Evolution by Steve Jenkins provides

The Mother Nature Series available on Youtube and narrated by celebrities,

8 Big Ideas: Many students like to see the big picture before moving into the details. Within this science unit there are two stories we want to tell: the story of evolutions based on scientific observation, questioning, and thesis development, and the story of the earth s surface based on plate tectonics and the use of fossils as evidence of change over time. A book like Life of Earth: The Story of Evolution by Steve Jenkins provides this big picture introduction. The Mother Nature Series available on Youtube and narrated by celebrities, certainly conveys a strong message about respect for our environment and establishes a need to know. Students will discover how we think the physical changes on earth have happened by examining fossils. They will hypothesize how animals adapted to their changing environment. Once foundational concepts are understood (how changes on our earth affect animals), students are invited to examine, speculate, and investigate how animals and humans will have to adapt over the next period of time when faced with climate change, or living in new environments.

Understanding Changes on our Earth: Climate Change The Climate Change issue from Scholastic s Issues 21 series provides several, informative articles about climate change, the main culprits, and its

71, class sets of this series may be booked through Destiny by doing a, series search of Issues 21.

9 Understanding Changes on our Earth: Climate Change The Climate Change issue from Scholastic s Issues 21 series provides several, informative articles about climate change, the main culprits, and its impacts on our world. These articles fit nicely within this unit and offer a means to an interdisciplinary approach to science through language arts. In S.D. 71, class sets of this series may be booked through Destiny by doing a, series search of Issues 21. Many of our students at the grade 6 and 7 level require explicit instruction to deeply comprehend text. But how do we as intermediate teachers teach this skill explicitly? The following link provides a pictorial lesson sequence in which students are taught how to make notes by carefully examining the organizational structure of text. Just because they know how to read the words, is no guarantee they understand what they have read! You may want to consider this formative sequence as your students read and make notes from these articles about energy. Lesson-Sequence.pdf

Global Warming and Disease The following article,

following article about the connection between global

The 3-Part organization of Issues 21: 1.

10 Global Warming and Disease The following article, available in the Pandemic issue of Issues 21, has the following article about the connection between global warming and the spread of disease. The 3-Part organization of Issues 21: 1. Get to know the issue, 2. What s being done by others about this issue? 3. What can we do about this issue?

11 Adaptive Radiation When Charles Darwin was in the Galapagos Islands, one of the first things he noticed is the variety of finches that existed on each of the islands. All in all, there were many different species of finch which differed in beak shape and overall size. This is adaptive radiation and natural selection at work. Darwin's Finches These finches, better known as 'Darwin's Finches' illustrated adaptive radiation. This is where species all deriving from a common ancestor have over time successfully adapted to their environment via natural selection. Previously, the finches occupied the South American mainland, but somehow managed to occupy the Galapagos Islands, over 600 miles away. They occupied an ecological niche with little competition. As the population began to flourish in these advantageous conditions, intraspecific competition became a factor, and resources on the islands were squeezed and could not sustain the population of the finches for long. Due to the mechanisms of natural selection, and changes in the gene pool, the finches became more adapted to the environment, illustrated by the diagram below.

As competition grew, the finches managed to find new ecological niches that would present less competition and allow them, and their genome to be continued.

12 As competition grew, the finches managed to find new ecological niches that would present less competition and allow them, and their genome to be continued. As indicated by the diagram above, the finches adapted to take advantage of the various food sources available on the island, which were being used by other species. Over the long term, the original finch species may have disappeared, but by diversifying, would stand a better chance of survival. All in all, the finches had adapted to their environment via natural selection, which in turn, has allowed the species to survive in the longer term, the prime directive of any species. Image from: Do ~ An Experiment: Using toothpicks, straws, popsicle sticks, splints, chop sticks, tongs, pick up a variety of objects such as rice, puffed wheat, nuts, and seeds to determine the implements that are best suited for the objects. Connect this experience with the adaptations required by the finches in order to survive. (Dale Mellish has a lab he can provide to be adapted to grade 7)

13 Boxing Strategy To read about the boxing strategy, please check out this link: The link for this placemat is available on the Learn 71 Science page: The placemat strategy called, Boxing based on the work of Dr. Jeffrey Wilhelm utilizes careful observation. Through observation, we want students to notice evolutionary changes in the finches that occupy the Galapagos Islands. The lab that followed is an active, fun introduction to the concept of adaptation, survival, extinction and evolution.

14 Hands-On Learning: Experiment using a variety of tools to pick up a variety of objects. Some tools are better suited to certain objects. Are some bird beaks better suited for specific sources of food? Or build a bird beak using the materials provided! See the science experiment on the next page.

16 Name: Eating Like a Bird Date: Please reflect on the experiment you have just done. Demonstrate through pictures the implements that were used and which ones were most effective in picking up the seeds. What does it reveal about adaptation, survival and extinction?

17 Science Experiment: Which beak is best adapted to pick up the dried, white beans?

18 On pages 82 and 83 of this book called Evolution: Why did fish grow feet? And other stories of life on earth, you will find a chart called, Nearly Human on pages 82 and 83 that looks like the one below. Please invite your students to use the information from this chart as they create a timeline that shows the history of the Earth along with the time period in which humans appeared. We want students to understand that humans are a very recent addition.

Suggested Web Pages: YouTube Video The adaptive radiation of Darwin's Finches https://www.youtube.com/watch?

19 Suggested Web Pages: YouTube Video The adaptive radiation of Darwin's Finches YouTube Video A scientist s explanation of adaptive radiation of Darwin's Finches YouTube Video Natural Selection Adaptive radiation is the relatively fast evolution of many species from a single common ancestor. Adaptive radiation generally occurs when an organism enters a new area and different traits affect its survival. An example of adaptive radiation is the development of mammals after the extinction of dinosaurs. Natural Selection is one of the main concepts found within the theory of evolution. It was discovered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace though Darwin championed the idea in his book "On the Origin of Species". Natural selection can be defined as the process by which random evolutionary changes are selected for by nature in a consistent, orderly, non-random way. When coupled with descent with modification, Natural Selection can cause a population to evolve for fitness within a given environment over multiple generations. YouTube Video The Theory of Evolution Natural Selection is an observable fact. By carefully observing populations of living things with short life cycles you can actually watch it happen. Evolution is often considered a complex and controversial topic but it's actually a very simple concept to understand. Watch this short animation to see how evolution works. YouTube 4.5 Billion Years in 24 Hours YouTube The 6 craziest extinctions ever What does 4.5 billion years of evolution look like in a simple animation? An animated look at history s mass extinctions.

Suggested Web Pages: YouTube Video BBC The First Moments in the Life of a Maruspial YouTube Video Australia's biodiversity: major features YouTube Video Mother Nature with Julia Roberts Website An

20 Suggested Web Pages: YouTube Video BBC The First Moments in the Life of a Maruspial YouTube Video Australia's biodiversity: major features YouTube Video Mother Nature with Julia Roberts Website An Inquiry Unit on Extinction (Please check out Learn 71 for active links.) v=2lckc8turtc Amazing footage of a grey kangaroo giving birth filmed by Australian filmmakers Green Cape Wildlife Films This clip from the BBC's Life of Mammals looks at the different ways of giving birth that have developed in Australia Published on Jul 22, 2014 In the millions of years since Australia separated from Antarctica and drifted north, our continent's biodiversity has evolved mostly in isolation, while periodically taking on new 'passengers' from Asia. Dr Leo Joseph talks about the factors that have shaped Australia's unique biodiversity and how new technology is providing new insights into its evolution. (06:01) Published on Oct 5, 2014 This video features Julia Roberts as Mother Nature. Other videos in the series include: Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford and Ian Somerhalder as they join forces to give nature a voice. Watch the films and take action at index.html The website Galilea.org has an inquiry unit on extinction that begins with fossil work and connecting with local experts. While it was created for a primary class, the sequence of suggested activities would work equally well in an upper intermediate class. YouTube Video Ice Age Website How was our local area affected by the last ice age? *(Please note that a commercial popped up just before the 7 minute mark. Click, Skip Ad. ) unique landscapes on

theory.) Introduce students to NOVA Labs Evolution This site contains a full set of lessons with videos and games to learn about evolution.

21 Click on this link to play the game, Who Wants to Live a Million Years. It s a fun way for students to learn about the rules of natural selection and survival (Click on Learn about Natural Selection to learn about Darwin and his theory.) Introduce students to NOVA Labs Evolution This site contains a full set of lessons with videos and games to learn about evolution. These links are available on Learn 71 by navigating through these links : Intermediate/ Science/New Science Unit/Grade 7/Biology/ Student Resources (English) We were impressed by how well these games reinforced these introductory concepts, and how much students enjoyed them.

Offering Background: (*Please note: This section about plate tectonics rests within the grade 8 Earth & Space curriculum, but the concepts regarding the survival, extinction and adaptation of animals

) The Marsupials The marsupial mammals occupy Australia, and differ from placental mammals because they bear their young inside a pouch.

22 Offering Background: (*Please note: This section about plate tectonics rests within the grade 8 Earth & Space curriculum, but the concepts regarding the survival, extinction and adaptation of animals connects to the grade 7 concepts of evolution, so is included within.) The Marsupials The marsupial mammals occupy Australia, and differ from placental mammals because they bear their young inside a pouch. Long ago, the land mass of Earth consisted of one single continent, Pangaea, where all animals existed. Pangaea When this continent fragmented into smaller continents, the geographical barrier meant the mammals of the time could no longer reproduce with one another. From here on in, the gene pool of these groups of mammals would become increasingly different until they could no longer reproduce with one another. This occurrence applies to the marsupial family of mammals that occupy Australia.

All the marsupials in present day Australia would have evolved from one common ancestor. However, over time and via natural selection, the many marsupial species (i.e. kangaroo and koala) have occupied their own ecological niche and adapted accordingly.

23 All the marsupials in present day Australia would have evolved from one common ancestor. However, over time and via natural selection, the many marsupial species (i.e. kangaroo and koala) have occupied their own ecological niche and adapted accordingly. Kangaroos have long powerful legs to cover the wide area of land that they occupy while the koala's smaller structure and more centralized center of gravity allow them to climb trees and obtain the eucalyptus that they feed on. YouTube Video BBC The First Moments in the Life of a Maruspial YouTube Video Australia's biodiversity: major features YouTube Video Mother Nature with Julia Roberts v=2lckc8turtc Amazing footage of a grey kangaroo giving birth filmed by Australian filmmakers Green Cape Wildlife Films This clip from the BBC's Life of Mammals looks at the different ways of giving birth that have developed in Australia Published on Jul 22, 2014 In the millions of years since Australia separated from Antarctica and drifted north, our continent's biodiversity has evolved mostly in isolation, while periodically taking on new 'passengers' from Asia. Dr Leo Joseph talks about the factors that have shaped Australia's unique biodiversity and how new technology is providing new Published on Oct 5, 2014 This video features Julia Roberts as Mother Nature. Other videos in the series include: Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford and Ian Somerhalder as they join forces to give nature a voice. Watch the films and take action at

24 Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics Please do a search within Destiny using the search word, earthquakes. The following materials are readily available and will add another layer of understanding to this connection between changes in the Earth and the adaptation, extinction, and survival of animals. *(Please note: This section treads into the grade 8 science plate tectonics area of focus, but the concepts regarding the survival, extinction and adaptation of animals connects to the grade 7 concepts of evolution, so is included within.)

Do ~ An Experiment: Create a Stop Motion animation demonstrating the changes to the Earth from the time of a single continent to current geological arrangements.

25 Do ~ An Experiment: Create a Stop Motion animation demonstrating the changes to the Earth from the time of a single continent to current geological arrangements. Local ~ Place-Based In an effort to provide a local context to these understandings (Big Ideas: Theory of Evolution and Earth and Climate Change), we suggest an investigation into local fossils as a source of evidence of change (adaptation, survival, extinction). The local museums, local experts, along with the fossils beds at Trent River provide primary source, hands on opportunities to encourage curiosity, inquiry, questioning, and investigation. Please make arrangements to take your class to Trent with a museum representative for hands on introduction to fossils. The website Galilea.org has an inquiry unit on extinction that begins with fossil work and connecting with local experts. While it was created for a primary class, the sequence of suggested activites would work equally well in an upper intermediate class. Please consider visiting the site: Do ~ An Experiment: Make your own fossil footprint or perhaps use fallen leaves, or windblown evergreens. (plaster of Paris?) We ve played with fossils, so now let s develop a knowledge base about fossils; what they are, how they develop, and how we use them to draw scientific conclusions and develop new theories. The AV2 book, Fossils, is a good place to start. Students may read the book and teachers may project its content on classroom screens (see the media enhanced code on page 2).

Ice ages reset the environment. As the ice retreats, a new ecosystem evolves. Animals and plants must adapt to the new ecosystem. Was there ever an iceage in the Comox Valley?

26 Ice ages reset the environment. As the ice retreats, a new ecosystem evolves. Animals and plants must adapt to the new ecosystem. Was there ever an iceage in the Comox Valley? If there has, what did it look like, and what was its impact? YouTube Video Ice Age *(Please note that a commercial popped up just before the 7 minute mark. Click, Skip Ad. ) unique landscapes on Vancouver Island and their geological origins Our gravel pit on the highway towards Cumberland serves as an example of glacial till. A field trip there provides an opportunity for students to look for evidence of glaciation of the gravel (rounded edges). Glaciers provide evidence of the environment from hundreds and thousands of years ago. We can find evidence of changes in climate, and pre-existing conditions. Glaciers can also reshape the land by stripping soil and rock layers and moving that material to new locations. As the material moves, we may find new evidence of fossils which can help us to understand how the earth s surface has changed. Through fossil evidence, students can develop their own focus and investigation regarding local organisms and their adaptations over time to Vancouver Island.

27 Place-Based Learning: Take a field trip to the Courtenay Museum.

28 Place-Based Learning: With an expert from the museum or from the community, go to the Trent River and dig for fossils

29 Observe and Hyposthesize: Carefully observe a variety of fossils. Can you search online for images of a particular fossil specimen to track its changes over time?

30 Place-Based Observation & Hypothesis: The Cumberland Sand and Gravel Pit will open its doors to groups of students. This area serves as an example of glacial till. A field trip there provides an opportunity for students to look for evidence of glaciation of the gravel (rounded edges).

31 Assessment Framework Subject: Science Grade: 7 Strand: Earth & Space Earth & Space fossil records and geological dating evidence of climate change over geological time and the recent impacts of humans Unit I can describe how fossil evidence supports the understanding of evolution of geological time. I can explain how fossils help us understand scientific evidence and cyclical changes in the environment. I can identify sustainable practices. I can analyze and verify Aboriginal ecological knowledge and other traditional practices that reflect stewardship and conservation. I can demonstrate the ways in which humans are capable of changing Earth s landscape, climate, and systems. Assessment Framework Subject: Science Grade: 7 Strand: Biology Unit Biology Natural Selection I can describe and explain how different traits may provide reproductive and survival advantage. Adaptive Radiation Survival Needs I can explain processes that happen within a population over time through evidence of genetic variation. I can share examples that demonstrate how groups of organisms from an original population change over time as a result of adapting to their environment (finches of Galapagos Islands Boxing Strategy; Eating Like a Bird experiment) I can describe some of the needs of an organism to survive (final imovie inquiry project that describes the survival issues of a local organism see Sample Lesson Sequence ).

An electronic copy of this teacher guide can be found on Learn71 at https://portal.sd71.bc.ca/group/wyhzgr4/pages/default.

32 An electronic copy of this teacher guide can be found on Learn71 at Contributors: Cheryl Adebar, Thea Black, Noah Burdett, Doug David, Kara Dawson, Colleen Devlin, Allan Douglas, Gerald Fussell, Nora Harwijne, Sarah Heselgrave, Debra Lovett, Kim Marks, Gail Martingale, Dale Mellish, Heather Mercier, Jane Rondow, Teri Ingram, Debbie Nelson, Joan Pearce, Stewart Savard, Laura Street, Lynn Swift, Carol Walters. School District No. 71 (Comox Valley) grants permission for teachers to use these resources for educational purposes. Published July 2016

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Earth & Space. Earth & Space. Grade 1. Earth & Space. Grade 1 Earth & Space Earth & Space Earth & Space Grade 1 Grade 1 Suggested Ways to Engage Students in Science Inquiry: What observable patterns and cycles occur in the local sky? (A Need to Know) Make observations