GEMS project

Overview: Students will work in groups to build a terrarium and will observe changes in the terrarium during this two-month project. The students must gather materials to build the terrarium and add materials as necessary. The students must observe the terrarium to see if additional plant, soil, or animal material must be added and to note any decomposition changes taking place in the terrarium. Students will enter information about the project in a journal. At the end of the project, the students will make a group presentation describing the elements, which were put into the terrarium and what changes took, place in the terrarium. Each group of students will make either a verbal presentation, develop a power point presentation, or create a visual display with pictures or drawings. Each studentÕs grade will be determined by a rubric. This rubric will evaluate group participation, journal entries, the class presentation and the design of the terrarium.

I. Performance or learner outcomes: Students will be able to:

a. Identify characteristics of a living habitat

b. Identify characteristics of living and non-living things

c. Work with partners to design and maintain a terrarium

II. Resources, materials and supplies needed:

a. Per 4 students:

á 1 small, clear plastic storage box with lid (2 liter plastic bottle)

á 1 push pin

á Soil (enough to fill 1/3 of container when mixed with sand)

á Sand

á 1 tsp. of birdseed or grass seed

á 1 handful of dry leaves

á 1 small plant (strawberry, violets, or other small garden plant)

á 1-2 twigs or pieces of bark

á 2-3 plastic spoons

á 1 spray bottle

á 1 piece of black construction paper

á 1 label or masking tape

á 2 journals or blank booklets for recording

á 2 clear plastic cups

á Paper towels

Engage:

Teacher does Student response

Remind students about the safety rules of the science classroom. Go over some of the basic rules and show students where the posted safety rules are. Remember to wash hands after the lesson, clean up any spills, do not touch you face or eyes during the lesson, be careful when handling living things as they are fragile, keep materials separated until ready to mix when instructed.

Today weÕre going to explore terrarium habitats. LetÕs think about the ground and floor beneath us. Think about the soil we walk on every day. What might you find on the forest floor?

Teacher shows various materials that she has gathered for her terrarium. (fruit plant, seeds, soil, sand). Tell them they will be using these materials to make a home for living things.

Would you like to play a game?

Game:

LetÕs imagine ourselves as insects. What do you think you would need to survive?

Teacher distributes colored strips of paper around the classroom. Red =shelter

Green=food, Blue=water, Brown=space

Now letÕs try this! In order to survive each of you must collect 1 red paper, 3 green, 2 blue and 1 brown. In 30 seconds. Do you think this is possible?

After all of the strips have been collected, teacher sees which students have collected the correct number of each color. Do you think all of the insects will survive? Will there be enough for every insect?

Teacher discusses the implications of not having the necessary elements for survival in a habitat. Teacher is going to ask the students to observe her habitat.

Food, water, shelter, and a place to live

Yes!

Various responses: water, shelter, food

Students discuss in small groups the habitats and basic needs for survival.

Yes!

If they all collect the right amount of colored paper. There may not be enough for all of the insects.

Explore:

Teacher does Student Response

I want to emphasize that we will be working with living and non-living organisms. What are some characteristics of living and non-living organisms?

Handout student worksheet on living vs. non-living.

Teacher calls on one person from each group to explain answer on individual questions.

Living things need food, water, air, sunlight and shelter.

Non-living things do not need any of these items to survive.

Student completes worksheet and then discusses in small groups. Whole classroom discussion takes place as well.

End of session one; 55 minutes

Session II: 4/4/08

Explain:

Teacher does Student response

Teacher explains how to build a terrarium and different roles of group members. Emphasizing again the different components: plant, soil, sand, grass seed, etcÉ

Teacher shows students how she has put her terrarium together.

Teacher assigns groups. Explains that they will now start building their own terrarium.

Would each group please decide which job each member will have? As groups complete their planning, have one or two students from each team come up and gather materials for building the terrarium.

Circulate and encourage the teams to be cooperative in creating the terrarium. Remind them to mist the soil, plants and the seeds lightly.

Teacher walks around classroom, observing and instructing when needed, posing questions to engage higher order thinking.

Students are given time to view their terrariums, discuss their techniques, discoveries and aesthetics of their design

Students ask any questions that arise during teacher demonstration.

Students ask questions as needed. Group members build terrarium and discuss observations within the group.

Extend/Elaborate:

Teacher does Student response

How does your terrarium relate to the outside world? What else might you include in a terrarium to make it an aquatic ecosystem?

Teacher visits the websites:

http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/

and

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/

Students believe adding more aquatic organisms would benefit the terrarium. Some students agree to do some research on other organisms that can live in this ecosystem. They will bring to class tomorrow and discuss.

Evaluate:

Teacher does Student response

Discussion in class: Why did we add plants? Leaves? Seeds? Twigs?

The terrarium you have can also be called a habitat. What is a habitat?

Have we provided a successful habitat? How do we know? Please take out your journals; draw and label your terrarium as you observed it today.

What have you all discovered a habitat needs to provide?

Each terrarium is like a miniature world in a box containing all of the things that the plants and animals in that world need to survive.

Teacher will observe terrariums after school today to make sure all groups have successfully completed them.

Other notes: What kind of animals might live in this habitat? We will be adding animals to their terrarium and then observing what happens over time in future sessions.

For food/shelter

A place where animals live. Like a neighborhood.

Yes, because everything has a place to live, food to eat.

Food, moisture, light, and protection-all the things an animal needs to survive.

Salamanders, pill bugs, snails, worms, crickets, slugs