S+Blouin,+Cameron

**Office: Room 308** **Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 2:30-4:00** ** E-mail: cameron.blouin@Maine.edu **
 * Teacher: Mr. Blouin**

=Summary of Unit= There are all kinds of ecosystems in the world that are all unique in more ways than one. There are some ecosystems that are so hot or so cold that only certain plants and animals can survive there. Over the course of this unit the key concepts to ecosystems will be well understood. Ecosystems involve a wide variety of topics to discuss however. It is not simply an area where it rains a lot or is hot all year long. Ecosystems need certain plants and animals in order to sustain a healthy environment. Understanding the concept of how energy travels up the food-chains of ecosystems and the effect losing an organism can have on an ecosystem will also be discussed. An example would be, how is an ecosystem effected if an organism in the middle of the food-chain was to suddenly go extinct? How would that change the populations of the other organisms? Everyone in the class will become ecologists over the course of this unit and students will be producing a variety of projects that show the importance and unique qualities that ecosystems have. The final project will be both fun and engaging as everyone will have the chance to present an interactive timeline of an ecosystem anywhere in the world!

=Establish Goals= Students examine how the characteristics of the physical,non-living (abiotic) environment, the types and behaviors of living (biotic) organisms, and how the flow of matter and energy affect organisms and the ecosystem of which they are part.
 * Maine Learning Results **
 * Content Area ** : Science and Technology
 * Standard Label ** : E. The Living Environment
 * Standard ** : E2 Ecosystems,
 * Grade Level Span ** : Grade 6-8
 * Performance Indicators ** : b and c..

=Students will understand that= •each ecosystem has unique properties such as plants and animals. •energy flow is different in each ecosystem. •each organism plays a key roll in their ecosystem.

=Essential Questions= •How does the ecosystem have an effect on what plants/animals can survive there? •How are the food chains structured plus how does energy travels up the food chain? •Why is an ecosystem affected drastically or not at all if an organism is removed?

=Students will know= •Terminology: Biomes, ecosystems, food-webs, climate, photosynthesis, and metabolism. •Critical Details: Specifics to how plants/animals survive and what makes each ecosystem unique •Important Events: Global warming and ice ages and their effects on today's ecosystems.

=Students will be able to= •show examples of ecosystems in the world. •make sense of climate differences and how that effects wildlife. •design a food-web and show what happens if an organism is removed. •compare plants and animals in ecosystems and how they interact. •consider what makes each organism necessary in an ecosystem. •synthesize the big picture of how each ecosystem works.

**Performance Task Overview** Orion Magazine executive director Emerson Blake is looking for electronic timelines of the changing seasons of areas all around the world.You are all successful ecologists and will be doing studies on how the changing of seasons effects the plants/animals on areas around the planet.Working with another ecologist, you will be assigned an area in the world and will do research to see how the changing of seasons effects the wildlife. This can be studying the growth of plants, the migration of animals, and even insects. The area can be dealing with the blistering heat of the Sahara desert in Africa, or the bone chilling air of the tundra in Greenland. The amount of climates to study are endless and is up to you to decide! This is your chance to become published ecologists in a nationwide magazine showing the unique qualities to each part of the world! But not only are you published, but you all have the chance to win $1,000 or a brand new iPad!

=Expectations= __Absences__- If students are absent from class it will be expected that they take the initiative to meet up with the teacher the following day or by e-mail to see what they missed in the class the day prior. There will be a file in the class where the worked the student missed will be kept for them to do. If the student consistently has unexcused absences then penalties may be applied to missed work. __Plagiarism__- Plagiarism is the use of someones thoughts or ideas and claiming them as your own. If the proper credit is not given to the person(s) who you got the information from, it is plagiarism. There will be no tolerance of this in this class and if it is found that a student plagiarized they will receive a zero on the assignment and will be forced to write a paper about plagiarism saying why it is wrong to do. __Assignments__- Assignments are expected to be done on time and every day the assignments are late a ten percent penalty will be applied. Late assignments will be accepted if a valid excuse is given (sick, family emergencies, family vacation) and no penalty will be applied. __Classroom Expectations__- Students will show respect to each other in the class, the teachers, and the school property. Students are expected to listen to the teacher during lessons and will not answer questions unless called upon. Students will be responsible for their own possessions and will not touch other students possessions.

=Benchmarks (600 points)= •**Glogster (50 points)**: The students will make a poster on Glogster that will show the details of various ecosystems. The students will show the animals and plants and compare them from the various ecosystems and present this to the class. •**Podcast (50 points)**: This will be a recording using Podcast. The students will be doing the recording while talking about how climates around the world will effect what types of plants and animals can survive in those climates. Comparisons will be done thoroughly with strong evidence of research. •**Comic-Life (25 points)** : Using the software Comic-Life students will be designing a food-web of an ecosystem. The food-web will show the direction that energy is traveling in and have labels that clearly say what each organism is. A minimum of fifteen organisms will be on the food-web. •**Blogger (50 points)**: During class, we will be taking visits into the local ecosystem. Students will be required to make blogs of their observations of the trips into the ecosystem and comment on changes they may or may not see after each visit. Blogs will be a minimum of one hundred words a piece. •**iMovie (50 points)**: Using iMovie the students will be making a video that shows the importance of each organism in an ecosystem. This can be terrestrial or aquatic. The students will need to convince the audience that the organisms are essential in their ecosystem. •**Google Doc (75 points)**:This is a paper that will be done on Google Doc. where students will be doing an analysis on all of the ecosystems and clearly describe what makes each one different or how they are similar. This will be a 2-3 page research paper that will need to show. • **Prezzi (100 points)** : See performance task above **Participation: (25 points)** =Grading Scale=
 * Assignments: (50 points) **
 * Tests: (125 points)**
 * A ** (93 -100), ** A- ** (90 - 92), ** B+ ** (87 - 89), ** B ** (83 - 86), ** B- ** (80 - 82), ** C+ ** (77 - 79), ** C ** (73-76), ** C- ** (70 - 72), ** D+ ** (67 - 69), ** D ** (63 - 66), ** D- ** (60 - 62), ** F ** (0 - 59)