Format
1. The program begins with an introduction to Rocky Mountain National Park.
2. Ranger introduces the concept of ecosystems and discuss all the components.
3. Ranger and students explore the 4 ecosystems of Rocky. As we explore, students will be invited up to the camera to present their research prior to the program.
4. Ranger will elaborate on each presentation.
5. 5 to 10 minutes is left at the end for questions and answers.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Make the connection between ecosystem components and plants and animals that thrive in certain ecosystems.
2: Identify plants and animals that call Rocky home and explain why they live in certain ecosystems.
3. Research one ecosystem of Rocky and the ability to explain the abiotic and biotic factors that make it unique.
4. Draw connections between Rocky Mountain and their home environment
5. Demonstrate research skills and organization
6. Recognize the role of the NPS in preserving natural areas.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (National Academy of Sciences)
NGSS-2-LS4-1:Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
NGSS-5-LS2-1: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
NGSS-5-ESS2-1: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
NGSS-MS-LS2-2: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
NGSS-MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
State Standards
Colorado Academic Standards
Sciences:
SC.3.2.1: Organisms have unique and diverse life cycles.
SC. 3.2.2: Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves and cope with changes.
SC. 3.2.3: Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information; the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.
SC.4.2.1: Organisms have both internal and external structures that serve various functions.
SC. 5.2.1: Plants acquire their material from growth chiefly from air and water.
SC. 5.2.2: Matter cycles between air and soil and among plants, animals and microbes as these organisms live and die.
SC.MS.2.5: Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving
SC. MS. 2.6: Ecosystems are sustained by the continuous flow of energy, originating primarily from the sun, and the recycling of matter and nutrients within the system.
SC.MS.2.12 Biodiversity is the wide range of existing life forms that have adapted to the variety of conditions on Earth, from terrestrial to marine ecosystems
Reading, Writing, and Communicating:
RW.3.1.1: Participate cooperatively in group activities.
RW.3.3.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
RW.3.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts developed with facts, definitions, and details, ending with a related concluding statement
RW.3.3.3: Write real or imagined narratives that use descriptive details, have a clear sequence of events, and provide closure
RW.3.4.1: Gather, interpret, and communicate information discovered during short research projects.
RW.4.1.2: Create a plan to effectively present information both informally and formally.
RW.4.3.3: Write engaging, real or imagined narratives using descriptive details and dialogue to convey a sequence of related events
RW.4.4.1: Use a variety of resources to build and communicate knowledge related to open-ended research questions
RW.5.1.1: Collaborate in discussions that serve various purposes and address various situations
RW.5.4.1: Research to locate, summarize, synthesize and document information from print and digital sources, and communicate findings appropriately.
RW.6.1.1: Employ appropriate presentation and collaboration strategies to meet the needs of a given task and purpose.
RW.6.2.2: Develop, organize, and present ideas and opinions effectively
RW.6.4.1: Pose research question(s), gather, synthesize, and credit relevant and credible resources, and present findings.
RW.2.4.1: Participate in shared research and inquiry, gathering information from a variety of resources to answer questions
RW.3.1.1: Participate cooperatively in group activities.
RW.3.3.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
RW.3.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts developed with facts, definitions, and details, ending with a related concluding statement
RW.3.3.3: Write real or imagined narratives that use descriptive details, have a clear sequence of events, and provide closure
RW.3.4.1: Gather, interpret, and communicate information discovered during short research projects.
RW.4.1.2: Create a plan to effectively present information both informally and formally.
RW.4.3.3: Write engaging, real or imagined narratives using descriptive details and dialogue to convey a sequence of related events
RW.4.4.1: Use a variety of resources to build and communicate knowledge related to open-ended research questions