6th Mass Extinction
PBL Deadlines & Deliverables
Each week this page will guide you on what you need to accomplish, the resources you will need to use and the deadlines.
Week of April 4
Day 1
Materials: Sorting Cards (link below - one set per group); computer or books for research on previous five mass extinctions; 18"x20" paper or whiteboards for presenting mass extinction events
Materials: Computers (optional); Ecosystems Concentric Circles (share via Google Classroom or could be done in science notebook)
Materials: Sorting Cards (link below - one set per group); computer or books for research on previous five mass extinctions; 18"x20" paper or whiteboards for presenting mass extinction events
- Assign groups.
- Card sorting activity. Identify at least thee things they have in common. Be prepared to report out your best response.
- Video introduction.
- Background research on 5 Mass Extinctions of the Past - Each group makes one copy of this document. Share the document with your classmates. Your teacher will assign one of the 5 mass extinction events for you to research. Create a poster on a whiteboard or large sheet of paper including key points from your research.
Materials: Computers (optional); Ecosystems Concentric Circles (share via Google Classroom or could be done in science notebook)
- Presentations from 5 mass extinctions research
- Introduction to Ecosystems, Communities and Population - Video
- Ecosystem Concentric Circles - Google Classroom
Week of April 18
Day 3
Materials: Super Hero sheets (1 per team)
Day 4
Materials: Projector, Computers (1 per person or per group or could pre-print template - link below), Team Contract document (link below); What's your habitat?
Day 5 (Block)
Materials: Projector, Computers, Habitat document (link below)
Day 6
Materials: Projector, Population graph materials, & graph paper
Materials: Super Hero sheets (1 per team)
- Super Hero Teams - Team Building
- Video on Threatened and Endangered
- Introduce Team Contracts - As a class brainstorm and record some ideas about what to do if students are absent or a member habitually does not do their share of the work.
Day 4
Materials: Projector, Computers (1 per person or per group or could pre-print template - link below), Team Contract document (link below); What's your habitat?
- One person in the group create a shared folder. The folder name should be "PBL 6th Mass Period# Your Names" ex. "PBL 6th Mass P4 Lyla Maria Kim Muhammad"
- Team Contract - Have one person make a copy and share it with group members and teacher. Make sure it is in your shared folder.
- Teams finish deciding on the habitat and each person picks a species that they are going to focus on.
- Ecosystems and Habitat video
- What's your habitat? activity
Day 5 (Block)
Materials: Projector, Computers, Habitat document (link below)
- Video on Biomes
- Groups choose Threatened Ecosystem On-line research: brainstorm possibilities, select, check-in with teacher
- Start research on habitat and threats to habitat
- End of period - 30 s - 1 minute report out per group
Day 6
Materials: Projector, Population graph materials, & graph paper
- Populations - Bill Nye
- Population - PopEd
- Graph Population from 0 to 2050 CE
Week of April 25
Day 7
Materials: Cougar hunt cards, chips for food
Day 8
Materials: Computers, PBL Threatened Species Research document (link below)
Day 9 (Block)
Materials: Projector; Biologists on Safari handout, bags of white and black beans (1 set per group and demo set), 10x10 grids (1 in. x 1 in. squares - 1 set per group), a large 10 x 10 grid (4 " x 4" for each square for Method 1); Communities handout (p. 92 of Coloring book)
OPTIONAL: Watch this short video about Black Rhino Conservation. Read about White Rhinos. Be prepared to discuss in class.
Day 10
Materials: Cougar hunt cards, chips for food
- Cougar Hunt - Carrying Capacity (Explanation of activity on Population Connections)
- Work on Endangered Habitat Research document. Fill in endangered plants and animals in the habitat.
Day 8
Materials: Computers, PBL Threatened Species Research document (link below)
- Biological Carrying Capacity video
- Groups decide who is going to do which species. Enter this on your group's Endangered Habitat Research document.
- On Google Classroom open the document called PBL Threatened Species Research (Do NOT make a copy from this site. GC makes a copy with your name on it, which makes my job easier. Thanks! Put it in your shared folder.)
- Research your Endangered or Threatened Species.
Day 9 (Block)
Materials: Projector; Biologists on Safari handout, bags of white and black beans (1 set per group and demo set), 10x10 grids (1 in. x 1 in. squares - 1 set per group), a large 10 x 10 grid (4 " x 4" for each square for Method 1); Communities handout (p. 92 of Coloring book)
- Monitoring Wild Dogs Video
- Biologists on Safari: Sampling in the Wild
- Wild Life Act Project Video - Southern Africa Monitoring & Research Project
- Read and Color "Communities & Trophic Levels" - glue into journal
OPTIONAL: Watch this short video about Black Rhino Conservation. Read about White Rhinos. Be prepared to discuss in class.
Day 10
- Create a Group Google Slide Presentation about your habitat. Make sure it is in your shared "PBL 6th Mass" folder.
- Be sure to look at this checklist as you create it.
- On Tuesday you will be doing a carousel where one person stays and explains and the other people look at other people's presentations and use the checklist to give feedback. Everyone will at some point present so make sure everyone knows the content on the slide.
- The purpose of the slide presentation is to make sure you are solid on content. It is helpful to have a nice clean presentation, but the focus is on content.
- Work on individual Threatened Species Research piece.
Week of May 2
Day 11
Materials: Computers
Day 12
Materials: Projector, Soil Food Web Cards on stings to go around neck (need about 3 sets per class), Soil Biologists handout (1 per group), large paper or whiteboards for creating group food webs, markers
Focus Question: What are keystone, umbrella and indicator species? Why do they matter?
As you watch the videos, what is a keystone species and indicator species? How can we tell the health of an ecosystem? What is the benefit does protecting a keystone species?
Day 13 (Block)
Materials: Computers (1 per group), Checklist (student version) - print double-sided; large paper or whiteboards, colored pencils and/or water colors
Day 14
Materials: Habitat Food Web posters, colored pencils or water colors, 1-2 computers per group
Materials: Computers
- Continue research for individual and group habitat.
Day 12
Materials: Projector, Soil Food Web Cards on stings to go around neck (need about 3 sets per class), Soil Biologists handout (1 per group), large paper or whiteboards for creating group food webs, markers
Focus Question: What are keystone, umbrella and indicator species? Why do they matter?
As you watch the videos, what is a keystone species and indicator species? How can we tell the health of an ecosystem? What is the benefit does protecting a keystone species?
- Keystone Species vs. Indicator Species Video - Watch twice and take note the second time as a class
- What's the Best Way to Stop Mass Extinction? - Video (discusses keystone species)
- Soil Food Web activity
Day 13 (Block)
Materials: Computers (1 per group), Checklist (student version) - print double-sided; large paper or whiteboards, colored pencils and/or water colors
- Habitat Slide Presentation:
- One computer per group.
- Get a stack of 6-8 double-sided checklists.
- Every group member self-grades his/her group's project first.
- One person per group stays with computer and other people listen to other presentations and give feedback. Groups members move in a clockwise fashion for one round. Then have another person present and everyone else continues to move in a clockwise fashion.
- Leave Checklist sheets with presenters. At end of period, each group reviews feedback and staples all Checklists and puts them in turn in box. These will be used to help you improve your slide show.
- Habitat Food Web: Create a food web for your habitat using some of your species on a whiteboard or piece of paper. Show arrows of consumption and also indicate the trophic levels. Be prepared to explain which are indicator species or keystone species for your habitat.
Day 14
Materials: Habitat Food Web posters, colored pencils or water colors, 1-2 computers per group
- Threats to Habitat - Have one class member add your habitat and threats the to the habitat on this shared document
- Show Exemplar Habitat Slide Show. Consider reviewing this exemplary Habitat Slide Show for ideas on how to improve your own presentation. Remember that high marks across the "Exceeds expectations" is the equivalent of an "A" since it demonstrates a deep understanding and application of the content.
- Revise Habitat Slide Show based on feedback from checklist. (NOTE: Have some group members work on the slide show and others work on Habitat Food Web Poster.)
- Work on Habitat Food Web - Remember to indicate trophic levels, keystone species and indicator species.
Week of May 9
Day 15
Materials: Reflection on Habitat Food Web, Checklist for Habitat Food Web, Kahoot.it! Energy Roles & Food Web
Day 16
Day 17 (Block)
Materials: Sixth Mass Extinction Articles
Materials: Reflection on Habitat Food Web, Checklist for Habitat Food Web, Kahoot.it! Energy Roles & Food Web
- Finish up Habitat Food Web.
- Group grades Habitat Food Web using Checklist for Habitat Food Web. Get another group to do the Peer Grade. Then staple Checklist to poster for teacher to grade.
Day 16
- Finish self and peer grading Habitat Food Web
- Reflection on Habitat Food Web. Write in science notebook. If you do not finish, feel free to take a photo with your phone for reference when writing at home.
- Group check in: What's working? What do we need help with?
Day 17 (Block)
Materials: Sixth Mass Extinction Articles
- Discussion: What are some of the similarities between the threats? Differences?
- Reading: 6th Mass Extinction - Jigsaw Activity
- Reading Questions: Period 4 Questions_ & Period 7 Questions
- 6th Mass Extinction - video
Week of May 16
Week Deadlines
Day 18
Materials: Pre-Survey Racing Extinction, Racing Extinction DVD, Science in the News (Do NOT copy this. Go to Google Classroom!)
Day 19
Materials: _Post-Survey Racing Extinction, Racing Extinction DVD
Day 20 (BLOCK)
Materials: Bumper Sticker Presentation, computers
Day 21
Materials: Creating Bumper Stickers, computers
- Habitat Food Webs - submitted with self & peer grade - FRIDAY
- Habitat Slide Show - Look at comments made from when you presented. Make any additions/corrections if desired. Group regrades itself using the GREEN paper stapled to the stack of comments. - FRIDAY.
- Submit your best Bumper Sticker design by FRIDAY at 5 PM for a chance to win!
- Resubmissions for PBL Threatened Habitat Research - MONDAY. If you did not submit it, remember to submit through Google Classroom. If you did submit it, check to see if there are comments you need to address before the final grade on Monday.
Day 18
Materials: Pre-Survey Racing Extinction, Racing Extinction DVD, Science in the News (Do NOT copy this. Go to Google Classroom!)
- Do Pre-Survey Racing Extinction
- Watch Racing Extinction DVD
Day 19
Materials: _Post-Survey Racing Extinction, Racing Extinction DVD
- Watch Racing Extinction DVD
- Do Post-Survey Racing Extinction
- Discussion: Response to Racing Extinction
Day 20 (BLOCK)
Materials: Bumper Sticker Presentation, computers
- Finish watching Racing Extinction
- Go over project deadlines and deliverables.
- Watch Bumper Sticker Google Slide Show
- Start Creating Bumper Stickers on Google Draw. Make SEVERAL copies of this document and put them in your shared file. Include your name on each document.
Process Recommendations- Decide on your topic. Are you going to focus on the habitat, a species in the habitat or the larger issue of mass extinction?
- Brainstorm: Come up with a list of at least 10 words about your topic.
- Inspiration: Look at the presentation again and other bumper stickers. (Don't spend too much time getting sucked into researching popular bumper stickers because this must be ORIGINAL. Limit your research to 5 minutes just to get some design ideas.)
- Message: What is the message you want to tell? Tone?
- Fonts convey tone: How can you use the font to accentuate your message? Should the font be bold and striking or soft and inviting?
- Graphics: Is there a graphic that adds to your message? How does color work to highlight your message? Do certain words need to be colored differently to point out something? Is there a contrast in your message that can be emphasized by using contrasting colors?
- Multiple Products: Create multiple designs. Play with fonts to see if that impacts the message. Collect some data about your top 2-3 designs. Get feedback from other classmates, parents and friends.
- Together create a guide for how to get feedback about their top 2-3 designs.
Day 21
Materials: Creating Bumper Stickers, computers
- Continue to work on bumper stickers. DEADLINE for submissions 5 PM TONIGHT. Email to me.
- Make sure your group has done the final self-grade for the Habitat Slide Show.
- Make sure your group has had BOTH a group self-grade and peer grade for the Food Web Poster.
Week of May 23
\Week Deadlines
Monday 7 PM - Polls closed for voting for Bumperstickers - on Google Classroom
Monday - Resubmissions for PBL Threatened Species Research. Submit through Google Classroom
Tuesday - Outline of Action Plan with dates and roles assigned
Day 22
Materials: Action Plan, large whiteboards (or paper) for Give One, Take One, whiteboard markers
Day 23
Materials: Action Plan, Food Chain Energy for projection (adapted from Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Vol. 1, p. 91), Food Chain Energy handout; paper bags for bones if students are not done
Day 24 (Block)
Materials: Owl pellets, dissection trays, tweezers, probe, Owl Pellet Dissection Directions, Owl Pellet Lab, Owl Pellet Dissection Identification Booklet, cups
Day 25
Materials: Owl pellets, dissection trays, tweezers, probe, cardstock paper, Owl Pellet Dissection Identification Booklet, Elmers glue; Owl Pellet Dissection Lab
Monday 7 PM - Polls closed for voting for Bumperstickers - on Google Classroom
Monday - Resubmissions for PBL Threatened Species Research. Submit through Google Classroom
Tuesday - Outline of Action Plan with dates and roles assigned
Day 22
Materials: Action Plan, large whiteboards (or paper) for Give One, Take One, whiteboard markers
- Bumper sticker voting is open until 7 PM tonight. Go to Google Classroom to vote.
- Work on your group's Action Plan. (If you haven't already started, remember to make a copy and put it in your shared folder with your period and group members' names.)
- Show Tweets & PSAs
- Carousel of Actions: Around the room our 6 posters: 2 Global, 2 Local, and 2 Individual. To first three posters, add at least one idea from your action plan. From the second three posters, see if there are any ideas that you would like to add to your action plan. You may also revisit the original three posters to see if there are any ideas.
- Vote for bumper sticker, if you haven't already done so. Polls close at 7 PM.
- Finish any PBL Threatened Species Research. Remember to delete all of the notes about formatting, ex. Times New Roman, 14pt. Also, hit "resolve" once you have addressed any questions I have asked. These must be shared through Google Classroom.
- Sophia: Owl Pellet - DUE by Block Day
Day 23
Materials: Action Plan, Food Chain Energy for projection (adapted from Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Vol. 1, p. 91), Food Chain Energy handout; paper bags for bones if students are not done
- Announce bumper sticker winner
- Food Chain Energy
- Work on Action Plan
- Kahoot.it! Instructions, Kahoot.it! Energy Roles & Food Webs
Day 24 (Block)
Materials: Owl pellets, dissection trays, tweezers, probe, Owl Pellet Dissection Directions, Owl Pellet Lab, Owl Pellet Dissection Identification Booklet, cups
- Owl Pellet Dissection Directions
- Owl Pellet Lab - Remove all bones and clean
Day 25
Materials: Owl pellets, dissection trays, tweezers, probe, cardstock paper, Owl Pellet Dissection Identification Booklet, Elmers glue; Owl Pellet Dissection Lab
- Use Owl Pellet Dissection Identification Booklet to identify the species and types of bones.
- Organize, label and glue bones on cardstock.
- Fill in Trophic Pyramid and answer questions about carrying capacity on Owl Pellet Lab handout.
Week of May 31
Day 26
Materials: Whiteboard, whiteboard pens, paper tweets
Focus Question: How can social media be used to make a difference in the world? How can we ensure that our messages are appropriate and make a positive impact on all audiences?
Homework: Do Carbon Footprint Quiz. Print out results. You need to do it on a computer that has Adobe Flash. If you don't have a computer, take a screenshot and email yourself and print from school. If you don't know the answer to a question, do your best guess. Notebook check on Block Day. Peer grade at home.
@Watsi (two Drake High School graduates) - helping people with health care around the world
Day 27 (BLOCK Day)
Materials: Action Plan
Day 28
Materials: Action Plan, Computers (1 per group is enough)
Materials: Whiteboard, whiteboard pens, paper tweets
Focus Question: How can social media be used to make a difference in the world? How can we ensure that our messages are appropriate and make a positive impact on all audiences?
- Pair Share: How can social media be used to make a difference in the world?
- Group Whiteboard activity: How do we ensure that our messages are appropriate and impactful?
- Report out.
- Look at examples of effective tweets and hashtags.
- Google Search on Hashtags.
- Each person writes a paper tweet. Group selects best two tweets to be looked at by class.
- Best retweets will be posted on @EarthCareGeek
Homework: Do Carbon Footprint Quiz. Print out results. You need to do it on a computer that has Adobe Flash. If you don't have a computer, take a screenshot and email yourself and print from school. If you don't know the answer to a question, do your best guess. Notebook check on Block Day. Peer grade at home.
@Watsi (two Drake High School graduates) - helping people with health care around the world
Day 27 (BLOCK Day)
Materials: Action Plan
- Peer grade notebooks. Turn in.
- Best tweets from each group posted on whiteboard. Groups come up one by one and read tweets. Each student can retweet (write @yourfirstname - ex. @Maria or @MariaJ if there is another kid with the same first name) on up to FOUR tweets that they would like retweeted. You may vote for your own, but you can only vote for each one once.
- FInished Owl Pellet Lab
- Create a food pyramid of their own diet - for last two days
- For groups that finish early, look at Action Plan.
Day 28
Materials: Action Plan, Computers (1 per group is enough)
- TWO Videos to inspire
- Go over Action Plan requirements
- Each team leader will get Action Plan Tracking sheet shared with them and add their group's actions. Remember: Individual actions do NOT need to be the same for each member.
- Work time: Action Plan
Week of June 6
Week Deadlines
Tuesday - last day to turn in any labs (Flower Dissection, Leaf Pigment, Owl Pellet Dissection)
Block Day - Turn in any late Notebooks from last week
Block Day - Late Sci Fri Songs due; Friday is the last Friday together so let's hear them all
Tuesday - last day to turn in any labs (Flower Dissection, Leaf Pigment, Owl Pellet Dissection)
Block Day - Turn in any late Notebooks from last week
Block Day - Late Sci Fri Songs due; Friday is the last Friday together so let's hear them all
Day 29
Materials: Take Extinction Off Your Plate (assigned on Google Classroom); Paper Tweets handouts
Focus Question: What are the links between diet and the 6th mass extinction?
Day 30
Materials: Computers
2. Share with teacher and get approval before posting.
Homework: Google Classroom: Take Extinction Off Your Plate - Due Monday. Remember: You need to get a parent signature so you can either print it out and get it signed or share via Google Classroom and then bring in a note: "(Your name) has shared (his/her) Take the Extinction Off Your Plate project. _________________(Parent or guardian signature)" You may also work on Action Plan. Action plans will be presented Tuesday in class.
Day 31 (BLOCK Day)
Materials: A World of Difference (download at PopulationEducation.org), black beans, red beans, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, black eyed peas, lima beans, chickpea (replaces peanut), bags to keep activity organized; A World of Difference handouts (download at PopulationEducation.org)
Focus question: How does deforastation impact species?
Day 32
Materials:
Materials: Take Extinction Off Your Plate (assigned on Google Classroom); Paper Tweets handouts
Focus Question: What are the links between diet and the 6th mass extinction?
- Videos - As you watch the following video, consider what new information did you learn about the link between diet and climate change? Is there a link between diet and the 6th mass extinction? Which video did you find more impactful? Why?
- Nutrition Facts - video
- Fight Climate Change, Eat Less Meat - video
- Google Classroom: Take Extinction Off Your Plate (Get assignment from Google Classroom!)
- Work Time: Action Plan - No Cell Phones Today! If you want to write some tweets, use the paper forms. Get these approved from teacher before posting. The tweets can be sent tomorrow in class, after teacher approval.
- Green Twitter Hashtags - use this resource to find helpful hashtags
- Tagboard - a great place to find good hashtags
- Keynote: The Great Challenge: Farming, Food and Climate Change - video with Michael Pollen
- Food Carbon Footprint - GreenEatz.com website
Day 30
Materials: Computers
- Can Coral Reefs Survive Climate Change? - video
- Send out a group tweet
- Work Day: Things you can work on: Take Extinction Off Your Plate (Google Classroom), Action Plan, Late labs (due today), Late Notebooks (due block day), Sci Fri Songs
- If you are doing Instagram, you must:
2. Share with teacher and get approval before posting.
Homework: Google Classroom: Take Extinction Off Your Plate - Due Monday. Remember: You need to get a parent signature so you can either print it out and get it signed or share via Google Classroom and then bring in a note: "(Your name) has shared (his/her) Take the Extinction Off Your Plate project. _________________(Parent or guardian signature)" You may also work on Action Plan. Action plans will be presented Tuesday in class.
Day 31 (BLOCK Day)
Materials: A World of Difference (download at PopulationEducation.org), black beans, red beans, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, black eyed peas, lima beans, chickpea (replaces peanut), bags to keep activity organized; A World of Difference handouts (download at PopulationEducation.org)
Focus question: How does deforastation impact species?
- Send out a group tweet
- A World of Difference - PopEd Activity
- Rainforest Destruction - video
- Preserve Biodiversity, Preserve the Planet - video by Slow Food
Day 32
Materials:
- Sci Fri Songs
- Send out a group tweet
- Work Time - presentations of Action Plans start mid-class on Monday
- Kahoot! Energy Roles Part 2
Week 38
- Day 33
Focus Question: How is the habitat on campus for other organisms?
Collect Take Extinction Off Your Plate assignments
Work Time
Action Plan Presentations - start
Walk About - Habitats and Biodiversity on Campus
Homework:
Day 34
Materials: None
Presentations
Kahoot! Organisms and the Environment
Homework: None
Day 35 - Last Day of School!
Materials: None
Focus Question: How can you change behavior and inspire the world?
- Finish Presentations
- Biodiversity Begins With B - video
- How do Honeybees Make Honey - video (It's Okay to Be Smart)
- The Fun Theory - Piano Staircase - video
- The Fun Theory 3 - Bottle Bank Arcade - video
- Feedback on 6th Mass Extinction Project