Big+Idea+D

= Big Idea D: Human activity has direct and indirect impacts on ecosystems = Human activity can impact upon ecosystems in a negative way by altering the natural flow of energy and matter ||
 * What you intend students to learn about this idea || * That humans are a part of ecosystems and are therefore a part of food chains and the cycling of matter
 * Why is t important for students to know this? || * Becuase the impact of humans on the environment is one of the most discussed and politically relevant issues of our time and is likely to remain so well in to the future
 * It is a topic that can easily extend beyond the classroom to provide meaningful links and real life applications for students ||
 * What elso do you know about this idea (that you do not expect students to know yet)? || * That sometimes the impact humans have on environments and ecosystems are indirect or unintentional impacts from other things or by products of situations that have been mismanaged or underestimated ||
 * Difficulties/Limitations connected with teaching this idea. || * I think one of the big issues with teaching this topic is the need to highlight just how badly human activity has damaged some ecosystems whilst still providing students with hope for the future ||
 * Other factors that influence your teaching of this idea. || * Current affairs related to human impacts on ecosystems ||
 * Teaching procedures (and particular reasons for using these to engage with this idea). || * Relating issues and examples from the text book to local or current examples that are gaining media coverage – eg: talking about the possible effects of building a desalination plant in Victoria – what will this mean for this area of coastline?, Human caused global warming leading to coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (a non-deliberate impact), the dredging of Port Phillip Bay and the associated problems – disturbing sediment, leading to less sunlight, leading to less seagrass which will in turn effect the species that use the seagrass beds for feeding/breeding (direct impact of human activity/manipulation of an environment) ||
 * ways of ascertaining students' understanding or confusion around this idea (include likely range of responses). || * Get students to brainstorm cases where humans have had an impact on an ecosystem ||

= Lesson Activity 1 for Big idea "D": = = = An internet research task and newspaper report This task/activity could carry across several lessons or it could be begun in class and finished off as a homework task. Students will have to do some research about the imminent dredging of Port Phillip Bay. Students should be able to find environmental impact statements or references to them online and will use this information as well as knowledge they will have recently gained about ecosystems and human impacts upon them to write a one page newspaper article presenting an opinion on whether or not the dredging will have negative effects on the Port Phillip Bay ecosystem. Students will need to demonstrate that they have engaged with and considered all aspects of the arguments on both side and should feel free to include the economic issues associated with the dredging. Accompanying visuals to support their article’s viewpoint should also be used. While a newspaper report is not a usual form of assessment in the science classroom I feel that by allowing students to write in a less scientific manner and having them translate their scientific knowledge into lay terms, that students will as a result be organising their thoughts around this topic and will be forced to think about the ways they understand the topic and how they can communicate this.

. = = = Lesson Activity 2 for Big idea "D": = = = For this activity students will create a presentation about the impact of invasive species on ecosystems and invasive species are generally a by-product of human activity and movement around the globe. Students will have to choose one example of an invasive species in Australia to research and then will create a PowerPoint presentation which outlines how the species arrived, what effect this species is having on the existing ecosystem, and any measures that are being conducted to try and minimise the impact of this species. Students could choose from, but are not limited to examining the impact of: cane toad, the red fox, the European rabbit, feral camel, common starling, carp, yellow crazy ants, western honey bees, crown of thorns star fish, Alligator weed and blackberry plants.



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[|www.suzannesutton.com/ newspaper.gif]

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