5.1 Strand
Earth’s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). Within these systems, the location of Earth’s land and water can be described. Also, these systems interact in multiple ways. Weathering and erosion are examples of interactions between Earth’s systems. Some interactions cause landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions that impact humans and other organisms. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards, but solutions can be designed to reduce their impact.
Standard(s) 5.1.1: Analyze and interpret data to describe patterns of Earth’s features. Emphasize most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans while major mountain chains may be found inside continents or near their edges. Examples of data could include maps showing locations of mountains on continents and the ocean floor or the locations of volcanoes and earthquakes. (ESS2.B)
Practices
Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyzing data in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to introducing quantitative approaches to collecting data and conducting multiple trials of qualitative observations. When possible and feasible, digital tools should be used.
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Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur in patterns. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans. Major mountain chains form inside continents or near their edges. Maps can help locate the different land and water features areas of Earth.
Cross Cutting Concepts
Patterns
Patterns can be used as evidence to support an explanation.
Storyline Narrative
To begin this storyline students will investigate the phenomenon, a volcano rapidly formed in a field in Paricutin. Students will obtain information about a volcano that grew in a field in Paricutin, Mexico over the course of 9 years, destroying the village.
Then students will obtain information about other North American examples of volcano and earthquake activity and mountain ranges to analyze patterns in the data. They will look at volcanoes in the area of Paricutin to understand and reason that the occurrence of that volcano was part of a pattern rather than a random act. From there, students will look at examples and nonexamples of volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain ranges to further analyze and interpret data to find patterns of Earth’s features. Finally, when given a map with known volcano and/or earthquake occurrences, students identify which location is more likely to have the next occurrence and support their answer using the data from their investigations?
Site Feedback
Utah Science
Curriculum Consortium
Tyson Grover
Annette Nielson
Storyline Narrative 6.4.3
SEEd Standard 6.4.3 asks students to develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem with an emphasis on food webs and the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
To address this standard, our storyline is focused on the phenomenon, matter cycles and energy flows in an ecosystem. Students engage in a series of questions about the cycle of matter and flow of energy. These questions help students to start developing their understanding and model of cycle. Students then are asked to use their understandings to organize the different organisms into a simple life chart. This helps builds students understandings of the different roles within a food web. Using these understandings they are given a lift of different animals and organisms and asked to classify them into different group. As students classify the living organisms by what they eat the teacher introduces the vocabulary and definitions of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
In order to explore how matter cycles and energy flows, students develop a model of the circle of life using a different ecosystem. Students are given a more extensive list of different living organisms and asked to construct a food chain. As they begin to develop their chain, students start to discuss that they aren’t sure where each organism goes. This leads students determine that a web better suits the cycle of matter and flow of energy.
Students will then participate in simulations of food webs and analyze data from the simulations. They will use their models to explain what is causing the changes made in the food webs.
Students elaborate as they develop their models of the roles producers, consumers, and decomposers as they obtain information from a website information quest about food webs in the ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake. As they learn about the Great Salt Lake students use their models to construct explanations for the roles of different living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. They will use the information to develop a model of how energy and matter is cycling through the food web.
Finally to evaluate, students will use what they have learned about food webs to develop a model of a food web for a pond ecosystem. They will use their model to communicate the different roles organisms play in the food web and how energy flows and matter cycles through the food web.
Conceptual Understandings
Matter and energy continuously cycle in an ecosystem.
How do organisms interact as energy is cycled in an ecosystem?
Snapshot
Students will ask questions while studying a simple circle of life chart. Students will identify the organisms in the circle of life chart as producers, consumers, and decomposers Students will then create their own circle of life chart representing an ecosystem from around the world.
Episode 1
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Question
How do matter and energy flow in an ecosystem?
Episode 2
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Question
How do organisms interact as energy is cycled in an ecosystem?
Snapshot
Students will construct a food web to demonstrate the connections between organisms in an ecosystem.
Conceptual Understandings
Organisms in an ecosystem are interconnected in a food web.
How can changing interactions between organisms affect the food web?
Conceptual Understandings
Changing interactions between organisms can cause drastic changes to the ecosystem food web.
How is energy transferred through food webs?
Snapshot
Students will run computer simulations of a prairie food web. Each time a student runs a new simulation, relationships between organisms will be altered. Student will study the resulting data to determine how changes to a food web change the ecosystem.
Episode 3
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Question
How can changing interactions between organisms affect the food web?
Episode 4
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Question
How is energy transferred through food webs in the Great Salt Lake?
Snapshot
Students will complete an information quest using a website about the Great Salt Lake food webs. Students will use the information to categorize organisms as either producers or consumers. Students will create their own food web using organisms that live in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
Conceptual Understandings
Matter and energy cycle through food webs.
Can I develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem?