Is Your Stream Healthy?

Expeditionary Learning
Chinita Allen

Chalker Elementary

Standards

Focus Standards: S4L1 Students will describe the roles of organisms and
the flow of energy within an ecosystem. a. Identify the roles of producers,
consumers, and decomposers in a community. b. Demonstrate the flow of
energy through a food web/food chain beginning with sunlight and including
producers, consumers, and decomposers. c. Predict how changes in the
environment would affect a community (ecosystem) of organisms. d. Predict
effects on a population if some of the plants or animals in the community are
scarce or if there are too many.

S4L2 Students will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of
organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation) and
external features (camouflage and protection). a. Identify external features
of organisms that allow them to survive or reproduce better than other
organisms that do not have these features. (e.g. camouflage, use of
hibernation, protection, etc.) b. Identify factors that may have lead to the
extinction of some organisms.

Benchmarks and Misconceptions

For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive will, some survive
less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal material for food.

Organisms interact with one another in various ways besides providing food. Many plants
depend on animals for carrying to other plants or for dispersing their seeds.

Changes in an organisms habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometime harmful.

Most microorganisms do not cause disease, and many are beneficial.

Almost all kinds of animals food can be traced back to plants.

Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

Over the whole earth, organisms are growing, dying, and decaying, and new organisms are
being produced by the old ones.

Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences give
individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

Misconceptions and Proper Conceptions

Misconceptions

Proper Conceptions

Plants and animals dont need each

other for survival.

Adaptations and camouflage prevent

some animals and plants from
becoming food.

Plants and animals do need each

other to survive.

All plants and animals will become

food for something one day.

Extinction still occurs today.

Adaptations take a long time to

occur.

Extinction only occurred in the days

of dinosaurs.

Plants and animals can change

features to adapt.

Is Your Stream Healthy?

Nature Trail Tour

Observations

Nature Trail Observations

Partnered with Adopt a Stream

Environmental Specialist
Water Run- Off & Pollution

Water Run Off Simulation

http://www3.epa.gov/safewater/kids/index.html

Water Filtration STEM Challenge

Plan

Design

Water Filtration STEM Challenge

Adopt A Stream Ecosystem Lesson

https://youtu.be/2Kfzypg8G28

Research
Chalker Environmental
Specialist

Proper Disposal of Waste

Water Test Simulation

Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Temperature and Water
Conductivity

Water Testing Simulation

Note Taking and Clarification

Digging Deeper

Stream Testing Expedition

http://www.georgiaadoptastream.org/Manuals_etc/Visual/Visual.pdf?15-0909

Technology
Water Filtration- Student Interview
Students created webpages and conducted interviews about water pollution and
reflected on how they could become a change agent.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XnfPGBQah4eHVreERJcEpmVEU/edit
Student Water Pollution Websites

http://4thwatersavers.weebly.com/
http://waterpollutionaroundtheworld.weebly.com/purposeabout.html

Resources
What is an Ecosystem?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CZFfyed3M&feature=player_embedded
Tell my Why- Environment and Ecosystems
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=124256
4th Grade Live Binder:
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=124256
Habitat Survey Visual Forms
http://www.georgiaadoptastream.org/Manuals_etc/Visual/V_Ch_2.pdf?15-0909