ecology rica & graphic organizers
TRANSCRIPT
Teaching Ecology
The use of writing and graphic organizers in the high school
classroom
Georgia Standards
SB2. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystems.
This is a “large” standard with six sub-categories, covering subjects from food webs to human impacts.
It is a vocabulary-rich topic with many subtle concepts.
Reading in Content Area
Three major categories of reading:In-depth “book reading” aka
Biodiversity, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, 1996 Clarion Books
Magazine article reading aka Discover Magazine (various current articles)
Web synopsis reading,aka industrialecology.blogspot.com
In-depth Book Reading
Entire units can be designed around reading a book chapter-by-chapter with activities
Chapters give a framework for activities while introducing vocabulary in context.
See “Books, Biodiversity and Beyond” in Science Scope, vol 30 #5, Jan 2007
Magazine Articles
National Geographic, Discover, and others have relevant ecology articles
Good focus for a single lesson - read, summarize, critique
Consider a prepared three-level guide (described later) for the article
Web Synopses
These are “short-short” articles summarizing a research area usually in 300 words or less -- suitable for Web attention spans.
Have several printed or online -- have students choose “most promising” or “most interesting” innovation
Consider an individual or group WebQuest to explore their choice in-depth
Organized Reading
Standard textbook ‘guided reading’ is often just vocabulary search
Instead have students build a concept map from the bold vocabulary terms they encounter - must scaffold this
Alternatives: Venn diagrams or compare/contrast matrices to compare major categories
Consider having students come up with one open question (unanswered in the text) during the reading activity - then select and discuss
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Graphic Organizers
Example of “color-your-own” graphic organizer for ecology levels
Nests biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, individual
Personal creative effort invests students in the model.
Writing Activities
Real-world linkages: essential for ecology. Have students identify a local ecological issue and write about it, incorporating key vocabulary terms.
RAFT (Role, Audience, Form, Topic) writing: put yourself in a particular role (land developer? homeowner?) to write a persuasive letter to a select audience on an ecological topic. Have different students play conflicting roles in the same scenario.
Reading Guides
“Three-Level Guide” asks one set of questions at the literal level, one set at interpretive level, and one set at applied/synthesis level -- all related to the same reading.
Compare/Contrast matrix - much like the “product comparison” matrixes, they let major concepts be compared side-by-side by a set of attributes or characteristics.
References
Vacca & Vacca, Content Area Reading: Literacy & Learning Across the Curriculum, 9th ed. Pearson Edu.
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Biodiversity, Clarion Books 2003