Unit 4: Envisioning Our Ecological, Bioculturally Diverse School Grounds

In this unit, students will envision an ecological, bioculturally diverse school grounds at their school, and develop a plan for implementing their vision.

Please read the introduction to this curriculum before beginning any lessons.

Grade Level:

• 6 - 12 grade or equivalent

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Performance Expectations:

Middle and high school:

• Asking questions and defining problems

• Constructing explanations and designing solutions

• Engaging in argument from evidence

• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

5E Unit Element:

• Elaborate

Ecological Society of America 4DEE Framework:

• Human-Environment Interactions

• Cross-Cutting Themes

Enduring Understandings (the Big Ideas)

Students will understand that:

• Envisioning goals for the future is a way to consider all ideas and the values of others while working within parameters based on knowledge and data.

• Community planning entails creating consensus that reflects the knowledge, data, and cultural values provided by those affected.

• Successful implementation of a plan requires that a strong case be made for the plan's goals, with facts and data to support the case as well as its actualization.

Essential Questions

• How can we use knowledge, data, and the input of others to envision ecological, bioculturally diverse school grounds at our school?

• How can we take our vision of ecological, bioculturally diverse school grounds and create a plan to implement it?

• How can we understand and respect the views of others while coming to consensus on our school grounds plan?

Assessments:

• Contributions to class discussion

• Quality of teamwork

• Ecological, bioculturally diverse school grounds proposals

• Descriptions of observations in student journals

• Journal entries describing key takeaways from this lesson

• Preparation of slide(s) for presentation in Lesson 5