Unit Activity Overview
Students will have opportunities to engage in several hands on experiments centered on the big ideas of plant functions, photosynthesis, environmental conditions and how all three are interrelated to our Ecosystem. The big ideas all stem back to the central theme of how our Sun is necessary for survival and balance of our Ecosystem (See Figure 2).
- Create an Energy Mural that describes the different forms of energy students have heard of before. *Can be used as a pre assessment.
- Energy Scavenger Hunt: Students will search around the classroom and school to find objects that give off some type of energy using a scavenger hunt checklist.
- Plant Part Experiments (Celery Experiment, Leaf Experiment, Plant Cover Up, Seed Sort)
- Solar Energy Centers:
- Plant Power: Scientific experiment using one plant as a control in a normal setting, one plant in direct sunlight and one plant in a brown paper bag. Students will observe each plant to see which plant has the best survival rate over a set period of time.
- Thermometer Traps: Students will use a dark sneaker and a white sneaker and place a thermometer in each. They will observe and track the temperature when both sneakers are placed outside in the sun. Which one is hotter? What does that tell you about dark objects vs. light objects?
- Liquid Glue Relay: Students will place one glue bottle outside in the sun, one glue bottle in a bucket of ice and one glue bottle at room temperature. They will use a piece of cardboard and set it at an incline. 3 students will take the glue bottles and pour them at the same time to see which bottle oozes down the cardboard incline first. They will record the time for each bottle and record on a graph after 3 trials.
- Ecosystem Exploration: Students will research an Ecosystem and analyze the plants native to that particular environment. They will describe how plants in that area are able to make their own food, emphasizing how the Sun is able to transfer Light Energy to plants. Students will also describe environmental conditions associated with that area and what humans are doing to positively or negatively impact the balance of the ecosystem (ex. Deforestation, Global Warming, Pollution, etc.)
- Energy Expo: Students will culminate the unit with an Energy Expo. They will present their research in various forms of choice including: brochures, posters, power points, models, etc. to showcase what they have learned. They will present their information to lower grade levels and explain how energy is all around us and the importance of the Sun to our survival. They will create an action plan to describe what we can do to help keep balance and sustainability within our Ecosystem.
Estimated Length of Unit: 6-8 weeks
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