Subject: Science
Grade Level: 5
Standards: MA STE & ELA (Common Core)
By Ladda Kosaketh
The students are a group of Environmental Biologists that keep honey bees. They notice that their honey bee colonies are dying and disappearing. Through research, they discover that a nearby local community garden is using chemical pesticides on their plants. Their honey bees visit this garden to feed on plant nectar and make honey. Because they know honey bees are a keystone species they must convince the garden managers to switch to a method of keeping pests away that does not harm the honey bees.
In their meeting with the garden managers, they will need to present a model of an ecosystem to show what roles the honey bees play and how the ecosystem will be affected if the honey bees all die from their use of the chemical pesticides.
STE, Math & ELA Standards
5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among producers, consumers, decomposers, and the air, water, and soil in the environment to (a) show that plants produce sugars and plant materials, (b) show that animals can eat plants and/or other animals for food, and (c) show that some organisms, including fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms and recycle some materials back to the air and soil.
ART 5-6.V.Cr.02. Organize and plan an idea using a variety of self selected strategies (e.g. sketches, prototypes, rough drafts)
ELA Grade 5 SL.5.4. Report on a topic, text, procedure, or solution to a mathematical problem, or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace and use appropriate vocabulary
STE Practice: Developing and using models
