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UFTeach Project Based Instruction Grant Proposal

Shellora Lewin and Jessica Brenes Contact Information: 1601 SW 51st Terrace Gainesville, FL 32607 Phone numbers: Lewin: 305-798-7173 Brenes: 754-214-0505 Grant for: WestWood Middle School, 7th grade life science class Project Name: Our Ecosystem Tomorrow Total Cost of Program: $911.20

Goals: Our goal for this project-based unit will be to provide students with a real-world problem that will allow them to apply the concepts they learn in the classroom. This project-based unit will cover interdependency in the ecosystem and students will investigate and predict the changes to ecosystem of their local community when the human population doubles over the next 54 years. For this project to be successful and meaningful to students it is essential that they explore first-hand how interdependency works in an ecosystem. To this end, we are submitting this grant proposal for funds for a field trip to the Museum of Natural History where they will be able to gain this experience.

Statement of Problem

2 This year we would like to provide our students with the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Museum of Natural history. This field trip will be an essential component of their projects on the topic of interdependency. It will allow students to investigate food chains in nature, life cycles and adaptation in the pine forest and oak hammock ecosystems behind the Florida Museum. So they can better apply these concepts to the real world and learn about examples of them in the past so they can better make predictions for the future. However, we are in need of funds to sponsor the students field trip costs, including transportation and admission. Goals & Vision For this project-based unit, students will explore the concept of interdependence, help to predict a future Gainesville with an overpopulation of people, and suggests some ways to create an environment where the future citizens of Gainesville will thrive. Students will: Research the effects of overpopulation of humans on an ecosystem. Student will be able to illustrate the roles of relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web. Create a food web of Gainesvilles organisms Determine how effects of overpopulation will in turn affect the food web Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the ecosystem Describe the impact of limiting factors on population including: food, shelter, water, space, disease, nesting sites and predation Investigate the impact humans have on their ecosystem Observe first-hand (at the Florida Museum of Natural History) the diversity of species and the interactions between them. In the end, create a presentation based on their individual research and group collaboration that predicts the effect on the Gainesville ecosystem if the population continues to increase at the current rate. The presentation will include a visual aid and oral presentation of the groups results. Through this project, students will not only gain an understanding of the concept of interdependency but be made aware of the impact humans have on their ecosystem. They will further develop the essential 21st century skills of collaboration, research, solving real-world problems and creating and presenting their work. The presentation will be presented in the school cafeteria or auditorium and parents, local ecologists, other science classes, and school administrators and faculty will be invited. In the end, students as wells as observers will be made conscious of problem that will become a reality in just about 50 years. Hopefully, they will be motivated to share with others and work to prevent or reduce the impact that overpopulation will have in Gainesville.

Plan of Action As you can see from our calendar below, our project-based unit requires great planning and time-management skills. One of our objectives for the PBI Unit is to allow the students to learn about science not just sit in a classroom being lectured. This is a very unique and great way of getting the students interested in science. It is also a method used to promote higher and deeper learning. It has proved to be effective in all the cases before and this time it will be no different. It is a way of having the students do research on their own about a certain topic and become experts in that field of science. The goal is to have them present to the class and their parents what they have learned and how they can change the world for a better tomorrow. They have to prove their knowledge of limiting factors and the interaction of organisms in the food web. We will require a bus driver for the field trip on Friday and a school bus as well. We will also require 5 chaperones for the field trip (we will ask parents and staff of the school to volunteer). The last thing we require for the PBI Unit is money to send all the kids to the Museum of Natural history in Gainesville, Florida. It is just four miles away from the school, on the University of Florida campus. Agendas for Week ____1___ of _____3______ weeks for Project Based Unit

Monday Topic: Unit Project Introduction Type of Investigative Lesson: Objective(s): Devise a plan SWBAT to answer driving question and discuss essential vocabulary.

Tuesday Interdepende ncy: Food Web Benchmark: SC.7.L.1 7.1 Illustrate the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers and the process of energy transfer in a food web. Check homework and remind students to

Wednesday Food Web

Thursday Biological Interactions Investigative SC.7.L.1 7.2 Apply the types of interaction between organisms to their food web.

Friday Field trips

Investigative Utilize previous knowledge to create a food web of organisms in their ecosystem of Gainesville.

Investigative Investigate food chains in nature, life cycles and adaptation in the pine forest and oak hammock ecosystems behind the Florida Museum Remind students that they must bring with

Engage Students are given the scenario and asked to

Have students take out their homework

Pop Quiz: Matching Vocab words with their

answer the question: If the population continues to grow at the current rate, how will that affect our ecosystem?

Video: http://www.y outube.com/ watch?v=sV B82laAJl0 (1:00-2:43). Have students discuss video and food webs. Have students define it on the vocab sheet.

and discuss what organisms they discovered live in Gainesville. Sort between the different levels of the food chain.

definitions and recognizing the type of relationships organisms have. Have students take out their homework and discuss the definitions for each type of relationship giving examples of each. For each one teacher should have an example with explanation. Have students get into their groups and take out the food webs they created. Tell them to label each arrow with its relationship or write on separate paper the type of relationship each arrow

them their questions and paper to take notes and something to write with.

Explore Introduce the topic of interdepende ncy. Students will be given a sheet with the vocabulary words for this unit. The will be able to define ecology, ecosystem, and interdepende ncy. Start a

Students will complete Build a Food Web activity (http://www. exploringnat ure.org/db/de tail.php?dbI D=2&detID= 2284) They will each be given an animal and told to research their animal using either internet or

Have students get in their groups for their project and create a food web of the organisms in Gainesville. Each student should draw out their own web but each group should use the same organisms. They should

Students will experience a guided tour of the pine forest and oak hammock ecosystems behind the Florida Museum. Instruct students to pay close attention to the organisms mentioned

discussion about how ecology is important for solving the mayors problem.

books provided by teacher to answer Are they a producer, consumer or decomposer? If they are a consumer, then are they a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore? What do they eat for food? What eats them for food? Have them write it down. After finding answers students will create a web on the whiteboard by taping their animal on it. Once the web is complete start a discussion that clarifies the definition of the words used. Have students fill in definitions on vocab sheet. Teacher

label whether they are consumers, producers, carnivores, herbivores, decomposers or omnivores.

represent. Encourage students to discuss in the groups the ideas. However, if they are unable to define a relationship allow one team member to use a laptop to research it.

and their interdepende ncy.

Explain Explain the project to the students,grou p students for the project, go over the rubric and assign individual students with tasks within their groups. Give each

Have each group explain a few of the relationships that exist in their field trip.

Have students answer the questions they wrote for homework on the ride back to school and turn it in when we arrive.

group a portfolio where they will put completed work for their project. Answer any questions. Elaborate For Homework: Students will research additional consequences of overpopulati on. Write a list.

should discuss energy and nutrients transfer through a food web.

If we have more time, go over some of the questions with the class. For homework: Students will read the section of their textbook discussing the types of relationships between organisms and define the words predation, parasitism, competition, symbiosis, commensalis m, and mutualism on their vocab sheet. Teacher will check portfolios to make sure everything is in order and talk with each group as they work. (hint that there might For homework, have students come up with two questions that they want to ask the tour guide on the field trip regarding interdepende ncy.

For homework: Have the students do research on organisms that inhabit Gainesville.

Evaluate

Collect the work they completed in class to see whether they understand the vocabulary correctly.

Students will write a one page paper discussing the interdepende ncy evident in the pine tree and oak hammock ecosystems.

be a pop quiz soon) Assessment( s): Formative assessment: work during explore Formative: Pop quiz will allow teacher to see whether students understand the terms used during class as well as check whether students completed the homework. Laptops

Resource Requiremen ts:

http://www.y outube.com/ watch?v=sV B82laAJl0 (1:00-2:43). (http://www. exploringnat ure.org/db/de tail.php?dbI D=2&detID= 2284) laptops, books on organisms

Agendas for Week ____2___ of ______3_____ weeks for Project Based Unit

Monday Topic: Introduction to Limiting

Tuesday Limiting Factors

Wednesday

Thursday Presentations

Friday Review

Factors Type of Investigative Lesson: Benchmark: SC.7.L.17.3 Research Day Presentations Benchmarks: SC.7.L.1 7.1 and SC.7.L.17.3 Students will show clear understandin g of both benchmarks. Be able to describe relationships of the food webs and relationships between limiting factors and the organism they affect. Students must be able to use vocabulary from the previous lessons to describe what they have learned so far. Start the class reviewing some of the concepts from the previous classes. Student will participate in

Objective(s): The students SWBAT will be introduced to limiting factors. Students will describe different known limiting factors. Students will understand vocabulary given.

Students will be able to describe and point out limiting factors found in different ecosystems. They will understand the effects of limiting factors on organisms.

Students will have an entire day to research their projects. Focusing on the effects of limiting factors now, and what could possibly be changed in order to better the future of Gainesville.

Students will present their projects video or display board. Students parents will be invited and it will take place in the school cafeteria or auditorium.

Engage Start the students off with funny video on what limiting factors could be: http://goanim ate.com/vide os/0RbFepG 8Lx6g

Start the class with an interesting video of mystery island. Play video: (1:302:48) http://www.p bs.org/wgbh/ nova/ancient/

mysteryeasterisland.html

white boarding activity where they must draw a food web and the relationships of animals in the food web. The must be able to explain to the class their food web and discuss their picture with their groups. Students will participate in trivia game in which they will work in their groups to answer questions we have prepared. These questions will consist of vocabulary, types of limiting factors, different food web relationships and interactions between organisms in an ecosystem.

Explore Introduce the topic of limiting factors. Have the students give you a scenario of at least three things affecting the population of an endangered species.

Students will participate in an activity where they have to figure out the change of deer population when wolf are introduced into their ecosystem. They will have to also give reasons why the population does not completely decrease but fluctuates.

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Explain Have several students present their scenarios to the class. Have a class discussion about what limiting factors generally fall under: food, water, shelter, space. Explain that these are the most basic limiting factors. Also explain what limiting factors are.

Explain the activity and go over the class results in order to explain that the population of deer fluctuates because of limiting factors. Alright so based on the patterns we concluded that there must be something else that prevents the continuous growth of a population. What do you think this something is? So another way we can generalize all these factors that limit the size of a population is? Think of a name Correct! Limiting factors are

This is where I will correct all final misconceptio ns before the summative assessment. Go over in more detail anything the students had trouble answering from the trivia and formative assessments or any concepts you feel the students need clarification on.

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components of an organism's environment, such as a food, that is limited in supply and therefore limits the organism's ability to reproduce in greater numbers. Elaborate Students will have a 5 minute discussion within their group about limiting factors in a given ecosystem, which I will provide. Give the students a scenario and ask them to name several limiting factors that affect the population of a living organism. They must also explain how and why that relationship is valid. Introduce Who Am I activity. Place vocabulary words on the back of students and have them ask students who am I. The other students should give clues to help them guess.

Evaluate Assessment( s): Binder check. Thought experiment in elaboration Binder Check. White boarding engagement. Trivia game in Exploration. Who am I activity in elaboration

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Resource Video: Requiremen http://goanim ts: ate.com/vide os/0RbFepG 8Lx6g

Video: http://www.p bs.org/wgbh/ nova/ancient/ mysteryeasterisland.html

Laptops Science books Dictionaries

White boards, markers, computer for display of trivia questions.

Agendas for Week ____3___ of ______3_____ weeks for Project Based Unit

Monday Topic: Unit Test Type of Summative Lesson: Assessment Objective(s): To figure out SWBAT how much of the unit the students fully grasped and understood. Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate Assessment( s): Resource Requiremen ts: Summative assessment on paper

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

13 Staff and Facilities Prior to the start of our unit, parents letters will be sent out that explain the unit and gain permission for the field trip as well as explain our need for chaperones. We will recruit volunteers for chaperoning. These volunteers can be parents of the students or other teachers of the school who wish to help out. We will have approximately 5 chaperones including us teachers. We will require a school bus to get to the field trip and back and a bus driver as well. Our classroom is well equipped with everything else we need such as models. The museum has tour guides who are experts on the topic of ecology and on Floridas ecosystems. Evaluation To keep track of students progress, each group will be required to keep a portfolio where they will place all their completed works for the project. One student will be in charge of making sure it is neat and in order but every group member will receive credit for each assignment they complete. Each student will create a list of problems due to overpopulation, a food web of Gainesvilles organisms labeling the type of relationships between organisms, a one-page reflection of their field trip, and a picture of how they imagine Gainesville will look when the population doubles. Throughout this unit teachers will also provide students with formative assessments that inform both the teachers and the students of how well they are grasping the concepts. The formative assessments include pop quizzes, class activities, a trivia game, portfolio checks, and class discussions. The actual presentation will be assessed for organization and clarity as well as students participation and ability to explain their results. The unit will end with a unit test that will assess students understanding of interdependency in an ecosystem and all it entails. Budget The program cost is estimated to be $911.20. There will be no help from other resources. The museum has two exhibits that the students can go through that will relate to interdependence to do both they can pay $10 per student, and $14 per adult. We have a total of 25 students that is $250.00 for all the students to attend. Plus taxes that is $265.00. The total of adults attending is 5. The total amount (including taxes) for the adult chaperones is $74.20. The average wage for a bus driver is $14 per hour. We expect to have him for 3 hours. Therefore, his pay would be $42. We hope to borrow a bus from the school, however, in the case that this becomes impossible the average cost of renting a school bus is $500 for 5 hours. Plus taxes, the total cost will be $530. I will be in charge of the money and directly responsible for any monetary details. Therefore, the budget for our project is up to $950. Source for renting the school bus was found on the following website: http://www.busrates.com The bus service we will be using is: Mikes Limousine & Charter Bus Service The Museum rates can be found in the following website: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/educators/school-groups/guided-programs/ The source for the wage we agreed for the school bus driver can be found in the following website: http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/School-Bus-Driver-Hourly-Salary-DetailsGainesville-FL.aspx

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Appendices Appendix A: Shelloras Curriculum Vitae Shellora Lewin Phone: 305-798-7173 E-mail: 49redsky@gmail.com 31020202 Thomas Hall Gainesville, FL 32612 Education Bachelor in Spanish University of Florida Work Experience Student Assistant- Health Science Library University of Florida Job Description: Manage information desk, check in and out materials, help customers with questions, help customers with copiers, scanners and computers, shelve library materials January 2013 present May 2014

Student Assistant-Music Library University of Florida

July 2012 - December 2012

Job Description: Manage information desk, check in and out materials, helping customers with questions, help customers with copiers, scanners and computers as well as various playback devices, shelve library materials Summer Intern-office assistant, Miami-Dade County Emergency Housing Center Job Description: answering phones, filing paperwork, inputting data to spreadsheets, assisting clients Volunteer Work Computer Assistant-Volunteer, January 2011- present June 2010 August 2010

16 Alachua County Public Library-Headquarters Job Description: helping patrons with computers, microfilm, and printers, assisting them to fill out applications and create documents or emails. Childrens Department Volunteer, December 2009 Miami-Dade Public Library System-Homestead Branch Job Description: assisting with education programs, helping patrons with their inquiries, sorting new or returned books, shelving and organizing books, DVDs, etc., assisting patrons with computers. Other Accomplishments, VP of administration for Campus Kitchen at UF Webmaster for the Mu Delta chapter of the Minority Association of Pre-health Students. February 2008 -

17 Appendix B: Jessicas Curriculum Vitae

Jessica Brenes
7107 NW 68th ST Permanent Address: Tamarac, Florida, 33321 (754) 214 0505 latina4eva_2005@yahoo.com

Work / Volunteer Experience

Magazine Services of America (MSA) Closer Sales supervisor Responsible for closing the sale and retrieving the credit card information Shands Hospital at University of Florida 01/12-05/12 Student for Dr. Tan I volunteer under Dr. Sanda Tan at the University of Florida I learn and help in any way I can during the hours she works, she is a general surgeon at Shands 717 Parking Cashier In charge of all the valets (6-10 every day) Manage over 500 dollars every night Prepare the budget for the next day of work Close every night; Held responsible for everything that day 08/12-Present 05/08-09/08

Education
College Academy at Broward College, Davie, Florida Associates Degree in Biology- Pre-professional Track University Of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Going for my Bachelors Degree in Biology- Pre-professional Track 06/10-present 08/08- 05/10

Achievements/Awards
Deans list at the prestigious University of Florida Gold medal for volunteering more than 300 hours (I am dedicated!) Medal for volunteering for a great cause with the dance academy (I work well with people!)

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Associates degree was received in high school

Skills
I speak Spanish fluently, French, and English fluently. I am dedicated, hard-working, and persistent. I learn quickly and love to learn. I am passionate and enthusiastic about teaching

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