Unit One- Ecosystems

Math
PROCESS
What is a mathematician?
Students respond to this open ended prompt
with little teacher intervention. Their answers will be compared to their answers at
the end of the year.
Multiple Solution Paths
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP1
Students learn that they will be evaluated on
their ability to find multiple ways to solve
the same problem. They will learn to demonstrate multiple solutions to basic math facts.
Analysis of the question
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3
Students will build on the analysis skills
learned in science to analyze questions
before they start solving a problem. Students
will work on simple problems with the
numbers covered and explain how they will
approach the problem once the numbers are
revealed.
Explanation of results
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3
Students will learn that mathematicians are
skilled in explaining their results and how to
apply that practice in ther own math work.
Solution Oriented
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP4
Students learn that, like scientisists, mathematicians are solution-oriented. They will
learn how mathematicians use math to solve
real-world problems. Students will practice
this skill by using knowledge of place value,
addition and subtraction to understand and
solve the problems facing endangered animals in the ecosystems they are studying.

Science- Ecosystems
CONTENT

Basic Facts Redux

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.C.5
Students will revisit basic facts in a variety
of ways. They will learn different ways that
basic facts can be represented and how to
identify patterns within basic facts as a basis
for understanding and working with larger
numbers. Students will also use these basic
facts to as a platform study new processes
for learning and exploring math, without
being overwhelmed by entirely new content.
Students will also learn these basic facts in
conjunction with classifying basic animal
features in the ecosystem that they are studying. (two-toed vs. three toed. eight legs vs. six
, lengths of different animal features etc.)

Generalize place value understanding for

multi-digit whole numbers.
CCSS.Math.Content.4.NBT
Students will explore place value in conjunction with an exploration of animal
populations in various ecosytems as well as
the features of different animals. (number of
members in a hive, elephants in the world
before and after environmental changes.)

Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.1-3
Students will explore the four operations.
They will learn to analyze which operation
applies to which word problem and explain
why. Students will use the four operations to
classify animals in their ecosystem and analyze the problems that face different animal
populations.

PROCESS
What is a Scientist?
Students respond to this open-ended question with no instruction as a basis. At the end
of the year, students will revisit this question
and compare their answers at the beginning
of the year to their answers at the end of the
year.

Classification
Students understand that scientists organize
and classify information (details) to better
make sense of what they study. Students
practice classifying different components of
the ecosystems they are studying as well as
the world around them.

Analysis
Students understand that scientists analyze
what they observe. Students explore the
process of analysis in depth by analyzing the
way humans influence the composition of
ecosystems and the reasons for population
decline and increase in different parts of the
world.

Solution Oriented
Students understand thet scientists ultimately use their discoveries to impact the world
around them. Students use the information
they collect to postulate solutions to challenges that face ecosystems. Students analyze
how to use the information they have and
also what information they need to know to
craft even better solutions. Students make
plans to obtain that information.

CONTENT
The law of conservation of energy.
4.2
Students understand what energy is. They
understand the law of conversation of energy
as a basis for understanding how energy
travels through an ecosystem.
Matter defined/matter around us
4.2
Students understand the difference between
material (animals, rocks) and immaterial
(sound waves/energy) things in the world
around them
Living and Non-Living Components
4.2.a,b,c
Students understand the different living and
non-living members of an ecosystem. Students specialize in the study of a particular
eco-system. Students can classify and elaborate on different parts of that ecosystem and
compare their ecosystems with those that
other students are studying. Students can
track the travel of energy throughout their
ecosystem.
Roles and Balance
4.3 a,b,c
Students analyze how changes to both living
and non-living parts of an ecosystem can
affect other parts. Students understand the
role that each member of the ecosystem plays
and can infer or postulate how both real and
hypothetical changes would affect the different components of an ecosystem.
Threats
4.3.b
Students are aware of different man-made
threats to their ecosystems. Students explore
attempt to craft solutions to these problems
by bringing together everything theyve
learned with their own ideas.

Reading
FOUNDATIONAL
SKILLS
Phonics and Word Recognition/Fluency
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3-4
Phonics needs will be assessed early using
the Words Their Way Spelling Inventory.
Fluency will be assessed using traditional
methods. Students will practice phonics
through quick reads that are thematically
aligned to the ecosystem they are specializing in. The quick reads will be oriented
around different phonics skills. Students
will have the opportunity to have stories
read to them via textbook interactivity. They
will also be required to record themselves
reading and play the recordings back to
themselves. Students will then create their
own quick reads that take place in their
ecosystems.

LITERATURE
Keys Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1-3
Students will use chapters books both at an
above their level as a tool to better understand their ecosystem as well as their ability
to identify a storys key ideas and details.
Desert Ecosystem- Whole Group- Holes
Arctic Ecosystem (Advanced)- Julie of the
Wolves
Rainforest Ecosystem- (On level)- The
Great Kapok Tree
Ocean Ecosystem (Intervention)- Magic
Tree House- High Tide.

INFORMATIONAL
TEXT

ANCHOR STANDARDS

Key Ideas and Details

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1-3
Students will have access to a variety of
informational texts that are themed along
their ecosystem. As they ecosystems are
levelled so too will be the informational
texts. Students will use these texts as the
basis for identifying key ideas and details
in an informational text as well as to build
their knowledge of their ecosystem. They
will be required to collect key details across
multiple texts towards a culminating project
around their ecosystem.

Key Ideas and Details

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1-3
Students will examine in depth the need to
constantly refer to key and ideas and details
across all lessons throughout the unit. Students will also be required to provide details
for answers given across the entire unit and
all content areas. The theme of Key Ideas
and Details will be explicitly taught and
relentessly referenced as a guiding principle
at all times.

Unit One- Ecosystems

Writing and Language
PROCESS
What is a writer?
Students respond to this open ended prompt
with little teacher intervention. Their vanswers will be compared to their answers at
the end of the year.

Classifying Ideas
As a basis for the construction of multi-paragraph compositions in future units, students
learn to organize details into like categories.
This process is connected to classification
of animals and the classification of math
problems.
Peer Editing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.5
Students will learn to edit peer work with a
focus on strong, gramatically correct sentences. Students will learn and evaluate the
quality of editing done and the process by
which they edit.
Model Texts
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2
Students will learn to use writing models,
such as Jane Goodalls description of Chimpanzees or a peers writing, to write their
own detail rich descriptions.
Solution Oriented
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1
Students learn that, like scientists and mathemeticians, authors use language to solve
problems in their communities. Students
will write a persuasive essay about the ecosystem they studied to a public figure.

LANGUAGE
CONVENTIONS
The Sentence
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1
Students will revisit the sentence and will
explore what makes a good sentence. The
question what makes a good sentence will
be posed at the beginning and end of a unit.
Students will learn 4th grade grammatical
standards in the context of forming rich
descriptions of various components of the
ecosystem they are studying. Students will
learn grammatical conventions according
common core standards.

KNOWLEDGE OF
LANGUAGE
Word Families and Cognates
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3
Students always learn new words in the context of word families and other synonyms.
They learn to distinguish members of a word
family (knowledge, knowledgeable) as well
as synonyms (intelligence, wisdom) and use
that knoledge to make judicious choices
when writing description. Students are
constantly making connections to spanish
cognates.

VOCABULARY USE
AND ACQUISITION
Ecosystem Vocabulary
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.6
Students will learn the vocabulary necessary
to understand and describe in detail components of different ecosystems in rich details.
Sudents will learn to enhance those descriptions with figurative language, conjunctions
and proper punctuation.

Character Analysis
CONCEPTS AND
VOCABULARY

TRAILBLAZERS

TRAILBLAZER CLUB

HEALTHY CHOICES

Jane Goodall

Monthly Hiking Trips

Students will go on progressively more difficult hiking trips. On trips they will explore
classroom topics in the field while getting
healthier.

Good Nutrition
In the context of the study of energy and the
progressively difficult hiking curriculum,
students and parents will learn how to fuel
their bodies properly and make healthy
choices. They will also learn the consequences of poor choices.

What is a trailblazer?
Students will learn the world trailblazer.
Somebody that forges a new path, makes a
new invention etc. They will journal about
what qualities they think a trailblazer needs
to have. They will be asked to give examples
of trailblazers. They will revisit this topic at
the end of the year.

British Primatologist
Students will study the life and work of Jane
Goodall. They will read her colorful descriptions of primates and use them as models to
write their own colorful descriptions about
nature.

Trailblazer Vocabulary
Students will learn the 10 characteristics of
trailblazers. When doing character analysis
students will draw upon this vocabulary to
compare, contrast and identify trailblazers
both in history and in their own environment.

American Nature Photographer

Students will study the life and work of Ansel
Adams. They will use their knowledge of
strong sentences and key ideas and details.
Students will then take their own nature photographs and describe with strong details.

Thinker

Knowledgeable

Caring

Open Minded

Balanced

Communicator

Inquirer

Risk Taker

Principled

Reflective

Solution Oriented
Students explore specific problems that
trailblazers faced and attempt to solve those
problems before learning what actual choice
the trailblazer made. E.g. John Muir needed
to save Yosemite. How would you have done
it? Then after students write their own responses they learn the real story.

Physical Education

Ansel Adams

John Muir

American Conservationist
Students will study the life and work of John
Muir and analyze how he was effective in
accomplishing his goals. Which qualities did
he have that allowed him to

Paul Cezanne

French Painter
Students will study Paul Cezannes landscapes of the Montagne Sainte Victoire then
paint their own during a hiking fieldtrip
using Cezannes methods.

Shen Zou

Chinese Landscape Artist

Students will contrast Paul Cezannes style
with Shen Zous. They will use their study of
key ideas and details to describe Shen Zous
art and do lessons recreating it. Students will
make a Shen Zou style sketch based on the
ecosystem they are studying.

Descanso Gardens- 2.0 miles

Students will visit Descanso Gardens and
examine plant and animal species native to
California. Students will be required to write
a detailed description of something they
discover on the trip.
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve- 2.8 miles
Students will visit the Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve. In the morning they will explore
the concept of food webs via a nature hike.
In the afternoon they will pick a favorite
spot and make a nature painting in the style
of Paul Cezanne.

Collaboration and Projects

Ecosystem Study Groups
Students with different learning styles
will study specific ecosystems where the
curriculum is tailored to that learning style.
Students with different specialties will then
get in mixed groups where they collaborate
to teacher students about the ecosystem
that they have specialized in. For example,
two students may collaborate to compare
producers in the arctic with producers in the
ocean.

Culminating Projects
Students will create culminating projects,
one written and one artistic. Students must
write the story of a kilojoule of energy in
their ecosystem detailing every step of the
journey and demonstrating understaning
of all the components of their ecosystem.
For the art projects students will be able to
choose a variety of art styles to physcially
represent their ecosytem in a way that coordinates with their story.