Pond Study Storyline: Unit 2 AP environmental science

 Pond Storyline Overview

Unit 2 AP Environmental Science CED- Living World- Biodiversity

Goals 

This storyline is designed to introduce the major concepts and themes of biodiversity and nutrient pollution and engage students in a scientific investigation.  It walks them through the major skills of field work and serves as a way to reinforce unit 1 topics of biogeochemical cycling and system changes.  

Why use storylines? 

Storylines are essentially a thematic study of a phenomenon students can question and observe.  The storyline covers many unit topics, essentially working through your content and skill standards within a unit but wraps them around sense making of the phenomenon.  The value in this form of teaching is that it:

• Walks students through a research pattern used in scientific study

• Engages students in scientific practices that align with AP environment’s CED and NGSS national science standards

• Encourages students to be curious and wonder about their environment; engaging them in science like they did in early education (something often lost in traditional methods!)

• Builds stronger understanding of how content connects and applies to each other; improving strength in understanding of systems of change

• Provides opportunity to introduce topics that will be covered in depth in future units, building background knowledge and optimizing the practice of a spiral curriculum to reinforce concepts year-long.

Elements of experimental design that are addressed:

• Describe patterns or trends in data.

• I can interpret the data in relation to the hypothesis or question.

• I can discuss any uncertainty in the data including outliers, sources of error, anomalies and variability of data or lack of patterns and predict how they impacted the data in my experiment. 

• Describe relationships among variables in the data represented.

• Explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions.

• Apply quantitative (mathematics) to analyze mathematical relationships. (e.g., ratio, rate, percent, basic operations, algebra, and functions)

• Explains whether the answer “makes sense”.

Lab Options based on your local environment

Engagement in this storyline will always be higher if you get the students outside doing the work.  That said, you may be limited by your school’s environment and resources.  My school has a retention pond on campus with two portions- one has a large storm drain that, at its outlet, has a deep pond great for macroinvertebrate collection.  There are two small “streams” that drain off that pond into a shallower section.  That is the two areas I have students compare since the shallow segment has less water effluent and emergent plants are visible. 

If you do not have a water source on campus, you can still bring the pond to the students.  Collecting water sources and modifying this activity with plankton studies is highly engaging.  You can have them chart the diversity of their pond samples when viewing them under a microscope.  When I first started teaching, I did this and called it “pond in a jar”.  Students added items from the environment such as sticks, rocks and debris, soils and then pond water and sealed them.  With a light source you will see organisms moving in there within a couple of days. 

In the teacher guide below, I included some virtual or simulated options as well.  These will give students experience with data and qualitative evidence but are not as rich as the lab experiences. 

CED standards: 

The following standards are covered in this storyline:

• I can differentiate between habitats and niches. 

• I can predict how biotic and abiotic factors affect the growth patterns and niches of organisms. 

• I understand the impact humans have on natural systems within ecosystems, especially related to biogeochemical cycles. 

• I can describe how competition drives the process of succession and how that will change the range of an organisms’ habitat. 

Storyline Planning Guide: 

My school runs on a hybrid blocked/standard schedule with a weekly zero hour component. This unit lasts approximately 11-12 class periods.

Access the lab notebook here.

*Looking for detailed teacher plans?  Visit TPT (Moonier Science) for the full unit plan with detailed lesson plans including materials, notes, teaching guides and links to resources used to implement each section and promote student engagement. 

Lesson (notebook page)	Approximate Time Frame	Content standards	Skill standards
2.1 Pond Phenomenon (p 1)	30 minutes	2.1 Introduction to biodiversity	4D. Make observations or collect data from laboratory set ups
2.2 Guppy Data Analysis (p 2-4)	45 minutes	2.6 Adaptations	5C Explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions.
2.3 Niches in ponds   (p 4-6)	30 minutes	2.6 Adaptations 2.1 Introduction to biodiversity	1A Describe environmental concepts.
2.4 Pond Succession (p 7-8)	30 minutes	2.7 Succession	1A Describe environmental concepts.
2.5 Pond pre-lab (p 9-10) Virtual options: Analyze Walden pond on google maps Analyze a scientific study	45 minutes	2.7 Succession	4D. Make observations or collect data from laboratory set ups 5A Describe patterns or trends in data.
2.6 Range of Tolerance and Indicator species (p11-13)	45 minutes	2.4 Ecological Tolerance	5C Explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions.
2.7 Anthropogenic impacts (p 14-17)	30 minutes	2.2 Ecological Services 8.2 Human impacts on ecosystems	3A Identify an authors claim. 4A Identify a testable hypothesis or scientific question for investigation 4B Identify a research method, design or measure used.
2.8 Eutrophication (p. 18-20)	30 minutes	2.5 Natural disruptions to ecosystems 8.5 Eutrophication	2B Explain relationships between processes represented visually
2.9 Ecosystem Services (p 20-22)	45 minutes	2.2 Ecological Services	6C Calculate an accurate numeric answer with appropriate units.
2.10 Pond water lab (p 22-24) Virtual options: Biology simulations Rivers of steel virtual labs Utah state virtual macroinvertebrates National aquatic monitoring GIS data	90 minutes	4D. Make observations or collect data from laboratory set ups
2.11 Pond water data analysis (p 25-26)	90 minutes	2.4 Ecological Tolerance	5A. Describe patterns or trends in data 6B Solve a problem; apply mathematical relationships
2.12 Graphing and Conclusion (26-28)	90 minutes	5D Interpret experimental data and results in relation to a given hypothesis 5E Explain what the data implies or illustrates about environmental issues.

*This storyline is conducted in conjunction with the ecocolumn weekly monitoring.. The following standards are not fully addressed in this storyline. In addition to assigning flipped notes over these topics, I’ve included how I cover them below:

• 1.3 Aquatic biomes- I assign this as a flipped note as well and actually quiz them on it in unit 2.  This is an independent assignment that I quiz them on; concepts are reinforced through the unit of study as we look at these water ecosystems.

• 2.3 Island biogeography- By the end of this unit, students have a great grasp of biodiversity and pick this up quickly.  I introduce the concept using this virtual simulation.  I have them explore the simulator and come up with a claim.  Then we work as a class to analyze a couple of diagrams of island biogeography while practicing FRQ task verbs.  I cover it with mastery in about 30-45 minutes. I do this the day before the test to practice explaining the concepts in new situations.

• 2.5 Natural disruptions to Ecosystems: I address this briefly with the anthropogenic effects but really dig into this standard in Unit 4 using proxy Earth science data sets. 

Assessment:

I often give students a couple of days to reflect and polish the lab notebooks before turning them in.  It gives them time to think and process the information or to catch up on sections they may have gotten behind on. I allow them to edit their posters after the science fair if they find significant errors.  For grading purposes, I grade lab notebooks based on completion.  I’ll usually pick some portions to spot check for content accuracy but typically, I’m more interested in their final product for close grading. I usually spend more time reading their individual data analysis using the scoring guide provided. 

I give a unit test that I build in AP classroom. I assign the multiple choice progress check for unit 1 one week prior to the assessment. Students must take the progress check before the morning of the test as a qualification for test corrections.  By completing the progress check and test corrections, I offer them a test curve of 10%.  A 10% curve encourages them to study because the curve is limited but is a large enough incentive for them to complete the self assessments which in turn improve their test taking skills and practice working with multiple choice. I save the FRQ progress checks for classroom practice.

Lichen Storyline- AP Environment Unit 1

 Lichen Storyline Overview

Unit 1 AP Environmental Science CED- Living World- Ecosystems

Goals 

This storyline is designed to introduce the major concepts and themes of environmental science and engage students in a scientific investigation.  It walks them through the major skills of designing an experiment and serves as a formative assessment for educators to see how those skills need further instruction.  Many AP environmental science teachers have a unit 0 to introduce major themes of the course.  I have incorporated those themes I typically cover with my students into this storyline.

Why use storylines? 

Storylines are essentially a thematic study of a phenomenon students can question and observe.  The storyline covers many unit topics, essentially working through your content and skill standards within a unit but wraps them around sense making of the phenomenon.  The value in this form of teaching is that it:

• Walks students through a research pattern used in scientific study

• Engages students in scientific practices that align with AP environment’s CED and NGSS national science standards

• Encourages students to be curious and wonder about their environment; engaging them in science like they did in early education (something often lost in traditional methods!)

• Builds stronger understanding of how content connects and applies to each other; improving strength in understanding of systems of change

• Provides opportunity to introduce topics that will be covered in depth in future units, building background knowledge and optimizing the practice of a spiral curriculum to reinforce concepts year-long.

Elements of experimental design that are addressed:

• Forming a scientific question and identifying variables

• Methods of experimental design used in environmental science: lab investigation, field work, GIS information and tools including inaturalist, photometers

• Data collection and analysis- primarily percentages

• Experimental error: There are intentional limits to this experiment that I openly share with students to demonstrate that all experiments have errors.  Be explicit in the discussion of human error vs experimental design error and how field work has many confounding variables that will affect data.  How can we follow field work with more controlled experiments in the lab to isolate those variables?

• Working in collaboration with others to evaluate scientific experiments 

Why lichen?

The choice in using lichen is that it is an organism found in nearly all environments. Even if your school is in an urban area, you’d likely find some growing on undisturbed structures and trees.  Students also have experience seeing them but may not know what it is. This taps into their curiosity and sense making skills.  I found that even by the end of the school year after completing this unit, students still talked about lichen (and made many puns).  My group even made signs to hang in the classroom about it.  They love the topic and it's a great way to kick off the year with something interesting. 

CED standards: 

Not all unit 1 standards are covered in this storyline because I begin the use of ecocolumns directly following this lesson.  The early ecocolumn steps cover the remaining standards. In addition, the goal of storylines is to cover content that explains a phenomenon so you will see several standards that are covered from units later in the CED. The following standards are covered in this storyline:

• I can differentiate between habitats and niches. 

• I can predict how biotic and abiotic factors affect the growth patterns and niches of organisms. 

• I understand the impact humans have on natural systems within ecosystems, especially related to biogeochemical cycles. 

• I can describe symbiotic relationships between organisms and the advantages they provide. 

• I can use biological processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to describe primary productivity within a food web. 

• I can describe how competition drives the process of succession and how that will change the range of an organisms’ habitat. 

Student Lab Notebook

Share the student lab notebook or print it for students to complete as they move through the unit.

Storyline Planning Guide: 

My school runs on a hybrid blocked/standard schedule with a weekly zero hour component. This unit lasts approximately 11-12 class periods.

You can find a detailed teacher guide for purchase at my Teacher Pay Teachers Site (Moonier Science)

Lesson	Approximate Time Frame	Content standards	Skill standards
1.1 Tragedy of the commons fishing activity  Read “Honorable Harvest” Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer	30 minutes	5.1 Tragedy of the commons	7A Describe environmental problems.  7B Describe potential responses or approaches to environmental problems 3B Describe an author’s perspective
1.2 Thinking like an environmental scientist Watch HHMI Gorongosa Think like a Scientist Diagram environmental sustainable solutions Exit slip: Local issue diagram	45 minutes	5.12 Introduction to sustainability	7A and 7B problems and solutions 7F Justify a proposed solution by explaining potential advantages
1.3 Modeling trophic levels and species interactions HHMI Gorongosa (or local food web) food web and pyramid activity Carbon cycling lecture Exit slip: comfort zone probe	90 minutes	1.4 Carbon cycle 1.9 Trophic levels 1.10 Energy flow and the 10% rule 1.11 Food chains and food webs	2A Describe characteristics of a process visually 2B Explain relationships using models.
1.4 Phenomenon: Lichen nature hike and collection (lab notebook p 1-2)	45 minutes	1.1 Introduction to ecosystems 2.1 Introduction to biodiversity	4C Describe a research method 4D Make observations or collect data
1.5 symbiosis and primary productivity Show “Lichen in the city: short film” from Youtube Braiding Sweet grass- Read “Umbilicaria: The Belly Button of the World” Lab notebook p. 3	45 minutes	1.1 Introduction to ecosystems 1.8 Primary productivity	3C Describe an author’s reasoning use of evidence to support a claim 1A,C Describe environmental concepts and process. Explain them in applied contexts.
1.6 Microscope lab: lichen research (notebook p. 4-5)	30 minutes	1.1 Introduction to ecosystems	4D Make observations or collect data from the lab 5A Describe patterns or trends in data
1.7 Competition and succession Finish chapter in Braiding Sweetgrass (notebook p. 6) Lecture- succession and nitrogen cycling	30 minutes	2.7 Ecological Succession 1.5 Nitrogen cycle 7.2 Photochemical smog	2B Explain relationships between concepts visually 1C Explain environmental concepts and processes in applied context
1.8 Experimental design Introduce scientific questions and variables Show “Studying lichens (Harvard University)” youtube. Practice an FRQ 1 and self grade/revise answers	45 minutes	3.1 Generalist and specialist species	4A Identify a testable hypothesis or scientific question. 4B Identify a research method, design or measure used.
1.9 Plan your experiment Show youtube “Watching Lichen grow… scientifically” to model experimental design Introduce classroom tools; Groups of 3-4 plan experiment (notebook p. 7-10)	90 minute class period	1.8 Primary productivity	4A Identify a testable question 4B,C Identify and describe a research method, design and measure used
1.10 Experiment  Students perform their experiment; collect data	90 minutes	4D Make observations and collect data from the lab.
1.11 Analyzing data Practice calculating surface area, volume and percentages. Students analyze data.	45 minutes	5A Describe patterns or trends in data 5b Describe relationships among variables in data 5C Draw conclusions from patterns in data 6B Apply appropriate mathematical relationships to solve a problem 6C Calculate an accurate numeric answer with units(Calculating Surface area; %)
1.12 Create a group poster Groups evaluate model posters Create a group poster	90 minutes	3D Evaluate credibility of a source 3E Evaluate the validity of conclusions of a research study 5C Explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions 5D Interpret results in relation to a given hypothesis 5E Explain what the data implies or illustrates about an environmental issue
1.13 Science fair and evaluations (notebook p. 11-13)	45 minutes	3D Evaluate credibility of a source 3E Evaluate the validity of conclusions of a research study 4E Explain modifications to an experimental producer that will alter results

*This storyline can be implemented prior to or in conjunction with the ecocolumn build to complete all the standards for unit 1. The following unit 1 standards are not addressed in this storyline.  I’ve included how I cover them below:

• 1.2 Terrestrial biomes- You can discuss this briefly with them on the nature walk and when watching the videos throughout the storyline (each video features different types of terrestrial biomes).  I assign this section as flipped notes and self study with a short introductory lecture on biome patterns.  I quiz them on this section. I emphasize that they’ll receive practice with the biomes throughout the year and will see the climate patterns again in unit 4 Earth systems. 

• 1.3 Aquatic biomes- I assign this as a flipped note as well and actually quiz them on it in unit 2.  Unit 2 storyline is a pond study which lends itself to learning about aquatic ecosystems.  

• 1.6 Phosphorus cycle and 1.7 Hydrologic cycle- all the biogeochemical cycles are studied in depth during the ecocolumn build so I table those discussions for that activity. Both of these are also covered in depth in my Unit 2 storyline on pond water, during learning about eutrophication and surface runoff.

Assessment:

I often give students a couple of days to reflect and polish the lab notebooks before turning them in.  It gives them time to think and process the information or to catch up on sections they may have gotten behind on. I allow them to edit their posters after the science fair if they find significant errors.  For grading purposes, I grade lab notebooks based on completion.  I’ll usually pick some portions to spot check for content accuracy but typically, I’m more interested in their final product for close grading. I usually spend more time reading their self assessments and group posters (paying attention to the version history to assess individual students). 

I give a unit test that I build in AP classroom after covering the phosphorus and water cycles in the ecocolumn build (about 3 class periods after finishing lichen). I assign the multiple choice progress check for unit 1 one week prior to the assessment. Students must take the progress check before the morning of the test as a qualification for test corrections.  By completing the progress check and test corrections, I offer them a test curve of 10%.  A 10% curve encourages them to study because the curve is limited but is a large enough incentive for them to complete the self assessments which in turn improve their test taking skills and practice working with multiple choice. I save the FRQ progress checks for classroom practice.