Module 6-Science 4B - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, students will learn about how organisms are connected in a fascinating web of life. Students will learn about the vast diversity of life on Earth and that some of that life is endangered, and some has gone extinct. Students will learn about how human activities affect the environment.

Module Materials:

Lesson # Lesson Title Material(s)
1 The Web of Life pen or pencil
200 of one color plastic building brick or block (optional)
20 of another color of block (optional)
2 of a third color of block (optional)
1 of a fourth color of block (optional)
2 Biodiversity & Extinction pen or pencil
box for a diorama
scissors
cardboard, heavy paper, and/or modeling clay to make creatures
markers
tape
3 Humans and the Environment pen or pencil
1 apple (optional)
knife (optional)
napkin (optional)
objects from the trash or recycling to make recycled art (optional)
art supplies for creating recycled art (optional)

Module Objectives:

Lesson # Lesson Title Objective(s)
1 The Web of Life
  1. Describe how energy flows through a food chain.
  2. Describe how a food web shows multiple energy relationships in an ecosystem.
  3. Explain how even small changes in an environment can have a big impact on the organisms that live there.
2 Biodiversity & Extinction
  1. Describe the major parts of an ecosystem.
  2. Explain how an ecosystem can become balanced or unbalanced.
  3. Describe biodiversity.
  4. Define threats to biodiversity.
3 Humans and the Environment
  1. Explain how to balance human needs with environmental protection.
  2. Describe human population growth and why it causes concern.
  3. Explain actions humans are taking to protect the environment.

Module Key Words:

Key Words
energy
food chain
food web
food pyramid
ecosystem
biodiversity
extinction
cooperation
competition
habitat
environmentalist
population growth
natural resources
recycle

Module Assignments:

Lesson # Lesson Title Page # Assignment Title
2 Biodiversity & Extinction 12 Building Diversity
3 Humans and the Environment 2 Building Your Community

Learning Coach Notes:

None

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title Question
The Web of Life
  1. What is a Food Web?
Biodiversity & Extinction
  1. What is biodiversity?
Humans and the Environment
  1. How do humans impact the environment?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title Video Question
The Web of Life You in the Food Web
  1. What are 5 things you learned about the food web from this video?
The Web of Life The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten
  1. Describe 5 things you learned about Marine food chains from this video.
The Web of Life The Magic School Bus In the Rain Forest
  1. What are 5 things you learned from this video?
Biodiversity & Extinction Ecosystems: Nature in Balance
  1. What is an ecosystem?
  2. What are the different types of ecosystems?
  3. Why is it important to protect ecosystems?
  4. What are 5 things you learned from this video?
Biodiversity & Extinction The Magic School Bus: Takes a Dive
  1. What are 5 things you learned about the Coral Reef Ecosystem?
Biodiversity & Extinction Rainforest
  1. What are the two types of rainforests?
  2. Where are tropical rainforests found?
  3. What are the characteristics of tropical rainforests?
  4. What types of animals live in a tropical rainforest?
  5. Where are temperate rainforests found?
  6. What are the characteristics of a temperate rainforest?
Biodiversity & Extinction Coral Reefs
  1. What is a coral reef?
  2. How is a coral reef created?
  3. What are 5 things you learned about coral reefs?
Biodiversity & Extinction Threats to Biodiversity
  1. What is biodiversity?
  2. What are threats to biodiversity?
  3. What are 5 things you learned from this video?
Biodiversity & Extinction Environmental Changes
  1. How does the environment change?
  2. How does it effect plants and animals when their environment changes?
Humans and the Environment The Magic School Bus Gets Swamped
  1. What are 5 things you learned from this video?
Humans and the Environment Human Population
  1. How does the growing human population on Earth effect our environment?
Humans and the Environment What Can you Do?
  1. What does it mean to reduce, reuse, and recycle?
  2. How can doing these things impact our environment?

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

  • What is the main idea?
  • What are three things new you learned?
  • How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

# Book Author Lexile Level
1 What Are Food Chains and Webs? Bobbie Kalman NC940L
2 Who Eats What?: Food Chains and Food Webs Patricia Lauber
3 If Polar Bears Disappeared Lily Williams AD1060L
4 Will We Miss Them?: Endangered Species Alexandra Wright AD860L
5 Human Footprint: Everything You Will Eat, Use, Wear, Buy, and Throw Out in Your Lifetime Ellen Kirk 890L
6 What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet Jess French IG920L

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

# Outing