Environments Kit

Technology Resources for Use in Teaching Science

Technology Resources for the Environments kit - Grade 6
Barley, bugs, beetles, and brine shrimp--these are just a few of the living organisms that students work with in this unit, whose activities introduce basic concepts of environmental biology. Relating what they see in the experiments with what they see in the interactive videos, students come to appreciate that living things are dependent on the conditions of their environments.

1. Lesson Plans and Student Activities

Name of Lesson or Activity	Description
Hatching Brine Shrimp	To develop an understanding of how the growth and survival of an organism-brine shrimp-depends on physical conditions. This is accomplished by designing an experiment to determine the optimum salinity of water needed to hatch brine shrimp.
Interview with Environmental Biologist, Mollie McIntosh	Learn about what motivated this marine biologist to pursue her career. Find out about the Jason Project, a science and math curriculum that provides rich learning experiences using a hands-on inquiry based approach that mirrors the work of real scientists.
EarthPulse, National Geographic Conservation Themes	Information, lessons, themes, and activities to explore conservation themes related to climate, ecosystems, populations, energy and more.

2. United Streaming Videos for Environments kit:

To access these videos:

a. Log into ASSET, www.asset.asu.edu
b. Click on the gray curriculum resources tab.
c. Click on unitedstreaming video
d. In the search field at the top of the page that opens, type in the title of the video and click GO.
e. Download in the correct format for your computer. You may download the entire video, or just the segments that you want.
f. Show video on your computer to small groups or via a projector to the whole class.

Title of Video	Total Time	# of Segments	Description
Organisms in Their Environment	14:58	11	Examines the interactions between organisms in their environments. The program addresses two important questions posed by core-curriculum standards: · What are ecosystems and how do organisms interact in them? · How do matter and energy flow in the environment? The concepts of ecosystem, population, niche, food chain, food web, food pyramid, and the carbon cycle are all explained in this very useful program.
The World of Living Things	15:00	5	Introduces students in grades 5-9 to biology: the science of life. Nine important characteristics of living things are presented. The characteristics used for classifying living things into one of five basic kingdoms (Monera, Protista, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae) are also presented in this highly informative video.
The Role of Abiotic Factors	15:00	11	Examines the role of non-living, abiotic factors and the role they play in shaping ecosystems. Five abiotic factors are examined: water, air, soil, heat, and light. In addition, three air-mediated cycles are presented: the water cycle, the carbon-dioxide/oxygen cycle, and the nitrogen cycle.

3. Earth Science websites for Environments kit:

Name of Site	Description
Environmental Literacy Council links for Arizona	Links to all of Arizona’s natural resources service agencies & museums, such as Game & Fish, EPA, Forest Service, Water Resources, State Land Department, USGS, Mining, State Parks, zoos, and much more!
Willow Bend Environmental Resource Center	Our mission is to provide environmental education outreach services that build environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.
No. American Association for Environmental Education	Contains teacher resources, programs created by and for students, contests, information on endangered species, links to environmental projects.
EnviroLink	Well-organized links to online resources for a long list of environmental topics. Each topic contains resources for actions you can take, articles, email lists, general info, government resources, jobs & volunteering, organizations, events, and publications.
EEK -Environmental Education for Kids	An electronic magazine for kids in grades 4-8. Students learn about current environmental issues, jobs in the field, and participate in projects. Teacher pages provide directions and resources.
National Wildlife Federation	National Wildlife Federation’s mission is to protect wildlife for our children's future. Find information about current environmental issues.

4. The following SmartBoard activities for use with the Smart Notebook software are available for the Environments kit at the Smarttech Education site.

a. Kingdoms of Living Things
b. Walk on the Wild Side
c. Who Does Not Belong?