Sharing the Planet

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Central Idea: Survival depends on adapatation to changes in this interconnected world.

Inheritance and Variation of Traits; Interdependent Relationships of ecosystems; Possible solutions and their multiple effects to environmental problems

NGSS: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Performance Expectations

1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. 3-LS2-1
2. Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they livedlong ago. 3-LS4-1
3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. 3-LS4-3A

Books in the iCommons:

1. Here is the African savanna by Madeleine Dunphy ; illustrated by Tom Leonard. Summary: Cumulative text describes the interdependence among the plants and animals of an African savanna.

2.The hunt for food by Anita Ganeri ; illustrated by Graham Austin. (Series: Life's cycles ) Summary: Describes the interdependence among plants and animals living in a meadow environment, from spring to winter.

3. The Magic School Bus takes a dive : A book about coral reefs by Joanna Cole. Summary: With help from Red Beard's treasure map, Ms. Frizzle and her class discover the animals and plants of the coral reef and their interdependent relationships.

4. Morpha : a rain forest story by Michael Tennyson ; illustrations by Jennifer H. Yoswa. Summary: Morpha, a Blue Morpho butterfly begins life in the rain forest of Costa Rica and describes the interdependence of plants and animals.

5. Beaks! by Sneed B. Collard III ; illustrated by Robin Brickman.Simple text describes various bird beaks and how birds use them to eat, hunt, and gather food. Includes a quiz.

6. What do you find in a coral reef? by Megan Kopp. Summary: Vibrant photographs and descriptive text guide readers on an underwater journey through coastal waters to explore coral reefs. Home to more than one million kinds of plants, fish, and other ocean life, readers will discover how living things meet their needs for shelter, food, and more in this dynamic ecosystem.

7. Some plants grow in mid-air by Claire Llewellyn ; [illustrators, Mike Taylor, Jo Moore]. Summary: Explains why rainforests are shrinking, how their wildlife is endangered, and why they and their wildlife are important.

8. What if there were no sea otters? : a book about the ocean ecosystem by Suzanne Slade ; illustrated by Carol Schwartz. Summary: Discusses the importance of each animal in the ocean ecosystem, and looks at what would happen if sea otters were to become extinct.

9. Island : a story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin. Summary: A history of the Galapagos Island, describing how the island formed and animals came to inhabit it.

10. Fossils tell of long ago by Aliki. Summary: Explains how fossils are formed and what they tell us about the past.

11. Inside an ant colony by Allan Fowler Summary: Describes how these social insects live and work together in organized communities that are like bustling cities.

12. The Magic School Bus and the climate challenge by Joanna Cole ; illustrated by Bruce Degen. Summary :Ms. Frizzle and her students board the Magic School Bus for a lesson on climate change and what can be done to save the Earth.

13. Homes, holes, and hives by Henry Pluckrose. Summary: Examines different animal homes, how they are constructed, and how they are adopted to suit the life of each animal.