Life Systems
Grade 8: Life Systems
Cells
For PDSB Educators: if you are looking to reach out to the Peel Field Centres for further ways to connect your learning to the environment visit the PDSB Field Centre Share Point site.
Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...
Nature Journaling is an incredible tool for students to investigate cells and how they change and adapt to various outside influences. Their nature journal allows them to write/draw their observations helping to cement the concepts being taught.
At this age all three prompts "I notice..., I wonder...?, and "It reminds me of..." become very intuitive. However the statement "I wonder..." becomes very important at this age all the way up to 18 years as students deepen their understanding of the world around them. Encourage students to begin writing using single words, simple sentences, lists, point form, paragraphs and even poetry. Please note that spelling is not a focus in the nature journal. At this age you may start to see art fears - please ensure you are re-iterating it is not about a pretty picture. It is about their observations. Please see the link feedback at the bottom of this lesson for tips on this. Using words, pictures and numbers allows the students multiple tools to document their observations. With permission Bethan Burton has allowed us to link to her website as she has written a blog post for Teaching nature journaling at all ages.
Here are some more ideas to get you started.
Engage the fives senses (whenever possible)
Make leaf prints ( paint the leaf and press the print into the journal)
Make leaf rubbings
Trace the items they are looking at
Add leaves into the journal using tape
Count the birds/squirrels/insects etc.
Measure as much of the phenomena as the students can using non standard and standard units of measurement.
Here is a downloadable lesson from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. All resources shared with permission. "I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of..."
GIVING FEEDBACK here is a fantastic resource from Jack and Emilie
NOTE: You are encourage to spend time in the outdoors Nature Journaling. However, you can also bring nature inside, look out your wonder window, have a refrigerator Safari or even observe a house plant or pet.
LIFE SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTS - IN JEOPARDY
Go on a hike and investigate a natural area nearby or complete this activity near a window and investigate outdoors when appropriate.
1) Take a visual inventory of the landscape and consider the many ways the habitat naturally supports life. Consider all the life forms that are part of the natural system and make note of the living organisms that are connected to the natural area.
2) Record either on a piece of paper or with a camera (if available) all the unnatural things that you think might be having an impact on the area.
3) Consider how these unnatural items or events might affect organisms (plants or animals) on a cellular level. Could these negative sources affect the health of the organism? What affects are these things having on plant life and animal habitat?
4) When you return home do some research on the environmental impacts of contaminated systems.
How are cells of these organisms negatively affected by these contaminated sources?
Can a polluted habitat impair animal reproduction and life expectancy? What other adverse health effects can it cause?
NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.