Pre Assessment: In your field notebooks...

1. List the ecosystems present in Connecticut.

Objective: Identify the following habitat types in Connecticut.

Enduring Understandings:

• Differences in abiotic components in an ecosystem can alter what organisms can survive there.
• Connecticut offers a diverse array of ecosystems and biotic and abiotic components make each unique.

Levels of Organization

• The Biosphere is the region of our planet that contains life and is made up of all the ecosystems on Earth.
• Biomes are geographic regions categorized by specific abiotic characteristics. On land, these characteristics include average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms dictate the biome and in water, salinity, depth, and water flow. North American biomes include 1) Tundra; 2) Taiga; 3) Desert; 4) Grasslands; 5) Temperature deciduous forest; 6) Tropical rainforest; 7) Aquatic (freshwater and marine).
• Ecosystems are particular locations on earth that is distinguished by its mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components.
• A Community consists of all the populations of organisms within a given area.
• Population refers to the individuals that belong to the same species and live in a given area at a given time.
• Individuals refer to one animal within a species or population of animals.

Activity 4: Town by Town Habitat Inventory

• In groups by town, you will use the CT Eco Simple Map Viewer to gather information about the habitats in your town. Create a presentation that will share the information you found with your peers.
• Include:
  • Maps
    • Town
    • Zoomed in areas of critical habitats
  • Critical habitat list and details about each habitat
    • Habitat description
    • What species depend on this habitat
• You will be assessed using the WPS Communication Rubric.

Activity 5: Wildlife BINGO

We will be traveling to random habitat types. Fill in this blank bingo sheet with animals and plants you would expect to find in this habitat. Use one bingo sheet per habitat type. When we visit that site, we will see who gets BINGO!

Assessment

1. Work Sample for Reflection

• Reflect on our experience managing early successional habitat with the Wallingford Conservation Commission by completing the following assignment. Your Work Sample must contain all elements provided in the outline (see rubric for grading details).

Assessments:

• Field Notes and Reflections- Communication Rubric (Formative)
• Pop Quiz 1, Pop Quiz 2 (Formative)
• Field Trip: Peabody Museum Field Trip Worksheet (Formative)
• Work Sample Reflection for Content- Communication Rubric (Summative)
• Activity 3: Town by Town Habitat Inventory Presentation (Summative)
• Quiz 4: Student, Key (Summative) - Add for 2018- KEY

Additional Resources:

The Face of CT

Teacher notes:

• Have students create a StoryMap of the various habitats visited with info about each.
• Project Learning Tree: Activity 7 Habitat Pen Pals, Activity 8 The forest of S.T. Shrew, 9 Planet Diversity, 10 Charting Diversity, 11 Cant it be real?,
• WHEP Eco regions