Pacific NorthwestOld-GrowthForest Concept Mapping

Objective Students will…

  • Learn about the interconnections between forest ecosystems through visual concept maps.
  • Synthesize their readings on forest ecology through their analysis of the concept maps.
  • Demonstrate their understanding of the reading and the concept map by developing statements about forest ecology based on the concept maps.

Grade Level Expectations

1.2.1 for grades6-8:Analyze how the parts of a system interconnect and influence each other.And, grades 9 & 10 Analyze how systems function, including the inputs, outputs, transfers, transformations, and feedback of a system and its subsystems.

GLE 1.3.10 for grade 7:Understand how organisms in ecosystems interact with and respond to their environment and other organisms. (1) Describe how energy flows through a food chain or web.(2) Describe how substances such as air, water, and mineral nutrients are continually cycled in ecosystems.(3) Explain the role of an organism in an ecosystem (e.g., predator, prey, consumer, producer, decomposer, scavenger, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore).(4) Describe how a population of an organism responds to a change in its environment.

Materials: Concept map templates (5 provided below), paper, pens

Procedure:

1)Briefly review concept maps.

2)Begin lesson by providing students with four major components of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest: (1) diversity and change, (2) layers, (3) interdependence, and (4) moisture and climate.

3)Divide class into five groups and distribute one student concept map to each group. Explain to students that they are to create at least four complete sentences using information from their map. Ask for detailed and accurate sentences.

4)When they have completed their sentences, each group will make a detailed poster that illustrates their section of the concept map.

5)Have groups share with the whole class, and discuss. Maps, sentences and posters can all be displayed together.

Additional Options:

Students can also work individually with concept maps to generate either sentences or paragraphs, providing a more individualized assessment. Posters can then be created as a follow-up activity.

Students can research and create their own concept maps after the class brainstorms elements of an old-growth forest. You may want to model concept mapping using another topic. GLE 2.1.4 for grades 6-8 Understand that models represent real objects, events, or processes.(2) Create a simple model (e.g., diagram or map and/or physical model) of a common object, event, or process.

Concept maps can be used before or after a forest ecology field trip. They can introduce topics or reinforce and assess learning.

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