Ecology and the Human Influence

For grade 6 and 7

Andrea Derrick SC 492 Summer 2011

Rationale Project 2061 is a plan for what all students should know by the ends of grade 2, 5, 8, and 12 in science by the year 2061. Benchmarks list the goals of where the students should be in their understanding of science at those checkpoints in their education. Chapter 5 of Benchmarks addresses what students should know about the living environment. In 6th through 8th grade students should build up a collection of cases based on their own studies of organisms, readings, and film presentations, they should be guided from specific examples of the interdependency of organisms to a more systematic view of the kinds of interactions that take place among organisms. Prior knowledge of the relationships between organisms and the environment should be integrated with students' growing knowledge of the earth sciences. The benchmarks that I will be addressing in this learning segment include: Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. In classifying organisms, scientists consider details of both internal and external structures. The cycles continue indefinitely because organisms are decomposed after death to return food materials to the environment. Through literature, the internet, video, inquiry, and exploration, the students will discover different types of living organisms (those who are producers, consumers, and decomposers) and the structures that determine why they obtain energy in the manner they do.

Chapter 10 of benchmarks addresses the historical perspectives within the science curriculum. It is important for students to understand where we came from in order to know where we are going. They will think about what the world was like before human influence and the impact humans have made on the environment through pollution, hunting, and use of natural resources. From the AAAS atlas, at grades 6-8 students should understand the flow of matter in the ecosystem. Plants make their own food, animals consume energy rich foods, matter is transformed from one organism to another, its a continuous cycle from producers to consumers to decomposers. They must also understand the flow of energy in an ecosystem. Almost all food energy comes from the sun, plants use energy from light to make sugar to be used right away or stored, organisms that eat plants breakdown the plant structures for energy. This learning segment will also integrate English/ Language Arts through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The students will be required to participate in an interactive read aloud, independent reading, journal reflections daily, and communicate their findings through speaking and listening. Math will be integrated by examining population statistics of various species, creating tables and graphs, and predicting future populations based on the trend. Technology will be used to gather information as well as create graphs. The students will depict their vision of the world before human influence through the use of the arts as well as their prediction of the future. The overall goal of this segment is for students to understand how living and non living things affect one another within an ecosystem. More importantly, the role humans have played within the environment on a local and global level. The students will investigate the negative

effects as well as possible solutions to the current environmental issues. They will share their findings with their peers.

Content Standards B. Nature of Science: Students in Wisconsin will understand that science is ongoing and inventive, and that scientific understandings have changed over time as new evidence is found. C. Science Inquiry: Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific methods and tools, revise their personal understanding to accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings to others. F. Life and Environmental Science: Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment. H. Students in Wisconsin will use scientific information and skills to make decisions about themselves, Wisconsin, and the world in which they live. Performance Standards B.8.2 Identify and describe major changes that have occurred over in conceptual models and explanations in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences and identify the people, cultures, and conditions that led to these developments

C.8.1 Identify* questions they can investigate* using resources and equipment they have available C.8.2 Identify* data and locate sources of information including their own records to answer the questions being investigated

C.8.4 Use inferences* to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet F.8.10 Project how current trends in human resource use and population growth will influence the natural environment, and show how current policies affect those trends. H.8.2 Present a scientific solution to a problem involving the earth and space, life and environmental, or physical sciences and participate in a consensus-building discussion to arrive at a group decision MPS Learning Targets Grade 6: Explore how living things change to survive in different ecosystems. Discuss the differences between cell structures in various organisms. Identify different reproduction methods.

Grade 7: Investigate how an increase or decrease in the population of an organism can affect other organisms and the natural system they share. Discuss theories of extinction.

Common Themes Systems: Thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others. The output from one part of a system (which can include material, energy, or information) can become the input to other parts. Such feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole. The interaction of living and non-living things within the environment is known as an ecosystem. The students will learn about the interactions and roles that biotic and abiotic factors take within that environment, the structures of the organisms that determine its niche, and role humans play in the system. Constancy and change: Trends based on what has happened in the past can be used to make predictions about what things will be like in the future. However, these predictions may not always match what actually happens. Cycles, such as the seasons or body temperature, can be described by what their cycle length or frequency is what their highest and lowest values are, and when these values occur. Different cycles range from many years down to a fraction of a second. Looking at population trends over several years can help determine what the population has been historically speaking and what it will be in the future. Students will hypothesize why the trends may be skewed at points in time based on what they know and understand about ecosystems.

Learning Segment Overview:

Lesson Objective Assessment Summery Key Concepts 1 Students will identify and classify living vs nonliving factors within the environment and how they interact INFORMAL- observation of student interaction with materials

FORMAL- Paper and Pencil: students will accurately categorize objects as biotic vs abiotic then explain how they interact within the environment Concept Web- to determine prior knowledge

Investigation- hypothesize relationships of living and non living things

Webquest- define key terms

Discussion

Reflection

Biotic abiotic Coexistence/Cooperation/Competition. Symbiosis. Mutual dependence.

2 Students will make observations about their natural environment Student observations and connections through discussion Outside exploration Demonstration Discussion Reflection

Producers Decomposer consumer

Students will understand the flow of matter and energy within the ecosystem

Quiz on Flow of Energy

http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078757134/383926/BL_02.html Virtual Lab

Quiz

Autotrophs Heterotrophs Decomposers

Investigate factors that determine the growth and survival of organisms including: Light. Temp. Mineral availability. Soil/rock type. Water. Energy.
Lab report

Journal reflection The students will be able to identify the sources a plant needs in order to survive in its environment. They will be able to choose a variable to change through inquiry. For example: How does soil type effect plant growth?

Photosynthesis Chloroplasts Chlorophyll CO2 O2

5 Explain how changes in the environment may affect organisms. Discussion

Interactive Read loud Historical Hypothesis Webquest 6 Examine evidence that over population by any species impacts the environment. Evaluate data related to human population growth, along with problems and solutions Discussion Environmental factors: flooding, dry spells. Forest fires Human influence: pollution, hunting, natural resources

Evaluation of tables and graphs

Reflection Video on Cane Toads Students will investigate how humans have affected the ecosystem through a webquest. They may choose to evaluate

Waste disposal. Food supplies. Resource availability. Transportation.

Socio-economic patterns.

Over population Natural selection Competition

7 Final investigation Presentations

Service Learning Project Come up with a way to reduce the impact of humans on the environment

Title: Ecology Lesson 1

Subject/Course: Science

Topic: Abiotic and Biotic factors

Grade: 6/7

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals: F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

Title: Ecology Lesson 1

Subject/Course: Science

Understandings: Living vs non living things non living and living things interact within the environment living and other living things interact within the environment

Essential Questions: What are the characteristics of living organisms? How do living and non living things interact within an environment? In what ways do organisms interact within an environment? Which interactions can be observed in our environment?

Students will know Living things interact with one another through mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and symbiosis. Abiotic factors include weather, habitat such as a pond, lake, ocean, desert, mountain, and soil.

Students will be able to Define the terms biotic, abiotic, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and symbiosis. Know how living and non living things interact within the environment

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence Performance Tasks: Hypothesize based on prior knowledge Categorize/ classify living and nonliving things Identify interactions between living and non-living Define vocabulary Communicate understands or misunderstandings to the class Reflect in science journal

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Title: Ecology Lesson 1 Intro- Brainstorm what the students already know about living and non-living things by making a concept web as a class. Students will identify examples and characteristics of living and non-living things.

Subject/Course: Science

Engage- At each table in the classroom place pictures of different living and nonliving things. The students at the table must investigate how each picture would interact with the other within the environment. For example: clown fish, anemone, shark, and the ocean/water. The water is the biotic factor that acts as the habitat for the organisms, the clown fish and anemone interact mutually, the shark is a predator and the clown fish is its prey, the anemone and the shark interact commensally where the anemone will sting the shark but remain unaffected.

Explain- One at a time each group will share their ideas with the rest of the class stating how the non-living and living things interact and why they believe they interact in that manner. The class can ask questions and add their own ideas or make suggestions.

Explore- The students will complete a webquest in order to define and understand the relationships of different organisms to one another.

Elaborate- After doing some research on

Title: Ecology Lesson 1

Subject/Course: Science

how organisms interact the class will discuss if the groups want to change their response to the initial task.

Evaluate- The students will write a journal reflection on the process they went through when investigating interactions within an ecosystem. They will consider the interactions they observe daily within their own ecosystem.

Title: Ecology Lesson 2

Subject/C

Topic: Our World

Grade: 6/7

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals:

C. Science Inquiry: Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific methods and tools, revise their personal understanding to accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings to others.
C.8.4 Use inferences* to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences

F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics

Title: Ecology Lesson 2 and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

Subject/C

H. Students in Wisconsin will use scientific information and skills to make decisions about themselves, Wisconsin, and the world in which they live.

Understandings: We live and contribute to an ecosystem There are many living and nonliving factors within our ecosystem All factors, biotic and abiotic play a role in the ecosystem in order for it to function. There are some factors that disrupt the continuity of an ecosystem.

Essential Questions: What are the abiotic and biotic factors in our ecosystem? How do they interact? What are some possible elements that can disrupt an ecosystem? Were any of these observed?

Students will know The ecosystem they live in and how they are a part of it. The factors within their ecosystem How their ecosystem is negatively impacted

Students will be able to Categorize what they find in their environment as an abiotic or a biotic factor. Identify the relationships between organisms within their environment. Explore negative factors within the environment Communicate their understandings

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Title: Ecology Lesson 2

Subject/C

Students will keep a Lab Notebook of their observations and inferences Observations of student interactions Informal evaluation of discussion Assessment of journal reflection Stage 3- Learning Plan

Intro- Review key concepts from previous lesson. The students will be going outside for this lesson. Before going out it is important for the students to have some ground rules set. They are not allowed to disturb any of the animals, just write down observations about any animals they encounter at a safe distance. They may not collect samples; this lesson is strictly observation (safety precaution).

Engage- Students will go outside in an area around the school where they can make observations about living and nonliving things within their environment. The teacher will turn over soil for the students to observe what is beneath the surface. Demonstrate the kinds of thinking you want the students to do when they go off on their own. For example, Here you can see a worm beneath the soil; I wonder what other living things it interacts with. What happens to worm when its not beneath the soil? Why does the worm come above ground when it rains?

Explore- They will be able to use instruments such as thermometers, magnifying glasses, and binoculars to

Title: Ecology Lesson 2 make observations. They should work individually; if they find something they would like to share with the whole class they may do so.

Subject/C

Explain- In their lab notebooks the students will be writing down their observations. They will also white down any thoughts/hypotheses about what they observe as well as any questions they have.

Elaborate- The class will have a discussion around their observations. Redirect the conversation, if necessary, to the biotic factors they observed that could potentially have a negative effect on the environment. This could include litter, cars (possibly running over animals or the pollution), or naturally occurring factors like rain, frost, or heat.

Evaluate- Students will reflect on their observations, the class discussion, and begin thinking about how humans influence the environment.

Title: Ecology Lesson 4

Subject/Course: Science

Title: Ecology Lesson 4 Topic: Environmental Needs Experiement Grade: 6/7

Subject/Course: Science

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals:

C. Science Inquiry: Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific methods and tools, revise their personal understanding to accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings to others.
C.8.1 Identify* questions they can investigate* using resources and equipment they have available F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

Understandings: Plants have structures that allow them to produce their own food. In order to produce food, plants need sunlight, water, and nutrients from the soil. Some plants can only grow in certain environments.

Essential Questions: What happens to a plant when one of its necessities is taken away? What happens if that plant is introduced to a environment different than its own. What structures do plants have that animals dont that allows them to produce their own energy?

Title: Ecology Lesson 4

Subject/Course: Science

Students will know All living things require energy to live Some living things are autotrophs some are heterotrophs The structures of plants that allow them to make their own energy What happens to a plant that doesnt receive all it needs to produce energy.

Students will be able to Categorize living things as autotrophs, heterotrophs, or decomposers Identify the structures of plants that allows them to be autotrophs Understand what happens to a plant when it is stripped of a basic need. Generalize understandings to all living things (when their needs are not met) Begin to conceptualize what happens when a species is introduced to a new environment.

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Evaluation of Lab Notebook Informal Assessment of discussion Assessment of journal reflection

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Title: Ecology Lesson 4 Intro- Plants need what basic things to grow? What do plants eat? Some like the venus fly trap are heterotrophs (ask for definition, give alternative definition if needed) but most are autotrophs (ask for definition). Powerpoint on structures and functions of plants.

Subject/Course: Science

Engage- Show students a sweet potato that has grown in a jar with only water. Have them think about how it is possible for this plant to grow when we know plants need soil in order to survive.

Explore- Based on their inquiry students will set up an experiment where they take 3 bean sprout (fully grown) and change one of its basic needs. Some may keep them in the dark, give milk not water to their sprout, remove the soil, place it in a cold temperature, of keep it under a heat lamp. They will hypothesize what will happen to their sprouts without said need.

Explain- Students will explain what they chose as their experiment to the rest of the class, their hypothesis, and why.

Elaborate- How could this experiment be adapted to other living things? In what ways have humans changed the environment? How could this affect living things in that ecosystem?

Title: Ecology Lesson 4 Evaluate- Journal Reflection on what they learned about plant structures, what they think is going to happen in their experiments, and how other living things are affected by a change in the environment.

Subject/Course: Science

Title: Ecology Lesson 3

Subject/Course: Science

Topic: Flow of Energy and Matter

Grade: 6/7

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals:

C. Science Inquiry: Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific methods and tools, revise their personal understanding to accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings to others.
C.8.2 Identify* data and locate sources of information including their own records to answer the questions being investigated F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate

Title: Ecology Lesson 3 an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

Subject/Course: Science

F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet

Understandings: Plants make their own food, animals consume energy rich foods, Almost all food energy comes from the sun plants use energy from light to make sugar to be used right away or stored Organisms that eat plants breakdown the plant structures for energy.

Essential Questions: How do organisms obtain energy? How is the energy transferred within the ecosystem?

Students will know Matter is transformed from one organism to another. Its a continuous cycle from producers to consumers to decomposers

Students will be able to Identify the flow of energy and matter within an ecosystem.

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Title: Ecology Lesson 3

Subject/Course: Science

Journal Questions found on the virtual lab at http://glencoe.mcgrawhill.com/sites /dl/free/0078757134/383926/BL_02 .html Quiz on the flow of energy Stage 3- Learning Plan

Intro-

Question: What happens to you if you go a day without eating? How does your body feel? What does eating do for your body?

Engage- As a class read through the directions of the virtual lab. Complete Deciduous Forest Ecosystems together. Send the students in groups to work on the rest of the Ecosystems within the Virtual Lab.

Explore- In groups students will complete the virtual lab for each of the ecosystems found on the site. They will record their data in the online table for examining during their reflection.

Explain- At their tables the groups will answer the journal questions from the website through discussion and record their answers in their science journals.

Elaborate- As a class discuss the answers

Title: Ecology Lesson 3 and any questions the students have

Subject/Course: Science

Evaluate- Students will take a quiz on the flow of energy in the ecosystem and will be allowed to use their journal work to support their answers.

Title: Ecology Lesson 5

Subject/Course: Science

Topic: Change Within an Ecosystem

Grade: 6/7

Designer(s): Andrea Derrick

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals:

C. Science Inquiry: Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific methods and tools, revise their personal understanding to accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings to others.

C.8.2 Identify* data and locate sources of information including their own records to answer the questions being investigated F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet

Understandings: There are biotic and abiotic factors that can change the dynamics of an ecosystem

Essential Questions: What causes an ecosystem to change? What happens to species within a changing environment? How has the planet changed over time? Students will know The biotic factors such as overpopulation or competition between species Abiotic factors include forest fires, flood, and human influence Students will be able to Create a visual hypothesis of the Earth before and after human influence Discuss why ecosystems change and how they are affected Identify the factors that cause change Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Drawings of the Earth before and After human influence along with reasoning of what they have drawn Discussion evidence Journal reflection Stage 3- Learning Plan

Intro- Interactive read aloud of the book The Human Impact on the Natural Environment: Past, Present, and Future. Before reading, students will hypothesis what the Earth looked like before there were humans by drawing a picture of what they believed it looked like. Begin reading book. Before reaching the future part of I

the book stop and have the students draw what they believe the Earth will look like in 100 years. Have the students compare what they drew to the images in the story. Engage- After reading have a discussion on other things that may influence changes in an ecosystem besides humans. Reflect on the observations they made on day 2 of the Ecology lesson.

Explore- Webquest on biotic and abiotic influences in an ecosystem. Each student will choose one factor to research more in depth.

Explain- The students will present their factor to the class and explain how they think the environment would potentially change because of it. Students will discuss how the ecosystems would be directly affected by each scenario. Allow time for questions.

Elaborate- Many students may find there are more environmental changes because of human influence. Why do they think that is?

Evaluate- Journal reflection: how has the Earth changed? What factors cause the Earth to change? What happens to organisms in changing ecosystems?

Title: Ecology Lesson 6

Subject/Course: Science

Topic: Population

Grade: 6/7

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals: B. Nature of Science: Students in Wisconsin will understand that science is ongoing and inventive, and that scientific understandings have changed over time

Title: Ecology Lesson 6 as new evidence is found. B.8.2 Identify and describe major changes that have occurred over in conceptual models and explanations in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences and identify the people, cultures, and conditions that led to these developments

Subject/Course: Science

F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.

F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet

H. Students in Wisconsin will use scientific information and skills to make decisions about themselves, Wisconsin, and the world in which they live.

Understandings: Human population has increased through time Natural resources have decreased because of humans Overpopulation of any species is not good for that ecosystem

Essential Questions: What happens to an ecosystem with an overpopulated species? What trends are there when exploring the environment and human population?

Title: Ecology Lesson 6 Students will know The population of humans has grown exponentially There are correlations between human population growth and environmental issues

Subject/Course: Science Students will be able to Create charts and graphs Analyze data Make inferences about data sets

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Data results and research Discussion

Stage 3- Learning Plan Intro- Review concepts from lesson 5 on changes in the environment.

Engage- Play video on cane toad population. Allow students the opportunity to ask questions.

Explore- Pull up Human Numbers Through Time, a timeline of human population and have the students make a chart from the data. The data will then be graphed by the students using Microsoft Excel.

Explain- The students will look at trends in the data and hypothesize sudden growth or dips in the graph.

Elaborate- The student will then research a specific problem in the environment

Title: Ecology Lesson 6 such as % pollution in Lake Michigan or the amount of oil on earth over time and compare it to the graph of human population.

Subject/Course: Science

Evaluate- In their journals the students will determine if there is a correlation between human growth and the environmental issue they researched.

Title: Ecology Lesson 7

Subject/Course: Science

Topic: Ecology Final Project

Grade: 6/7

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals: B. Nature of Science: Students in Wisconsin will understand that science is ongoing and inventive, and that scientific understandings have changed over time as new evidence is found. B.8.2 Identify and describe major changes that have occurred over in conceptual models and explanations in the earth and space, life and I

Title: Ecology Lesson 7 environmental, and physical sciences and identify the people, cultures, and conditions that led to these developments

Subject/Course: Science

F. Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment. F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet

H. Students in Wisconsin will use scientific information and skills to make decisions about themselves, Wisconsin, and the world in which they live. H.8.2 Present a scientific solution to a problem involving the earth and space, life and environmental, or physical sciences and participate in a consensus-building discussion to arrive at a group decision

Understandings: Humans have done a lot of damage to the Earth, but there are solutions to every problem

Essential Questions: What can we do as individuals to help save the environment? In what ways are scientists going green What have environmentalists done historically? Presently? And plan on doing in the future?

Title: Ecology Lesson 7 Students will know What is being done to reduce the human impact on the environment and what they can do to help improve the environment.

Subject/Course: Science Students will be able to Hypothesize possible solutions to environmental issues

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence

Class presentations Informal notes on individual process Stage 3- Learning Plan

Engage- Environmentalist Christopher Ingram will come in and talk to the students about what he does and what scientists like him have done to help the environment in the past, what he is doing currently, and what their plan is for the future.

Explore- Students will identify an environmental issue they have observed in their own community and come up with possible solutions. They may use classroom tools such as computers, book, the school library, and their own ideas to research their issue and what others have done in the past.

Explain- The students will be asked to teach what they have learned about their environmental issue to someone else. I

Title: Ecology Lesson 7 They may use their parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, or even teach another class about their research. (they must have an adult present to sign stating that this requirement was completed)

Subject/Course: Science

Elaborate- The students will present their project to the class. The class will then chose a project they can implement by going out into the community (with permission). This could include picking up trash, planting a community garden, or teaching others the value of recycling.

Evaluate- A final journal reflection will be done on the value of an eco-friendly world.

Sources Animal Planet. (2009). Animal Planet Videos: weird true & freaky: cane toad Australian invasion. Retrieved on June 15, 2011. http://animal.discovery.com/videos/weird-truefreaky-cane-toad-australian-invasion.html Canyon Country Outdoor Education. (2010). Living & non-living interactions. Retrieved on June 19, 2011. http://www.nps.gov/cany/forteachers/upload/ThirdGrade_Living.pdf

GreenFacts. (2011). Scientific facts on ecosystem change. Retrieved on June 22, 2011. http://www.greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/index.htm Goude, A. (2006). The human impact on the natural environment: past, present, and future. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Ingram, Christopher. (2011). Guest Speaker. Lewis, S.K. (2004). Human numbers through time. Retrieved on June 26, 2011. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/global-population-growth.html Oracle Education Foundation. (2010). Biotic and abiotic factors. Retrieved on June 19, 2011. http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210243/ScienceStation/Howlivingthingsinteractwiththeir environment/relationshipofbioticandabioticfactors.htm Public Schools of North Carolina. (2004). Standard course of study: grade 5. Retrieved on June 15, 2011. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/scos/2004/17grade5 Shimmel, S. (1994). One planet many people: atlas of our changing environment. New York, NY: Cooper Square Publishing Llc.