The Island's Freshwater and Ecology

By Antero Latorres and Martin Weirlangt

I. Setting the Focus for of Learning

Context/Situation	Many of the volcanic islands in the Pacific are blessed with plentiful sources of freshwater. However, when we neglect this vital resource and do not take care of it, we destroy or pollute these freshwater sources and all the living things that call them home.
Pacific Science Content Standards and Benchmarks Addressed (Pacific Standards for Excellence in Science, PREL, 1995)	Science as Inquiry Students will . . . Ask good questions about the world around them. Explore phenomena using sensory and processing skills. Record data clearly and accurately in logs and journals. Communicate their results in charts, graphs, and drawings, as well as verbally. Design and execute valid experiments which include use of controls, replication, and setting proper standards. Collaborate effectively with others to get the work done. Seek for and identify possible explanations for anomalous events. Habits of Mind Students will . . . Read analog and digital scales on instruments to make direct measurements of length, volume, mass, elapsed time, rates, and temperature; choose appropriate units for reporting data. Demonstrate actions that reflect caring and respect for living things and their environment. Use thinking skills to make informed decisions and choices in their everyday lives. Scientific Connections Students will . . . Predict changes in systems as a result of interactions. Apply the concept of the interactions to materials, objects, events, organisms, and systems. The Planet Earth: Oceans and Land Students will . . . Identify the different habitats in the different environments. Identify and describe effects of changes in the environment on living things. Matter: Its Structure and Changes Students will . . . Relate the properties of materials to products, structures, and substances useful in their lives. Explain that changes in matter are part of all living and non-living systems. Living Environment Students will . . . Classify plants and animals into groups based on similarities and differences. Identify examples of interdependence among organisms. Identify causes of pollution in a local environment due to temporary accumulation of unrecycled waste. Investigate and implement traditional practices in one major area of stewardship (farming, waste disposal, recycling, or food preparation). Human Society Students will . . . Participate meaningfully in local practices that encourage conservation of island resources. Describe the impact of technology, immigration, emmigration, and population growth on social changes, choices, and conflicts in the region.
Related Grade Level Goals and Objectives for Grades 7 and 8	FASE Curriculum: Life Science: Living Things in the Freshwater Environmental Science: Caring for Our Water Students will know . . . The different sites/sources of freshwater. Organisms in and around the freshwater sites their similarities and differences. Interdependence/interaction of freshwater sources. Important uses of freshwater sites. The important properties of water. Threats and dangers facing our sources of freshwater and their major causes. Students will be able to . . . Question, explore, observe, and record the sources of local freshwater and the different organisms that make these sites their habitat. Communicate their findings by writing, speaking, and producing graphs, tables, and drawings. Students will care about . . . Wise use of the freshwater sources. The traditional uses and events pertaining to the natural resources. The proper use and maintenance of school materials and equipment. Working together to complete a task. Student Assessment: How do we know they know? Short limited testing on the important information. Students' products. Students' performance. Students' actions and behaviors–what and how they communicate to the teacher and with one another. Student Learning Experiences: Inquiry teaching: Concept mapping/brainstorming. Direct teaching: Factual information, directions, measuring skills, and use of tools and equipment.
Topic/Theme	Freshwater as an Important Island Resource
Driving Question and Other Related Questions	How can we help protect and conserve our vital sources of freshwater? What are some important sites and sources of freshwater on an island? What are the different habitats of a freshwater ecology?
Resources	Print and electronic resources: FASE Science Curriculum Teacher’s Reference: Hawaii Department of Education, 1984, Kauai: Streams and Estuaries Human resources: To be determined by the teacher and students Sites, organizations, and agencies: To be determined by the teacher and students

II. Making Sure the Desired Outcomes of the Unit Are Clear

Demonstration of Learning

Criteria for Demonstration of Learning

Students will display evidence of their works in posters, drawings, Big Books, wall stories, etc.
Students will make oral presentations on their completed or final work.
Students will share essays, reports, and journals which will include the use of graphs, tables, and diagrams.
Students will demonstrate their learning in the form of songs, chants, and dances.
Students will demonstrate their learning by dramatizing events, issues, and other concerns of cultural significance related to the topic.
All demonstration of learning activities will attempt to answer the core question.
All students must participate.
Evaluation criteria for each activity must be clear to and known by the students ahead of time.

Event: Exhibition of student products/performances at end of the session.

Audience: Parents, teachers, students, and other community members.

III. Building and Assessing Knowledge and Skills

Tasks for Building Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

Task 1: Classroom Investigation

Objectives:
Students will . . .

Name and identify the different sites/sources of freshwater.
Diagram the interdependence/interaction of freshwater organisms.
Explain the important properties of water.
Explain the variations among the sources of freshwater.
Communicate findings written/orally with help of graphs, diagrams, tables, picture, and other visual aids.
Work together in groups.
Respect their fellow students.
Care for the proper use of school equipment.
Respect and care for the environment.

Materials: Color markers, flip charts, island maps, globe, posters, hardware equipment, folders, tapes, push pins, etc.

Teaching and Assessment Plan Activity 1: Introduction — What do we know and what do we want to know about freshwater and its sources?
What does the teacher do?	What do the students do?	Teaching strategy	Assessment	Evidence
Introduce the context, the core question, and expected Demonstration of Learning (DOL).	Listen and ask questions; students will start DOL contracts.	Chalk and talk, whole group, and student contract.	Teacher observation, student participation, and responses.	Quality of questions asked, signed students’ contracts, and checklist.
Brainstorm/concept web (teacher writes).	Share what they know.	Chalk and talk and, whole group.	Teacher observations/notes on student level of participation.	Completed concept web.
Introduce What I Know/What I Want to Learn/What I Learned (KWL), and share objectives with students.	Work individually to decide what they want to know,and share in small groups.	Individual and small group work.	Teacher observations/notes, student performance, and student portfolio.	Student portfolio on the individual KWL forms and class KWL.
Activity 2: Learning more about freshwater
What does the teacher do?	What do the students do?	Teaching strategy	Assessment	Evidence
Facilitate Stacey’s Activity: If Earth’s water is 100 circles.* Chalk and talk on freshwater sources, types, and organisms. Freshwater vs. saltwater and our water cycle.	Students will work on Stacey’s Activity. They listen and note teacher’s chalk and talk.	Chalk and talk, whole group, and small group; use visual aids/videos/posters.	Teacher’s observation and checklist, teacher’s questions, student performances, and pencil and paper.	Completed Stacey’s chart; students’ notes and journals; and quiz and test results.
* Stacey’s Activity involves drawing 100 circles and determining how many of these circles represent the Earth’s freshwater, salt water, and water in the air.

Task 2: Excursion

Objectives:
Students will . . .

Classify some of the organisms in and around freshwater sites based on similarities and differences.
Identify some of the major pollutants, abuses, damages, and threats to these sites.
Diagram the food web in these freshwater sites.
Explain the interdependence of organisms in the freshwater sites.
List the unique and complex features of these freshwater sites.
Communicate their results in writing and orally using visual aids.
Respect fellow students.
Learn how to use and maintain school supplies and equipment.
Use simple tools and equipment.
Protect and respect all living things in the environment.

Materials: Thermometer, hand lens, noose, nets, jars, worksheets (for example: creature feature), posters, markers, Big Book papers, etc.

Teaching and Assessment Plan Activity: Field Excursion
What does the teacher do?	What do the students do?	Teaching	Assessment	Evidence
Before: 1) Visit excursion sites in advance, prepare notes on the streams and springs, prepare worksheets (creature features and water quality test), and assessment checklist. 2) Do excursion readiness session in class, and send home student release forms.	Students on task: question, observe, compare, measure, record, predict, etc.	Chalk and talk, whole group, small group, rotating group, wall story and Big Books, poems, singing, writing, learning centers, puzzles, and other hands-on manipulatives.
During: Clarify again what is expected, including safety precautions. Observe students on task and take notes or use checklist (skills and attitudes).	Sit quietly near the stream, look, listen, feel, and smell. Write a haiku or other poem about the stream, its organisms, and cultural connections.
After: Do a STAR (Student Teacher Action Review) reflection and collect student feedback. Identify a guest speaker to speak on the cultural significance of the sites or other related cultural issues.	Students will present their findings in class, write wall stories, and add to their portfolios.	Guest speaker.	Teacher’s notes, student performances in groups (checklist), student products (meeting criteria), and student journals and portfolios.	Poems, songs, other student products such as reflection notes, journal notes, portfolio, and quiz and test results. Checklists.

Task 3: Survey and Interview

Objectives:
Students will . . .

Assess the threats facing our sources of freshwater.
Discuss some important traditional and cultural values associated with use of local water sites.
Participate in local conservation efforts on island freshwater sources.
Name some traditional uses of some of the organisms found at these sites.
Exhibit actions that could reflect that they care for the environment.
Work effectively in a group.
Respect their fellow students.
Effectively communicate their findings, orally and in writing. They will also demonstrate their findings using graphs, tables, diagrams, and other such products.
Research cultural stories regarding the historical use of some of these freshwater sites.

Materials: Flip charts, markers, cameras, computers, tape recorders, camcorders, etc.

Teaching and Assessment Plan

Activity: Interview the older folks of the village or community.

What does the teacher do?

What do the students do?

Teaching

Assessment

Evidence

Prepare topics to be researched, and make contact with community members on this project.

Students in small groups will make initial plans, including letters of invitation, plans for visits, and plans for briefing the interviewees of the class’s purpose. Share with them the students’ expectations.

Design questions and reporting formats.

Practice interviews.

Set the stage for the interview.

Conduct the interview.

Small group, whole group, journal writing, and note taking.

Documenting.

Quality of questions designed, how students conduct interviews, invitations, student notes, and student responses.

Interviewer/interviewee interaction.

Student presentations.

Notes, list of questions, teacher checklist, and student contracts.

Results of interviews on audio and video.

Student reports.

Related Standards Connections

Mathematics

Language Arts

Social Studies

Students will . . .

Model situations using oral, pictorial, graphical, and algebraic methods.
Understand and apply reasoning processes with special attention to spatial reasoning and reasoning with proportions and graphing.
Explore problems and describe results using graphical, numerical, physical, algebraic, and verbal mathematical models and representations.
Develop number sense.
Use computation, estimations, and proportions to solve problems.
Describe and represent relationships with tables, graphs, and rules.

Students will . . .

Develop skills in oral presentations.
Use the persuasive language.
Listen critically in order to analyze data.
Read in order to learn from reading.
Read to get information.
Use different forms of writing.
Review and revise writing mechanics and styles.
Demonstrate the ability to express emotions through singing and dancing.
Introduce graphic arts.

Students will . . .

Discuss land formation processes and land features.
List and draw geographical locations.
Identify and discuss cultural values and how they affect everyday life.
Name the major groups of islands in the Pacific and discuss their climate, weather, animals, and plants.
Discuss events that brought about changes in the Pacific islands.
Identify economic resources of the islands.
Name and discuss some of the services that are in great demand in the islands.