Ecosystems
Methods Lesson Plan
Look Ahead and Reflect Back You are a NASA scientists working with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  You wish to learn about ecosystems and the environmental factors that effect them.  List the types of ecosystems and some of the factors that effect the nature of the ecosystem.

First Inquiry cycle
Initial challenge You wish the determine what environmental factors influence the growth of the rainforests. First, you want to find out how rainfall effects the growth of the rainforests.
Generate ideas Have students think about and discuss how rainfall can be measured.  Write down their ideas and determine what prerequisite knowledge they posses.
Multiple perspectives Share videos and scientist explanations of rainfall measurement.
Research and revise Have the students search NASA and NOAA sites about rainfall measurement.
Test your mettle Give formative assessment of what the students have learned thus far.  Determine if they can complete the initial challenge, or if further research and revision is needed.
Go public Have the students design and post their work on the class website as a legacy for future classes.

Second Inquiry cycle
Initial challenge How are you going to determine the growth of the rainforests?
Generate ideas Have students think about and discuss how rainforest growth can be measured.  Write down their ideas and determine what prerequisite knowledge they posses.
Multiple perspectives Share videos and scientist explanations of rainforest growth measurement.
Research and revise Have the students search NASA and NOAA sites about rainforest growth measurement.  Look at legacies left by past students.
Test your mettle Give formative assessment of what the students have learned thus far.  Determine if they can complete the initial challenge, or if further research and revision is needed.
Go public Have the students design and post their work on the class website as a legacy for future classes.

End of Inquiry cycles
Progressive deepening Discuss ecosystems and how the rainforest is one of the types of ecosystems.  How do environmental factors effect the other ecosystems?
General reflection Help the students see what they have learned.  Review the Look Ahead and Reflect Back and legacies they and others have left. 
Assessment Give summative assessment of what the students have learned.  Determine if they have completed all objectives.