TPACK Template

Subject Science

Grade 4th
Level

Type of Asynchronous
Online
Class
Learning 4.5 The student will investigate and understand how plants and
Objective animals, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with one
another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem.
Key concepts include
a) plant and animal adaptations;
b) organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems
and how they interrelate;
c) flow of energy through food webs;
Content

d) habitats and niches

 Online The students will go into their daily module folder on their Blackboard
Activity account. Upon opening the daily folder, they will watch the lecture video
provided by the teacher. This particular lecture will go over what an
ecosystem is, how they work, and what types of tragedies can occur when
an ecosystem is no longer balanced.

The students will then answer their daily knowledge questions after
listening to the lecture. Once that document is submitted then will then
follow the next step on the schedule. They will be directed to “try it out”
with an online simulation.

In this stimulation, the students will have the goal of creating a balanced
ecosystem based on the choices they decide to add to their personal
system. They will need to ensure they have enough to sustain their
ecosystem for 12 days. They will see what choices lead to others, what is
necessary for certain life, ect. They will be able to clock the bubble above
each choice before adding to see what is required for that choice to
sustain life in the ecosystem.

They will then begin by clicking the start button (NO NEED TO
CREATE AN ACCOUNT OR LOGIN), and go through the tutorial to
gain navigation skills necessary for
the simulation. If ads pop up in transition from day to day, simply click
the X in the upper right hand corner to continue the game.

When the simulation is run through the 12 days, there will be a score
given and the voice guide will tell the student how they did during the
simulation. The students will be required to take a screenshot of their
score and submitted for credit through blackboard. If the students are not
happy with their scores, they will have the chance to start over and try
again. In addition to the screenshot, the students will be required to sent a
few short paragraphs describing what challenges they faced in attempting
to keep the ecosystem stabilized and also address a minimum of three
relationship between their choices.

After completing the activity, the students will be able to have a more
clear understanding of how ecosystems work, along with the challenges it
takes. The idea of this activity is to give the students the ability to have a
hands-on experience with understanding ecosystems.
Pedagogy
 Technology https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/plum14.sci.life.feeddingo/feed-
Technolo

the-dingo-an-ecosystem-game/#.Wsvonq2ZNsM
gy

Computer access and speakers/headphones are required for this activity