Biodiversity Lesson Plan Grade 6 Purpose: to observe, measure, classify and record the biodiversity in a small area Expectations:

2.1 follow established safety procedures for outdoor activities and field work (e.g., stay with a partner when exploring habitats; wash hands after exploring a habitat) 2.2 investigate the organisms found in a specific habitat and classify them according to a classification system 2.3 use scientific inquiry/research skills to compare the characteristics of organisms within the plant or animal kingdoms

Materials: 2 clipboards (ideally) for each group, metre stick or ruler/measuring tape, paper (blank and lined), hula hoops (6-8), field guides Procedure: We are going outside today to study science in action. Explain how we are to act in an outdoor environment or ask the students how we are to act. (Stay with a partner, Wash hands after the activity, Do not talk to strangers unless the teacher is there, Do not kill anything or take anything back, Leave no footprints) The boundaries are the Balmoral school yard. Do not go past the light pole, the grade 6 wing, the trees across from the creek (green box) and the green box on the soccer field. Do not go into the creek! You may observe it, but not walk in it! Talk about the roles each person in the group will have: Writer, Artist, Observer, Measurer/Counter. They will receive a grade based on their participation and results as a group. Artist: Draw all the living things you find in your hula hoop area. Try to draw them to scale. If they are large, make a scale drawing, meaning 1 cm= ___ cm or ___ m. Be as accurate as possible! Measurer: Measure all things if possible so the drawings are accurate. Writer: Label your drawings with the name of the species if you know it. Counter and Presenter: Count how many species you found in the small area you studied.
Sample guiding questions: What are the criteria you will use to compare organisms? Why are these good criteria to use to compare the organisms? How might the criteria change if you picked two different organisms? Why is it important to be able to compare organisms in some organized way?

Now, take students outdoors to observe the biodiversity in a small area.

Discussion in class: How many species did you find? What did they have in common? How many were plants? animals? fungi? Did you know their names? If not, research their names using field guides. We are going to classify them, based on criteria established by a famous scientist Carl Linnaeus. First, kingdoms, etc. Evaluation: observational, participation in discussion, drawings accuracy