Title: Dew Drops to Earth312

Key Words: Ecosystems, biodiversity, atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere

National Standard: National Geography Standard 8, NH State Standard 12.10.1

Teaching Level: H

Purpose/Objectives: Students will
define an ecosystem.
describe the characteristics of an ecosystem.
evaluate the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
identify any geographical issues peculiar to an ecosystem.

Materials: research materials, paper

Procedure:
A. Put the following key vocabulary words on the board: ecosystem, atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, biodiversity. Ask students to define atmosphere(layer of gases surrounding the Earth), lithosphere,(the thin layer at the surface of the Earth), hydrosphere (the zones of the Earth that contain water in the form of liquid, ice, and vapor), biosphere (the Earth's plant and animal realms).
Then ask students to apply these words to a definition of an ecosystem. (An ecosystem includes a community of plants and animals that live together and interacts with the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. The interconnection and flow of cycles between the sphere creates the ecosystem.) Look at a map of the world and discuss different ecosystems. Discuss the systems in relation to their use by humans. Define Biodiversity keeping in mind the discussions of the use and productivity of different ecosystems. (Biodiversity: the variety of plant and animal life sustained by an ecosystem.)

[The above definition were taken from the following sources:
Hardwick, Susan Wiley and Donald G. Holtgrieve. Patterns on Our Planet .
New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990.

Geography for Life. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Research & Exploration,1994.]

Brainstorm a list of worldwide issues involving ecosystems. Identify the ecosystem as well as the issues.

Pass out slips of paper with ecosystems on them. (Ecosystems: deserts, grasslands, tundra, tropical rain forest, boreal forest, temperate forest, Mediterranean scrub, fresh water ecosystems[lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, or seasonal wetlands], saltwater ecosystems[oceans, coastal zones, estuaries, reefs, and zones of offshore upwelling]).

Research the ecosystem answering the following questions:

What are the characteristics of the ecosystem in terms of the four spheres?
What kind of biodiversity does the system have?
What issues have evolved involving this type of ecosystem?

Pass out the Dew Drop writing assignment. In-class write the story of Dew's odyssey through the ecosystem.

Assessment: Present to the class the individual stories of Dew's odyssey in the ecosystem.

Extension/Enrichment: Dew travels through a specific ecosystem that is plagued with problems so that students will realize the effect of change on an ecosystem.

Reflections: How successful was this lesson? Did all students benefit? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently another time? Please note any changes that will make this lesson more effective and useful in the future and pass them along to the NHGA. We appreciate your comments.

Thank you.
The authors.

Dew Drops to Earth
Assignment Sheet
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to help you better understand the concept of ecosystems, the composition of them, and the interaction of the biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere within an ecosystem. Another purpose is to begin addressing issues that arise from the changes within these ecosystems.

Directions: Each of you has been given an ecosystem to research. Using your research notes, I want you to write a narrative explaining a day in the life of Dew, a drop of moisture that just fell into your ecosystem. Be very detailed and accurate in your description of Dew's odyssey through the system. Use technical terms where appropriate. Also be sure you address issues that are facing this particular ecosystem from Dew's perspective.

Form: Please use the first person narrative form.

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Original file name: 312 (Converted) - converted on Tuesday, 20 October 1998, 20:56