AGENDAS FOR THE WEEK:

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Frontline Movie
Well be
watching
Frontline: The
Spill
http://www.pbs.
org/wgbh/page
s/frontline/thespill/
This frontline
episode has to
do with the
Gulf of Mexico
oil spill. It
follows an
investigation
into what BP
did that led to
the oil spill and
its effects on
the land. I
included a
longer
summary from
pbs under this
lesson.

Levels of
Organization
Foldable

Objective(s):
SWBAT
CCSS/NGSSS:
*SC.912.L.17.8

Recognize the
consequences
of the
losses of
biodiversity
due to
catastrophic
events, climate
changes,

March 28 to April 1st

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
Consumers:
primary and
secondary

Objective(s):
SWBAT
*

Objective(s):
SWBAT
*

CCSS/NGSSS:

CCSS/NGSSS:

*SC.912.L.17.9
Use a food web
to identify and
distinguish
producers,
consumers, and
decomposers.
Explain the
pathway of
energy transfer
through trophic
levels and the
reduction of
available
energy at
successive
trophic levels.

FRIDAY

Carbon Cycle

Water Cycle

Objective(s):
SWBAT
*

Objective(s):
SWBAT
*

CCSS/NGSSS:

CCSS/NGSSS:

SC.912.E.7.1
Analyze the
**SC.912.L.17.9
movement
Use a food web to of matter and
identify and
energy
distinguish
through the
producers,
different
consumers, and
biogeochemic
decomposers.
al cycles,
Explain the
including
pathway of
water and
energy transfer
carbon.
through trophic
levels and the
reduction of
available energy
at successive
trophic levels.

*SC.912.E.7.1

Analyze the
movement
of matter and
energy through
the different
biogeochemical
cycles,
including water
and carbon.
.

human
activity, and
the
introduction
of invasive,
nonnative
species.
*SC.912.L.17.1
1
Evaluate the
costs and
benefits of
renewable and
nonrenewable
resources,
such as water,
energy, fossil
fuels, wildlife,
and forests

Engage Warm
up Activity: (8 to
10 minutes)
Ill show the
class these two
pictures
(http://static01.n
yt.com/images/2
011/09/15/us/SP
ILL/SPILLarticleLarge.jpg )
and (
http://cbsnews1.
cbsistatic.com/h
ub/i/2013/04/12/
a80ced37-d24511e2-a43e02911869d855/9
8736482_1.jpg)
and ask the

Engage: Warm
Up Activity :(7
minutes)
On the warm up
slide I will pose
this question:
The BP oil spill
in the gulf
caused the
death of many
mangrove trees
along the
Louisiana
coastline. In two
to three
sentences
explain how you
think this would
affect the local
environment.

Engage
Warm up Activity:
(10 minutes)
I will create a slide
that displays
different living
organisms. I will
challenge the
students to guess
which are
consumers and
which are
producers.
After everyone has
an opportunity to
organize the
pictures. I will ask
the class what they
think a producer or
a consumer would

Engage
Warm Up
Activity: (10
minutes)
For the warm up
question, Ill
post this slide
with this
question on it:
Name at least
three things
things that are
made of carbon
in the Gulf of
Mexico
ecosystem.
After hearing
what Im sure
will be
everything Mr.

Engage
Warm Up Activity
( 8 minutes)
Ill display the
following question
on the slide: Is
the water in
rivers, rain, lakes,
and oceans the
same water we
had when the
planet was young
or has the planet
been creating
new water for us?
Ill poll the class
for opinions, but I
wont
acknowledge a

class the
following warm
up question: In 2
to 3 sentences
do you think
there should be
more safety
rules in place for
oil companies or
do existing rules
need to be more
enforced? The
movie focuses
on warnings BP
ignored and how
it affected the
environment.
Once we start
talking about
ecosystems I
hope to be
referring to the
Gulf of Mexico
ecosystem
often. Ill
continue to
challenge them
throughout the
week with how
this disaster
affected the
ecosystem of
the gulf. Ill poll
the class for
their opinion. Ill
be careful not to
give too much
feedback. The
movie will give
them more
information that
they can base
an opinion of off.
Well come back
to this question
at the end of
class and
discuss how the

Ill field
responses from
a few students.
Ill follow this
with the question
if they think the
Gulf has
bounced back
yet? Ill ask them
to include
evidence if their
answers are
non-specific. Ill
shortly discuss
this npr article

http://www.np
r.org/2015/04/
20/40037474
4/5-yearsafter-bp-oilspill-effectslinger-andrecovery-isslow
That talks about
the slow
recovery of the
Gulf. Its slowly
recovering, but
BP has spent
billions to help it
recover, and a
lot of volunteer
work has helped
it slowly bounce
back. Ill try to
emphasize the
positive impact
people have had
after the spill to
emphasize that
people can
make a
difference after
yesterdays

be. After writing on

the board what they
defined the two
words to be I will
ask each table to
choose one person,
and they will have
to come up and
label one of the
pictures with either
a p (for producer) or
a c(for consumer).
Ill give them thirty
seconds to decide
who's going up and
for what picture
theyre labeling. Ill
remind them Im not
assigning pictures
to any group so
whoever is going up
needs to have two
or three pictures in
mind in case
another group
labels their picture.
After all the pictures
are labeled will go
over the results,
and see what
everyone said.

Engling...Everyt
hing is made out
of Carbon, but
here are three
examples. Ill
tell my students
that theyre
clever, and
caught my trick
question. That
almost
everything is
made out of
carbon.
I will then show
this video:
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?
v=4vJ_1ojjlxw
It talks about the
carbon as part
of the natural
living
environment and
its orchestrated
by the Lion King.
After watching
the video Ill ask
someone to
explain what the
cycle of carbon
seems to be
because in the
video this
seemed like a
cycle. After
getting back the
parroted
example from
the video, Ill ask
the students
how humans
can affect this
cycle? Could we
throw it out of
balance
somehow? Can

right answer at
all. Then drink a
whole glass of
water in front of
the kids and
exclaim. HA one
glass less of
water! What
about now? I
drank a full glass
of water. If i keep
drinking water
over my whole
lifetime wont I
use up a bunch of
water without
giving it back? Ill
ask for opinions
from the class.

Ill listen to a few

opinions and then
show this video
about soil
https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?
v=ZwQeTJEeedk
Soil acts as a
natural filter!
Some waste I put
out through
peeing will be
slowly filtered
(though not too
much because
urine is not full of
water) and
through sweat I
slowly put water
back into the
system.

episode
influenced our
opinions and if
anyones opinion
has changed.

L
A

Explore
Instead of
writing questions
out I wanted to
try something
else. I will give
them this writing
prompt at the
beginning of the
movie:
Non-Renewable
energy
resources, like
oil, power almost
everything we
own, even while
we search for
alternative
renewable
energy
resources.
Gathering nonrenewable
energy
resources can
pose dangers to
people and the
environment,
which is why
there are safety
rules in place. In
at least 5
sentences
explain to BP
why these rules
are important

emphasize of
negative impact
that people can
have.

Explore (15
minutes)
Im going to
pass out cups
labeled like this:
https://s-mediacacheak0.pinimg.com/
originals/9d/6e/f
b/9d6efbb62553
bf5caf8a0ce395
ab57d1.jpg
These are just
normal
styrofoam cups
labeled with the
differents levels
of ecological
organization. Ill
probably take
out elements
and organelles.
Ill explain to the
students that the
Earth, as I have
said before, is
highly organized
by different
levels cells
make up tissues
which make up
organs, etc. Ill
ask the students
to organize the
cups by stacking
them from the
bottom level

we affect it? Ill

listen to a few
opinions and
then well move
on to stations!

Explore (15
minutes)
In order to interact
with the definitions
more the students
will be playing a
game with
producers and
consumers. The
game calls for four
players, and can be
found on page 7 of
this pdf:
http://www.smithson
ianeducation.org/ed
ucators/lesson_plan
s/ocean/acrobat/co
nnect.pdf
Ill include a copy of
the rules on the
bottom of the
lesson. The cards
on the pdf are
adorably hand
drawn pictures of
different animals
from these four
different food
chains, and
environmental
situations that can
harm or help these
food webs. Its a fun
little game and it
works well. I played
it yesterday with
some friends :)

Explore ( 15
minutes)

Explore (25
minutes)

To introduce the
concept of the
Carbon cycle,
we will be
playing a station
game of sorts
that can be
found here on
page 2 to 11
(http://oceanserv
ice.noaa.gov/ed
ucation/pd/clima
te/teachingclima
te/carbon_cycle
_game.pdf )
Each station is
composed of a
different part of
the carbon
cycle. Ill
distribute
students
randomly
throughout the
stations. At each
station will be a
sheet explaining
what carbon
does at that
station and
some dice.
When I
announce it
students will roll

I ask the students

the following
questions: where
does rain come
from and how did
all that water get
up into the sky
in the first place?
where do all the
puddles go after
rain?
what is that stuff
that fogs up a
window when you
breath onto it? To
figure out how
much they know
already. Ill pass
out small white
boards before
asking these
questions so
students can write
short answers on
them, and hold
them up when
they finish. That
way I can get a
feel for what they
know. Then Ill tell
them that well be
conducting an
experiment before
discussing

and what could

be endangered
for not following
them. Use at
least two
examples from
the movie.
Well talk about
the prompt, and
Ill emphasize
that they should
jot examples
they find
interesting
during the movie
to help answer
the prompt later.
The last ten
minutes of class
will be dedicated
to answering this
prompt. The
episode will not
be replayed, so
theyll have to
rely on their own
noted examples.
Is this an okay
alternative to a
question
worksheet? If
not, please let
me know, and Ill
start devising
questions over
the weekend.
Explain

Elaborate

(cell) to the most

broad (biome).
I will then ask
the students to
create a foldable
for the basic
levels of of live.
Itll look like this:
https://s-mediacacheak0.pinimg.com/
originals/9d/6e/f
b/9d6efbb62553
bf5caf8a0ce395
ab57d1.jpg
It will include a
definition of
ecology at the
top, and then
define and draw
and ex of the
following terms
Organism,
Population,
Community,
Ecosystem, and
biome. They will
only have about
15 minutes to
finish this
foldable.

Explain (15
minutes)
Ill explain the
different
biological levels
after the
students create
their foldable to
make sure they
have written

Each table will get a

group of cards and
a copy of the rules.
Ill also project the
rules on the board.
Explain( 15
minutes)
Now that the
students have
interacted with
some food webs
well take some
notes on
consumers and
producers. Ill
define both terms
and explain that
they can also be
called heterotrophs
and autotrophs. Ill
define the different
heterotrophs for the
students as well.
Theyll take some
notes on their own
piece of paper.
Elaborate ( 10
minutes)
After I finishing
explaining these
terms Ill show this
video to reinforce
the point:
https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?
v=MGODmyXkkPU
It talks about the
Florida ecosystem,
which I thought was
pretty neat :)

the dice and

follow the
stations
directions on
where to go.
Theyll do this
ten times and
record where
they go on the
worksheet on
page four of that
link I provided. I
provided a more
thorough copy of
the rules and a
rough copy of
the worksheet
below the lesson
plan.
After everyone is
allowed to go for
ten turns well
record everyone
destinations on
a bar graph to
discover all the
places a carbon
molecule will go,
and how long a
carbon molecule
will stay in
certain places of
the cycle.

Explain (15
minutes)
After recording
our results on
the board, Ill
ask the class the
question I asked
earlier: can

anything else. We
will construct
solar stills. One
per table group.
Directions are
found here with
pictures on page
five
http://www.abc.ne
t.au/science/surfin
gscientist/pdf/less
on_plan09.pdf
(directions without
the pictures are
listed below the
lesson) I will pass
out the directions,
and display them
on the board. We
will place them
outside in the
sun, and I will ask
the students to
write their
predictions of
what will happen
to the water in the
soil and why they
think that on post
it note. On the
back of the post it
note I will ask
them to predict
what the purpose
of the small
pebble on top of
the wrap is for.
We will stick
these post it
notes to the back
of the classroom
in sectioned of
periods. So we
can come back to
them on Monday
to see if we were
right or wrong. I
will come in on

down the correct

information.
Using these two
pictures
http://faculty.uca.
edu/johnc/levels.
jpg
http://www.goldi
esroom.org/Multi
media/Bio_Imag
es/22%20Ecolog
y/01%20Levels
%20of
%20Organizatio
n.jpg
After explaining
the different
biological levels
I will challenge
the students to
organize their
cups again. This
time they only
have 45
seconds!
Elaborate( 10
minutes)
I will then
introduce the
concepts of
biotic and
abiotic. Before
defining them Ill
ask them to
define the terms
for me. I know
they have
discussed them
before, but I
want to refresh
them on these
two terms since
theyll be
important to
ecology.

After the video Ill

display a picture of
a stream and the
students will have
to label what parts
of the picture are
producers,
omnivores,
carnivores,
scavengers,
herbivores, and
producers.
After this picture I
will explain how we
can differentiate
things even further
by defining Primary
Consumer,
Secondary
Consumer,
Tertiary Consumer
by showing them
what a food
pyramid looks
like.http://www.ench
antedlearning.com/
subjects/foodchain/t
rophiclevels.GIF
Well quickly jot
these definitions
down into their
notes, and then
well label the
previous picture
again. This time
with our new terms.
There will be 8
terms so each table
will be in charge of
placing one of the
labels onto the
picture. Theyll have
a minute to figure
out which part of
the picture their
term fits into and
theyll label it on the

humans affect
this carbon
cycle? (yes,
through putting
co2 back in the
atmosphere)
Well briefly
discuss how
humans can
impact this
natural cycle.
Then Ill pass
out a blank
version of the
carbon cycle,
and well fill in
these notes
together.
Once weve
filled out the
diagram
together and
they have put
their notes in
their proper
place we will
watch a short
video about the
carbon cycle
from nasa:
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?
v=FgEZpX3n5m
o

Elaborate ( 10
minutes)
At this point Ill
ask the students
again, so how
does the BP oil
spill come into
this? How does
the BP oil spill
relate to the
carbon cycle?
(humans

saturday to take
pictures of all the
stills because the
experiment
recommends only
waiting 24 hours.

Explain (15
minutes)
We will then take
some time to talk
about the water
cycle. Ill pass out
an unlabeled
diagram similar to
the one on the
slide, and we will
walk through the
water cycle. Then
well watch a
video on the
water cycle as
well so they can
see the water in
motion.
https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?
v=al-do-HGuIk

Elaborate( 5
minutes)
I ask the students
to discuss
amongst their
group the BP oil
spill could have
affected the water
cycle in the Gulf
of Mexico. Ill tell
them that theyll
discuss the
answer with their

board.

reliance on nonrenewable
energy sources
which produce
co2) Ill tell the
students then I
can take a
moment discuss
this with their
shoulder mate,
but then theyll
have to write a 4
to 5 sentence
response to me
on half a sheet
of paper. Ill
remind students
to receive full
credit it has to
be half enough
sentences, and
they need to
show some
reasoning. Feel
free to ask your
neighbor to
share opinions.

group and then Ill

randomly call on
a group. If I think
the answer I get
from that group is
well thought out
and reasoned
(even if slightly
wrong) I wont
make the tables
write their ideas
down and turn
them in. Hopefully
itll motivate the
groups to get
some good ideas
discussed.

Evaluate and
Summary (5
minutes)

Evaluate and
Summary
(5 minutes)

Evaluate and
Summary
(5 minutes)

Evaluate and
Summary
(5 minutes)

We will discuss
what groups put
where on their
venn diagram.
Well then
discuss different
important biotic
and abiotic parts
of an ecosystem
that are vital. If
there is time
well discuss
what the
different biotic
and abiotic

Well bring it back

to the oil spill in the
Gulf. Ill ask the
students if the oil
affected any part of
the levels we had
discussed today,
which would be the
most detrimental to
the ecosystem if
affected? Well
discuss how
important producers
are to an
ecosystem once the

For the last few

minutes (if there
is time left) of
class Ill show
this silly rap
version of the
carbon cycle.
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?
v=zQg-kOn5738

.Then in the last

few minutes of
class Ill show this
fun water cycle
rap video.
https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?
v=i3NeMVBcXXU

As a table group
I will then
challenge them
to create a venn
diagram out of
the different
examples of
biotic and abiotic
Ive put on the
board.

Evaluate and
Summary

elements of the
gulf of mexico
are and how the
spill affected
them.
R
e
s
o
u
r
c
e
s
:

Labeled cups

students discover
the answer.

1
Plastic
tub
1
Plastic
cup
1
Small rock or
marble
1
Watering
can
1
Measuring
cup
(optional)
1
Roll of cling
wrap plastic
(or similar)
1
Roll of wide
tape to seal
the still
24
Litres of soil
or sand
2

(depending on
size of still)

12

Cups of
water
2

(depending on
size of still)
.

Frontline: The Spill Summary

Over the past decade, BP vaulted from an energy "also-ran" to one of the biggest companies in the world, gobbling
up competitors in a series of mergers that delivered handsome profits for shareholders. But an
investigation by FRONTLINE and the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica shows that BP's leadership failed to
create a culture of safety in the massive new company. As BP took increasingly big risks to find oil and
extract it, the company left behind a trail of mounting problems: deadly accidents, disastrous spills,
countless safety violations. Each time, BP acknowledged the wider flaws in its culture and promised to do
better. The FRONTLINE/ProPublica investigation shows that the rhetoric was empty. From the refineries to
the oil fields to the Gulf of Mexico, BP workers understood that profits came first.
Through interviews with current and former employees and executives, government regulators and safety experts,
FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith (The Quake, The Storm) and ProPublica reporter Abrahm
Lustgarten examine the trail that led to the disaster in the gulf.
"It was the corporate culture that was at fault," David Uhlmann, former head of the Environmental Crimes Section
of the Department of Justice, tells FRONTLINE. "It was the company that did not have the necessary
commitment to environmental compliance and worker safety."
The Spill takes viewers from BP's vast oil fields in Alaska to its refineries in Texas, and to BP's trading rooms in
New York and London, uncovering an unusually high number of safety violations and incidents that should
have raised red flags.
The disaster at BP's Texas City refinery in March 2005 was one of the worst refinery explosions in U.S. history,
killing 15 people. Government and independent investigators ultimately determined that cost cutting played
a role in the explosion, and BP promised to reform. BP's chief executive at the time, Lord John Browne,
said BP would learn to take safety more seriously. When it comes to safety, he said, "BP gets it." But the
trouble continued.
In 2006, a corroded BP pipeline ruptured in Alaska, spilling more than 200,000 gallons of oil -- this despite several
internal and external reports, obtained by ProPublica and FRONTLINE, which warned that if BP did not
improve maintenance and inspections it could lead to a spill.
"When you start finding the same problems over and over again," says Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary
of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, "I think you were pretty safe in saying
they've got a systemic problem."
Meanwhile, regulators may not have been doing enough to prevent future accidents. The disaster in the Gulf of
Mexico further underscores the fact that the government underestimated the possible costs and
consequences of lax enforcement.
"We obviously understand now that things can go wrong," said White House energy adviser Carol Browner.
Food web card game rules:

1. Decide who will be the

dealer in your group. The
dealer shuffles the pile and
deals each player five cards
face down, then places the
remaining cards in a pile face
down. The dealer turns the
first card up next to the rest of
the deck to start a discard pile.
2. Group your cards by the
icon in the top left corner.
The icons represent:
kelp forest
coral reef
hydrothermal vent
polar ocean
The object is to collect five
cards in one suit, which will
include all the animals and
plants from one ecosystem.
For example, if you were dealt
two cards from the coral reef,
you may wish to collect all the
cards from that ecosystem.
(There are four suits, so each
player should be trying to
collect a different suit.)
3. When it is your turn, pick
up the top card from the pile.
If you dont need it, place it
face up on the discard pile. If
you wish to keep it, discard a
different card from your hand.

If you pick up a Disconnect

card, use it during that turn.
If you are dealt a Disconnect
card, use it during your first
turn. If you are dealt more
than one Disconnect card, use
one at each turn. You may use
a Reconnect card at any time.
Make sure that you finish
each turn with five cards.
4. If the player before you
discards a card that you want,
you may pick it up instead
of drawing from the
face-down pile.
5. The first person to collect
five cards in one suit wins. If
no one wins the first time
through the deck, the dealer
shuffles the cards in the
discard pile and you
continue playing

The Carbon Cycle Activity:

1.
Tell students that they are going to
be carbon atoms moving through the carbon
cycle.
2.
Categorize the places carbon can be
found into these stations: Atmosphere,
Plants, Animals, Soil, Ocean, Deep Ocean,

and Fossil Fuels. Point out the areas

of the room that are labeled with each
station and contain the directions for
movement from
that station.
3.
Assign students to each station randomly
and evenly. Have students identify the
different places carbon could go from that
given station. Discuss the processes
that allow for the transfer of carbon
between stations. Students should make a
line and roll the die individually to follo
w the directions for movement from (or
retention at) each station. Remind them
that they are r
epresenting atoms of
carbon moving through the carbon cycle and
that they should record their
movements on the data sheet.
4.
Students will realize the r
outine movements (or non-move
ments) in the carbon
cycle.
5.
Once the carbon atoms (students) have
had a chance to roll the die ten times,
have each student create a bar graph usi
ng the data they collected. The bar
graph should represent the
number of times the car

bon atom (student) was at

each station.
6.
Using graph paper, create a large bar graph recording the number of
carbon
atoms (students) at each station

The Carbon Cycle

DATA RECORD SHEET

Record the places you have traveled as a carbon molecule.
Students Name:
Station Stop
What Happens
Destination

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Teachers notes

Instructions for Making a Mini Solar Still

1. Add one or two litres of soil or sand to the plastic
tub if making more than one still, add the same
amount of soil or sand is used in each. You should
also ensure the soil has a consistent and uniform
moisture content.
2. Position the plastic cup in the centre of the tub,
partially submerged in the soil for stability.
3. For a large tub such as this one, add 2 cups of
water to the soil or sand. For smaller tubs (eg ice
cream containers) add to 1 cup of water.
Sprinkle the water evenly over the soil.
4. Seal the tub with cling wrap and tape. Add a
pebble or large marble directly above the cup
forming a depression for the water droplets to roll
down.
5. Place the solar still in a
still and sunny location (it
may pay to check with gr
oundsman to find the
best position wind can cause the cling wrap to
flap about so that the droplets miss the cup).
*
Ensure the cup is directly under the pebble or
marble on sunny days exceeding 25
0

C, the still
should collect more than half a cup of water in
approximately 3 to 4 hours.