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Page history last edited by Zee 13 years, 8 months ago

Z, I am so excited things are actually coming together! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!! -Jenn

Dear Jenn: Thank you for welcoming me onto this project. I look forward to keeping in touch about its implementation. Sincerely, Zee

Project Overview ~ Form courtesy of Buck Institute for Education (www.bie.org) page 1

Team members:

Jennifer Duann, Zahra Belyea, more welcome!

Name of Project:

The Pandora Project

Duration:

1 semester (18 weeks)

Subject/Course:

Biology

Grade Level:

High School

Other Subject Areas to Be Included:

Language Arts, Social Studies

Project Idea

Summary of the challenge, investigation, scenario, problem, or issue:

James Cameron created a whole new world for his movie Avatar, but Pandora is not so very different from Earth. Students will learn about the evolutionary, ecological, cellular, and molecular principles that have shaped life on Earth and apply them to create their own "alien" world. In doing so, I hope they will develop a sense of environmental stewardship for the only Earth we do have, empathy for other cultures, and appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life.

Driving Question

What is life?

What is the role and responsibility of human beings in the living world?

How do other cultures view and interact with the natural environment?

How do interactions between cultures impact the natural world?

How can developing a sense of empathy lead to cultivating a sense of responsibility for the natural world?

What does it truly mean to "walk a mile in another person's shoes"?

Content and Skills Standards to be addressed:

Students will work together as a class to design a plausible extraterrestrial biosphere and individually create a plan for managing a particular resource.

See standards grid following this form.

Alignment of Learning Objectives and Evidence of Learning

Science	Culminating product/artifacts	Other evidence of learning
Describe the basic necessities and functions of living organisms. Compare the Earth with other planets regarding its life-sustaining capacity.	Class: Student-designed planet that provides the matter and energy necessary for life. (written/visual description--poster?)	Quizzes: Phys Sci and Earth Sci review (OGT)
Explain the interactions of living organisms with their non-living environment.	Group: Model of biome with written explanation of the topography, climate, natural resources, etc. (Presentation/Defense?)	Concept map: Environmental interactions
Analyze how the environment shapes the structure and function of living organisms.	Individual: Description and explanation of organisms that are adapted for survival in their biome. Individual: "Journal" from the POV of another organism Group: Food web, phylogenetic tree/cladogram	Tests: cells, cell theory, biochemistry, cell processes, evolution, genetics
Evaluate humanity's role and responsibility in the natural environment.	Group presentation: Report on environmental and cultural marginalization. (i.e. colonization, building landfills or polluting factories in poor neighborhoods, affects of war on the environment) Individual: Plan for responsibly managing a planetary resource (reflect: responsible from whose perspective?)	Reflections: -What does it mean to be human? -How are some people treated as "less" human than others? -How do we value non-human organisms and non-living aspects of the environment?

T+A

21st Century Skills explicitly taught and assessed (T+A) or encouraged (E) by project work, but not taught or assessed:

Collaboration

Other:

Presentation

Critical Thinking:

Culminating Products & Performances

(see Alignment of Learning Objectives and Evidence of Learning grid)

Group:

Class: Student-designed planet that provides the matter and energy necessary for life. (written/visual description--poster?)

Group: Model of biome with written explanation of the topography, climate, natural resources, etc. (Presentation/Defense?)

Group: Food web, phylogenetic tree/cladogram

Group presentation: Report on environmental and cultural marginalization. (i.e. colonization, building landfills or polluting factories in poor neighborhoods, affects of war on the environment) (See "Waking a mile . . ." handout below.)

Presentation Audience

Presentation Audience:

Class

School

Class

School

Community

Individual:

Individual: Description and explanation of organisms that are adapted for survival in their biome.

Individual: "Journal" from the POV of another organism

Individual: Plan for responsibly managing a planetary resource (reflect: responsible from whose perspective?)

Experts

Web

Other:

Project Overview ~ Form courtesy of Buck Institute for Education (www.bie.org) page 2

Entry Event to

launch inquiry

and engage students:

Relevant clips from the movie Avatar

Assessments

Formative Assessments

(During Project)

Quizzes/Tests

Practice Presentations

Journal/Learning Log

Notes

Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes

Checklists

Rough Drafts

Concept Maps

Online Tests/Exams

Other: RAN/KWL chart, flash assessment

Summative Assessments

(End of Project)

Written Product(s), with rubric:

____________________________________________________

Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with

rubric:______________________________________________

Oral Presentation, with rubric

Peer Evaluation

Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test

Self-Evaluation

Essay Test

Other:

Resources Needed

On-site people, facilities:

Equipment:

Access to some sort of wiki, computers

Materials:

Community resources:

Reflection Methods

(check all that will be used)

Journal/Learning Log

Focus Group

Whole-Class Discussion

Fishbowl Discussion

Survey

Other:

Timeline (Science)

Stage	Benchmarks (9-10) from Ohio Academic Content Standards for Science	Approximate Time Allotted	Massachusetts Humanities Frameworks
Pick a Planet: Students design the physical planet. Astronomy Matter (Atomic theory) Energy	Earth Sciences A. Explain how evidence from stars and other celestial objects provide information about the processes that cause changes in the composition and scale of the physical universe. Earth Sciences B. Explain that many processes occur in patterns within the Earth's systems. Earth Sciences F. Summarize the historical development of scientific theories and ideas, and describe emerging issues in the study of Earth and space sciences. Physical Science F. Explain how energy may change form or be redistributed but the total quantity of energy is conserved. Physical Science A. Describe that matter is made of minute particles called atoms and atoms are comprised of even smaller components. Explain the structure and properties of atoms. Physical Science B. Explain how atoms react with each other to form other substances and how molecules react with each other or other atoms to form even different substances. Physical Science G. Demonstrate that waves (e.g., sound, seismic, water and light) have energy and waves can transfer energy when they interact with matter. MAYBE: Physical Science D. Explain the movement of objects by applying Newton's three laws of motion.	2 weeks
Terraforming: Students design the climate, geology, and various biomes of their planet.	Earth Sciences E. Explain the processes that move and shape Earth's surface. Life Sciences D. Explain the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through biological and ecological systems (cellular, organismal and ecological). Life Sciences F. Explain the structure and function of ecosystems and relate how ecosystems change over time.	3 weeks
Origins of Life: Students learn about how life arose on earth and perhaps hypothesize alternative histories on other worlds.	Earth Sciences C. Explain the 4.5 billion-year-history of Earth and the 4 billion-year-history of life on Earth based on observable scientific evidence in the geologic record. Life Sciences A. Explain that cells are the basic unit of structure and function of living organisms, that once life originated all cells come from pre-existing cells, and that there are a variety of cell types. Life Sciences B. Explain the characteristics of life as indicated by cellular processes and describe the process of cell division and development. Life Sciences D. Explain the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through biological and ecological systems (cellular, organismal and ecological).	5 weeks
Pandora's Box: Students design organisms to live on their planet: evolutionary history, taxonomy, life history, physiology, behavior, interaction with human-like species	Life Sciences C. Explain the genetic mechanisms and molecular basis of inheritance. Life Sciences E. Explain how evolutionary relationships contribute to an understanding of the unity and diversity of life. Life Sciences H. Describe a foundation of biological evolution as the change in gene frequency of a population over time. Explain the historical and current scientific developments, mechanisms and processes of biological evolution. Life Sciences I. Explain how natural selection and other evolutionary mechanisms account for the unity and diversity of past and present life forms.	6 weeks
Avatars: Students consider their role and responsibility in the environment by researching marginalized people groups/organisms on Earth and analyzing how natural resources are managed.	Earth Sciences D. Describe the finite nature of Earth's resources and those human activities that can conserve or deplete Earth's resources. Life Sciences J. Summarize the historical development of scientific theories and ideas, and describe emerging issues in the study of life sciences. Science and Technology B. Explain that science and technology are interdependent; each drives the other.Science and Technology A. Predict how human choices today will determine the quality and quantity of life on Earth. (Grades 11-12) Life Sciences G. Describe how human activities can impact the status of natural systems.	2 weeks
	Foundational NOS and HOS: Scientific Inquiry A. Participate in and apply the processes of scientific investigation to create models and to design, conduct, evaluate and communicate the results of these investigations. Scientific Ways of Knowing A. Explain that scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification and limited to the natural world. B. Explain how scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge, observations, ideas and questions. C. Describe the ethical practices and guidelines in which science operates. D. Recognize that scientific literacy is part of being a knowledgeable citizen.

Telannia's Potential PBL

Name ________________________________ Date _________________________

The Pandora Project: “Walking a mile . . .”

As you think about the world you are creating, you want to keep in mind that it will be populated by humans. As such, you will need to reflect on the impact that humans have on other humans and on the natural world.

Group Work

By keeping individual journals, the hope is that you will break up the tasks equally and be able to accurately report back on your individual portion of the work completed.

Your task as a group will be to choose a people that have been marginalized in this country or elsewhere; then you will conduct interviews and other research, keeping in mind the question of why these people have been treated as less than and by whom? Think in terms of colonialism, the affects of war, the dissemination of natural resources (i.e. diamonds, fuel, land, etc.), environmental devastation, genocide, slavery, etc. You will need to include at least six sources in your research, two of which must be an interview and a film. Be prepared to analyze and present your findings to your group before beginning part B.

The second question you want to begin to reflect on is what it means to be human. Is being human only a matter of social customs and norms or is our humanity also reflected in the way we view and support our natural world? What value do we give to the non-human, non-living components of this world?

Keep In Mind

Throughout this portion of your project you will be recording your process, reflections on interviews both watched and given—be sure to keep a log of your questions asked and answered—films viewed, articles read, etc. in your journal or log. As part of the world that you will be creating as a group, you will need to in some way explain and present the answers to the questions posted: Why are certain peoples and groups of peoples marginalized? Is being human only a matter of social constructions? How as humans do we view and support the natural world?

Individual Work

Individually you will need to include in your journal how you would manage a resource responsibly keeping in mind the affects on the people around you as well as on the natural world.

You may choose to present your research (group and individual work) as a straight forward oral presentation, PowerPoint or other such method, skit, play, etc.

Handout created by J. Duann and Z. Belyea 2010

Comments (2)

Just the name of this project has me intrigued! I can imagine students getting drawn into the idea of creating a world, and learning a lot of important content in the process.
Good luck!
~Suzie

Your project sounds great. Have you looked at the websites games for change and games for learning?
-Renee

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