Project Overview                    Feedback requested please!

• Tania Ash, Rabat American School, Morocco
• and (please add name/contact info!)      
  

•  (tash@ras.ma)

Name of Project:

Responsible use of Renewable/Non Renewable Resources

Duration:

12 weeks

Subject/Course:

Science

Grade Level:

5

Other Subject Areas to Be Included:

Language Arts, Social Studies        

Project Idea

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

Using the BP Oil Spill as a launch investigation, students will look at Renewable/Non renewable resources and how their extraction and use affects habitats, the environment, etc... Hopefully this will be a collaborative effort via the creation of a Ning to collaborate with other students

It might be interesting to explore how the extraction of oil affects the marine habitat, (there are plenty of experiments possible - like what materials to best clean up oil spill, how to clean oil off a feather, etc..) and then perhaps branch out (small group work?) into how the extraction/use of other resources can affect other habitats. Other resources, include don't just mean fuels - harvesting trees for wood & paper (habitat loss), fish for food (affects food web), industrial farming, etc....

Driving Question

How can we assess the environmental considerations associated with the
extraction and use of renewable and non-renewable resources?

Content and Skills Standards to be addressed:

• all resources used by humans, including fuels, metals and building materials, come from the Earth
• many resources take thousands or millions of years to develop and accumulate; as such, they are
• considered non-renewable resources (e.g., fossil fuels, rocks and minerals)
• some resources are constantly available and are considered to be renewable resources (e.g., hydropower,
• sun, and wind)
• analyse data to determine if a resource is renewable or non-renewable
• investigate an environmental resource issue
• identify variables that will determine if a particular locally used resource is renewable
• resources should be used carefully, recycled, and conserved by humans whenever possible
• demonstrate socially responsible actions

T+A

E

T+A

E

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

Collaboration

X

Other:

Presentation

X

Critical Thinking:

X

Culminating Products & Performances

Group:

Public service announcements

 Presentation Audience

  Presentation Audience:

      Class

   School

X

Class

X

School

Community

Individual:

Experts

X (Ning in collab w other classes)

Web

Other:

           Project Overview                    page 2

Entry Eventto

launch inquiry

and engage students:

Post two side-by-side bulletin boards. 1 - "Current events" articles with an emphasis on BP oil spill. 2 - "I Wonder" board (with online Wallwisher version) where students can generate questions. Investigate the oil spill. Connect with other classes doing similar investigations.

Assessments

Formative Assessments

(During Project)

Quizzes/Tests

Practice Presentations

Journal/Learning Log

X

Notes

Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes

X

Checklists

X

Rough Drafts

Concept Maps

X

Online Tests/Exams

Other:

Summative Assessments

(End of Project)

Written Product(s), with rubric:

_________________________________________

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

rubric: Public Service Announcement

X

Oral Presentation, with rubric

Peer Evaluation

Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test

Self-Evaluation

X

Essay Test

Other:

Resources Needed

On-site people, facilities:

Equipment:

Materials:

Community resources:

Reflection Methods

(check all that will be used)

Journal/Learning Log

Focus Group

X

Whole-Class Discussion

Fishbowl Discussion

Survey

Other: Student Blogs

X