by: Dave DeStefano
Grades: 8-12
Class: Botany
Class time: 4 periods
INTRODUCTION:
The rainforest regions are located
near the equator. The climate of the
rainforest is, without saying, very rainy.
The temperatures are warm and constant year-round. Vegetation is plentiful and the diversity of
species is enormous. However, there are
a great number of concerns about the rainforest that scientist should be aware
of. The land is quite valuable and its’
resources are being exploited daily. To
preserve the rainforest scientists must consider its long-term effects.
Rainforest Researchers is a software program that puts the
students on the frontlines of protecting and conserving the natural resources
that are now becoming extinct in the Indonesian rainforest. Students will be arranged in groups of four, each
responsible for taking up the role of either an ecologist, taxonomist,
ethnobotanist, or a chemist. The
students are given two assignments that concern the rainforest’s
ecosystem. As the students role-play
they will collaborate and share information that is detrimental the group’s
final decision about each assignment.
The student’s knowledge about what they have learned in the
course of the botany class, prior to the software program, will prove to be
beneficial towards solving the problems their team is faced with.
OBJECTIVES:
The students will be able to:
Ø
summarize
their role as a (particular) specialist.
Ø
select
items needed for their research in the rainforest.
Ø
explain
the problems that their team is faced with.
Ø
describe
how the two assignments relate to botany.
Ø
identify
what causes the lack of fruit production to the Durian tree.
MATERIALS:
Rainforest Researchers CD-ROM
software
Research activity sheets
Role specialist booklets
Computer access
LCD projector
LESSON SEQUENCE:
Ø
The
teacher provides an overview of the software program, detailing the different
roles that each team will consist of. A
scoring rubric for the software is then distributed. (5 minutes)
Ø
Students
are randomly arranged into groups of four.
The students then select the role they intend to be responsible
for. (2 minutes)
Ø
Each
student is then given an activity sheet that will act as a guideline and
provide space for note taking. (1 minute)
Ø
The
teacher then begins the program that begins with an introduction to the two
major assignments. (5 minutes)
Ø
Students
will read the information from the role-specialist and prepare themselves to
answer questions and choose items for their research that will prepare them for
the given assignments. (15-20 minutes)
Ø
The
teams will gather around the LCD projector and begin to solve the given tasks.
(the duration of the assignment -30 minutes)
Ø
Unfinished
work during the class will be saved and the students will read information that
is presented in the nest session of the program.
ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed,
individually, on their ability to communicate with their team members. The activity sheets will be collected and
reviewed to verify results. Their notes
from the program will be scored. The
team as a whole will also be assessed to account for collaborative skills. Periodical questions will be addressed to
confirm on-task progress.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
The software is complete and
thorough enough that the students can be engaged until the conclusion of the
program. A scoring rubric would be needed to guide students.
