Culminating Task – Grade 7 Ecosystems Unit – Ecosystem Case Study and Game

  • The games should have an STSE focus (Science and Technology’s effect on Society and the Environment)
  • This means you should be considering the impacts of humans and technology on your ecosystem

Ecosystem Choices: / Resources: These are just places to start – you are required to use at least 3 other sources!
1)Savannah /
2) Prairie /
3) Desert /
4) Tundra /
5) Mangrove /
6) Coral reef /
7) Deep sea /
9) Mountain /
10) Wetlands /
11) Boreal forest /
12) Temperate forest /
13) Tropical forest /
14) Biomes/ Ecosystems Links /

Game Format Suggestions:

  • Board game with questions about your ecosystem (i.e. Trivial Pursuit)
  • Board game where you are an animal in the ecosystem (i.e. the Game of Life)
  • Action game where different members of the food chain/web do different actions
  • Obstacle course type game
  • Other – use your imagination!

Requirements (see rubric):

  • Your game (the board OR diagram of how it’s played for an action/obstacle game)25%
  • Clear instructions for your game25%
  • Research notes (point form notes of the main ideas about your topic, arranged under headings)25%
  • Conference with the teacher15%
  • Complete bibliography5%
  • Peer evaluation of one other group’s game (after playing it)5%

All the components are GROUP MARKS

*However, the final mark will be divided according to who contributed most. For example, if your group’s final mark is 80 / 100, and you have 4 people in your group  you have 80 x 4 = 320 marks total. You might divide up the marks as follows:

85 for person A70 for person B75 for person C90 for person D

**This will be done individually! Your final mark will be based on all your group members’ opinions. If there are major discrepancies, the group will meet with Ms. Leung to discuss the issue.

Rubric for Ecosystems GameGroup Members: ______

______

______

Level 4

/

Level 3

/

Level 2

/

Level 1

Game – key concepts (biotic/abiotic, food chains, energy transfer)

/ Game incorporated many key concepts from the ecosystems unit; information was accurate and written in original language / Game included many key concepts from the ecosystems unit; information was mostly accurate and written in original language / Game included some key concepts from the ecosystems unit; some information was taken straight from resources / Game included very few key concepts from the ecosystems unit; most information was straight from resources

Game – STSE focus

/ Game clearly and thoughtfully considered the impact of science and technology on society and the environment / Game clearly considered the impact of science and technology on society and the environment / Game included some mention of the impact of science and technology on society and the environment / Game did not include any mention of the impact of science and technology on society and the environment

Game – overall impact

/ Game was engaging, fun to play, and creative / Game was fun to play and somewhat creative / Game was somewhat engaging and fun to play / Game generated limited interest and engagement

Instructions

/ Instructions were complete and extremely easy to understand / Instructions were complete and mostly easy to understand / Instructions were mostly complete and somewhat easy to understand / Instructions were missing key parts, and were difficult to understand

Research notes

/ Research notes are complete, thorough, organized and legible / Research notes are mostly complete, organized and legible / Research notes are missing major points, somewhat disorganized / Little or no research notes are completed

Conference

/ Students are prepared, always on task, and setting appropriate time management goals for the project / Students are prepared, usually on task, and setting appropriate time management goals for the project / Students are somewhat prepared, usually on task, a few goals for time management have been set / Students are unprepared for conferencing, very little on-task behaviour, no time management

Bibliography

/ 4-5 additional relevant sources used, complete and accurate documentation / 3 additional relevant sources used, complete and accurate documentation / 1-3 additional sources used, some errors in documentation / No additional sources, some major errors in documentation

Peer Evaluation

/ Thoughtful constructive written criticism and comments provided with the peer evaluation grade / Constructive written criticism and comments provided with the peer evaluation grade / Some criticism and comments provided with the peer evaluation grade / No justification of the peer evaluation grade given