My CT and I spent a lot of time working on an inquiry project students can do - connecting their ecology unit with their community.
My unit will be focusing on ecosystems. Students will be learning about natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and food webs.
This unit is going to be project-based: students are learning about the River Mile Project happening in downtown Denver. For most students at North HS, they live in central Denver. They are all relatively close to downtown, work in/close to the city, and spend time traveling by it to get to school. They all have personal connections to this project. For my first lesson, students will be learning about natural ecosystems and how they support different biodiversity.
Before and after my unit, the class will take visits to the South Platt River in order to record/collect data. So, for my task, students will map and describe the natural ecosystem happening in downtown Denver - their final assessment will take a look at what is being disrupted by this project set in action. Students will have to analyze data, connect ideas, and describe current conditions