Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: Food Webs

Content Area: Biology
Grade Level(s): 9-12

Content Standard Addressed: SB5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to assess the
interdependence of all organisms on one another and their environment.

b. Develop and use models to analyze the cycling of matter and flow of energy within
ecosystems through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.
Arranging components of a food web according to energy flow.
Comparing the quantity of energy in the steps of an energy pyramid.
Explaining the need for cycling of major biochemical elements (C, O, N, P, and H).

c. Construct an argument to predict the impact of environmental change on the stability of an ecosystem.

d. Design a solution to reduce the impact of a human activity on the environment. (Clarification statement:
Human activities may include chemical use, natural resources consumption, introduction of non-native
species, greenhouse gas production.)

Technology Standard Addressed:

4. Innovative Designer
Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new,
useful or imaginative solutions.

4a. Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories,
creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

Selected Technology Tool: BrainPop

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/

Type of Instructional Software:

Drill and Practice Tutorial Simulation Instructional Game e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
Accessible to students beyond the school day
Accessible via mobile devices
Multiple languages

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 Instructional Software
Safety, security and/or privacy features

Blooms Taxonomy Level(s):

Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

Level 1: Awareness Level 2: Exploration Level 3: Infusion Level 4: Integration
Level 5: Expansion Level 6: Refinement

Lesson idea implementation: Students will be introduced to the concept of food chains, food webs, and flow
of energy in an ecosystem through the use of the Food Chains section on BrainPop. The students will first be
instructed to watch the short video tutorial on food chains. Once the students have watched the tutorial, they
will be encouraged to utilize the other features in the Food Chains section of BrainPop. The other features
include reviews, graphic organizers, activities, quizzes, and games. The game I would like to focus on is the
Food Fight game, which is a two-player game where you choose an organism and compete against another
player to create a food web that will allow your chosen organisms population to grow.

Students will then be instructed to take the graded quiz on BrainPop. The results will be emailed directly to
the instructor and used as a homework grade. After utilizing the features on BrainPop, students will be
directed to choose a local ecosystem and create a food web for that ecosystem. Included in the food web will
be local organisms and what role they play in the food web. Also included will be 2 environmental factors,
one natural and one artificial, that could possibly disrupt the food web. The extent of the disruption will be
investigated by the students and the students will then create a possible solution to the disruption. Students
will be given one week to complete the project and will be allowed to work in groups of four to six.

An example of this project would be if students chose to focus on the Georgia coast and found that
overfishing was causing potentially harmful predators, such as sharks and jellyfish, to move closer to shore in
search of prey. This phenomenon is causing beaches to close more often and, in turn, hurting local tourism.
Students could then use their research to lobby for stricter fishing policies and stricter enforcement of these
policies to state congressmen.

Students will be graded based on total completion of all the standards of the project as well as creativity and
follow through of the solution they provide to their problem. The class will then vote on who they believe had
the best solution to the disruption in their ecosystem and, if feasible, we will work as a class to make that
solution a reality. The group who created the plan that won the classroom vote would receive extra credit on
their project grade. Experts in necessary fields could be utilized as partners to facilitate the execution of the
plan. The lesson will conclude when our plan has been executed properly.

Summer 2017_SJB