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| by Cheyenne |
Subject(s)
Science
Social Studies
Language Arts
Objective(s)
Students will debate the roles and impacts of humans within an ecosystem.
Material(s)
Copies of scenarios
Background
An ecosystem is defined as a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment*. But does the community of organisms in an environment include humans? Some people believe humans should not be considered part of an ecosystem—that humans are a separate entity. Others feel strongly that humans are part and parcel of an ecosystem. People have reasons to support either side of this argument.
Procedure
The instructor will
1. Divide the class in half.
2. Assign one half of the class to argue that humans should be included as
part of an ecosystem.
3. Assign the other half of the class to argue that humans should be considered to be an outside influence to an ecosystem.
4. Explain that each group is given an allotment of time to present their argument in a debate. When both arguments have been presented, each group is given another period of time to rebut the argument of the opposing group.
5. Instruct the students to debate the following situations from their assigned point of view:
- Human visitors to Yellowstone National Park drop candy wrappers and pop cans along the boardwalks at Mud Volcano. A grizzly bear in the area finds this garbage is an easy source of food. One day a human visitor is attacked and injured by the bear. Who is to blame—the bear or the humans?
- Just outside Yellowstone National Park, where limited collection of natural objects is allowed, a group of hikers see and collect rocks, antlers, and other souvenirs. Their behavior upsets some other hikers. Should people remove objects from the wild?
- You are hiking up a steep hillside in Hayden Valley. There is a trail with switchbacks, but you think it would be easier just to go straight up. A ranger stops you and asks you to stay on the trail to help stop erosion. You just took this electronic field trip and know that Hayden Valley is eroding anyway. Who is right—you or the ranger?
- The wildlife in Yellowstone National Park is there for you. True or False?
- Having officially completed this electronic field trip, you are well aware of National Park regulations. But when you visit Mud Volcano, you see a scientist and a ranger leave the boardwalk (which you know is not allowed), collect a small sample from a mud pot (no collecting), and take the sample with them (also illegal)! How is this possible—and is it okay?
6. Instruct the class to vote on a conclusion—are Earthlings part of an
ecosystem?
7. Remind the students that there are no black and white answers to these questions. The purpose of this lesson is to think about and discuss tough situations.
Assessment(s)
Debate: Use a rubric designed for scoring debates to assess student
understanding.
WordNet ® 1.6, 1997 Princeton University
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