Palo Alto Unified School District — Science OnLine Guide for Teachers
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Baylands
3rd Grade Life Science Unit |
General Information
The Baylands unit is a Palo Alto Unified School District unit, written by Palo Alto Teachers.
In this unit students are asked to consider some overarching questions:
- Does the loss of wetlands from the Ohlone Days to now create a problem for the Baylands habitats and for us?
- How do people create balance between environmental needs and human needs?
Concepts
- Unifying Concept: The Baylands include a variety of habitats - homes for living things which provide the resources they need to survive - air, water, food, shelter, and space.
- An estuary is a semi-enclosed bay where fresh and salt water mix providing a unique collection of habitats.
- Baylands plants and animals are interdependent. They are part of a food web.
- Humans can alter a habitat's balance.
- Brine shrimp have unique characteristics which can be observed. They have a range of tolerance for egg hatching.
Skills
- Observing and describing characteristics and behaviors of brine shrimp, along with other marsh plants and animals.
- Communicating observations through writing and discussion.
- Collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data.
Attitudes
- Develping enthusiasm and appreciation for learning about habitats and the living things that occupy them.
- Recognizing that humans can alter a habitat's balance in both positive and negative ways.
- Gaining an appreciation for the variety of plants and animals that are interdependent and share a particular environment.
- Realizing that people can actively work to maintain balance between environmental needs and human needs.
