TICKETS
DONATE
We Bee Scientists: Grade 4: Thirsty Desert — Conservation and Ecology in the Sonoran Desert
In this unit, students identify the sources of Tucson’s water and how this water is used locally. In order to deepen their understanding of the relationship of surface and groundwater, students will construct and interact with simple models. They will research the impact of surface water availability on local animal species and students will construct claims about what is happening to these creatures. Finally, students will collect, analyze and problem solve their own families’ water usage.
What’s included:
- A fully comprehensive unit that spans a minimum of three weeks that lead students to answer the driving question “How has water availability influenced living things in the desert?”
- Detailed Lesson Plans that include needed materials, questions to guide your discussions, and suggested student outcomes.
- Worksheets accompany the embedded activities found throughout the unit
- A comprehensive slideshow that includes speaker notes to help guide instruction. This slide deck includes high quality images and explanations of worksheets and/or activities.
- Assessment: At the end of the unit, students will participate in an engineering design challenge and have the opportunity to grade themselves using a rubric upon completion of the challenge.
4.E1U1.8 Collect, analyze, and interpret data to explain weather and climate patterns.
4.E1U3.9 Construct and support an evidence based argument about the availability of water and its impact on life.
4.E1U2.10 Define problem(s) and design solution(s) to minimize the effects of natural hazards.
4.L4U1.11 Analyze and interpret environmental data to demonstrate that species either adapt and survive, or go extinct over time.
UNIT 1: Students will be able to identify and explain what sources Tucson’s water. They will be able to explain the relationship between groundwater, run-off and surface water and how human usage and consumption affect the water table and local species in the Sonoran Desert. Students will be more aware of water availability and how their actions affect the water supply. They will have created a three dimensional model of a home and surrounding landscape using natural and man-made materials to collect and/or divert simulated rain water for usage around their home in an effort to reduce their impact on groundwater.
Google Classroom Code
To join our Google Classroom, sign in to your Google account. Navigate to Classrooms (either through your Google waffle or by searching Google Classrooms), and then select the plus sign in the upper right corner of your screen. Enter your Classroom Join Code 3m6yqgj. Joining our Google Classroom allows you to communicate with us about the curriculum, and allows us to notify you of any support or updates to material we may offer.
