WebQuery

Ecosystem Hierarchy  A WebQuery for 4th-5th GradersDesigned by
Jamie Koenig
koenigj@cwu.edu 

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Introduction 

Your family is considering moving to a new place. Before deciding where to move your parents want you to do a little research into a specific area and find out about the other animals that live in that ecosystem. You have already learned that both plants and animals make up ecosystems and depend on each other to survive. You will use your understanding of these dynamics to create a visual representation of a food wed.

 

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Task

Your task is to pick an area you might like to live and figure out what other organisms live there and develop a food web to help you identify the other living things in the area. You can create the food web however you choose as long as the chains order is clearly defined.

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The Process

• To begin this project you must first choose a location to research. You may have a region in mind, or you  might want to look here at different types of habitats. Make sure any location you pick as plenty of animals (see rubric). WARNING: Please do not pick an urban habitat.

• After choosing your location you will need to make a list of the major organisms in that ecosystem.You will need to know if organisms are produces, consumers, or decomposes. You will be able to find this information linked into the resources section of this WebQuery.

• You may use any other resources you find, but be aware of the credibility of the resources you use.

• Make sure to take a look at the rubric below to see what I will be looking for in your final project 

Required Elements 

Your food web must include at least the fallowing:

• 2 producers
• 4 consumers
• 1 decomposer 

You may have more than each of the proceeding, but not less.

Each item on you food web should include a color representation of the organism and be labeled correctly.

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Resources

Habitats- National Geographic
Food Chains & Food Webs
Woodland Park Zoo
Animal Facts

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Evaluation

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Required Elements	The web includes all required elements as well as additional information.	All required elements are included on the web.	All but 1 of the required elements are included on the web.	Several required elements were missing.
Labels	All items of importance on the web are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Almost all items of importance on the web are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Several items of importance on the web are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Labels are too small to view OR no important items were labeled.
Attractiveness	The web is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness.	The web is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness.	The web is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.	The web is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.
Graphics - Relevance	All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics relate to the topic. Most borrowed graphics have a source citation.	Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation.

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Conclusion

Congratulations on the completion of this WebQuery! You now have an understanding of the hierarchy in an specific ecosystem. Do you think this is a good place to live?

Apple's Textbooks

While the idea of ebooks is very cool and students could learn a lot from the interactive videos Apple showed in the commercial, the article about why these books will never work makes some good points. I think the idea of an ebook is very cool, and given the choice between a textbook and an ebook I would probably pick the ebook, but I have a device set up for ebooks and am a college student. I think the article speaking against Apple sheds light on some important issues. The one issue that struck my attention was the volume vouchers. What a nightmare for school to have to buy these huge vouchers, buy the right amount of book and issue codes to the students. Each student could end up with many codes, and they would need to have the right type of device and an Apple account. The ebooks are not like textbooks that get shared year to year for many years the school would have to do this each and every year. I think this would just be a nightmare for schools and teachers to deal. However, I think this is an excellent option for college students who already have to buy their own textbooks.

Face to Face Interaction

The point counter point brought up two sides to the issue of letting students use the internet for school. I agree with both sides to some extent. On one side there is the opinion that using the internet can help expose students to people that are different from them. On the other side the is someone saying that students need to be able to work together and collaborate with others. I agree with both sides and I feel like both could be included into a classroom.

Student need to be able to work well and communicate with others. This is something that is becoming extremely important in today's jobs and it is something employers look for when hiring new employees. I agree with the idea that students should not sit at home all alone and work entirely online.

On the other hand, I think it is important for students to learn from multiple perspectives. By having online discussions with other students from other areas in the country or even in the world students are learning through other perspectives and maybe even becoming more tolerant to people who differ from them. This is something that could be very beneficial to a student who comes from a small rural area with little to no diversity.

In the end, I think teachers should find a balance between face to face interactions and online learning.

Helpful Math and Science Links

Math Homework Help
Need some help with a homework problem? Try this website. Find the link for the type of problem you are working on and click on it.

Science Homework Help
On this website students will find links to different science topics. Earth, Life and Physical Sciences are all included.

Math Playground
At Math Playground you can play fun games while exercising your brain. The more games you play the more badges you will earn and the sharper your brain will become.

NASA
On NASA's website you will find information about current projects, fun games to play, and information on careers. There is also homework help available for topics related to space and the earth.

Discovery for Students
Discovery offers homework help in math, science, english, social studies, and other topics. There are also fun and games. And a step by step guide for solving math problems.

Discovery for Parents
Stumped on a homework problem your child has? Check this website for help with all subject areas as well as tips for motivating your students for topics including homework, sports, and fitting in plus more.

PBS
Check out PBS' website for a list of upcoming shows that might interest you and your family. You can also browse shows about certain topics.

National Geographic
Check out National Geographic to learn more about science happening today. National Geographic has very cool pictures that might be interesting to you.

Homework Hub
Go to Scholastic's Homework Hub for help with various homework subjects. Scholastic also has tips to make studying for tests beneficial.

School Tube
On School Tube you ca watch videos created by other students or create your own video. You can also see what other students around the world are doing.