4th Grade Living Environment Unit Blueprint

Section 4, Chapter 15: The Environment of Hermit Crabs
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Pacing Suggestions:

Session I—2-3 days
Session II—2-3 days
Session III (Optional) —2-3 days
Terrarium Observations & Maintenance—1-2 times per week

Teacher Resources:
 Tips

Teacher ResourcesTemperature Test for Hermit Crabs (Microsoft® Word® document)
 Temperature Test for Hermit Crabs (Adobe® Reader® PDF 120 KB)

 Water Test for Hermit Crabs (Microsoft® Word® document)
 Water Test for Hermit Crabs (Adobe® Reader® PDF 68 KB)
 

Gizmo Documents (In Place of Hermit Crab Experiments):

Food Web

Prairie Ecosystem

Forrest Ecostystem

Essential & Unit Questions 1 Benchmarks 2 Formative and Summative Assessments 3 Using Assessments to Monitor Student Learning
Why do only certain plants and animals live in a particular environment? Why can't all plants and animals live in the same environment? 5D(3-5)#1: For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. Class discussion of environmental factors and purpose of Light Test (See page 163 in Teacher's Guide.), Temperature Test (See page 163 in Teacher's Guide.), and Water Test (See page 165 in Teacher's Guide.)

Note: The lesson does not specifically address the benchmarks. Start by focusing on students' understanding of how the experiments relate to environmental factors. Encourage students to generalize about how environmental factors can affect plants and animals.

  • Do students understand how the experiment relates to environmental factors?
  • Do students understand that an environmental factor may be helpful to one organism and harmful to another?
  • Do students understand that a change in the environment (a change in environmental factor) can affect an organism's survival?
  • Do students understand why all plants and animals can't live in the same environment?
How can observations be made more accurate? 12D(3-5)#3: Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects and events.

12C(3-5)#3: Keep a notebook that describes observations made, carefully distinguishes actual observations from ideas and speculations about what was observed, and is understandable weeks or months later.

Page 1 of teacher-generated Temperature Test for Hermit Crabs lab sheet (Lab sheet available on electronic curriculum under "Teacher Resources." Also, see page 145 in Teacher's Guide.)

Click to view student work sample.

Page 1 of Water Test for Hermit Crabs lab sheet (Lab sheet available on electronic curriculum under "Teacher Resources." Also, see page 165 in Teacher's Guide.)

  • Do students' written observations include factual information, not ideas or explanations?
  • Do students' written observations include a description of the movement of the isopods?
  • Do students' written observations include quantitative data? (Examples: One hermit crab moved back and forth between the 20ºC and 24ºC sections. Two hermit crabs moved back and forth between the moist and dry sections.)
Why are results to the same experiment seldom exactly the same? When results are different, what should be done? 1B(3-5)#2: The results of scientific investigations are seldom exactly the same, but if the differences are large, it is important to try to figure out why. One reason for following directions carefully and for keeping records of one's work is to provide information on what might have caused the differences. Class discussion of page 2 of Temperature Test and Water Test lab sheets,

Class discussion of histogram, general experiment results/observations, and variables (See Steps 5-8 on pages 161-163; Step 11 on page 164; and Steps 14 & 15 on page 166 in Teacher's Guide.)

Note: Water Test lab sheet (both sides) can serve as a summative assessment.

Click to view student work sample.

Summative Assessment: Brainteaser (See page 166 in Teacher's Guide. Have students justify favorable locations selected—an "Explain Your Choice(s)" student sheet is available on the electronic curriculum under "Teacher Resources.")

Lab sheet (page 2) & class discussion of experiment results
  • If results vary significantly among groups, do students recognize the need to discuss experiment procedures used in each group? Do students recognize the shortcomings of the experiment? Do students recognize the benefit of running more trials and/or a different experiment to resolve the differences in the observations?
  • Are students able to articulate why a "fair" experiment is important?
  • If experiment results are similar, are students able to identify an optimal range of temperatures and preferences regarding moisture/light intensity for hermit crabs? Do students use their data and/or class data to support their choice of optimal temperature and moisture level? Are students able to use the identified range of temperatures and preferences regarding moisture/light intensity to suggest a real environment suitable for hermit crabs?

Brainteaser

  • Do students use past lab experiences and terrarium observations to select hermit crabs placed in favorable environments?
  • Do students use past lab data and observations to support/justify their selections?
  • Do students recognize that the hermit crabs placed in unfavorable environments will survive less well or not at all?
What is a "fair" experiment? Why should experiments be "fair?" 12E(3-5)#2: Recognize when comparisons might not be fair because some conditions are not kept the same.
4E(3-5)#1: Things that give off light often give off heat. Heat is produced by mechanical and electrical machines and any time one thing rubs against something else.

Note: Benchmark included and aligned with "fair experiment" question because the light experiment doesn't isolate light as the independent variable—light and heat are tested simultaneously.

How do experimental results help determine an optimal environment for an organism? 5D(3-5)#1: For any particular environment, some kinds of plants survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

12D(3-5)#3: Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects and events.

1B(3-5)#3: Scientists' explanations about what happens in the world come partly from what they observe, partly from what they think. Sometimes scientists have different explanations for the same set of observations. That usually leads to making more observations to resolve the differences.

Home | Living Environment Home | Sect. 1, Chapter 1 | Sect. 1, Chapter 3 | Sect. 1, Chapter 4 | Assessment Activity | Sect. 4, Chapter 12 | Sect. 4, Chapter 13 | Sect. 4, Chapter 14 | Sect. 4, Chapter 15 | End of Unit Assessment
1. For conceptual benchmarks.
2. Bolded sections indicate portion of benchmark addressed
3. Unless noted as a Summative Assessment, the assessments are formative and should be used to guide teaching and learning.

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