Ecosystem Investigation: Steps

Steps for this Project

You will follow the Research Cycle as you work through this project. The steps are:

Questioning
Guiding Question: How do organisms interact with and respond to the environment and other organisms? Your first task is to develop a list of questions you will use to guide your research.

Planning
Decide on what jobs your team will need to do in order to get the information to answer your questions. Use your Notes Sheet to plan these jobs.

Gathering
Use your Populations and Ecosystems CD and links to selected web sites to gather data.

Sorting and Sifting
You have gathered a lot of information about two ecosystems. Now it is time to decide which facts will help you make your recommendation and which will not.

Synthesizing
Now it is time to arrange and rearrange the information to focus on what is important to your project. Keep the guiding question in mind.

Gather, Sort, Sift, Synthesize
Repeat these steps until you have all the information you need.

Evaluating
Does your research support your recommendation? How well did you work as a team?

Reporting
Your team will create a food chain poster and prepare a PowerPoint presentation to a Congressional committee recommending ways the ecosystem can be preserved while still meeting human needs.

Getting Started Home Scenario Steps Research Cycle Questioning Planning Gathering Sorting/Sifting Synthesizing Evaluating Reporting Assessment Reflection Rubrics Learnings Resources Resources Teacher Tips		We're All In This Ecosystem Together How do organisms interact with and respond to the environment and other organisms?
		Steps for this Project You will follow the Research Cycle as you work through this project. The steps are: Questioning Guiding Question: How do organisms interact with and respond to the environment and other organisms? Your first task is to develop a list of questions you will use to guide your research. Planning Decide on what jobs your team will need to do in order to get the information to answer your questions. Use your Notes Sheet to plan these jobs. Gathering Use your Populations and Ecosystems CD and links to selected web sites to gather data. Sorting and Sifting You have gathered a lot of information about two ecosystems. Now it is time to decide which facts will help you make your recommendation and which will not. Synthesizing Now it is time to arrange and rearrange the information to focus on what is important to your project. Keep the guiding question in mind. Gather, Sort, Sift, Synthesize Repeat these steps until you have all the information you need. Evaluating Does your research support your recommendation? How well did you work as a team? Reporting Your team will create a food chain poster and prepare a PowerPoint presentation to a Congressional committee recommending ways the ecosystem can be preserved while still meeting human needs.

		Copyright Notice: No materials on any of the Bellingham Schools' WWW pages may be copied without express written permission unless permission is clearly stated on the page. Graphics: Microsoft Clip Art. Collaborative team: Eileen Andersen, Criss Forslund, and Linda St. Andre Research modules based on use of the Research Cycle, Module Maker, and ideas in Beyond Technology by Jamie McKenzie