introduction task_description process evaluation conclusion

Use the following criteria to evaluate student performance in the different parts of this task. Adjust points as needed to reflect your needs as well as feedback on criteria from your students. All work should reflect adequate time on task and quality effort.

Evaluation Part I - Set-up and monitor a worm farm.

Students should:
Points
Handle the worms with respect and care.
10
Make written observations as well as drawings of a live worm in their Naturalist's Journal.
10
Attempt to answer the four questions. Since guessing is acceptable at this point all reasonable answers should be accepted.
5
Put their worm farm together following the directions you provide. (See teacher notes for ways to set up worm farms.)
5
Make daily observations of their worm farm–both drawings and written when possible.
Answer all questions on Worms as Recycler research page.
20
Total
50

Evaluation Part II - Investigate a local ecosystem

Students should:
Points
Follow all instructions for safe conduct on a nature walk.
10
Make written observations as well as drawings of food chains and webs in their Naturalist's Journal. Notes should include the role (producer, consumer, decomposer) an observed organism fills in the ecosystem.
10
Make written observations as well as drawings of evidence for recycling in the ecosystem. This can include any use of waste products from ANY source living or non-living.
10
Create a concept map that shows how the parts of the food chain or web are linked together. The concept map should clearly show the producers, consumers, and decomposers in the ecosystem. It should also include links to ways in which the organisms in the concept map recycle.
20
Total
50

Evaluation Part III - Research Web resources on human recycling efforts that are similar to nature.

Students should:
Points
Read all the information for each Web site listed and be able to discuss them as a class.
10
Use the Web sites listed in the resource to answer all the questions in carefully thought out sentences.
15
Total
25

Evaluation Part IV and V - Create storyboards for documentary, create documentary
Points
Title Screen - Has an eyecatching graphic that includes the title of documentary, name and roles of team members, name of school, grade level, and name of teacher.
10
Introduction - Explains what the documenary is about. Includes an image and paragraph that states what someone will learn from the documentary. This screen should excite someone enough so they want to go on.
10
Parts of an ecosystem - Includes an image and two paragraphs that overview the living and non-living parts of the ecosystem you observed.
10
Example of Food Chain in an ecosystem - Includes an image, or images, from the ecosystem studied and a paragraph, or paragraphs, explaining how the producers, consumers, and decomposers in the ecosystem work together in a food chain. It should also include a paragraph giving examples of any evidence of recyling observed. These paragraphs should be based on the concept map created in Part 2.
30
Nature got there first - Includes at least one image and a one paragraph summary of one of the ways humans recycle waste that is similar to what you observed in nature. These paragraphs should also reflect understanding gained in Part 1 and 3.
10
Close - Includes an image and paragraph that summarizes what you learned from nature about the importance of recycling.
5
Credits - Include a list of resources (other than this Web site) used to create your documentary.
5
Quality of storyboards/documentary - Exhibits attention to editing and neatness that are of the highest quality. (Note: discuss as a class the standard that will define poor, acceptable, and exceptional quality.)
10
Creativity of storyboards/documentary - Exhibits effort that indicates time was spent thinking about how to make the work stand out from an average presentation.
10
Total
100