Peek At The Chesapeake!

Research Process

Directions to Students

Scenario

Now that you have just finished the Chesapeake Bay unit, you will research specific organisms that live in or around the Chesapeake Bay. You will then report your findings to the "Living Classroom Foundation" in Baltimore, Maryland. Your information will help the scientists determine new ways to help improve the condition of the Chesapeake Bay.

Task and Product

The Task

You will choose an organism from the Chesapeake Bay. You will be responsible for explaining how this organism is affected by humans.

Aquatic Insects	Birds	Bay Grasses	Fish
Mayflies	Great Blue Herons	Watercress	Bluegill
Caddis Flies	Ospreys	Wild Celery	Striped Bass
Stoneflies	Gulls	Pond Weeds	Atlantic Silverside

The Product

Your group will research one of the organisms above. You will then choose one of the products to complete with your group.

Product Your group will design a PowerPoint presentation that shows how your organism is impacted by humans.

Product Your group will create an informational "Wanted" poster for people that negatively impact the Chesapeake Bay.

Assessments

Your grade will be based on the following:

Click here to see the rubric by which your PowerPoint will be assessed.
Click here to see the rubric by which your group work will be assessed
Click here to see the rubric by which your poster will be assessed.

Question

Essential Question:
How does human use of natural resources affect organisms living in and around the Chesapeake Bay?

Subsidiary questions:

	What are natural resources?
	How do humans use natural resources?
	What organisms live in the Chesapeake Bay?
	What do these organisms need to survive?
	What activities do humans do in and around the Bay?
	What activities are harmful to the Bay?
	What activities are beneficial to the Bay?

Gather and Sort

Gather information from a variety of sources.

Aquatic Bird Organizer : html: Word

Fish Organizer html : Word

Bay Grasses Organizer html : Word

Aquatic Insect Organizer html : Word

Sort your findings using a graphic organizer. Choose one organizer from this site. Remember you must include what the organism consumes . Also, include how the organism's food is affected by humans. Then include where the organism lives and what effects humans have on its habitat.

Organize

Analyze your research notes to determine how your specific organism is affected by human use.

Synthesize your findings by creating a "wanted" poster or a PowerPoint presentation which informs your teacher and classmates about how your organism is affected by humans.

	What new insights have emerged about your topics?
	Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience? What can your audience do to improve the condition of the Chesapeake Bay?

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

	Have you gathered sufficient details about your organism?
	Are your details organized in the right categories or sub-topics to make sense for your audience?
	Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on an audience?
	Remember, you must have answered the questions about how your organism is affected and how people can improve the condition of the bay.

Organizing and preparing the final product:

	Decide in your group who will be responsible for each of the categories of information.
	Each person in your group will create a poster/PowerPoint for the one category showing what your learned in your research.

Conclusion

Presentation

Present the "wanted" poster or PowerPoint presentation to your classmates by

	Orally sharing your poster/PowerPoint presentation.
	Displaying all posters/PowerPoint slides for everyone to see!

Reflection:
Conclude as a class how the Chesapeake Bay is negatively affected by humans.

Conclude as a class how the Chesapeake Bay is positively affected by humans.

You will be asked to list the best ways to improve the condition of the Chesapeake Bay.

All of our findings will be emailed to "Living Classroom Foundations" in Baltimore, Maryland.

Last update: July, 2004
Created by Lisa McElroy and Michele Stansbury

BCPS Research Module, Copyright 2004, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. This Research Module may be used for educational, non-profit school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly.

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