Introduction Topic Secret MISSION IMPOSSIBLE Mission Objective: Special Ops Mission: Escaping an Ecosystem Attention Agents : Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to get your teacher back home from an ecosystem. Your teacher was on vacation and got lost; he/she is now trapped and needs your help. Your group must get to know the system by studying the environment.The three different ecosystem are the Mojave Desert, Amazon Rainforest and the Arctic. She/he has lost all communication accept for their laptop. You and your group are the only ones who can save your teacher. You have 144 hours to create a survivor guide using PowerPoint that will help you teacher escape. Big Questions: What is life like in different ecosystems? Why is it important to understand and know ecosystems?

Mission Tasks Your mission tasks are to: Gain a better understanding of the importance of ecosystems. Build on your knowledge and understanding of how to use and create a map ( Remember helping you teacher escape is important to your mission) To learn about different life forms, animals and cultures

Process 1. Open your mission envelopes and see what ecosystem you and your group have been assigned. 2. Once each group has their ecosystem they will then be presented with an article about that ecosystem, pictures of what their system looks like and three nonfiction texts about that ecosystem. The article should will have key information about that ecosystem. The envelope will contain a map that gives you an idea of what your system looks like. You will then go to their desks and read the article. They will use sticky notes to hold their thinking, and use highlighters to mark key words. 3. Third, you and your group must assign your roles. You are in a group of six, each member must choose a job. If there is more than one person who wants the same job you must work it out fairly. I.E. those two members play a game of rock, scissors, paper. Winner gets the job. (1) Mission Commander: Responsible for putting information together and helping team to complete project on time. Also responsible for creating the mission map. (2) Mission Operatives : persons who gathers information about the ecosystem (1)Mission Secretary: takes notes on all group meeting. Notes must be detailed and organized. Researches the three common life forms that exist in the groups ecosystem. (2) Mission Artists- Responsible for creating the art work and designing each slide of the survival guide in PowerPoint. 4. Once you have picked your role, you are to as a group meet with the secretary and explain what you are going to do first. Example: Mission operatives, might say what they think is needed for the guide, like climate temperatures, season conditions, animals, etc. Be as descriptive as possible. Mission Leader, set a deadline for when all information is due(remember you only have 166 hours to complete this mission, so you might want everyone's work in 72 hours.

Process Continued… 4. Research Organization/ Slide presentation: 1. Research must include detailed information about your assigned ecosystem. Three slides should be an overview of the makeup of your system. ( how many miles you system covers, important rives and or mountain ranges, kinds of life (plants, animals and people), five everyday products that we use that come from your ecosystem. Be specific.- Mission Operatives 2. Choose 2 animals and 1 plant of that ecosystem and create three PowerPoint slides with detailed information about each topic. (must include life span, what they eat, if they are endangered or not) Information must be presented in the form of a Flow chart(Use link below to see flow charts). - Mission Secretary 3. Map must include the following layout- drawing of the ecosystem with major rivers, important mountain ranges and an escape route for your teacher. Map will be drawn on construction paper. Organization of slides: Slide 1:Title Page, Slide 2,3,4: Research Pages, Slide 4, 5,6: Graphic organizers, Slide 7: Summary, Slide 8: Final Thoughts-Mission Commander 4. Power Point must include a :Title slide with names of group members, your ecosystem and two pictures of your ecosystem.(Mission Operatives) 5. Summary slide: Based upon your research as a group, create a K-W-L CHART, should include what you know, what you learned and what they still have questions on. 6. Conclusion slide: Each team member must write two paragraphs to answer the big questions( refer to slide 2) There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, they are you own opinion. However, you opinion must be supported by actual research, meaning you must include some support to your opinion.

Links for Rainforest and resources Links for Mojave Desert and resources Links for Arctic and resources /rforest/animals/index.htm nforest/3678/home.html _rica/ _rica/rainfacts.html Text Resources: If I ran the rainforest by Dr.Suess National Geographic- Rainforest for kid’s series Ace_Detectives/ghostmine/ca senotes/mojave-desert-more- information.html ve_kids.htm nyourvisit/upload/MOJAm ap1.pdf dlife_and_habitat/wildlife/ desert_tortoise.php n/00_resources/articles/m ojave/index.html Text Resources: Desert Life by Rachel Mann Desert Mammals by Elaine Landau nks/arctic.htm phic.com/animals/mammals/a rctic-fox/ ites/serious/polarbears.html ture/polar-bear/ / Text Resources: Journey into the Arctic, by Bryan and Cherry Alexander (Oxford, 2003). Living in the Tundra, by Carol Baldwin (Heinemann, 2003). Life in the Tundra, by Cherie Winner (Lerner, 2003). Small Worlds: On the Tundra, by Jen Green (Crabtree, 2002). Biomes of North America: A Walk in the Tundra, by Rebecca L. Johnson (Carolrhoda Books, 2000).

ESL and Learning disabled students: Accommodations for students: Teacher will use the Scaffolding method to help make sure that all students are successful Lesson Sequence: Modeling-Prior to assigning this webquest, teacher will conduct a whole group lesson, where a sample version webquest is created. Guided Practice- In predetermined small groups, Teacher will conduct two guided practice session, on how to create a successful webquest. i.e. Using website, how to research topics, creating flow charts and writing summaries. Independent Practice- In small two person groups, students will create a three page slide using PowerPoint. Teacher will be available for help throughout this session. Students can create the webquest on a topic of their choice. Teacher will use a sample evaluation sheet to monitor progress. Review Session- If needed teacher will review the guided practice session with any students who need additional support. Additional Strategies: Students will have access to a variety of pictures, realia and visuals that will help in building understanding of webquests and PowerPoint. Students will be in groups which will help build communication skills and they will a consent support system. Teacher will monitor all groups and give input and guidance when necessary. Differentiated Instruction

Evaluation Important: Must be accomplished for mission to be completed Review this rubric with your group to make sure you are meeting all the standards for this assignment.

Summary of Accomplishments and what was learned: Students will be able to: state where their ecosystem it is located. describe the terrain of their assigned ecosystem. types of vegetation found in each area, and identify animals found in their ecosystem. Be able to describe and list the different everyday products that we use that come from the ecosystem(if any). Work together to research, write and present on their assigned ecosystem. Incorporate reading strategies, i.e. Holding thinking, concept maps, k-w-l charts C ongratulations Students Questions to extend thinking: 1.What are some of the dangers that are hurting our ecosystems? 2.What can we do to help stop the destruction of these ecosystems? More Resources: nment.shtml kids/0164-ecosystems.php