MangroveWatch - Problem Solving and Communicating

Australian curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 Science:

• Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (ACSSU176)
• Critically analyse the validity of information in primary and secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS172)
• Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174)

Year 10 Science:

• Global systems, including the carbon cycle, rely on interactions involving the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere (ACSSU189)
• Critically analyse the validity of information in primary and secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS206)
• Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208)

Year 11 and 12 Science – Biology

• Represent data in meaningful and useful ways; organise and analyse data to identify trends, patterns and relationships; qualitatively describe sources of measurement error, and uncertainty and limitations in data; and select, synthesise and use evidence to make and justify conclusions (ACSBL004)
• Select, construct and use appropriate representations, including classification keys, food webs and biomass pyramids, to communicate conceptual understanding, solve problems and make predictions (ACSBL006)
• Communicate to specific audiences and for specific purposes using appropriate language, nomenclature, genres and modes, including scientific reports (ACSBL007)

Syllabus outcomes: SC5-14LW, SC5-7WS, SC5-8WS, SC5-9WS, SC5-12ES

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.7

Relevant parts of Year 9 Science achievement standards: Students analyse how biological systems function and respond to external changes with reference to interdependencies, energy transfers and flows of matter. They analyse trends in data, identify relationships between variables and reveal inconsistencies in results. They analyse their methods and the quality of their data, and explain specific actions to improve the quality of their evidence. They evaluate methods and explanations from a scientific perspective and use appropriate language and representations when communicating their findings and ideas to specific audiences.

Relevant parts of Year 10 Science achievement standards: Students describe and analyse interactions and cycles within and between Earth’s spheres. When analysing data, selecting evidence and developing and justifying conclusions, they identify alternative explanations for findings and explain any sources of uncertainty. They construct evidence-based arguments and select appropriate representations and text types to communicate science ideas for specific purposes.

Year 11 and 12 Science students:

• use science inquiry skills to design, conduct, evaluate and communicate investigations into biodiversity and flows of matter and energy in a range of ecosystems.

Unit of work: MangroveWatch – Years 9 to 12

Time required: 180 minutes

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – the worksheets are scaffolded to guide students. This approach frees the teacher to support students through the problem solving process and the communication of a scientific report.

• Student Worksheet – one copy per student
• Internet access
• Natural Selection Factsheet
• Report Writing Guide
• Resources students need to present and create a scientific report for a specific purpose and audience
• Scientific Report Assessment Rubric
• Whiteboard, butcher’s paper or interactive whiteboard

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Creativity
• Critical thinking

The lessons in this unit have been developed in partnership with Earthwatch and MangroveWatch. Earthwatch is a global not-for-profit organisation that uses citizen science to empower people to save the natural world, and works with all sectors to create a society that lives in balance with nature. MangroveWatch is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on the research, education and conservation of mangrove and tidal wetland environments globally.