Students will create an artifact using computing systems to model the attributes and behaviors associated with a concept (e.g., day and night, animal life cycles, plant life cycles). Students are scientists (botanists, zoologists), who just found a new plant/animal in their chosen ecosystem. Their job is to introduce their new plant/animal to the scientific world! They will create a stop motion video to show their new plant/animal's life cycle.

Lesson plan introducing and exploring via hands-on lab the idea that raising acidity in the world's oceans is reducing the availability of carbonate, which impacts calcifying organisms such as oysters and sea urchins.

Join Chesapeake Bay Foundation educators Maya, Rick, and Norah as they lead you on a journey through the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Investigate how we are all part of a watershed as you twist and turn from the Appalachian Mountains, through the rivers and streams of Piedmont, all the way down to the Chesapeake Bay. Along your journey, you’ll meet the unique critters that call the watershed home. You’ll also explore what you can do in your own neighborhood to protect the environment and become a Backyard Bay Saver! 

This lesson is intended to review 6th-grade content on watersheds, estuaries, and wetlands.  It also introduces abiotic and biotic factors of ecosystems found in VA's Watershed.  Students investigate the Chesapeake Bay using several resources with a pre-assessment, video clips, current article links, post-assessment, final evaluation, and rubric. A student sheet, teacher key, and google slide were created to use for face-to-face teaching or virtual learning. Click on the attached to access the folder.

Explore a NetLogo model of populations of rabbits, grass, and weeds. First, adjust the model to start with a different rabbit population size. Then adjust model variables, such as how fast the plants or weeds grow, to get more grass than weeds. Change the amount of energy the grass or weeds provide to the rabbits and the food preference. Use line graphs to monitor the effects of changes you make to the model, and determine which settings affect the proportion of grass to weeds when rabbits eat both.

Explore how populations change over time in a NetLogo model of sheep and grass. Experiment with the initial number of sheep, the sheep birthrate, the amount of energy sheep gain from the grass, and the rate at which the grass re-grows. Remove sheep that have a particular trait (better teeth) from the population, then watch what happens to the sheep teeth trait in the population as a whole. Consider conflicting selection pressures to make predictions about other instances of natural selection.

 Learn about the greater impact of wildlife patients at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Every patient is offered state-of-the-art veterinary medical care; some are treated and released, while others may be too seriously injured to recover. Every single animal has a story to share, a story that illustrates the wider problems wildlife face—litter, pesticides, free-roaming domestic animals, habitat loss, and diseases. Even patients that don’t make it live on by helping us shape our conservation education and research as we challenge people of all ages to take action to protect wildlife. More About This Resource  For more information and classroom activities, please visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM UNTAMED  websites.

Learn about diurnal birds of prey -- a diverse group of birds across the globe which includes hawks, falcons, osprey, eagles, and kites. While these different families of birds have a variety of physical and behavioral traits, they are all specially adapted for daytime hunting. Today, most of these birds of prey are widely appreciated by the public, but they still face many dangers. Learn more about these amazing raptors and how to help.UNTAMED looks at the wild and often perilous world of wildlife, as seen through the eyes of the patients of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a non-profit teaching and research hospital for native wildlife.

NASA eClips Our World:  Where Do We Find Extremophiles?Video Description:  Where do we find extremophiles? We look for environments that push the limits for ordinary living organisms. NASA conducts analog testing in these extreme environments to better understand life on Earth and identify the potential for life in the universe.  Video Length:  3:25. NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Our World videos (grades 3-5) help students understand the differences between science (the natural world) and engineering (the designed world).  These video segments supplement elementary learning objectives not only in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but also in reading, writing, visual and performing arts.

 Pollinators are a vital part of our world and are essential for creating and maintaining habitats that many animals – including us! – rely on for food and shelter. The diversity of pollinators in a particular area is a key indicator of the health of an overall ecosystem. Unfortunately, many pollinators are in trouble, with populations declining significantly around the world. This episode highlights the importance and function of pollinators, with an emphasis on what we can do in our homes and communities to ensure the survival of these important species. For more information and classroom activities, please visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM UNTAMED websites.

Many factors influence the success and survival rate of a population of living things. Explore several factors that can determine the survival of a population of sheep in this NetLogo model. Start with a model of unlimited grass available to the sheep and watch what happens to the sheep population! Next try to keep the population under control by removing sheep periodically. Change the birthrate, grass regrowth rate, and the amount of energy rabbits get from the grass to keep a stable population.

This video explores the decline of southeastern U.S. grasslands over 300-400 years, focusing on the role of Native Americans and natural fires in maintaining these ecosystems. European settlers and agricultural practices disrupted this balance, converting grasslands into forests and farmlands. The result was a significant loss of these vital ecosystems, profoundly altering the landscape

 As humans continue to move across and dominate the open landscapes of North America, transforming diverse native ecosystems into managed areas for crops, livestock, or even simply for aesthetics, our native residents and transient wildlife lose habitat. That is why it is up to all of us – landowners and managers, farmers, and homeowners — to make decisions to oversee a multi-use landscape, one which both wildlife and humans can utilize for the benefit of all. For more information and classroom activities, please visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM UNTAMED websites.   

Objectives:
* Learn about Native American culture
* Introduce codependent plants (ecosystems)