https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl Lesson 2: Freshkills Park Grasslands SWBAT explain the key characteristics of Northeast grassland ecosystems en-us 2021-04-12 20:39:28 UTC 2026-03-16 23:17:40 UTC hello@padlet.com jamieromano12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435173800 One key takeaway students will gain from this lesson is what an ecosystem consists of. For example, grasslands are an ecosystem that contains many different kinds of grasses. In ecosystems there are different animals that may live there. Lastly, they may gain the information on the difference between grasslands and lawns.

]]> 2021-04-19 20:46:27 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435173800 jamieromano12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435185130 This lesson aligns with the NGSS in a few different ways. One way is through the cross cutting concepts.  The third core idea, ESS3: Earth and Human Activity, addresses society’s interactions with the planet. This relates to the lesson because we can see interaction within an ecosystem and how animals live there, which this lesson describes through showing a food web. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:50:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435185130 elizabethgrillo910 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435206151 One key takeaway from the lesson is the food web. The way it was structured and explained will help the understand the meaning of the food web. Another one is the idea of a grassland and lawn. We learned that they are two different things. Grassland has many different grasses and may be more drier, while a lawn is one grass of the same length. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:58:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435206151 matthewfanizzi https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435206269 I think one of the most important takeaways from this lesson would be the look into the biodiversity and the way that a huge open grassland and its animals differ from the animals and biodiversity you find in your lawn or at a small park. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:58:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435206269 jgenao01 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435207256 One key takeaway that students will have from this lesson is the food web. They will see how the different species that live in the grassland connect to each other with eating habits. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:58:35 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435207256 btads1 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435207701 One key takeaway that the students could get is unique type of species in these habitats. They learn about the red-legged grasshopper, the northern harrier, the grasshopper sparrow and more. I personally did not know about some of these species so this was also a takeaway for me. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:58:45 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435207701 rebeccamarcowitz https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435208515 One key takeaway students can get from this lesson is learning about some of the biodiversity in grasslands. They learn what plants and animals live or grow in a grassland. This lesson also connects to a food web showing students a diagram that will help them get a better understanding.

]]> 2021-04-19 20:59:04 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435208515 matthewfanizzi https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435210469 The lesson aligns with NGSS by following discussion and engaging learning through the interactive slides and the ice breaking questions to introduce what may be a new subject. The ideas I have to build on this alignment is to keep the group discussion very present when discussing the important details. Don't just move on to the next slide after reading it out, push them in the right direction with add on questions]]> 2021-04-19 20:59:50 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435210469 jamieromano12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435210509 Some areas that may be challenging during the lesson would possibly be the food web. Also, I'd put more emphasis on the key ideas so the students can relate it to themselves. Personally, I would maybe suggest doing the connections after reading each species. ]]> 2021-04-19 20:59:51 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435210509 elizabethgrillo910 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435212090 The lesson aligns with the NGSS because it did incorporate the 5E's. The students were very engaging with the lesson. We explored the different animals in a grassland and why a grassland is different from a lawn. We elaborated with learning and making a food web. The students explained what we we were doing and had a discussion as a whole which allowed the students to be involved in the lesson. We even enriched in the lesson by looking at the "RoundMe" of the Fresh-kills Park. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:00:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435212090 rebeccamarcowitz https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435214007 This lesson aligns with NGSS because it was very engaging. They showed videos, a panorama view of grassland so students could get a visual. They also elaborated on key words that were used throughout the lesson. Maybe to build on this in the future take kids to a park or grassland to explore what a grassland really looks like. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:01:15 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435214007 btads1 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435214074 The main way that this lesson aligns with NGSS is through the use of the five E's. The lesson had many examples that forced us to become engaged and visual references which tie the whole lesson together and make it very interesting.  ]]> 2021-04-19 21:01:17 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435214074 jppackers13 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435215733 One key take away that I gained from this lesson is learning about the different animals and the relationships that they have in their ecosystem. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:01:56 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435215733 jamieromano12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435216520 I would make this lesson engaging to students from different backgrounds by making each student identify a grassland/ ecosystem in their towns. This will allow them to see different ones and see how each can differ or even show similarity. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:02:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435216520 gabriellaalcamo19 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435217160 One key takeaway the students should have gained from the lesson, is the different animals and plants in the ecosystem. The students had to retain information throughout the lesson! They also were made away of new animals and Plants that they might have not known about prior to this lesson. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:02:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435217160 jppackers13 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435218877 This lesson aligned with the NGSS because it was integrated with the 5 E's. For example they were able to engage the audience with videos and fun activities. 

]]> 2021-04-19 21:03:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435218877 btads1 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435219160 I think the only challenging possibility of this lesson would be the fact that the students could have difficulty filling out the sheet and explaining the differences between the grasslands and normal grass. The way I would improve it is by making a diagram or chart showing the differences side by side so you could incorporate the NGSS standards into it. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:03:14 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435219160 matthewfanizzi https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435220528 The challenges I foresee when presenting and teaching this would be on the topic of biodiversity and understanding the many different sub topics that are involved such as food webs and food chains and the difference and how energy passes through these webs and chains. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435220528 morganannmoretti https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435220711 From doing this lesson, students will have developed a deeper sense of knowledge in terms of how a grassland ecosystem operates. Students will understand the differences between types of grass. For example, students will learn that grasses are not always just short and green. They can be numerous different types of sizes, shapes and colors. They will understand that a grassland is an ecosystem which contains these numerous different types of grasses. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:03:49 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435220711 jppackers13 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435222620 A challenge that I might see is the students having some difficulty with how to draw the food web and how complicated it might get with all of the animals. I might just ask for one line for each animal instead of more. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:04:34 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435222620 gabriellaalcamo19 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435224823 This lesson aligned with NGSS, because it integrated art and comprehension. The lesson was interactive and engaging. It grasped all of the 5 E's throughout the lesson. One way to build on the alignment is to incorporate a game. The website was fun and interactive, but the most fun part of the lesson was the food web exercise. It kept the students engaged and actively participating. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:05:27 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435224823 jamieromano12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435225022 I personally enjoyed this lesson because it taught me some of the species I didn't know about within an ecosystem. This will very beneficial to students and will expand their knowledge on ecosystems. The resources that were provided were very helpful to go into depth on grasslands. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:05:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435225022 jppackers13 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435225825 If I had to make this lesson more engaging for students I might have them talk more about the grass environments and some of the animals we see in our own front yard or park and how they might relate to the grassland ecosystem. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:05:51 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435225825 btads1 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226034 I would make this more engaging by pulling up pictures of different countries and places and comparing the ecosystem to the grasslands. I would even bring up pictures of the students neighborhoods and compare just to get them involved. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:05:57 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226034 matthewfanizzi https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226150 I would make this lesson more engaging and interesting for students from different backgrounds by the addition of art activity and maybe some cool add on videos to help really push the questions and keep the important takeaways in mind.]]> 2021-04-19 21:05:59 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226150 rebeccamarcowitz https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226563 The challenge I think students will have or get confused by is the food web. They might have to look back to the previous activity of filling in the word sentences to see what animal/plant does what. That activity could be done as a class for the younger students so they can understand plant/animal is connecting to.]]> 2021-04-19 21:06:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226563 gabriellaalcamo19 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226755 One way I would make this engaging and accessible for students with different background, is by making sure all the students have computer access and a printed copy. They could do a homework prompt that reflects their background. If the student lives in Brooklyn make a Venn diagram that would compare what they see in Brooklyn vs. what they would see in a grassland ecosystem. The students could either upload an image of what they see or draw what they see. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:06:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435226755 jgenao01 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435228836 This lesson aligns with the NGSS with the utilization of the 5 E's. Like it engages students with a video, and there was extra elaboration later on. It constructed an arguments about plants and animals having structures that support eachotehr, which aligns with 4-LS1-1 and 3-LS4-3. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:07:03 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435228836 btads1 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435229252 I think that the only other resource that could be used is a comparison of different landmasses and areas to a grassland to have the students fully grasp the difference and the attributes that differ between the two.]]> 2021-04-19 21:07:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435229252 matthewfanizzi https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435230027 I really enjoyed presenting the lesson and thought the slides really covered all of the bases necessary for a topic like this. It was very interactive and pushes the teacher to use strong skills such as breaking off from the slide and asking some questions from slides that don't list important discussion questions.]]> 2021-04-19 21:07:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435230027 jppackers13 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435230938 I enjoyed this lesson a lot. It was very engaging and I could see students having fun with it. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:07:54 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435230938 gabriellaalcamo19 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435233888 I thought that the class would benefit by possibly having a group activity (COVID protocols permitting). The groups of students could've gotten a piece of chart paper, and they would have to draw the ecosystem! They would be responsible for drawing the plants as well as the animals in the food web. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:09:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435233888 morganannmoretti https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435233895 This lesson aligns a great deal with the NGSS. It is very thought provoking, and requires students to think critically. Students are asked to interact through ongoing class discussions, draw images to develop visual understandings of the grass, make connections within food webs and fill in blanks. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:09:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435233895 elizabethgrillo910 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435234022 I think the most challenging is the food web. The students would have to understand why that animals eats a certain animal, so it is going to take them a while to get the gist of that. Once they practice more, they will get a hang of it. Even the drawing of the arrows might confuse them since it is different lines going everywhere on the web. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:09:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435234022 jgenao01 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435238836 An area that might be most challenging for students might be the food web. The way the lines connect might get confusing because a student might think if the raptor bird can eat the sparrow and the fox can eat the sparrow, they might get confused thinking the fox might be able to eat the raptor. An adaption might be have the text that explains what each animal or insect eats so they can look back at it rather than go from memory. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:11:06 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435238836 rebeccamarcowitz https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435239232 To make this more engaging and accessible I would incorporate grassland from around the world and have students write down what they see and whats different from the grassland at fresh kills. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:11:15 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435239232 elizabethgrillo910 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435240583 To make the lesson engaging, I would allow the students to compare their home laws/neighborhood with a grassland. This gives them the opportunity to be creative and share a unique side of them. When they are comparing their neighborhood lawns and the grassland, the students can either write in a graphic organizer or in a column, or draw out the two fields! ]]> 2021-04-19 21:11:50 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435240583 morganannmoretti https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435242539 I feel that perhaps one of the challenges that might be faced could be with the food web. For younger children, the connections could be difficult to make and fully understand. Going through these connections in detail before the completion of the food web activity could be beneficial. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:12:36 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435242539 elizabethgrillo910 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435246242 I enjoyed the lesson. It was thoughtfully put together. The leaders were engaging, and it got me interested from the start. Another resource I think would of been great to incorporate is a video of determining the difference between a grassland and a lawn. Overall, the lesson was well done and was enjoyable throughout. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:14:11 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435246242 morganannmoretti https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435248806 I would ask students to discuss more about grasslands from all over the world. I would want to look up pictures of this as well and have class discussions about it. I would also want to incorporate the neighborhoods of my students in discussions. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:15:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435248806 rebeccamarcowitz https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435249688 I enjoyed this lesson I feel as though this could be a creative and interactive lesson for students. I learned many new things found in the ecosystem that students will enjoy learning about. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:15:33 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435249688 jgenao01 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435252237 I would make it engaging and accessible to students from different backgrounds by giving access from either printed or on the computer of multiple pictures of different kinds of grasslands and houses with lawns from different places. Some students might not live by a lot of grass so they might not even know how to compare a lawn of grass to a grassland. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:16:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435252237 gabriellaalcamo19 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435252330 I personally  think that this lesson was extremely well done. It had different integration, the website was interactive, and the Round Me application was great for giving the students a visual. I think that this lesson supported many different types of learners especially since everyone was actively participating in the lesson.  ]]> 2021-04-19 21:16:42 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435252330 morganannmoretti https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435255787 I feel that overall, this lesson was great and very informative for students. The leaders were well prepared and great at engaging students. I feel that it offered a great deal of opportunities for students to think critically and reflect on prior knowledge in order to strengthen their understanding of grassland ecosystems. I think the resources used were wonderful. It was a great inclusion that students could view the area and look around - this is important for visual thinkers/learners. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:18:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435255787 jgenao01 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435261691 I really enjoyed this lesson. It has many engaging aspects to it. From the videos to the different fill ins and drawing opportunity, it was fun and engaging. ]]> 2021-04-19 21:20:37 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1435261691 alyviaproscia12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455176161 Students will be able to develop a better understanding of how grassland ecosystems operate, with examples such as terrain, and food chains, different insects, and animals that live there. Teaching this lesson will also allow students to compare and contrast their grass areas on their properties to those of wildlife. 

]]> 2021-04-24 20:44:16 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455176161 alyviaproscia12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455185435 This lesson does align with the NGSS as it brings about critically thinking, and making connections. For example, making food webs, word bank activities, having students draw diagrams (creating visuals).]]> 2021-04-24 20:53:33 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455185435 alyviaproscia12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455187131 Challenges that students may face, may be connecting the food webs, many of the insects/animals included in the food web shared commonalities with other creatures they ate. This can create confusion since it is not a single line chain. To make this more supportive for students, a suggestion would be to create a more singular lineage for the food webs.]]> 2021-04-24 20:55:26 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455187131 alyviaproscia12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455188646 To make this lesson engaging, I would have students come up to the board, to draw connections (food web), I would have students work in groups to answer questions, and I would have students hold a debate, between the differences and similarities of grasslands to land of their own. ]]> 2021-04-24 20:57:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455188646 alyviaproscia12 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455189804 I thought this lesson was incredibly fun, I enjoyed teaching this lesson as well! It was really fun and engaging!]]> 2021-04-24 20:58:16 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1455189804 mlee20 https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1456202399 It was intersting to read the takeways and how you were impacted by the lesson. Thank you again to Gab, Matt and Alyvia for presenting the lesson in such a fun and organized manner.

]]> 2021-04-25 12:32:31 UTC https://padlet.com/rachelfkp/877kzims5j81ighl/wish/1456202399