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Rainforest Alliance-El Salvador

Middle

Description

This series of lesson plans explores the important role that coffee forests play in the annual migration of birds.

Lesson One:  Biodiversity.  Students learn about the importance of Biodiversity and compare the variety of species  in their own backyard to that found in the rain forests.

Lesson Two: Birds and Coffee.  Through stories and math activities students learn how coffee production methods effect the habitat and health of migratory bird populations.

Lesson Three: Deforestation.  Through stories and math activities students investigate the impact of human activity on forests. As a culminating activity, students plan and carry out a tree-planting day.

Lesson Four: Community Action.  Students explore how resource consumption impacts biodiversity and implement an action plan to conserve resources within their school.

Each lesson plan includes  ideas for action projects.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

This resource does not explicitly teach skills.

Strengths

Each lesson plan is quite easy to use.  There are several action projects included and an activity which requires students to study the birds in their own environment. 

There is an abundance of support offered for these lesson plans in the form of links, posters, case studies and slide shows. 

Weaknesses

There are a great many activities included in the resource, all destined towards the culminating activity.  Educators may wish to choose and complete only some of the suggested activities for each lesson.

Teachers may also wish to add a self-assessment component.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 7
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Plants for Food and Fibre
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        • Diversity of Living Things
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        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
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        • People & Places in the World: Global Quality of Life
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        • Life Systems: Diversity of Living Things
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        • The Circumpolar World: Connections: Canada & the Circumpolar World
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        • Science 7: Environmental Action
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        • Life Systems: Diversity of Living Things
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Interactions in Our Environment
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        • Diversity of Life
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        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
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        • Science 6: Life Science: Diversity of Living Things
    • Grade 7
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        • Science 7: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems

Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (3)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Biodiversity
  • Interdependence

Food & Agriculture (1)

  • Subsistence Farming

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Forests

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Satisfactory

The resource does attempt to provide many points of view, however it is up to the teacher to do the research to make sure that everyone involved in the issue is represented.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory

The lesson is presented as a study of the lives of migratory birds, and how coffee farming relates to their welfare.  While many aspects of this particular issue are addressed, there are many other environmental, political and economic aspects of coffee production that are not mentioned.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The projects presented in this series of lessons allow the students to come up with their own solutions.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good
Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

The lessons do a good job of relating back to the lives of the students.  The students are presented with information and then asked to make their own decisions or solve problems in their own ways.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good

Students conduct an observational survey of birds in their neighbourhood, and an informational survey of coffee drinkers in their lives.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

Students have freedom to do their own research and create their own answers to the problems presented.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Very Good
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Very Good
Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

Most of the activities require the ability to read and write, however their is an acceptable variety of activities offered.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

The assessment tools provided are limited to rubrics.  There are no reflection opportunities provided, other than those included in the nature of the activities.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

There are many links to actual parks and coffee producers provided in the lesson plans.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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