OpenSciEd B.4, Lesson 2: Seed Dispersal Investigation
Task
Use this Investigation during OpenSciEd Biology Unit B.4, Lesson 2. Tuva has digitized the Seed Dispersal Investigation handout utilized in Parts 4–6. This is not a standalone lesson. Use it in tandem with the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition to guide overall instruction and collaborative sensemaking. Where This Investigation Fits into the Storyline In the last lesson, students read about three examples of populations (hawksbeard, juncos, and rats) impacted by urbanization. At the start of this lesson, students learned that people build fragmented plots of soil in urban areas where hawksbeard plants can grow. Now, students will carry out an investigation to simulate the impact of fragmentation on the survival rates of different hawksbeard seeds. When to Use Tuva Use this Tuva Investigation on Day 1 during Parts 4–6. Complete Parts 1–3 (Navigate, Discuss Seed Dispersal Strategies, and Analyze Where Hawksbeard Grow) before opening Tuva. Use pages 7-12 of the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition to facilitate. Open Tuva before starting Part 4, Introduce Seed Dispersal Investigation and Write a Hypothesis. Students will identify their investigation variables and record their hypotheses in Tuva before participating in a turn and talk. Continue to use Tuva during Parts 5 and 6, Run Seed Dispersal Investigation and Complete Exit Ticket. Tuva includes the investigation procedure and a data table where students will record data. Students will use the Tuva Tools to calculate proportions and make graphs that help them answer OpenSciEd's sensemaking questions. What Happens Next When students return on Day 2, they can refer to their data tables, graphs, and responses during the classroom discussions that occur during OpenSciEd Parts 7–9.
Earlier in this lesson, you discussed seed dispersal mechanisms and learned that hawksbeard have two different types of seeds. ![a seed with smooth sides, and another seed with feathery extensions]75% You also examined photos of places where hawksbeard grows: open, rural areas and fragmented urban areas (like the one shown on the left). You generated some ideas for exploring the impact of habitat fragmentation on hawksbeard. Now you will be carrying out an investigation to answer the question: What causes differences in the proportion of seed types in urban and non-urban environments? Click Next to get started.
Topics and standards: OpenSciEd