Bainbridge Island School District Life Science UNIT 2 - Southern Resident Orcas Grade 4 Unit created by Laurie Spickard, curriculum specialist Essential question for the unit Why are the Southern Resident Orcas endangered animals? NGSS Performance Expectations addressed in this unit: (the highlight color indicates which lessons, outlined below, address specific PEs) Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 4-LS1-1 Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways 4-LS1-2 1
Lesson What students DO What students learn/understand 1. Presenting the Essential Question for the Unit Essential Question for the unit: Why are the southern resident orcas endangered animals? In this lesson students are introduced to the southern resident orcas; their habitat and endangered status. Students will be able to view slides to learn about the range of the southern resident orcas. share hypotheses about why the southern resident orcas are endangered. the habitat and range of the southern resident orcas. what the classification of endangered means. SEP: Asking Questions CC: Cause & Effect 2. Identifying the Pods What is the social organization of the whales? What other whales share the same range as the southern residents orcas? In this lesson, students learn about the 3 pods of southern resident orcas and other groups or orcas that are in the same range. Students will be able to use the orca trading cards to form groups of the 3 different pods of southern residents. name the other groups of killer whales found in the same range of the southern residents. there are 3 resident pods: J, K & L the matrilineal organization of the orca whales. the southern resident orcas share their range with northern resident orcas, transient and offshore whales. SEP: Obtaining and Evaluating Information CC: Patterns & Systems 2
3. KIller Whale Anatomy What are the body parts of a killer whale and what is the function of each part? This lesson is all about the structures and their functions orcas have for survival. label the major external body parts of a killer whale and identify the function of each part. watch a video to record information about killer whale anatomy. the name of the major external body parts of a killer whale and the function of each part. SEP: Obtaining and Evaluating Information CC: Structure and Function 4. Identifying individual whales How do researchers identify individual whales in the pods? Why is identifying individual whales important? This lesson introduces students to how field research expands knowledge useful to management decisions. identify photos of members of L Pod matching them to the orca trading cards. complete a simulation activity that identifies changes in orca pods. Individual whales can be identified observing unique characteristics of the dorsal fin and saddle patch. It is important to be able to identify individuals whales so that changes in the number of whales in the orca pods is known for management decisions. SEP: Carrying Out Investigations CC: Patterns & Structure and Function 3
5. The Southern Resident Population What has happened to the population of southern resident killer whales? In this lesson students examine population data to identify trends. The lesson ends with a video presenting the 3 main factors contributing to the continued decline in population. 6. More Salmon Please Why don t the southern resident killer whales have enough food? This lesson is the first of three presenting why scientists believe the southern resident orcas are not recovering since the endangered designation. In this lesson, students learn orcas are top predators in the food chain, yet the southern residents are not getting enough food. make claims about the population of the southern resident orcas and use data as evidence to support the claims. produce a poster to teach others about the importance of salmon to the survival of the southern resident orcas. that the declining population is one of the reasons they are endangered animals. SEP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data & Engaging in Argument from Evidence CC: Stability and Change killer whales are adapted to be top predators. the southern resident killer whales eat mostly salmon. transient killer whales eat marine mammals. the population of chinook salmon has greatly decreased researchers have recently learned that chinook eaten by other marine mammals has greatly increased. SEP: Obtaining Information & Analyzing and Interpreting Data CC: Cause and Effect & Systems 4
7. Listening to Orcas 1. What is the function of the sounds orcas produce? 2. What body structures do orcas have to produce and receive sounds? 3. How can researchers use calls to identify orca pods? In this lesson, students learn how orcas use sound to survive. Like researchers in the field, they listen to orca calls and use a catalog of calls to identify the calls and the pod or pods that make that call. 8. Toxins Accumulate 1. What are toxins? 2. Why are they another reason scientists believe they are causing the population decline of southern resident orcas? draw and label a diagram to show how orcas echolocate. listen to recordings of southern resident whales vocalizations and identify the call using an Orca Call Catalog. participate in a simulation to discover the effects of toxins that have accumulated in a food web. Students will know orcas use echolocation to navigate and hunt. orcas use sound to communicate with members of their pod. listening to calls is one way scientists can identify pods. the effects of vessels, including physical interference and sound, have been identified as a potential contributing factor in the population s decline. SEP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data CC: Patterns bioaccumulation is the process of toxins build up in animals at the top of the food chain. SEP: Carrying Out Investigations & Analyzing and Interpreting Data This lesson presents one more reason the population of southern resident orcas is declining - toxins in the orcas habitat that bioaccumulate. CC: Energy and Matter & Cause and Effect 5
9. Tell Me Why WHY are the southern resident orcas endangered animals? In this lesson students review the information presented in the unit and show what they know about the reasons the southern resident orcas are endangered animals. 10. What Can YOU Do? What can YOU do to help the southern resident orcas? The goal of this final lesson is to empower students to take action to help the endangered orcas! state if the hypotheses recorded at the beginning of the unit are supported or not supported from information presented in the unit. draw and write about their ideas to explain WHY the southern resident orcas are endangered animals. identify at least 3 actions they individually or with their family can take to help the orcas. pick and complete a project to educate others about actions that help protect the southern residents. A hypothesis can be supported or not supported with additional information or data. SEP: Constructing Explanations CC: Cause and Effect & Systems there are things we can all do to contribute to the health of Puget Sound to help the southern resident orcas. SEP: Designing Solutions CC: Cause and Effect 6