STORYLINE: 3.2.3: Environment & Traits 

STORYLINE: 3.2.4: Traits for Survival and Reproduction 

Strand 3.2: EFFECTS OF TRAITS ON SURVIVAL Organisms (plants and animals, including humans) have unique and diverse life cycles, but they all follow a pattern of birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited traits. An organism’s traits are inherited from its parents and can be influenced by the environment. Variations in traits between individuals in a population may provide advantages in surviving and reproducing in particular environments. When the environment changes, some organisms have traits that allow them to survive, some move to new locations, and some do not survive. Humans can design solutions to reduce the impact of environmental changes on organisms.

Standard(s) 3.2.3: Construct an explanation that the environment can affect the traits of an organism. Examples could include that the growth of normally tall plants is stunted with insufficient water or that pets given too much food and little exercise may become overweight. (LS3.B) Standard(s) 3.2.4: Construct an explanation showing how variations in traits and behaviors can affect the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce. Examples of traits could include large thorns protecting a plant from being eaten or strong smelling flowers to attracting certain pollinators. Examples of behaviors could include animals living in groups for protection or migrating to find more food. (LS2.D, LS4.B)

Phenomena Statement: One tree has many green leaves and the other doesn’t.

Expected Student Explanation:

Science & Engineering Practices (SEP) Crosscutting Concepts (CCC) Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to the use of evidence in constructing explanations that specify variables that describe and predict phenomena and in designing multiple solutions to design problems. · Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on

how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.

Cause and Effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change.

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits Other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment. LS3.B: Variation of Traits The environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.

Storyline Narrative Documents for Storyline

This tells the story of what will happen in the classroom and why students will explore the presented phenomenon. It contains descriptions of the student performances (SEP) and how they are being asked to frame their thinking (CCC) Students construct an explanation that shows how environment can affect an organisms traits and that those traits also affect the ability of an organism to survive in its environment. Through making observations and analyzing data from investigations, students explore the variation of traits within a group, find cause and effect relationships between organisms and environment and explore the benefits of living in groups. Students

Review and/or print out the following documents for this storyline. To edit the following documents you must open, then make your own copy. Links: ● Storyboard Slides - episode instructions are

in the slide notes

develop a model to show understanding of affects of environment with imaginary creatures of a mystery planet.

● Student Journal - or use composition notebook

● Supply List - complete list of supplies needed for each episode

● Teacher prep to begin two weeks prior to starting storyline

STORYLINE: Episodes Matrix

Episode Phenomenon Episode Descriptions & Student Performance Prompts

Note: This is where you add a short description of what occurs during the episode, include the CCCs and SEPs.

Conceptual Understandings

What We Figured Out: what will the students discover

Next Questions or Steps: what they will investigate

next

Episode 1 Engage Time: 20-30 minutes including discussion and journaling.

One tree has many green leaves and the other doesn’t.

Gather - 1. Students make observations and ask questions about the two trees in the picture. Teaching Suggestions for Discussion: One of the trees is fully budding out and has many green leaves and appears to be slightly taller than the other. The other tree has not budded out in many places and appears to not look as healthy as the other tree.

Q. What is similar about the trees? Q. What is different about the trees?

Students record these observations and questions in their journals. Reason - 2. Students develop a model in their journal to what causes could be creating these different effects in the two trees. Communicate - 3. Through class discussion, students communicate their questions and share their cause and effect relationships.

Observations that the two trees don’t appear to be growing the same. One tree is in the sun and the other is in the shade.

Can the amount of water and sunlight a plant gets affect how it grows? How did our plants in our investigations grow when we changed the amount of water or sunlight they had?

Episode 2 Engage & Explore Time: Two 30-40 minute sessions. First session: Students plan investigation and present plans to teacher and in whole group discussion. Second session: Students plant the seeds and build data tables. **This investigation will require student engagement daily.

When a seed is planted, a plant grows.

This episode is broken into two parts. You will need to give plants enough time to grow before moving on to the second part.

Gather-

1. Students make observations and ask questions as they look for patterns in changes that occur in seeds that are planted.

2. Students plan an investigation to look for patterns in

changes in the plants that will allow them to gather evidence needed for the later storylines.

Teaching Suggestions: **Students will need to know what a fair test is and how to plan and conduct a fair test experiment for this investigation.**

Teach students about a fair test experiment. Experiments are one type of investigation.Explain to students that they are going to investigate the effects environment has on plants. Have students discuss ideas for environmental factors that could affect the growth of plants. (ex. amount of water, air temperature, amounts of sunlight, etc.)

In this episode, the constant will be the type of seed, and the amount of/type of soil used. This will remain constant. Variables will include amounts of water, sunlight, etc.)

Break the class into groups. Have each group plan their investigation and share out with the rest of the group.

Session 2: 3. Students carry out an investigation to look for

patterns in changes in the plants that will allow them to gather evidence needed for the later storylines.

A seed is the beginning stage in the life cycle of a plant.

How do things like water and sunlight affect how plants grow?

If we plant the same kind of seeds, will be get plants that are the same?

Teaching Suggestions for Discussion: In their groups, lead a class discussion to help students build a data table to track their data.

Q. What information should our table contain? Q. How often should we track our data?

Teaching Suggestions: Using cardboard egg cartons, students each plant a seed in potting soil in each of the egg spaces. Track and record the data daily. *This data will be used later in the storyline.

*** The seeds will have enough food and energy stored in them to germinate and begin to grow. Watering and sunlight will not directly affect the plants until after the plants have started to produce shoots. However, students should still plan their investigation and track their data. You will need to pause this episode to allow the plants adequate time to grow.***

***You may have to transplant plants to larger containers so they can continue to grow.***

Episode 2: Part II Explore Time: 2 - 30 to 40 minute sessions.

Plants of the same kind, grown together look different.

Gather & Reason - 1. Students analyze the collected data from their investigation and the investigations of others with the plants in the control group to look for patterns that have had an effect on normal plant growth. Teaching Suggestions: The expectation is that by now, plants have grown beyond what the seed itself has provided and are now dependent on water, air, and sunlight to continue growing. Please do not start Episode 3 until you have given plants enough time to grow. As a reminder, this investigation’s purpose is NOT to take a plant through an entire life cycle, but to show that changes in the environment (ex. flooding, drought, too much sun, not enough sun, etc.) can affect the traits of the organism. Reason - 2. Students construct an explanation based on the patterns of their own investigation and the investigations of others including cause and effect relationships. Teaching Suggestions: Allow students time to construct an explanation based on their own findings from their investigation in their journals BEFORE leading a discussion, then give them time to talk within small groups prior to a whole group discussion. Teaching Suggestions for Discussion: Lead a discussion allowing students to share their findings with the whole group.

Q. What patterns do you see within your own investigation? Q. What patterns do you see across multiple investigations? Q. What effects of your investigation did you find in your plants? Q. What evidence do you find that supports your explanation?

The environment that an organism lives in can influence the inherited traits of the organism.

How does the environment affect an organism?

Does environment affect animal organisms as well as plant organisms?

Communicate - 3. Students engage in argument from evidence using the results of their investigations and their explanations showing the patterns in the effects of plant growth. Teaching Suggestions: Facilitate a group discussion allowing students to share their explanations and models. Be sure to give them time to go back to their journals and modify their explanations as needed. Extension Activity: Help students to make predictions about what would happen if you planted the seeds from the plants that did not get as much water, and continued to underwater them, or not as much sunlight, etc. ***This extension is a connection to Storyline 3.2.2 that focused on inherited traits and could be used as a formative assessment of students’ understanding from the Storyline. It should NOT be used as an assessment of understanding for Storyline 3.2.3.***

Episode 3 Explore Time: 30-40 minute session **This episode provides an opportunity for an integrated language arts reading lesson on

The vet told me that I am giving my dog too many treats and not taking him for enough walks.

Gather- 1. Students obtain information on pet obesity in the United States to look for cause and effect relationships that show environment can also affect animal organisms. Pet Obesity Reading Reason - 2. Students construct an explanation for the causes and effects of the dog pictured.

Animal organisms traits can be affected by the environment in which it lives.

identifying cause and effect relationships. More time can be spent if the reading passage is incorporated into a Language Arts lesson time.

Teaching Suggestions: Students can infer that the dog was given too much food, not enough physical exercise, etc. Teaching Suggestions for Discussion:

Q. What would cause this dog to be so overweight? Q. What could you do to alter the dog’s weight? Q. Would it be possible to have a pet that didn’t weigh enough?

Communicate - 3. Students argue from evidence to communicate information about the effects of the environment on organisms and their traits. Teaching Suggestion: You can choose whether to have students share in small groups or engage in a whole group discussion, however, students need to be able to communicate their ideas and then go back and modify their explanations if needed.

Episode 4 Explain & Elaborate Time: 60 minutes or two 30 minute sessions

Polar bears only live in the wild in the arctic.

Gather -

1. Students gather information and ask questions as they look for patterns in different plants and animals, and the environments they live in.

Teaching Suggestions for Discussion:

Q. Why are they able to live where they do? Q. What traits are influenced by their environments?

An organism’s traits are influenced by the environment it lives in.

Inherited traits can change so that organisms can survive their environment.

How do groups of organisms function?

2. Students watch the “Super Specialists” episode of Wild Kratts to gather information on how environment can affect inherited traits.

Wild Kratts Episode: “Super Specialists” (2 ½ minutes)

Teaching Suggestion: Engage students in discussion about the different ways animals survive in their environments.

Story Time: A Very Special Moth (3 ½ minutes)

Teaching Suggestion: Natural selection is mentioned briefly in this video - but is not part of the DCI for third grade.. Only show video to 3:35 - more in depth information on Natural Selection follows with reference to humans after that point.

Reason -

3. Students develop a model to show that an organism’s traits can be affected by the environment in which they live.

Teaching Suggestions: Focus on how the environment affected the moths and how the traits changed due to the change in the environment. Help students develop a model to explain the changes in the moths.

Teaching Suggestions for Discussion: Q. What did the moths look like before the factories? Q. How do the moths look now? Q. Which moths are more likely to survive in the current environment?

Communicate -

4. Students construct an explanation that argues from evidence to show that environment can affect an organism’s traits and the organism’s ability to survive.

Teaching Suggestions: Have students select one plant or animal and construct an explanation that uses evidence from what they have learned to explain what traits might be influenced by their environment.

Episode 5 Evaluate

Elephants live in a herd.

Bees live in a hive.

Gather -

1.Students gather evidence from a video clip from Kratt’s Creatures: Why? to learn why living in groups can affect an organism’s survival.

“Kratt’s Creatures: Why?” (Begin at 2:41 mark and watch until 8:16)

Reason -

2. Students construct an explanation for why living in groups can affect an organism’s survival.

Communicate -

3. Students argue from evidence to support their explanation for why living in groups can affect an organism’s survival.

Summative Assessment

Assessment: Students construct an explanation with evidence to explain patterns of why not all flowers in a garden look the same. They will also use data to explain the causes that might show why some flowers of the same variety are not as tall and the flowers are not as big as others.