Life, thriving, struggling, competing, adapting, and evolving. This unit is designed to take fourth-grade students on a journey of discovery promoting observation, nurturing wonder, and cultivating curiosity as students learn to use their own questions to lead investigations of marine ecosystems. An exploration of marine life in the Long Island Sound will reveal the intricate, interdependent relationships between marine creatures and their environment. This study will enable students to construct a reservoir of knowledge from which their questioning will evolve, driving and inspiring a thirst for understanding. Students will learn how to think about a subject; reflecting on research and drawing upon new insights to develop their questions. As students dive into the subject, they will discover connections among the marine life of this ecosystem as they create a visual display of collective learning on a classroom wall mural.
(Developed for Science, Reading, and Writing, grade 4; Recommended for Science, Reading, and Writing, grades 3-5)
