Systems EALRs

Lesson	Description	Picture	Grade Levels	Essential Learnings
41 How Plants Grow (p135)	A plant is a biological system with these basic requirements for functioning and growing: sunlight, water, air, soil, and space. This activity allows students to explore what happens when a plant's basic needs are not met.		Activity: 4-8 Variation:K-2	Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.1,2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Math 1.2, 4.1-4.3 Arts 1.1, 3.1
42 Sunlight and Shades of Green (p.137)	This activity introduces students to photosynthesis, the process that enables trees and other green plants to use sunlight to manufacture their own food.		2-8	Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3. Arts 3.1
43 Have Seeds, Will Travel (p.139)	A plant is a biological system. Its processes and components enable it to grow and reproduce. This activity will introduce your students to one aspect of a plant's reproductive system: its seeds.		K-8	Science 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2 Reading 3.1 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.3 Arts 2.2
44 Water Wonders (p.142)	The water cycle is the system by which Earth's fixed amount of water is collected, purified, and distributed from the environment to living things and back to the environment. Plants play a large part in the cycle by absorbing water with their roots and transpiring it as vapor through their leaves. This acitivity will introduce students to the various steps of the water cycle and the various paths water can take. They will also make connections between the water cycle and all living things.		4-8	Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.2 Writing 1.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Health and Fitness 1.2
45 Web of Life (p.148)	In this activity, students will take a close look at one particular ecosystem (a forest) and will discover the ways that plants and animals are connected to each other. By substituting the appropriate information, you can also use the activity to study other ecosystems, such as oceans, deserts, marshes, or prairies.		4-8	Science 1.1-1.3, 2.2 Reading 3.1 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.3, 3.1
46 School Yard Safari (p.151)	Every organism requires a place to live that satisfies its basic needs for food, water, shelter, and space. Such a place is called a habitat. In this activity, students will go on a safari to explore a nearby habitat, the school yard, while looking for signs of animals living there.		PreK-5	Science 1.1-1.3, 2.1 Reading 3.1 Writing 1.1-1.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Math 4.1, 4.2 Arts 2.1
47 Are Vacant Lots Vacant? (p.153)	Look closely and you will see that a vacant lot is not so vacant! Plants of all kinds thrive in vacant lots, along with a host of animals such as insects, birds, and mammals. In this activity, a nearby vacant lot, overgrown strip, or a landscaped area will provide a rich laboratory for students to examine elements of an ecosystem.		Activity: 4-8 Variation: K-3	Science 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 Writing 2.2 Communication 1.1, 1.2, 2.2-2.5 Math 1.2 Arts 3.1
48 Field, Forest and Stream (p.156)	In this activity students will examine three different environments as they focus on sunlight, soil moisture, temperature, wind, plants, and animals, in each environment. By comparing different environments, students will begin to consider how nonliving elements influence living elements in an ecosystem.		Activity: 4-8 Variation: 1-3	Science 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 Writing 1.1-1.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Math 1.2, 2.1, 4.1-4.3
49 Tropical Treehouse (p.160)	In this activity, studying tropical rainforests and issues involving the use of rainforests will enable your students to make more informed decisions regarding the future of such regions. While tropical rainforests and the temperate forests of North America operate on many of the same ecological principles, they differ greatly in their climates, and in the types of soil, plants, and animals that make up the forest ecosystems.		Part A: 3-6 Part B: 6-8 Variation: PreK-2	Science 1.2, 1.3 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 SS-Economics 1.5 Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 Writing 1.1-1.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3 Arts 3.1
50 400-Acre Wood (p.169)	In this activity, students will play the roles of managers of a 400-acre (162-hectare) piece of public forest. Through these roles, students will begin to understand the complex considerations that influence management decisions about forest lands.		7-8	Science 2.2 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.3 Civics 4.1, 4.3 SS-Economics 1.3 Reading 3.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3 Math 2.1-2.3, 4.1-4.3, 5.3
51 Make Your Own Paper (p.176)	Paper is one of many products that is manufactured from forest resources. In this activity, students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. While papermaking can be rather messy, it is well worth the effort. Students are usually thrilled to find that they can make paper and that their product is practical as well as beautiful.		1-8	Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 Reading 3.1 Writing 2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1, 3.3 Arts 1.3, 4.1
52 A Look at Aluminum (p.180)	This activity will give your students a better appreciation for aluminum, a nonrenewable but recyclable natural resource they use every day. They will learn the steps that go into making aluminum products and will get a better idea of the environmental impact that using this resource has.		5-8	Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 Civics 4.1, 4.3 Reading 3.1, 3.2 Writing 1.1-1.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.1, 3.1
53 On The Move (p.185)	In this activity, students will examine transportation systems, which are vital to their community.		4-8	Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 1.1, 3.1, 3.2 Reading 3.1, 3.2 Writing 1.1-1.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3 Math 5.3 Arts 1.3, 2.2, 3.1
54 I'd Like To Visit a Place Where ... (p.105)	In this activity, students will explore the concept that recreation areas are essential elements of a community. By working on a project to improve a local park, they will also learn about the community's system for managing open spaces.		Activity: 4-8 Variation: PreK-3	Science 2.2, 3.2 SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 Civics 4.3 SS-Economics 1.3, 1.4 Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.3, 2.2, 4.3 Health and Fitness 1.2, 3.1, 3.3
55 Loving It Too Much (p.188)	In this activity, students will explore the elements that compose a human community. They will survey the area around their school, looking for community systems that help them live there. Then they will plan an ideal community that meets all the needs of its members.		6-8	SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 1.1, 3.1-3.3 Civics 4.1-4.3 SS-Economics 1.4 Reading 2.2, 3.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Arts 2.2
56 We Can Work It Out (p.193)	When certain people decide how to use a particular piece of land, the decision can involve and affect many people in many ways. Therefore, groups must establish processes for planning and resolving conflicts about land use. In this activity, students will develop a plan to address a land-use issue.		5-8	SS-History 3.3 SS-Geography 3.1-3.3 Civics 2.2, 4.1-4.3 Reading 2.2, 3.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.2-2.4, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.3, 2.2
57 Democracy In Action (p.197)	Democratic systems depend on the involvement of citizens in policy making and decision making. This activity will help students learn about the roles and responsibilities of citizens' groups in environmental policies and decision making, and about how young people can become involved in the process.		5-8	SS-Geography 3.1-3.3 Civics 4.1-4.3 Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.2-2.5, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.3, 2.2
58 There Ought To Be a Law (p.201)	In democratic societies, citizens have the power to influence the lawmaking process. In this activity, students will find out how local laws are made and how they can get involved in the process.		Part A: 3-8 Part B: 6-8	SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 Civics 1.3, 2.2, 4.1-4.3 Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.2 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.5, 3.1-3.3 Arts 1.3, 2.2, 3.1
59 Power Of Print (p.205)	Newspapers keep the community informed about current events and trends, provide a forum for discussion of public issues, and are a source of entertainment. In this activity, students will examine articles from different sections of the newspaper by comparing and contrasting the different types of words and styles they employ.		Activity: 6-8 Variation: 3-6 or older students with limited English	SS-History 2.1-2.3 SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2 Civics 4.1, 4.3 Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2 Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3 Arts 3.1
60 Publicize It! (p.209)	The news media, including television, newspapers, and radio, provide community members with a system for getting and spreading information about environmental issues. This activity can be done in conjunction with any of the action projects in this activity guide. Students will conduct an environmental action project and use various media to inform others in the community about the project.		5-8	Science 2.2 SS-Geography 3.1 Civics 4.1, 4.3 Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.3 Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.5, 3.1-3.3, 4.3 Arts 1.3, 3.1

Lesson
Description Picture
Grade Levels
Essential
Learnings

41
How Plants Grow
(p135)
A plant is a biological system with these basic requirements for functioning and growing: sunlight, water, air, soil, and space. This activity allows students to explore what happens when a plant's basic needs are not met.
Activity: 4-8
Variation:K-2

Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.1,2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Math 1.2, 4.1-4.3
Arts 1.1, 3.1

42
Sunlight and Shades of Green
(p.137)
This activity introduces students to photosynthesis, the process that enables trees and other green plants to use sunlight to manufacture their own food.
2-8

Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.
Arts 3.1

43
Have Seeds,
Will Travel
(p.139)
A plant is a biological system. Its processes and components enable it to grow and reproduce. This activity will introduce your students to one aspect of a plant's reproductive system: its seeds.
K-8

Science 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2
Reading 3.1
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.3
Arts 2.2

44
Water
Wonders
(p.142)
The water cycle is the system by which Earth's fixed amount of water is collected, purified, and distributed from the environment to living things and back to the environment. Plants play a large part in the cycle by absorbing water with their roots and transpiring it as vapor through their leaves. This acitivity will introduce students to the various steps of the water cycle and the various paths water can take. They will also make connections between the water cycle and all living things.
4-8

Science 1.2, 1.3, 2.2
Writing 1.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Health and Fitness 1.2

45
Web
of Life
(p.148)
In this activity, students will take a close look at one particular ecosystem (a forest) and will discover the ways that plants and animals are connected to each other. By substituting the appropriate information, you can also use the activity to study other ecosystems, such as oceans, deserts, marshes, or prairies.
4-8

Science 1.1-1.3, 2.2
Reading 3.1
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.3, 3.1

46
School Yard
Safari
(p.151)
Every organism requires a place to live that satisfies its basic needs for food, water, shelter, and space. Such a place is called a habitat. In this activity, students will go on a safari to explore a nearby habitat, the school yard, while looking for signs of animals living there.
PreK-5

Science 1.1-1.3, 2.1
Reading 3.1
Writing 1.1-1.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Math 4.1, 4.2
Arts 2.1

47
Are
Vacant Lots
Vacant?
(p.153)
Look closely and you will see that a vacant lot is not so vacant! Plants of all kinds thrive in vacant lots, along with a host of animals such as insects, birds, and mammals. In this activity, a nearby vacant lot, overgrown strip, or a landscaped area will provide a rich laboratory for students to examine elements of an ecosystem.
Activity: 4-8
Variation: K-3

Science 1.1, 1.2, 2.1
Writing 2.2
Communication 1.1, 1.2, 2.2-2.5
Math 1.2
Arts 3.1

48
Field, Forest
and Stream
(p.156)
In this activity students will examine three different environments as they focus on sunlight, soil moisture, temperature, wind, plants, and animals, in each environment. By comparing different environments, students will begin to consider how nonliving elements influence living elements in an ecosystem.
Activity: 4-8
Variation: 1-3

Science 1.2, 2.1, 2.2
Writing 1.1-1.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Math 1.2, 2.1, 4.1-4.3

49
Tropical
Treehouse
(p.160)
In this activity, studying tropical rainforests and issues involving the use of rainforests will enable your students to make more informed decisions regarding the future of such regions. While tropical rainforests and the temperate forests of North America operate on many of the same ecological principles, they differ greatly in their climates, and in the types of soil, plants, and animals that make up the forest ecosystems.
Part A: 3-6
Part B: 6-8
Variation: PreK-2

Science 1.2, 1.3
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
SS-Economics 1.5
Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1
Writing 1.1-1.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3
Arts 3.1

50
400-Acre
Wood
(p.169)
In this activity, students will play the roles of managers of a 400-acre (162-hectare) piece of public forest. Through these roles, students will begin to understand the complex considerations that influence management decisions about forest lands.
7-8

Science 2.2
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.3
Civics 4.1, 4.3
SS-Economics 1.3
Reading 3.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3
Math 2.1-2.3, 4.1-4.3, 5.3

51
Make
Your Own
Paper
(p.176)
Paper is one of many products that is manufactured from forest resources. In this activity, students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. While papermaking can be rather messy, it is well worth the effort. Students are usually thrilled to find that they can make paper and that their product is practical as well as beautiful.
1-8

Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
Reading 3.1
Writing 2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1, 3.3
Arts 1.3, 4.1

52
A Look
at
Aluminum
(p.180)
This activity will give your students a better appreciation for aluminum, a nonrenewable but recyclable natural resource they use every day. They will learn the steps that go into making aluminum products and will get a better idea of the environmental impact that using this resource has.
5-8

Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
Civics 4.1, 4.3
Reading 3.1, 3.2
Writing 1.1-1.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.1, 3.1

53
On
The Move
(p.185)
In this activity, students will examine transportation systems, which are vital to their community.
4-8

Science 2.1, 2.2, 3.2
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 1.1, 3.1, 3.2
Reading 3.1, 3.2
Writing 1.1-1.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.5, 3.1-3.3
Math 5.3
Arts 1.3, 2.2, 3.1

54
I'd Like To
Visit a Place
Where ...
(p.105)
In this activity, students will explore the concept that recreation areas are essential elements of a community. By working on a project to improve a local park, they will also learn about the community's system for managing open spaces.
Activity: 4-8
Variation: PreK-3

Science 2.2, 3.2
SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
Civics 4.3
SS-Economics 1.3, 1.4
Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.3, 2.2, 4.3
Health and Fitness 1.2, 3.1, 3.3

55
Loving It
Too Much
(p.188)
In this activity, students will explore the elements that compose a human community. They will survey the area around their school, looking for community systems that help them live there. Then they will plan an ideal community that meets all the needs of its members.
6-8

SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 1.1, 3.1-3.3
Civics 4.1-4.3
SS-Economics 1.4
Reading 2.2, 3.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Arts 2.2

56
We Can
Work It Out
(p.193)
When certain people decide how to use a particular piece of land, the decision can involve and affect many people in many ways. Therefore, groups must establish processes for planning and resolving conflicts about land use. In this activity, students will develop a plan to address a land-use issue.
5-8

SS-History 3.3
SS-Geography 3.1-3.3
Civics 2.2, 4.1-4.3
Reading 2.2, 3.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.2-2.4, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.3, 2.2

57
Democracy
In Action
(p.197)
Democratic systems depend on the involvement of citizens in policy making and decision making. This activity will help students learn about the roles and responsibilities of citizens' groups in environmental policies and decision making, and about how young people can become involved in the process.
5-8

SS-Geography 3.1-3.3
Civics 4.1-4.3
Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1
Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.2-2.5, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.3, 2.2

58
There
Ought To
Be a Law
(p.201)
In democratic societies, citizens have the power to influence the lawmaking process. In this activity, students will find out how local laws are made and how they can get involved in the process.
Part A: 3-8
Part B: 6-8

SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
Civics 1.3, 2.2, 4.1-4.3
Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1
Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.2
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.5, 3.1-3.3
Arts 1.3, 2.2, 3.1

59
Power
Of Print
(p.205)
Newspapers keep the community informed about current events and trends, provide a forum for discussion of public issues, and are a source of entertainment. In this activity, students will examine articles from different sections of the newspaper by comparing and contrasting the different types of words and styles they employ.
Activity: 6-8
Variation: 3-6 or older students with limited English

SS-History 2.1-2.3
SS-Geography 3.1, 3.2
Civics 4.1, 4.3
Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2
Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.3
Arts 3.1

60
Publicize
It!
(p.209)
The news media, including television, newspapers, and radio, provide community members with a system for getting and spreading information about environmental issues. This activity can be done in conjunction with any of the action projects in this activity guide. Students will conduct an environmental action project and use various media to inform others in the community about the project.
5-8

Science 2.2
SS-Geography 3.1
Civics 4.1, 4.3
Reading 2.1, 2.2, 3.2
Writing 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.3
Communication 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.5, 3.1-3.3, 4.3
Arts 1.3, 3.1

Click one of the following to view lesson overviews for:	OR	Click one of the links below to view another set of correlated EALRS:
		Diversity EALRs	Interrelationships EALRs
		Structure and Scale EALRs	Patterns of Change EALRs
		Focus on Forests EALRs	Focus On Risk EALRs
		Forest Ecology EALRs	Municipal Solid Waste EALRs

Systems EALRs

Revised: September 11, 2000