Lesson 3: The Wolves are Back (Elaborate)

Brief Overview of Lesson: In this lesson, students will learn about the effects of a trophic

cascade (removal of top predators from an ecosystem resulting in changes throughout the food

chain) in Yellowstone National Park. Students will listen to the story “The Wolves are Back” and

record all of the positive changes that occurred when the wolves returned to Yellowstone. Lastly,

students will draw before (the wolves returned) and after (the wolves returned) pictures of

Yellowstone national park. (45 minutes)

Prior Knowledge Required: 5-LS1-1. Support an argument with evidence that plants get the

materials they need for growth and reproduction chiefly through a process in which they use air, water, and energy

from the sun to produce sugars and plant materials.

4- PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light,

heat, and electric currents.

Students will need to know:

1. the process that animals use to produce food

2. have knowledge of scientific vocabulary words: producers and consumers

Estimated Time (minutes): 45 minutes (Due to the volume of reading

material, students may need to complete as homework)

Resources for Lesson (list resources and materials):

● The picture book, The Wolves are Back by Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor

● Video: The Wolves of Yellowstone, EARTH A New Wild

https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/a58e3ca2-52ab-45f5-87ac-

26ee0d681146/wolves-of-yellowstone-earth-a-new-wild/#.WWedq2Vh2u4

● Paper to record record all of the positive changes that occurred when the wolves returned

to Yellowstone

● Large paper for drawings

● Coloring supplies: colored pencils (my preference), markers, crayons

● Student Science Folders

Standard(s)/Unit Goal(s) to be addressed in this lesson:

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among producers, consumers,

decomposers, and the air, water, and soil in the environment to:

a. Show that plants produce sugars and plant materials;

b. Show that animals can eat plants and/or other animals for food,

c. Show that some organisms, including fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms and

recycle some materials back to the air and soil.

5-PS3-1. Use a model to describe that the food animals digest:

a. contains energy that was once energy from the sun, and

b. provides energy and nutrients for life processes, including

body repair, growth,

Essential Question(s) addressed in this lesson:

1. How do humans impact the diversity and stability of ecosystems?

2. How do changes in one part of a system affect other parts of that system?

3. How do animals use their energy to sustain life?

4. How does matter cycle through ecosystems?

5. How is energy transferred and transformed as it flows through a food chain?

Objectives

Using the Yellowstone National Park food web, identify and describe the ways in which organisms

interact and depend on one another in that system.

Targeted Academic Language

Scientific Language Academic Language Other Language for this Lesson

Ecosystem Interact Plants

Herbivore Sequence Animals

Carnivore Explain Photosynthesis

Food Chain Describe Organisms

Decomposer Model IIn

Food Web

Energy Pyramid

Trophic Cascade

What students should know and be able to do before starting this lesson

● Students should be able to explain the process of photosynthesis, which is the process that plants

use to make food using water from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from the

sunlight. ● Students should have an understanding of other types of energy transfer (like sound, light, heat). ● Students should have knowledge of the concept of matter and understand that matter cannot be

created or destroyed. ● Students should know what an ecosystem is and know that animals can be part of multiple food

chains.

● Be able to differentiate between plants and animals based on whether or not they produce or

consume food.

● Explain the roles and relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Anticipated Student Preconceptions/Misconceptions Students may assume that ecosystems would be just fine or even better off without top predators. This lesson should show students the importance of predators within an ecosystem.

The students may assume that human impact has little effect on the environment. This lesson will

provide an example of the harm that human interference can have on an ecosystem.

Instructional Tips/Strategies/Suggestions for Teacher: ● Showing both the video and reading the book will be helpful to the students. The

video shows the negative impacts of when the wolves were missing from Yellowstone. The book shows the positive changes when the wolves returned.

● Stop the video at 2:36. ● It might be helpful to reread the book, pausing after each page to give the students a

chance to write down the content.

Assessment: Formative assessment using the following questions - How did the wolves removal change Yellowstone national park?

- With the elimination of wolves from the ecosystem, how was the population of plants

indirectly affected?

- Predict what would happen to the wolf and elk population if there was a drought that

caused many of the plant species to dry up or die.

Lesson Details (including but not limited to:)

Lesson Opening

● During the previous lesson, students made predictions about what would happen if an

animal was missing from an ecosystem. We recorded each idea on a piece of chart paper.

Share those ideas to review.

● Tell the students that in 1926, humans hunted wolves out of Yellowstone national park

completely. Humans feared wolves as predators. Ask students to predict what happened

to Yellowstone national park without the wolves. Record those predictions.

● Tell the students that in 1995, the wolves returned to Yellowstone. We will be learning

what happened before and after their return.

During the Lesson

1. For this lesson, you can choose to read the book, The Wolves are Back or show the video,

The Wolves of Yellowstone. Of course, you can also choose to do both.

2. Each student should have a piece of paper in front of them as they listen to the story or

video. On the piece of paper, the student should record all of the positive changes that

occurred when the wolves returned to Yellowstone.

3. After the video/ book is completed, share everything the students recorded.

4. Explain a trophic cascade to the students (the removal of a top predator causing changes

to occur throughout an ecosystem).

5. Have a class discussion or have students work in partners to answer the following

questions:

- How did the wolves removal change Yellowstone national park?

- With the elimination of wolves from the ecosystem, how was the population of plants

indirectly affected?

- Predict what would happen to the wolf and elk population if there was a drought that

caused many of the plant species to dry up or die.

6. Have students work in groups or partners to make a food web (including the wolves) of

Yellowstone. This should just be a drawing on large paper.

Lesson Closing: ● Once the students complete their drawing, come back together as a class to discuss

the next lesson. ● Tell the students that during the next few classes, they will be working in small

groups to create an ecosystem of a national park.