Lesson Plan – Forest Fragmentation

Learning Objectives (What will the students know or be able to do at the end of the lesson?):

1. Students will learn about the threats to the Ovenbirds on their wintering and nesting grounds.
2. Students will learn about the causes of deforestation throughout their wintering range (Florida & south)
3. Students will use iPad minis to photograph their 400 acre “forest” as it gets smaller and smaller.

Introduction/Attention Grabber (What can I do or use to get the students’ attention?):

Start by discussing what a “fragment” is, showing pictures of different sizes of forests (from the air).

Equipment/Materials Needed:

• Computer/Projector
• Math green foam Base Ten blocks (ones, tens and hundreds)
• Photos of different sized forests and showing examples of fragmentation & Ovenbirds
• iPads

Reflection: (Note what worked well and what did not. What would you change? Keep the
me?)

1. May need to break the lesson into 2 class periods to allow students time to make their short movies.
2. May need to assure the students that we aren’t “doing math” (which is what they think when they see the blocks).

Background Information:

http://www.bta- mall.com/product_detail.php?id=SKUB008N1ERDE

Activity Procedures, including assessment of objectives: (Detail how you will implement the lesson and note any way you may assess students during and after the lesson.)

Classroom: After reviewing what they learned last week about Ovenbirds and how critical forest habitat is to them, tell the students that today we will be learning about forest fragmentation (explain what it is).

Discuss what types of things might divide forests into smaller pieces (ie clear cuts, roads, subdivsions, etc.)

Activity: Math blocks & Photos

Divide the class into teams of 2 students. Explain to the students that you want them to start with a 400 acre forest (4 – 100 blocks), take a picture, then gradually reduce the size of their “forest” taking pictures of each step until they get down to 1 – 10 acre forest.

Then, combine their photos in iMovie and record a voice over explaining what is happening and why it is important. If time permits, have a few teams share their videos.

Assessment:

Ask the students how humans could reduce the amount of forest fragmentation that is happening.

Download the full lesson plan in PDF format