Overview
Procedure
Toolbox

Anchoring Phenomenon

Numerous reports suggest an increase in white shark encounters* in the United States in recent years and the public is worried.
*Encounters include sightings and census estimates, as well as physical interactions between humans and sharks.

Lesson Concept

Analysis of historical data on white shark captures determines the effect of human activities on current white shark populations.

Investigative Phenomenon

The historical accounts of white sharks have changed over time.

Standards

Click here for NGSS, CCSS (ELA), California ELD, and EP&C standards.

Time | Materials | Advance Preparation

Time

135 minutes

Part I45 minutesEngage
Part II45 minutesExplore
Part III45 minutesExplain

Advance Preparation

  1. Students should be seated in groups of four for the duration of the learning sequence to foster collaboration.
  2. Duplicate 8.3.H1: A Fisherman’s Story for each student. (Step 2 of Procedure)
  3. Duplicate 8.3.H2: Graph of Data from Fisher Logs for each student. (Step 3 of Procedure)
  4. Duplicate 8.3.H3: Fishery Logs 1930–2010 for each student. (Step 4 of Procedure)
  5. Duplicate 8.3.G1: Role Cards for each group of four and assign roles for adapted literature circles. (Step 4 of Procedure)
  6. Gather chart paper and markers.
  7. Make sure that 8.1.C1: Shark Encounter Claim Chart from Lesson 8.1: Shark Encounters, is posted in the room.
  8. Students should have 8.1.H4: Crosscutting Concepts for Middle School Students from Lesson 8.1: Shark Encounters in their Science Notebook.

Part I

Engage (45 minutes)

Analyze graphical representations of data to determine the possible causes of data fluctuations and ask questions about the human activities that impacted the white shark population.

  1. Review Previous Lessons

    1. Ask students to identify/recall the phenomena they are trying to explain (both the anchoring and the investigative) from the previous lesson. Once these are clearly stated for all, ask students to begin with a quick write to review previous lessons and elicit student thinking about the phenomenon. They respond to the following prompts:
      1. What evidence do you have for establishing a pattern of human population size, shark population size, and encounters between the two populations? (from Lesson 8.1: Shark Encounters)
      2. What evidence did you find about shark populations from the last activity? Remember to explain your thinking. (from Lesson 8.2: Fossil Evidences)

      Students share their quick write in their small group, and then ask a few students to share with the whole class. Use this as an opportunity to reinforce more accurate scientifically-aligned ideas that students share, and use probing questions directed to the class to help students that may have some confusion.

    2. As students discuss the interactions between humans and sharks, elicit ideas students have about impacts on the environment when population growth is exponential. Thinking specifically about humans, what are the impacts of the dramatic human population increase over the past few decades? (The discussion should include resource use including food resources like fish.)
    3. When reflecting on Lesson 8.2: Fossil Evidence, it should quickly become evident that while students have learned sharks have a long history, as indicated by the fossil record, it does not provide evidence for population sizes. Ask, “Since we cannot find evidence of past shark populations through fossils, how or where can we find evidence of past shark populations?” and “How can scientists predict future patterns based on smaller patterns they have seen in the past? What are some methods you have learned about in your social studies class?” Elicit ideas or prompt students to think about records that people keep–in this case, records of fish catches (fisher logs).
  2. Introduce and Distribute 8.3.H1: A Fisherman’s Story

    1. Have students read the fictional scenario. Encourage a group read, where students take turns reading out loud in their group. Allow students access to a quiet space for those who prefer a quiet space to read. While the narrative is fictional, it is based on an actual person’s experiences.
    2. Encourage groups to discuss some aha’s they gained from the reading. As groups discuss, briefly check for understanding by asking questions such as the following:
      1. How did fishing change during Antonio’s lifetime?
      2. Why did his family stop fishing the San Diego waters?
      3. What is a fisher log?
  3. Introduce and Distribute 8.3.H2: Graph of Data from Fisher Logs

    1. Remind students that a figure/graph is a type of model and ask students to share their ideas about the types of information that figures/graphs can provide and why scientists use them so frequently. In what way are figures/graphs similar to other models in science? What is similar/different about how they convey ideas and information?
    2. Distribute 8.3.H2: Graph of Data from Fisher Logs and ask students to read the title, “Graph of Data from Fisher Logs: Frequency and Distribution of Reported White Shark Captures.” Ask students what the title means. What will the graph show? Ask students to read the axis titles and give them a chance to ask about the meaning of words. Verify that this figure will show historical accounts of white sharks over time (75 years of history beginning in 1935) by helping us understand frequency (number of sharks reported, how many sharks captured) and distribution (over the years).
    3. Direct students to examine the figure and give them several minutes to review it, independently. They should use their Science Notebook to record “True Statements” they observe from the graph. For example, “This graph shows time from 1935–2010.” The format of the graph may be new to students and they may need confirmation of their ideas of what the bars mean. The questions below can help guide them to making sense of the graph.

      TEACHER NOTE

      All students are familiar with looking at graphs in math. Probe for prior knowledge of how to read and analyze a graph before distributing the handout. Be aware that this graph also has multiple data sets on each bar which may be, at first, confusing to students. Giving students a few minutes to just look and record “True Statements” about what they are seeing gives them time for sensemaking before there is input from others. Following independent think time, allowing for partner discussion prior to class discussion will support language learners.

      1. What does the term temporal trends mean? (Students’ thinking should be based on their own experience and not on Internet search. Some students may associate it with temperature. Provide students with the hint that it is a Latin word, tempus as in music, tempo, and time.) Alternatively define the term for students, “The data we will be looking at are temporal trends, or trends over time.”
      2. Which axis identifies time?
      3. What information does the key tell us? (Students will get their answers from the caption at the bottom of the graph. It notes the key and size of white sharks.) Teachers may want to clarify that YOY means young-of-the-year, or sharks born during the last year. (Because white sharks have a long gestation period, a newborn will be about 4–5 ft. in length).
    4. Ask students in each group to generate six questions about the data, and possible answers. Make the stipulation that at least one question has to use the crosscutting concept of Pattern to identify a possible pattern in the graph as it relates to the DCI: as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. Remind students to use 8.1.H4: Crosscutting Concepts for Middle School Students, modeled in Lesson 8.1 Shark Encounters, Step 7.b. As students work, utilize 8.1.H4: Crosscutting Concepts for Middle School Students as a rubric to evaluate student questions and to prompt students to work with items in the On-Target column. Ask students to record this in their Science Notebook. Following this, engage the class in a discussion about their questions and, if they have evidence from the graph, answers. If students do not offer them, be sure to ask the following questions:
      1. What does the overall data show?
      2. What does each subset of data show?
      3. What are some possible reasons for the differences from year to year?
      4. (Encourage students to refer to information they tracked in their Science Notebook from Lesson 8.1: Shark Encounters to see if information from there might provide insight on making a connection between human activity and information in the figure.)

      5. Which set, the overall set or the subsets of data, provides more evidence to answer the question, “Are sharks becoming more common along the California coastline? What data supports the patterns you noticed?”
      6. What additional questions do you have?
    5. Elicit responses from a few table groups and chart student ideas.
    6. TEACHER NOTE

      Some students may confuse an increase in sharks being inadvertently caught via gill net use to mean that there were simply more sharks (rather than the fishing method being effective). Questions such as “which patterns in the graph are based on human-made causes?” and “which patterns are based on shark population causes?” may help students.

      The graph on 8.3.H2: Graph of Data from Fisher Logs stops at 2010. For students that are more engaged and would like to go further with the data, invite them to research and extend the data to 2018. If students need help searching for this information, here is a starting place: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark

Part II

Explore (45 minutes)

Obtain and evaluate information from a scientific text to analyze patterns in data to learn about the effect of human activities on white shark populations.

  1. Introduce and Distribute 8.3.H3: Fishery Logs 1930–2010

    1. This activity uses a technique called literature circles, borrowed from literature instruction, to help students access the information, with an emphasis on student interest and productive discussions. To implement literature circles technique, distribute the 8.3.G1: Role Cards to student groups of four. Review the expectations and duties of each role, as listed on each Role Card.
      1. Pattern Pro. Patterns are everywhere; we often think of them in terms of events that happen repeatedly. Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.
      2. Nature of Science Guru. This role looks at important aspects of what science is and how it is done, such as, science is how we come to know things/how knowledge is generated, science is a human endeavor, and knowledge is open to revision in light of new evidence.
      3. Cause and Effect Analyst. A cause can have one or more effects. Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena. When this role is being introduced, ask the class for their clarification of causal and correlational (just because two things happen at the same time does not mean one caused the other) to ensure they understand that element.
      4. Legislative Analyst. Critically read the text for actions taken by government or organizations that place legal parameters or guidelines on what people can do.
    2. TEACHER NOTE

      Roles can be differentiated based on students’ interests and abilities. Cause and Effect Analyst and Pattern Pro are roles in which all students should feel comfortable and be able to contribute to the group. Legislative Analyst is a role that takes a more critical eye and someone that can understand how and why government plays a part. The most challenging role is that of the Nature of Science Guru because it requires the student to be well versed in both the science and a big picture of what we do and why.

    3. Remind students to use their 8.1.H2: Scientist Communication Survival Kit to help with group conversation and to make sure everyone has a chance to share.
    4. Ask students to reference 8.1.H4: Crosscutting Concepts for Middle School Students, and take a few minutes to model use with Cause and Effect, similar to what was done for Patterns in Lesson 8.1: Shark Encounters, Step 7.b. as all students will eventually be using this crosscutting concept at the culmination of literature circles. Again, ask students for their clarification for causal and correlational (just because two things happen at the same time does not mean one caused the other) to ensure they understand that element. As students work, consider where they are in their understanding of cause and effect by using 8.1.H4: Crosscutting Concepts for Middle School Students as a rubric. Students may need encouragement to utilize prompts in the On-Target column.
    5. Group students by their role (Pattern Pro students work together, for example) and direct students to read about research on white shark populations from fisher logs, looking specifically through the lens of their role. When students finish reading, they should go through the article again as a group, pointing out and discussing what aspects of their role are present in each paragraph.
      1. Remind students to record the information related to their role in their Science Notebook.
      2. Students should identify the three most important points that the article made through their given lens to take back to their home groups.
      3. As student groups read the article, circulate to answer questions and keep students on task.
    6. After students have discussed the article through their expert lens, have them go back to their home groups and share their information. Direct students to set their Science Notebook up to prepare to record details from each expert. (If you have students who tend to record too much rather than listen, it’s ok to suggest the group decides the three most important details and that’s what the group records.)

Part III

Explain (45 minutes)

Construct and explanation, supported by evidence using patterns in data about the effect of human activities on white shark populations.

  1. Student Groups Record their Explanation, Evidence, and Reasoning

    • As groups finish reading the article and recording information in their Science Notebook, ask students to revisit 8.1.H3: My Shark Encounter Claim Chart from Lessons 8.1 and 8.2. Add any new information that could be used to support any of the claims and subsequent evidence and reasoning.
    • TEACHER NOTE

      Reminder that “time” in this lesson is different than in the previous lesson exploring fossil evidence. If productive/useful to students when adding to 8.1.H3: My Shark Encounter Claim Chart, some students may choose to use the lens of the more recent history explored by the fisher logs. A reminder that “time” is a construct and should be agreed upon by the students in the class and may change depending upon usefulness.

    • Remind students about the parameters by which we define evidence and reasoning.
      • Evidence: Scientific data (records, observations, etc.) about the frequency of white shark encounters over time that support the claim.
      • Reasoning: Learnings about white sharks’ life history that provide a logical connection between the evidence and the claim and explains why the evidence supports the claim.
      • Also remind students that data has limitations. Ask students to think about how data from both this and the previous lesson were obtained and the limitations that it might have.
      • TEACHER NOTE

        Possible limitations for data could include random sampling from Fossil Evidence (Lesson 8.2: Fossil Evidence), too many factors that influence the data, inconsistency in data collection (if no one was around when a shark was landed, data didn’t get collected). Additionally, there is a gap in the data from 2009 to present. The class should come to the conclusion that the future purposes of using shark tracking technologies in this learning sequence is to retrieve data about sharks and their encounters to fill in these gaps of information.

      • Each group must come to a consensus over which of the three claims the evidence shows can now be excluded. As a group, they must be able to share with the class which claim they are excluding and provide three items of evidence as justification. Once groups have made their decision and provided evidence, open up the conversation to the whole class.
      • For the remaining two claims, ask groups to justify these choices by identifying causes for them. Ask students to have a discussion with their group about which of these claims has the most supporting evidence and reasoning. Ask students to record this in their Science Notebook along with a rationale and remaining questions they have about it. For the claim, what information is missing that would strengthen the explanation. Students do not need to be in agreement with others in their group about their primary claim, but they should be able to have a discussion about their thinking to help process their thoughts.
      • When students are finished, take time to read notebook responses and leave sticky note feedback as described in Lesson 8.2: Fossil Evidence. Return Science Notebooks to students and ask them to review the feedback and, if helpful, to discuss questions they may have with their group. After discussing, ask students to consider the feedback and refine their work. Ask students to identify their revisions in some way so that you can check again to see their progress.

Accommodations

If you have students who need help analyzing the graph, establish the context by asking students to identify the title, key, and description of data, and define any words that are new. Another strategy is to ask students to describe the graph in their own words. Help them identify the horizontal value (time). Help them analyze the vertical value (range). Identify the overall trend. Look for peaks and valleys. Is there a pattern to them?

If you have students who need help with reading tasks, ask the class to skim the article first, and identify any words that might need clarification. Clarify the directions, then ask students to do a group read (have one person in the group read the article out loud), but encourage students to withhold group discussions until everyone has had a chance to do their own thinking and make notes in their Science Notebook first, then discuss with their group, and revise Science Notebook work accordingly.

During literature circles, plan extra accommodations for those who need literacy support. These students can be paired with a peer for the initial attempt at the reading. When expert groups decide on their three pieces of information, encourage the class to allow those that are quiet to speak first. Have the expert group verify that all have information recorded in their Science Notebook before rejoining their home groups.

By seating students in groups (groups of 4 work well) and encouraging regular conversation, students have time to interact more with content and naturally help those that need more support. Use of 8.1.H2: Scientist Communication Survival Kit helps to make sure that students who don’t feel comfortable sharing (often because of language, literacy level, uncertainty of content knowledge, etc.) are prompted to do so in a supportive way.

Use of a sense-making Science Notebook supports student language development, conceptual development, and metacognition. Students should be prompted to use their Science Notebook for

  • prior knowledge of phenomena,
  • exploration of phenomena and data collection,
  • making sense of phenomena, and
  • metacognition.

Consider providing sentence frames for low literacy and second language learners. The use of graphic organizers can help struggling students manage Science Notebook work. To support students learning English, allow conversations and Science Notebook work to happen in the language that the student is most comfortable expressing understanding, and then encourage expression using simple English phrases (or more complex for students with increasing proficiency).

As this lesson is rich with discourse opportunities, consider partnering second language learners with a “language broker” (another student who is bilingual in English and the student’s home language) to allow these partners to first discuss ideas in their home language. Monitor this pairing and provide additional language support as needed.

References

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. (n.d.). White Shark Information. Retrieved from https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark

Lovgren, S, (2005, June 15). “Jaws” at 30: Film Stoked Fear, Study of Great White Sharks.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 15 June 2005. Web. 29 May 2017.

Lowe, C. G., Blasius, M. E., Jarvis, E.T., Mason, T. J., Goodmanlowe, G. D., & O’Sullivan, J. B. (2012). Historic Fishery Interactions with White Sharks in the Southern California Bight. In Domeier, M. L. (Ed.), Global Perspectives on the Biology and Life History of the White Shark (169-185). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Showley, R. (2012, June 16). Tuna: A San Diego Fish Story. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/growth-development/sdut-tuna-san-diego-fish-story2012jun16-htmlstory.html

Straits, W. & Nichols, S. (2006, November 1). Literature Circles for Science. Science and Children, 44(3), 52–55. Retrieved from https://common.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/4/sc06_044_03_52

Summary of the Endangered Species Act. (2019, July 5). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-endangered-species-act

The Marine Mammal Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/what-we-do/rescue/marine-mammal-protection-act.html

Resources


Download 8.3.G1

Download 8.3.H1

Download 8.3.H2

Download 8.3.H3

Download 8.3.R1