Lucas Learning - Lesson Plan - Ecology - Introducing Ecology Concepts With Star Wars The Gungan Frontier

Introducing Ecology Concepts With Star Wars®: The Gungan Frontier™

Curriculum Connection: "Students should broaden their understanding from the way one species lives in its environment to populations and communities of species and the ways they interact with each other and with their environment." National Science Education Standards

Lesson Plan (Grades 5-10):

At the beginning of an ecology unit, select one of the concepts highlighted in the missions to introduce the topic to your students (see chart below). To explore a concept such as "habitat," divide the class into small groups and ask each group to complete the mission that illustrates the concept. Encourage the students to check the graphs frequently as they play. Allow a fixed time for each group to play the simulation, then debrief their experiences by asking some of the following questions.

• What were you asked to do in the mission?
• How did you make decisions about what to do?
• What did you observe?
• How did your observations affect what you did next?
• Which factors seemed to affect things the most?
• What was the outcome?
• How do you feel about the outcome?
• What would you do differently if you tried to complete this mission again?
• How is this simulation like real life? Describe any examples of this you know about in our own community (region, state).

You may want to create a comparison chart as each group reports on its findings. This will allow students to compare their group's experience with those of other groups and reflect on the effects of each group's decisions.

Note: If there are not enough computers available for the students to work together in groups, demonstrate the concept yourself and involve the students as a whole group at key decision points. If the concept you want to introduce is not included in the missions, you may create your own "saved game" in Advanced Game play and use it as a mission

A Sample List of Concepts Found in Missions
Habitat	The Garden Moon; Blow in the Wind
Sustainable development	New Gungan Home Hydenock Campaign
Wildlife management: Top-down management Bottom-up management	Save the Poms Veermok Chow
Endangered species	Endangered Kaadu
Competition	Food Fight
Food webs	Peko Peko Peril
Carrying capacity	Happy Herbivores