NGSS Model Unit Disruptions in Ecosystems Now Available for Download

Disruptions in Ecosystems is a middle school unit developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science’s SEPUP as part of a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation to develop and evaluate a model instructional unit and professional development program and conduct research on teacher learning. Project partners are the American Museum of Natural History (lead partner, also leading the professional development), The Lawrence Hall of Science (instructional materials lead), and the University of Connecticut (research). This final version has incorporated feedback from three years of classroom field-testing, expert review, and an EQuIP review conducted by Achieve.

The unit includes five chapters, each focused on a specific phenomenon related to ecosystem disruption, including questions around the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone and the invasion of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and Hudson River.

Unit and support materials available for download here.