Task

The ecosystem is out of balance.  However, you don’t have the money or the manpower to reintroduce a predator.  You need to protect the garden with a fence.  Here are the steps you need to take:

Top of page

Process

Here are the steps you need to take:

• Continue your research to determine what kinds of consumers live in Georgia that would thrive in this food web.
• Write a hypothesis for your research findings.
• Create a food chain in Inspiration for this garden.
• Based on your research, what kind of fencing will keep out the consumers?
• Fence the garden.

• The garden is 40 feet long and 24 feet wide.  You will need a post every 8 feet.
• The gardeners have agreed to split the cost evenly, as long as you do not spend more than $700.  There are 10 gardeners.
• How much fence do you need?  How many posts do you need?  Using the links below, research the best price for these materials.  We will pretend for this exercise that a regular height fence will keep out all the consumers.  Also, we will not calculate the cost of gates or staples.  Use the data collection sheet to record your findings, calculate your final cost, and determine each gardener’s part of the cost.  Show all of your work.

• You need to tell the gardeners how you are going to fence the garden to protect it and what their part of the cost will be.  You may:

• Write a formal letter using correct form, spelling, and punctuation.  Correctly use as many of the vocabulary words from the word bank as possible.  Check the rubric for what you need.
• Create a Powerpoint presentation that you will give to the gardeners (the class).  You need to show a drawing of the garden and your plan to fence it.  You also need to show your data sheet and explain how you got the best price.  Finally, you will need to show how you determined what each person’s cost would be.  Even though this will be an oral presentation, you need to use correct grammar in your speaking, and use as many of vocabulary words from the word bank as possible.  Check the rubric for what you need.

Top of page

Resources

Top of page

Evaluation

• Hypothesis rubric
• Food chain rubric
• Mathematical calculations rubric
• Letter rubric
• Presentation rubric

Top of page

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have restored balance to this ecosystem. The garderners are happy, the animals are happy, the plants are happy, and most of all, your boss is happy. In recognition of your fine work, you have been promoted to Ranger First Class.

Top of page

Credits

The following resources were used in the creation of this webquest:

• eNature.com Field Guides (2007). Retrieved from http://www.enature.com/home/
• Homer TLC, Inc. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.homedepot.com/
• Lowe's Companies, Inc. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.lowes.com/
• The University of Georgia Museum of Natural History (2008). Retrieved from http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/~GMNH/gawildlife/index.php?page=speciespages/list_species&class=Mammalia

Top of page