ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a project in which high school students create and observe miniecosystems in an ecology unit designed around a 5E (engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation) instructional model. Students choose a wide variety of organisms and use creativity to design miniecosystems. Students summarize their understanding of ecology through a poster presentation at our miniecosystem research symposium. The presentations are an excellent chance for students to communicate their understandings of ecology gained through the use of scientific inquiry of their miniecosystems. After building and observing their miniecosystems, students are able to use evidence from the exploration activity to explain new concepts. Because many students are excited about their miniecosystems, teachers capture this enthusiasm to extend learning to real ecosystems. Students learn about food webs, the carbon-oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the water cycle in more complex systems.
