Outcome 2: Distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors determining the impact on the consumers at all trophic levels due to bioaccumulation, variability, and diversity (318-2, 318-5)
1. Give students ~10 minutes to answer the Opening Idea questions on page 2 of textbook. Do as think, pair, share.
2. Handout student note page and have students complete definition of ecosystem.
3. Have students in groups make lists of biotic and abiotic things in a woodland ecosystem.
4. Create a 3-4 link food chain out of the organisms listed. Label the food chain with trophic levels, producer/consumer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore. Also add in detritivores (crabs, earthworms, ants, beetles) and decomposers (fungi and bacteria). Note direction of arrows.
5. Have students try to create other food chains from the list. Show students how a food web can be made.
6
. Have students complete worksheet “Getting to the Top”, then questions 1-7 on page 7.
7. As a class, make a list of things that can affect the populations of organisms in an ecosystem, then decide on how to classify them (biotic / abiotic)
8. Complete the notes handout regarding factors that affect populations, then have students complete handouts “population biology” and ”population terms”.
9. Introduce students to Biosphere II, watch video about the project and discuss.
9. Take students to computer lab and have them complete the Ecosphere Web Lesson.
10. In groups, have students complete ws “Build your own life dome” using organisms that can be found around outside of the school. Then, go outside and collect the organisms and create a Life
Dome. (see page 39)
11 . Watch “Planet in Peril” (41:40 – 55:30) about wolves. Before watching, have students predict the consequences of wolves being removed from an ecosystem. As students watch clip, have them write changes in Yellowstone after wolves were reintroduced. Have student complete activity “Survival is just a roll of the Dice” and hand in as a lab.
12. Introduce the idea of bioaccumulation. Watch video and complete questions. Do demo activity with Nibs, and then have students fill in DDT Timeline using pages 30-31.