Unit Details Bio 2.1 (12/14 thru 1/4)
Conceptual Strand
Grade Level/Course
Ecosystems
High School/Biology
Common Core Essential State Standards
NC Science Essential Standard(s)
Bio 2.1 Analyze the interdependence of living organisms
within their environments.
Clarifying Objectives
Clarifying Objectives
Number
Standard
Bio 2.1.1
Analyze the flow of energy and cycling of matter (water, carbon, nitrogen
and oxygen) through ecosystems relating the significance of each to
maintaining the health and sustainability of an ecosystem.
Bio 2.1.2
Analyze the survival and reproductive success of organisms in terms of
behavioral, structural, and reproductive adaptations.
Bio 2.1.3
Explain various ways organisms interact with each other (including
predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism) and with their
environments resulting in stability within ecosystems.
Bio 2.1.4
Explain why ecosystems can be relatively stable over hundreds or
thousands of years, even though populations may fluctuate (emphasizing
availability of food, availability of shelter, number of predators and
disease).
Essential Questions and Big Ideas
Big Ideas
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Matter such as carbon, nitrogen,
oxygen, and water are cycled.
Climate change is affected by
greenhouse effect and natural
environmental processes.
Energy moves from sun to
autotrophs then through the energy
pyramid where much of it is lost as
radiant energy. An energy pyramid
is a model that shows this energy
transfer.
Organisms have specific behavioral
adaptations that allow for their
Essential Questions
1. Explain the ways in which energy
flows through an ecosystem.
2. Deconstruct the carbon cycle.
3. Summarize the nitrogen cycle.
4. What are the factors that influence
climate change?
5. Analyze behavioral adaptations
that allow for survival.
6. Analyze how various organisms
accomplish life functions such as
transport, excretion, respiration,
nutrition, reproduction, growth, and
development.
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survival.
Organisms have specific structural
adaptations that allow for them to
carry out life functions.
Mutualism and parasitism are types
of symbiotic relationships.
Communication is used within social
structures.
Stability within an ecosystem is
maintained through predator/prey
and competition relationships.
Populations have limited resources
that create specific carrying
capacities.
7. Identify and describe symbiotic
relationships such as mutualism
and parasitism.
8. Explain patterns of predator/prey
and competition relationships.
9. Exemplify various forms of
communication and territorialism.
10. What are the major limiting factors
that influence carrying capacities?
11. Interpret various population graphs.
12. How does disease disrupt
ecosystem balance?
Vocabulary
Objective
2.1.1
Academic
Autotrophs
Vocabulary
Performance
Analyze
Heterotrophs
Deconstruct
Radiant Energy
Summarize
Decomposers
Identify
Trophic Level
Explain
Energy pyramid
Biomass
Carbon cycle
Climate change
Decomposition
Ecosystem
Energy flow
Greenhouse effect
Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Oxygen cycle
Sustainability
Transport
Water cycle
2.1.2
Vascular plants
Nonvascular plants
Xylem
Phloem
Analyze
Transpiration
Stomata
Guard cell
Tropism
Seeds
Spores
Sexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction
Open circulatory system
Closed circulatory system
Nephridia
External Fertilization
Internal Fertilization
Metamorphosis
Endoskeleton
Exoskeleton
Placental
Homeostasis
Suckling
Taxis
Migration
Estivation
Hibernation
Habituation
Imprinting
Classical conditioning
Trial and error
2.1.3
Predator
Identify
Prey
Describe
Competition
Exemplify
Niche
Explain
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Parasitism
Pheremones
Social behaviors
Territorialism
Courtship
2.1.4
Limiting factors
Generalizing
Carrying capacity
Interpret
Logistic growth
Explain
Exponential growth
Dynamic Equilibrium
Human Population Growth