Science Strand III SCI.III.5.1 Grade: 5 Using Scientific Knowledge in Life Science Ecosystems - All students will explain how parts of an ecosystem are Standard: 5 related and how they interact Benchmark: 1 Describe common patterns of relationships among populations. Constructing and Reflecting: SCI.I.1.1 - Generate scientific questions about the world based on observation. SCI.I.1.5 - Use sources of information in support of scientific investigations. SCI.II.1.1 – Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, or data. SCI.II.1.3 - Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and technology apply in real-world contexts. SCI.II.1.5 - Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world. Vocabulary / Key Concepts Context Participants and Relationships: • predator • prey • parasite • competition • mutually beneficial Relationships among plants and animals in an ecosystem Mutually helpful relationships such as: • insects and flowering plants • birds eating fruit and spreading seeds Parasitic (harmful) relationships such as: • humans and mosquitoes • trees and mistletoe Competitive relationships such as: • squirrels and seed-eating birds • weeds and garden plants Knowledge and Skills Describe common pattern of relationships among populations. Resources Coloma Resources: Prentice Hall – Science Explorer – Environmental Science pgs E31-38 Project Wild pgs 122-123 Other Resources: • Ecology – MSU Assessment Project • The Living Edens (PBS) – The Moose and the Wolf predator / prey relationship • Bill Nye: Caves, Deserts, Forests, Lakes, Ponds, Ocean Life, Rivers, Streams, Wet Lands. • Science Explosion: Ecosystems • Project Wild • Michigan Teacher Network Resources • Scope Unit – Dynamics of an Ecosystem (Fifth) Videoconferences Available For more information, see www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl or call Janine Lim 471-7725x101 or email jlim@remc11.k12.mi.us III.5.MS.1 Habitat Explorers from the Buffalo Zoo Africa Series from the Indianapolis Zoo How Plants and Animals Help Each Other from the Queens Botanical Garden Instruction Focus Question: What types of interrelationships exist among populations in an ecosystem? • • • • Students will write a journal entry listing relationships they have with other people that are helpful to them, harmful to them, or mutually helpful. Students will share their lists with a partner. Watch a video about interrelationships and discuss the main concepts as a class. Take a walk to an area near the school and observe relationships in an ecosystem. With a partner, students will record their observations. As a class, students will share and compile their data. Students will evaluate the relationships they have observed (helpful, harmful, competitive). The teacher will introduce key concepts and name the relationships that were identified. Assessment Optional Assessment: Students, in small groups, will be given the following scenario: “Survivor II, The Next Generation” is coming out next season. The rules have changed slightly. This season teams of survivors will be placed on separate islands where they will remain for one month.” The teacher will select a variety of islands from around the world and write the names of the islands on slips of paper. Each team will draw a slip and then research the island. The winning survivors will be chosen as a result of their fine scientific journaling. To win the $1 million, you must discover a way to show all of the relationships you see among the different island populations on Earth. Team journals should include the following information: • Predator / prey relationships • parasitic relationships (parasite / host) • competition • mutually beneficial relationships Scoring Rubric: (give students rubric prior to activity) Criteria: Description of relationships: Apprentice - Lists one relationship. Basic - Describes two relationships. Meets - Describes two complete relationships. Exceeds - Describes three or more complete relationships. Teacher Notes: “All organisms, including the human species, are part of and depend on two main interconnected global food webs. One includes microscopic ocean plants, the animals that feed on them, and finally the animals that feed on those animals. The other web includes land plants, the animals that feed on them, and so forth. The cycles continues indefinitely because organisms decompose after death to return food material to the environment.” (BSL) Focus Question • What types of interrelationships exist among populations in an ecosystem?