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Ecosystems and Vertebrates Unit Assessment
Assessment Date: Wednesday, April 20th
I. Ecosystems
A. You will need to be able to define:
Ecosystem
All of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in an area, interacting with each
other and the non-living things (weather, sun, soil, and climate).
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B. You will need to be able to identify each of the following ecosystems:
Ecosystem
Characteristics
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have a dry climate
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receive fewer than 10 inches of rain per year
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are large bodies of salt water, such as oceans
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are the world’s largest ecosystem
Freshwater Ecosystems
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are bodies of freshwater, such as rivers and ponds
Forest Ecosystems
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An ecosystem that has many trees. There are three main types of forest
ecosystems.
Coniferous Forests
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contain evergreen trees that have needles, which do not fall off during the Fall
season
Deciduous Forests
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contain trees that lose their leaves during the Fall season
Tropical Rainforests
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have a hot and damp climate, which helps many things grow
Desert Ecosystems
Saltwater Ecosystems
II. Invertebrates and Vertebrates
A. You should be able to define the following terms:
Invertebrate
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An animal without a backbone
Vertebrate
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An animal with a backbone.
Divided into 5 groups: Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians.
Warm-blooded
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An animal whose body temperature usually stays the same regardless of their
environment (ex. Mammals).
Cold-blooded
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An animal whose body temperature changes with the temperature of the environment
(ex. Reptiles).
B. You should be able to identify each of the five vertebrate groups:
Vertebrate Group
Characteristics
A warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair or fur, takes care of its young,
and uses lungs to breathe.
Mammals
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Birds
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A warm-blooded vertebrate that lays eggs and has feathers, wings, and a beak. Birds
are usually able to fly.
Reptiles
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A cold-blooded vertebrate with dry scaly skin that lays soft eggs.
Amphibians
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A cold-blooded vertebrate that has gills when they are young and develops lungs as
they grow.
Fish
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A cold-blooded vertebrate with gills and fins that spends its whole life in water.
III. Food Chains
A. You should be able to define the following terms:
Producer
Consumer
- A living thing that makes its own food from sunlight, air, and water.
- A living thing that eats other living things in order to survive.
Herbivore - A living thing that eats ONLY plants to survive.
Omnivore - A living thing that eats BOTH plants and animals to survive.
Carnivore - A living thing that eats ONLY animals to survive.
B. You should be able to identify the roles of living things within a food chain.
IV. Adaptations
A. You should be able to explain how adaptations help animals to survive in their environments.
- How an animal adapts to its environment using specific body parts or behaviors in order to
survive.
Adaptation
Examples:
- A camel stores extra fat in its hump for when food is scarce.
- A goose migrates during the winter to avoid cold weather.
Camouflage - An adaptation that an animal uses to blend in with its surroundings.
- An adaptation that allows an animal to enter a sleep-like state during winter months in order
Hibernation to survive cold weather and lack of food.
- An adaptation that allows the animal to move from one area to another area during certain
Migration times of the year. (ex. birds flying south for the winter)