Unit 5 Ecosystems
Days: 28
How do biotic and abiotic factors interact in an ecosystem? SC.912.L.17.9
Lesson Essential Question 1
How do we use food chains, webs, and trophic levels to
demonstrate the Law of Conservation of energy?
Lesson Essential Question 2
How do symbiotic relationships demonstrate the
interdependence of living things?
Lesson Essential Question 3
How do the biogeochemical cycles demonstrate the Law of
conservation of Matter and Energy and what influences do
human actions have on these cycles?
Lesson Essential Question 4
What are the essential components that affect organisms
and their distribution in an aquatic system
Lesson Essential Question 5
What influences do climatic trends have on biomes of the
world?
Lesson 1 Vocabulary
Food chain, food web, trophic
levels, Law of Conservation of
Energy
Lesson 2 Vocabulary
symbiosis
Lesson 3 Vocabulary
biogeochemical cycles, law of
conservation of matter,
Lesson 4 Vocabulary
Biome
Biodiversity
Lesson 5 Vocabulary
Weather, climate, climate
change, biomes
Lesson Essential Question 6
Lesson 6 Vocabulary
What are the similarities and differences between primary
and secondary succession?
Primary and secondary
succession
Lesson Essential Question 7
Lesson 7 Vocabulary
How do multiple limiting factors interact to determine
population size?
Populations, limiting factors,
carrying capacity
Lesson Essential Question 8
What are the major causes and effects of the loss of
biodiversity?
Lesson Essential Question 9
Lesson 8 Vocabulary
biodiversity
Lesson 9 Vocabulary
How does the use of renewable and nonrenewable
resources impact biodiversity?
renewable, nonrenewable
resources
Lesson Essential Question 10
Lesson 10 Vocabulary
How do Human activities impact environmental systems?
deforestation
Lesson Essential Question 11
Lesson 11 Vocabulary
How is adequate monitoring of environmental parameters
useful in making policy decisions?
parameters
Major Unit Assignment
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature of science by completing the steps of a scientific
experiment. Students will use the Sumter County Schools Experimental Design to answer a question or solve a problem
with a clear purpose for investigation.
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Identify a question or problem.
Explain the purpose of investigating this question or problem.
Conduct background research on the topic, listing your findings in a bibliography.
Develop a testable hypothesis in an “If, then, because” statement.
Create a specific bulleted list of materials needed for the experiment.
Write out detailed procedures for how to do the experiment and how to analyze the data. Include any safety
concerns.
Records all observations and data from the experiment in charts, graphs or tables.
Evaluate the results of the experiment.
Construct an argument using the evidence to explain if the results support or do not support the hypothesis and
write a conclusion statement.
Share the project in the school science fair or in the class.