7th Grade/Science
Unit Name: Biology
Concept: Biodiversity
Generalizations
TEKS: 7.10
Student Expectation:
S
Formal Assessment:
Clarification:
Biodiversity contributes to sustainability.
The student knows that there is a relationship between organisms and the environment
7.10B Describe how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem (Supporting Std)
Notes to Teacher:
DCA, CCA, TAKS 8, Benchmark
 Define biodiversity
 Explain the factors contributing to biodiversity – genetic variety, area, climate, and niche diversity
 Define a keystone species and explain its impact on an ecosystem
 Explain the relationship between biodiversity and sustainability
 Describe the impact of an invasive or non-native species on the environment in terms of competition with
native species for biotic and abiotic factors
 Identify the factors that can cause a species to become threatened, endangered or extinct
MISCONCEPTIONS:
 Students may think that extinction of species of organisms is common.
 Students may think that if the producers (plants) disappeared from Earth, organisms that prey on other
organisms for food (carnivores) would only be slightly affected.
 Students often think of organisms as independent of each other but dependent on people to supply them
with food and shelter.
 Students may not believe food is a scarce resource in ecosystems; thinking that organisms can change
their food at will according to the availability of particular sources.
 Students may believe that organisms are able to effect changes in bodily structure to exploit particular
habitats or that they respond to a changed environment by seeking a more favorable environment
Key Academic Vocabulary:
biodiversity
Ecosystem
Keystone species
Vertical Alignment:
Invasive species
Non-native species
Species
6th Grade
6.12F diagram the levels of organization within
Extinction
Endangered species
Threatened species
Before
After
Sustainability
8th Grade
8.11A Describe producer/consumer, predator prey and
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7th Grade/Science
an ecosystem including organism, population,
community, and ecosystem
Core Instruction:
Engage
UNIVERSAL
GENERALIZATION:
Outcomes depend on
how things interact.
The Gene Scene from
Windows on the Wild
And
Indexing Student
characteristics from
Windows on the Wild
Human Wacky Diseases
Jenga game
Explore
Giraffe Game from
Windows on the Wild with
necessary materials:
 Spotting giraffes
 Giraffe cards group 1
 Giraffe cards group 2
 Giraffe cards group 3
 Giraffe cards group 4
 Giraffe cards group 5
 Giraffe calf cards
 Giraffe event cards
Banderdiddle activity
parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs in marine,
freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems
8.11B Investigate how organisms and populations in an
ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic
factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures or
soil composition
Explain
Students will explain what
they observed in the
explore activities
Cornell notes using
textbook: Prentice Hall
Science Explorer pg 634642.
or
Biodiversity Overview page
Exotic and endangered
species for Cornell notes
Keystone Species
EduSmart 7th grade
Diversity of Life
Elaborate
Biodiversity Poster project
Evaluate
Banderdiddle quiz
Articles about endangered species,
keystone species, extinction:
 Emerald ash borer
 Gator article
 Keystone species sustain life in
India
 Monster Toad
 More than 1000 species
discovered in Mekong
 Colorado Rancher hopes for
Wolves
 Prairie Dogs
 Sea Otter
 Gopher Tortoise
 Orangutan Under Threat
 Huangaro Trees
With these articles, have students read
them and present on what each
keystone species represents and does
for us. Also have the students discuss
some of the possibilities that could
occur if we removed the keystone
species.
Plant and Animal
Extinction
Biodiversity Concept
Map
The Role of Humans in
the Extinction of
Species
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