9 SCIENCE – Term 3
Unit 6: ECOLOGY & GLOBAL SYSTEMS (5 WEEKS)
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LEARNING GOALS:
In this unit students engage in the exploration of concepts of
change and sustainability within an ecosystem. It focuses on
engaging students in the understanding that all life is connected
through ecosystems and changes to its balance can have an effect
on the populations and interrelationships that exist. It provides
students with an opportunity to investigate and reflect upon the
state of Australian environments, locally and nationally, and their
individual and collective responsibility for the sustainability of
ecosystems. Students will also examine the cause and effect of
human activity, including their own, on the environment, and
evaluate the impact of changes to the global systems on the
planet's equilibrium and biodiversity. The role of science and
scientific research in assisting society to address global
environmental issues is explored.
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S SUCCESS CRITERIA: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO DO THE
FOLLOWING:
 Give examples of structural, functional, behavioural and
reproductive adaptations in organisms
 Represent the interdependence of organisms by drawing
food chains and webs
 Understand interactions between organisms, such as
predator/prey, parasites, competitors, collaboration and
mutualism
 Evaluate and predict the effect that human activities have
had and could have on the environment and biodiversity
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Resources
Text book reference: Science Essentials 9, Chapter 6
Assessment
Understanding ecosystems Assignment
Key Verbs
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EXPLAIN
DESCRIBE
CONCLUDE
EVALUATE
INVESTIGATE
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
PREDICT
Glossary:
 Sustainability
 ecosystem
 biodiversity
 food chains
 food webs
 parasites
 competitors
 prey
 predator
 mutualism
 collaboration
 symbiosis
 structural, functional,
behavioural, reproductive
adaptations
 interdependence