Ecology
Title: Ecology: A Balanced Ecosystem
Grade Level: 9–12
Subject/Content: Science/Biology
Summary of Lesson: The purpose of this lab investigation is to examine the degree of
impact of naturally occurring and human-influenced issues on the careful balance of a selfcontained ecosystem, via the application of ecological concepts.
Focus Question: What are the necessary components of a self-contained ecosystem and
how can we prevent the destruction of these ecosystems?
Resource: Science in Context
Procedures:
Steps/activities by Teacher:
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Direct students to the Ecosystems topic in Science in Context. Students should use
this resource to define basic ecology terms, such as: ecosystem, biome, ecology,
biotic, abiotic, producer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer.
Lead a class discussion in which students can share the ways they defined their
terms.
Discuss what it means to be self-sustaining, describe limiting factors in an
environment, and emphasize how a healthy ecosystem survives.
Assign partners and direct students to design an ecosystem container by completing
a detailed drawing. They should also include a detailed explanation that shows why
the ecosystem would be successful.
Provide supplies or have students bring in supplies to construct their ecosystem
container. Supplies might include two-liter bottles, tape, fish bowls, etc.
Explain how students will collect/obtain samples for their self-contained ecosystem
and define the components to be included (producers, consumers, nutrient cycles,
and so on). You may also ask students to look over the Math tie-in below.
Assist students in creating an observation/records sheet, which will allow them to
record bi-weekly observations and take note of any necessary interventions made to
the ecosystem.
Assist students in accessing Science in Context to research information on how
human behavior impacts ecosystems.
Direct students to share their findings on human impacts to the ecosystem and
relate these findings to experiences with the self-created ecosystem in a final report.
Look over the English tie-in below.
Steps/activities by Student(s):
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Access the Science in Context database and locate the Ecosystems topic page.
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Research and define basic terminology related to ecology including: ecosystem,
biome, ecology, biotic, abiotic, producer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore,
decomposer.
Design and construct a self-contained ecosystem using supplies provided by your
teacher or brought in from home.
Collect specimens to complete your ecosystem.
Create tables to document ecosystem set-up, organisms added, and interventions
required.
Use documentation to record the progress of the ecosystem over time.
Access Science in Context and research how human behavior impacts the
environment.
Construct a final report that includes your original ecosystem plan; a summary of
your experiment, including your documentation; a section that explains how you
might improve your ecosystem; a new drawing/plan showing these improvements to
the ecosystem; discuss human impacts to ecosystems and relate these findings to
experiences with the self-created ecosystem.
Outcome:
Students will gain an understanding of the necessary components required for a healthy,
sustainable environment. They will recognize the ways in which human actions impact that
balance and will analyze explanations and models used in scientific experimentation.
Related Activities:
Math
Incorporate this activity while collecting samples for the ecosystem.
 Randomly select a sampling area by tossing a golf ball; the golf ball becomes the
origin of an x-, y-axis coordinate system.
 Measure out a 10 x 10 plot area with the golf ball as the center.
 Transfer this coordinate system onto graph paper.
 Randomly toss a "sampling" figure (a geometric shape cut out of poster board)
into the plotted area.
 Collect live samples for the lesson from underneath the tossed figures.
 Toss the shape ten times; each time carefully measure and plot the "sampling
figure" onto the graph paper coordinate system.
English
 Examine excerpts from the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, focusing on the
author's use of literary personification to address environmental issues.
Learning Expectation
As a result of activities, students should develop an understanding of the interdependence
of organisms in an ecosystem. They should also understand the natural and human-induced
hazards that can impact environmental quality and the success of an ecosystem.
Standards Alignment
Next Generation Science Standards
HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms
maintain homeostasis.
HS-LS2-6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in
ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable
conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human
activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-LS2.SEP.3.2. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution to a complex real-world problem,
based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria,
and tradeoff considerations. (HS-LS2-7)
LS2.DCI.A:1. Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers of
organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the
availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation,
competition, and disease. Organisms would have the capacity to produce populations of
great size were it not for the fact that environments and resources are finite. This
fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given
ecosystem. (HS-LS2-1), (HS-LS2-2)
LS2.DCI.C:1. A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and
types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a
modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more
or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very
different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population,
however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat
availability. (HS-LS2-2), (HS-LS2-6)
LS2.DCI.C:2. Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the
environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species,
overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival
of some species. (HS-LS2-7)
ETS1.DCI.B:1. When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of
constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural
and environmental impacts. (secondary to HS-LS2-7)
HS-LS2.CC.5.1. Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change
and how they remain stable. (HS-LS2-6), (HS-LS2-7)
HS-LS4-6. Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of
human activity on biodiversity.
LS4.DCI.D:1. Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits
provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity
through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of
invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem
functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on
Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or
inspirational value. (HS-LS4-6) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by HSLS2-7.)
HS-ESS3.CC.3.2. Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system. (HSESS3-4)
Standard Source: Next Generation Science Standards (2013)
Common Core State Standards
Grades 9-10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text;
trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept;
provide an accurate summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.3
Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when
carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks attending to
special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and
other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical
context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.5
Analyze the structure of the relationships among
concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction
force, energy).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.7
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed
in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information
expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.9
Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to
those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings
support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.10
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend
science/technical texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's
capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short, as well as more sustained research
projects, to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative
print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each
source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9
analysis, reflection, and research.
Draw evidence from informational texts to support
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Grades 11-12
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text;
summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing
them in simpler but still accurate terms.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.3
Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when
carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the
specific results based on explanations in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and
other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical
context relevant to grades 11-12 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.5
Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into
categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order
to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.8
Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions
in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or
challenging conclusions with other sources of information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.9
Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g.,
texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon,
or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend
science/technical texts in the grades 11-12 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2a Introduce a topic and organize complex ideas, concepts,
and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a
unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2b Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most
significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.7 Conduct short, as well as more sustained research
projects, to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative
print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and
overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Source: Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010)