Ecosystems
Lesson 1 &2:
Students will know the meaning of
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Ecosystems
Ecology
Organism
Decomposer
Terrarium
Aquarium
Microorganism
Germination
Students will understand can be able to
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Set up science notebooks, which they will use to record ideas and
observations throughout the unit
Record and discuss their thoughts about how living things depend on
each other
Discuss what they would like to find out about how living things
depend on each other
Observe and discuss a riverbank environment
Share what they know about a terrestrial environment
Think about the aquaria and terraria as models of environments
Setup the terraria
Make detail records about the items that they have placed in the
terraria
Predict what will happen terraria in the next week
Lesson 3 & 4:
Students will know the meaning of
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Consumers
Producers
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Larvae
Gravid Spot
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Lateral Line
Radula
Mantle
Scavenger
Gastropod
Students will understand and be able to
 Discuss the needs of organisms in an aquatic environment
 Setup their aquaria by adding gravel, elodea, duckweed, algae
 Observe, quantify, and record information about the organisms they
placed in their aquaria
 Read about the role of plants and algae in a pond
 Discuss information on aquatic plants and algae through observing and
reading
 Complete their aquaria by adding mosquito fish and snails
 Continue to record their observations of the plants, algae, and animals
in the aquaria and the plants in terraria
 Read to learn more about the animals in their aquaria
Lesson 5 & 6:
Students will know the meaning of
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Embryo
Interdependent relationship
Aquatic
Isopod
Exoskeleton
Entomologist
Molt
Thorax
Students will understand and be able to
 Discuss what they have read and observe about the animals in their
aquaria
 Offer evidences of the dependent and independent relationship they
have observed in their own ecosystems
 Predict the changes might occur in both their own aquaria and terraria
and in the class one
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Read about germination, which they have been observing over the past
week or so
Continue to observe and record plant growth in the terraria
Make observations and record descriptions of animals they added in
their terraria
Identify and record similarities and differences between crickets and
isopods
Continue to discuss their concepts of the word “ecosystems”
Through reading selections, students learn more about crickets and
isopods
Lesson 7:
Students will understand and be able to
 Using information from direct observations and reading, students
discuss their terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
 Explore food change and consider the impact organisms have on one
another
 Create a class web of their terrestrial ecosystems and compare it
with lesson five’s aquatic web
 Discuss the webs of both systems and compare them with the world’s
ecosystems
 Predict how one ecosystem might influence the other
Lesson 8:
Students will know the meaning of
 Alkalinity
 Acidic solution
 Acid rain
 Algae bloom
 Basic solution
 Fossil fuel
 Fertilizers
 Pollutant
 Neutral solution
 pH Scale
Students will understand and be able to
 Observe, describe, and compare stable and disruptive ecocolumns
 Become familiar pH paper
 Identify and discuss some natural causes that can disrupt an
ecosystem
 Read and write about human-made disrupting forces, or pollutants
 Reflect on your own learning through self-assessment
Lesson 9:
Students will understand and be able to
 Make presentations about the three pollutions
 Discuss the trade-offs involved when humans release pollutants into
the environment
 Record in their science notebooks important points and questions
regarding each presentation
 Read about three pollutants
 Observe their ecosystems and record observations
Lesson 9:
Students will know the meaning of
 Experimental variable
 Controlled experiment
 Scientific experiment
 Control
Students will understand and be able to
 Discuss and analyze the causes and effects of three types of pollution
 Explain experiments to study the effects of pollution
 Determine variables and controls and prepare to use simulation in a
scientific investigation
 Predict the possible effects of pollutants on their model ecosystems
 Establish a record keeping system for their experiments