Curriculum into the classroom
Science
Year 9
Lesson: Exploring ecosystems — Analysing population dynamics
(6 of 6)
Content descriptions
Unit 6
90 minutes
Science Understandings
Biological sciences
•
Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and
abiotic components of the environment: matter and energy flow
through these systems
Science Inquiry Skills
Questioning and predicting
•
Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated
scientifically
Planning and conducting
•
•
Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including
field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data;
assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these
methods
Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies,
to systematically and accurately collect and record data
Processing and analysing data and information
•
Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing
relationships between variables and identifying inconsistenciesUse
knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are
consistent with evidence
Evaluating
•
Evaluate conclusions, including identifying sources of uncertainty and
possible alternative explanations, and describe specific ways to
improve the quality of data
Communicating
•
General capabilities
Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular
purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and
using appropriate scientific language, conventions and
representations
Literacy
Students will:
•
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use and develop an understanding of science language specific to
this lesson. This will include:
o technical vocabulary and everyday language used in science
contexts (e.g. ecosystems, ecological modelling, balance,
interrelationships, populations)
o
o
procedural vocabulary (e.g. hypothesise, discuss, analyse,
reflect)
visual representations (e.g. graphs).
Numeracy
Students will:
• identify trends and patterns from graphs on population sizes and
changes.
Critical and creative thinking
Students will pose questions, make predictions, and solve problems
related to ecosystem dynamics and populations.
Lesson objectives
Students will:
• understand how factors and changes influence populations.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• list and describe factors that influence population sizes?
• analyse data to draw conclusions regarding changes to population
size?
Resources
Slideshow — Possum Populations
Slideshow – Cyclone Yasi
Learning area
specific language
(metalanguage)
interrelationships, balance, change, populations, environmental
modelling
The Australian Curriculum: Science includes a glossary of definitions of
language specific to the science learning area. (Select Download.)
Definitions of science terms are also available from the C2C: Science
glossary.
Misunderstandings
and alternative
conceptions
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Students may demonstrate the following misunderstandings or
alternative conceptions:
•
Students may think that population sizes are consistent over time.
Explain to students that populations change and fluctuate depending
on the interrelationships that exist within their ecosystem and
surrounding ecosystems.
Teaching and learning sequence
Opening the lesson
Display the slideshow Possum Populations.
Teaching strategy
used
Consider the population change of possums on the East Coast of
Australia area.
Interactive teaching:
Whole-class discussion
Discuss with students the change in population and possible reasons for
this.
Focus questions:
How has the possum populations within the QLD coast changed?
Considering what you know of the area, what are some possible reasons
for the change?
Consider the population change of possums on North Keppel Island
Discuss with students the change in population and reasons for this.
Focus questions:
How has the possum populations within NKI area changed?
Considering what you know of the area, what are some possible reasons
for the change?
Body of lesson
Show the slideshow Cyclone Yasi. Turn to work sheet and discuss
questions and cyclone affect.
Teaching strategies
used
Focus Questions:
How has the ecosystem coped with the cyclone?
What long term effects does the cyclone have?
Are abiotic factors changeable?
Indirect teaching:
Inductive teaching
Students to complete worksheet Cyclone Yasi identifying the effects of
the cyclone and the ability of populations to recover.
Closing the lesson
Teaching strategy
used
•
Interactive teaching:
Whole-class discussion
Review the interrelationships within populations identified in the lesson.
Ask students to record the following summary, adding examples from the
lesson:
‘Ecosystems are dynamic environments that continuously respond to
changes in biotic and abiotic factors. The populations that reside within
these systems are governed by the interrelationships that bind the
ecosystem together. Changes in one abiotic factor or population will
cause a shift in the population of other species due to the increase or
loss of influencing factors such as predators, food, shelter and climate.’
Focus questions:
What were some of the events that influenced population size?
How did these events change the biotic and abiotic factors that were
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discussed earlier in the unit?
How could a change of one environmental factor, biotic or abiotic,
influence multiple components of a balanced system?
How can humans create a change in environmental factors?
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