Ecology Project
Table of Contents
Project Introduction …………………………………… 2
List of Ecosystems and resources…………………… 3-4
Project Checklist with detailed requirements……………5
Grading Requirements ……………………………………6
Rubrics:
Participation Rubric ………………………………………7
Poster Rubric ……………………………………………8
Presentation Rubric ……………………………………….9
Ecology Project
You have recently been hired as the director for the Cleveland Zoo. Recently, the National Zoo in Washington
D.C. has contacted the owners of your zoo, the Cleveland Zoo. The Cleveland Zoo has received a grant to build
a new exhibit. The grant money will allow your zoo to build a spacious habitat with several species of the
chosen population. This exhibit will be the main attraction for your zoo. The owners have asked you to build a
display that will educate visitors on the Ecosystem of this population, with detailed information on the habitat,
community, niche, living and nonliving limiting factors, and adaptation features. The owners are also requiring
you to give an example of a predator-prey relationship and to chart the producers and the consumers in the
population’s community. If you have chosen an animal you will need to show the Nitrogen Cycle
How to Begin:



Select an ecosystem
Pick an animal population
Then research the habitat, community, niche, limiting factors, and adaptation features.
I have attached a checklist with descriptions of what you need to have in your final project.
There is a page with a list of resources-Internet and Books
There is also a page that has a list of suggestions for Ecosystems and Populations
Citation Stuff - For help with in-text citations, works cited guides, and basic MLA formatting, check out
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
Here are some suggestions of ecosystems and populations that you may select:
Rainforest
Animals: Parrot, jaguar, monkey, lemurs
Prairies:
Animals: pronghorns, coyote, grasshopper, buffalo
Savanna:
Animals: elephants, lions, cheetahs, gazelles, hyenas
Deserts:
Animals: tortoise, bobcat, Harris’ antelope, various lizards, oryx
Temperate Forest:
Animals: owls, elk, white-tailed deer, skunk, raccoon, fox
Artic Tundra:
Animals: lynx, lemmings, musk-ox, wolves, artic fox, polar bear
Mountains:
Animals: mountain lions, mountain goat, hoary marmot, snow leopard
Seashore or Wetland:
Animals: loggerhead turtle, dolphins, herons, pelicans, crabs, shark
Resources
http://www.conbio.org/VL/browse/ This website has links to information on animals and ecosystems- The
Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity
http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm has information on the food chain, Nitrogen and
Oxygen-Carbon Cycles, and limiting factors
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/exploring_ecosystems/ Exploring Ecosystems- Desert, Coastal
Arctic, and Everglades
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/index.htm Eek! Nature Notes Environmental Education
for Kids
http://www.epa.gov/students/ecosyste.htm This cite has a list of kids ecology web cite resources
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/ecosystems.html Windows to the Universe has pages for
each of the world’s ecosystems(biomes)
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/index.htm Eek! Nature Notes Environmental Education
for Kids
http://www.epa.gov/students/ecosyste.htm This cite has a list of kids ecology web cite resources
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/ecosystems.html Windows to the Universe has pages for
each of the world’s ecosystems(biomes)
Checklist for Ecology Project Requirements
____ Ecosystem
You can use your ecosystem as the title for your exhibit’s display
_____ Population
Show your population as a drawing or a picture
_____
Habitat
 Find a picture to show what your habitat looks like
 Describe in a paragraph the place where your population lives.
_____ Community
 Name the organisms that make up the community (animals, and plants, fungi, ect.)
 You can use a picture to that shows the community of organisms in your ecosystem
_____ Niche
Explain the role of your population in the community. Example: The pine tree provides food and shelter to other
organisms
_____ Food Chain
Using pictures show four organisms beginning with a producer Example: Pine tree, porcupines,
_____ Show in a drawing or picture, two living limiting factors. Example: porcupine
and beavers
_____ Show with a picture or drawing or writing, two nonliving limiting factors: Example: rainfall and draught
_____ In a paragraph talk about how the living limiting factors affects your population Example: My population is the Pine
tree. One winter day the weather was warm enough for it to rain. After it rained the temperature dropped and the rain froze
on the trees causing the trees to break off and affecting the growth and survival of the maple trees. This is where you can talk
about the predator-prey relationship
______ In a second paragraph talk about how a nonliving limiting factor affects your population: A porcupine likes to eat the
bark off Pine trees because of the salty taste. By eating the bark off the pine trees, the porcupine destroys the protective skin
of the tree, therefore opening it up to other elements that may affect its survival.
_____ Describe the adaptation feature of your population
Example: Silversword plant that grows in Hawaii has tiny hair like projections that protects the plant from the
extreme temperatures
_____ Nitrogen Cycle or Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle
Draw and label the Nitrogen Cycle for your animal or draw and label the Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle for your plant
Grading Ecology Project
_________ Poster rubric score (50 points)
 Neat
 Typed
 All required elements
____________ Participation rubric score (30 points)





work done on time
showed initiative
shared ideas
cooperative
gave feedback that was dignified
______________ Presentation rubric score (10 points)
 Ideas expressed were organized
 Accurate information
_____________ Work Cited page (10 points)



Correctly cited (6 points)
1 internet source cited (2 points)
1 book source cited (2 points)
Name: ____________________
Period:__________
Activity: ________________
Criteria
Comes to class
prepared with
all materials
Works well
individually
Stays focused
throughout the
task (discussions
are on topic/subject
only)
Shows progress
on assignment
(can show that work
has been accomplished
during the time given)
Total: ______/5
Rubric: Class Participation
4
3
2
1
Ecology Poster: Poster rubric
Student Name ___________________
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Required
Elements
The poster
includes all
required
elements as well
as additional
information.
All required
elements are
included on the
poster.
All but 1 of the
required
elements are
included on the
poster.
Several required
elements were
missing.
Labels
All items of
importance on
the poster are
clearly labeled
with labels that
can be read from
at least 3 ft.
away.
Almost all items
of importance on
the poster are
clearly labeled
with labels that
can be read from
at least 3 ft.
away.
Many items of
importance on
the poster are
clearly labeled
with labels that
can be read from
at least 3 ft.
away.
Labels are too
small to view OR
no important
items were
labeled.
Graphics Relevance
All graphics are
related to the
topic and make it
easier to
understand. All
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
All graphics are
related to the
topic and most
make it easier to
understand.
Some borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
All graphics
relate to the
topic. One or two
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
Graphics do not
relate to the topic
OR several
borrowed
graphics do not
have a source
citation.
Attractiveness
The poster is
exceptionally
attractive in terms
of design, layout,
and neatness.
The poster is
attractive in terms
of design, layout
and neatness.
The poster is
acceptably
attractive though
it may be a bit
messy.
The poster is
distractingly
messy or very
poorly designed.
It is not attractive.
Grammar
There are no
grammatical/mec
hanical mistakes
on the poster.
There are 1-2
grammatical/mec
hanical mistakes
on the poster.
There are 3-4
grammatical/mec
hanical mistakes
on the poster.
There are more
than 4
grammatical/mec
hanical mistakes
on the poster.
Date Created: 2003-07-28
Copyright. © 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 ALTec, the University of Kansas
Presentation Rubric
Evaluating Student Presentations
Developed by Information Technology Evaluation Services, NC Department of Public Instruction
1
3
4
Audience has
difficulty following
presentation
because student
jumps around.
Student presents
information in
logical sequence
which audience can
follow.
Student presents
information in logical,
interesting sequence
which audience can
follow.
Student does not
have grasp of
information;
student cannot
answer questions
about subject.
Student is
uncomfortable with
information and is
able to answer only
rudimentary
questions.
Student
demonstrates full
Student is at ease
knowledge (more
with expected
than required) by
answers to all
answering all class
questions, but fails
questions with
to elaborate.
explanations and
elaboration.
Student uses
superfluous
graphics or no
graphics
Student occasionally
Student's graphics
uses graphics that
relate to text and
rarely support text
presentation.
and presentation.
Mechanics
Student's
presentation has
four or more
spelling errors
and/or
grammatical
errors.
Presentation has
three misspellings
and/or grammatical
errors.
Eye Contact
Student reads all
of report with no
eye contact.
Student maintains
Student occasionally
eye contact most of
uses eye contact, but
the time but
still reads most of
frequently returns
report.
to notes.
Student maintains
eye contact with
audience, seldom
returning to notes.
Student mumbles,
incorrectly
pronounces terms,
and speaks too
quietly for students
in the back of class
to hear.
Student's voice is
low. Student
incorrectly
pronounces terms.
Audience members
have difficulty
hearing presentation.
Student uses a clear
voice and correct,
precise
pronunciation of
terms so that all
audience members
can hear
presentation.
Organization
Subject
Knowledge
Graphics
Elocution
Audience cannot
understand
presentation
because there is
no sequence of
information.
2
Student's graphics
explain and reinforce
screen text and
presentation.
Presentation has
Presentation has no
no more than two
misspellings or
misspellings and/or
grammatical errors.
grammatical errors.
Student's voice is
clear. Student
pronounces most
words correctly.
Most audience
members can hear
presentation.
Total Points:
Total