Introduction to Ecology...ecosystem plays a unique role, they all have unique impacts on the ecosystem. If an organism is lost within an ecosystem, other species cannot fill the “niche”

Unit 9 Overview

COPYRIGHT © by Edgenuity. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Edgenuity.

SAMPLE Unit of Study: Biology

Introduction to Ecology

Overview

Unit Description

In this unit, students are introduced to the study of ecology and examine the importance of the roles

played by various organisms within specific ecosystems and the overall environment. Students begin

by examining various ways in which populations of organisms interact with their environment,

including evaluating the importance of niches in maintaining ecosystem health and the role of biotic

and abiotic factors in maintaining the health of organisms. Students then further develop their

understanding of the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems by

examining the various cycles of matter that occur in ecosystems and how each contributes to overall

environmental health.

Students then turn their attention to the more specific interactions that occur between organisms in

ecosystems. They compare and contrast the five major types of interactions that occur between

organisms and examine how symbiotic relationships can create dependency among species. Students

also analyze the processes of matter and energy flow within ecosystems, focusing on how these

factors move between organisms and how these relationships demonstrate the laws of conservation

of matter and conservation of energy. They then turn their attention to positive and negative

interactions between organisms and their environment, including analyzing how factors such as birth

rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration affect population size. In addition, students describe

the limiting factors that affect a population in a given environment and differentiate between density-

dependent and density-independent factors.

Students complete their study of ecology by focusing on natural and artificial factors that impact the

health of organisms in an ecosystem. Students examine and explain the stages of succession in an

ecosystem and identify additional factors that may disturb ecosystem stability, including evaluating

positive and negative impacts humans have on the environment. Students finish this unit by describing

various ways communities are attempting to restore and protect ecosystems and providing examples of

emerging efforts designed to successfully address environmental issues.

Unit 9 Overview


Big Ideas

Matter and energy are constantly being cycled between organisms and the environment. Matter

and energy are never lost in ecosystems but are transferred between organisms or to the

environment in different ways.

There are many different types of relationships seen between organisms in ecosystems. Some of

these relationships benefit both organisms, while others are only of benefit to one of the

organisms involved.

The size of different organism populations found in an ecosystem can be impacted by various

density-dependent and density-independent factors, such as birth rate, death rate, disease,

food/water supply, and emigration/immigration.

Changes that occur to the biotic and abiotic factors found in ecosystems affect overall ecosystem

stability and can lead to environmental succession.

Humans cause both beneficial and detrimental changes to the environment.

Essential Questions

How do abiotic factors affect organisms living in an environment? How do organisms in an

environment impact each other?

How do matter and energy cycle within ecosystems? What roles do organisms play in cycling

matter and energy?

How do biotic factors affect the population size in an ecosystem? How do abiotic factors affect

population size?

How do natural and human-caused environmental changes affect organisms and ecosystems?

Key Standards

The following focus standards are intended to guide teachers to be purposeful and strategic in both what

to include and what to exclude when teaching this unit. Although each unit emphasizes certain standards,

students are exposed to a number of key ideas in each unit, and as with every rich classroom learning

experience, these standards are revisited throughout the course to ensure that students master the

concepts with an ever-increasing level of rigor.

Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that

affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

HS-LS2-1.

Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about

factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

HS-LS2-2.

Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy

among organisms in an ecosystem.

HS-LS2-4.

Unit 9 Overview


Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of

carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

HS-LS2-5.

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-LS2-6.

Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the

environment and biodiversity.

HS-LS2-7.

Recommended Structures

The Unit Outline included in this document provides a framework for weekly instruction, practice, and

assessment. Each week of instruction includes digital lessons that students will complete independently,

as well as opportunities for whole-group and small-group teacher-led instruction.

The Unit Outline will use the following icons.

Preparation for Weekly Instruction Modifications for Special Populations

Learning Goals

Supporting English Learners

Edgenuity Digital Lessons

Work for Early Finishers

Additional Instructional Support

Science & Engineering Practices

Common Misconceptions

& Reteaching Strategies

Cross-Cutting Concepts

Social Emotional

Learning Connections

Real-World Connections

Unit 9 Outline


Week 1 – Organisms and Matter in the

Environment Unit 9: Introduction to Ecology

Learning Goals This week, students will examine biotic and abiotic factors that impact the interactions that occur between

organisms and the environment, including the role of biogeochemical cycles in maintaining populations.

Identify biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems. (HS-LS2-1)

Describe positive and negative interactions between organisms and the environment. (HS-LS2-6)

Compare and contrast the biogeochemical cycles that occur in ecosystems. (HS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-5)

Explain the importance of biogeochemical cycles to organisms and ecosystems. (HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-6)

Edgenuity Digital Lessons Populations and the Environment

The Cycles of Matter

Week at a Glance

Day 1 Build background knowledge and introduce the unit. Begin by having students brainstorm about the different

aspects that they believe are part of ecology (i.e. start with discussion questions like “What is ecology? How

do we study ecology? etc.” and have students brainstorm from there). After students have finished

brainstorming, explain how ecology involves the study of organisms and how they interact with their

environment, and introduce the levels of organization found in ecology. Then show the students a brief video

overview discussing the components of ecosystems and biomes of the world (such as the one shown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A495e31cDdE) Separate students into small groups and give each group

a poster board and markers. Assign each group one of the biomes of the world (desert, rainforest, savanna,

etc.). Have students work together to conduct research and create an informational poster about the biome

that includes information such as average temperature, average precipitation, types of plants and animals that

live there, where it is located, etc. The groups can then briefly present these posters to the class. After the

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A495e31cDdE

Unit 9 Outline


presentation, explain that this unit will cover the various aspects of ecology and how we impact the ecology

around us.

Day 2 Students will work independently on the digital lesson: “Populations and the Environment.” Monitor students

who are struggling and provide individual attention as needed.

Day 3 Begin the class with the following discussion question:

● Which abiotic factors are the most important in an ecosystem? Why?

Encourage students to compare and contrast the various abiotic factors found in most ecosystems and evaluate

the costs and benefits of each factor to the organisms in an ecosystem. Students should also apply critical

thinking skills to evaluate the claims of others during the discussion. Then have students work on finishing

“Populations and the Environment” and moving to the next lesson: “Cycles of Matter.” Monitor students who

are struggling and provide individual attention as needed.

Science and Engineering Practices / Cross-Cutting Concepts

Within the lessons “Populations and the Environment” and “Cycles of Matter,” students will develop

conceptual knowledge regarding various biotic and abiotic factors that affect the stability of

ecosystems, such as food and water supply, available space, predator-prey interactions, etc. Explain

to students that various interactions happen in ecosystems at different scales, such as between

individual organisms or even between different ecosystems, and that all interactions that happen

contribute to maintaining stability or affecting change in the overall ecosystem. As an extension

activity, students could develop models of the various interactions that may happen between

organisms, between organisms and their ecosystem, or between ecosystems.

Day 4 Use data to identify students who did not pass the quiz from “Populations and the Environment.” These

students will be Group A. Students who passed the quiz will be Group B. During the first part of the class period,

pull Group A together for re-teaching while Group B students work on the Cycles of Matter project. For the

remaining time, work with students individually or in small groups as needed.

Unit 9 Outline


Common Misconceptions & Reteaching Strategies

Many students may have difficulty understanding the variety of ways organisms interact with biotic

and abiotic factors in their environment, as well as how the niches of individual organisms are

different. One common misconception students may have about the ways in which organisms interact

with biotic and abiotic factors is that there is no competition for natural resources by plants, only by

animals. In actuality, plants compete for resources in the same ways that animals do. Plants compete

with other plants and living organisms for resources like sunlight, water, nutrients, and living space.

Another misconception students may have is that minor changes to biotic and abiotic factors within

an environment will not have an impact on the organisms living in that environment. It is important

to highlight for students that any changes that occur within an ecosystem, no matter how small, will

have effects on the biotic and abiotic factors within that ecosystem, even if those effects are not

immediately evident. Finally, it is very common for students to misinterpret or misuse the term

“niche” when referring to its use in ecology. It is important to highlight for students that in scientific

terminology, each organism has a unique role in and unique needs that are met by the ecosystem in

which they live, and these constitute the organism’s “niche.” As such, since every organism in an

ecosystem plays a unique role, they all have unique impacts on the ecosystem. If an organism is lost

within an ecosystem, other species cannot fill the “niche” that the original organism had, because

they are unable to affect the ecosystem in the same ways.

Science and Engineering Practices

Within the project for the lesson “Cycles of Matter,” students will be examining the roles of

photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the transfers of matter and energy that occur within the

carbon cycle. Prior to beginning the project, review the processes of photosynthesis and respiration

with students. Ensure that students are familiar with how these processes occur, what compounds are

involved in the chemical reactions of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and how these processes

use and transfer energy from the environment to organisms.

Unit 9 Outline


Cross-Cutting Concept

Within the project for the lesson “Cycles of Matter,” students will analyze and model the relationships

between organisms and the environment that occur within the carbon cycle. Prior to beginning the

project, review with students the concept of conservation of matter. Explain to students that matter

is only transferred between organisms or from organisms to the environment (i.e., matter can be

transferred at different scales), but matter is never lost.

Day 5 Some students will need this day to finish the week’s required digital lessons and/or activities. Other students

will be finished with the required digital lessons. Refer to the work for early finishers for those that have

completed the required lessons.

Modifications for Special Populations

Supporting English Learners Low Proficiency High Proficiency

Front-load needed vocabulary before students begin

the lesson on Day 2. Vocabulary needs will vary with

each student population, but consider including

biotic, abiotic, habitat, niche, predator, prey,

omnivore, scavenger, adaptation.

Create a T-chart with students with the titles “biotic”

and “abiotic”. Take students on a walk throughout the

school and around the school grounds to identify

biotic and abiotic factors in their direct environment.

Lead a discussion regarding how these factors affect

the ecosystem and the different members of the

ecosystem.

Work for Early Finishers Have students watch the following video from the National Geographic Crittercam: “Fish Thieves Take Rare Seals’

Prey” (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/eb109212-3e34-44d2-87e6-24a1728c62b8) and analyze the

interactions between the monk seal and the octopus/eel/triggerfish, as well as the monk seal and the sharks. Have

students discuss the benefits and disadvantages of using modern technology to observe animal behaviors and

interactions from afar.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/eb109212-3e34-44d2-87e6-24a1728c62b8

Unit 9 Outline


Science & Engineering Practices ● Use mathematical and/or computational representations of phenomena or design solutions to support

explanations. (HS-LS2-1)

● Use mathematical representations of phenomena or design solutions to support and revise


● Use mathematical representations of phenomena or design solutions to support claims. (HS-LS2-4)

● Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or components of

a system. (HS-LS2-5)

● Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind currently accepted explanations or

solutions to determine the merits of arguments. (HS-LS2-6)

Cross-Cutting Concepts ● The significance of a phenomenon is dependent on the scale, proportion, and quantity at which it

occurs. (HS-LS2-1)

● Using the concept of orders of magnitude allows one to understand how a model at one scale relates

to a model at another scale. (HS-LS2-2)

● Energy cannot be created or destroyed—it only moves between one place and another place, between

objects and/or fields, or between systems. (HS-LS2-4)

● Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and

interactions— including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at

different scales. (HS-LS2-5)

● Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain

stable. (HS-LS2-6)

Real-World Connections Discuss the impact of human activities on cycles of matter and ecosystems. Point out examples such as the dead

zones in the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay or the development of algal blooms along the shores of

the Great Lakes and the West coast of the United States. Have students brainstorm how these events may be

affected by the cycles of matter and human activities, as well as possible solutions to address them.

Social Emotional


Individually, students will relate the lesson content to his/her personal lives by creating an artistic or written

representation of his/her ecosystem. Students will include the populations, biotic factors, abiotic factors,

predators, prey and niches within their personal ecosystem. After each student presents their work, display the

ecosystems throughout the room during the duration of the unit.

Unit 9 Outline


Week 2 – Organisms and Energy in the

Environment Unit 9: Introduction to Ecology

Learning Goals This week, students will continue examining the factors that affect interactions between organisms and the

environment, focusing on the relationships that occur between individual organisms and how these

relationships impact the movement of energy in ecosystems.

Identify the five types of relationships that occur between organisms. (HS-LS2-8)

Differentiate between the three main types of symbiotic relationships. (HS-LS2-8)

Describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in ecosystems. (HS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-6)

Illustrate how energy flows through trophic levels in food chains and food webs. (HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-4)

Edgenuity Digital Lessons Relationships Among Organisms

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Week at a Glance

Day 1 Use data to identify students who did not pass the quiz from “The Cycles of Matter.” These students will be

Group A. Students who passed the quiz will be Group B. During the first part of the class period, pull Group A

together for re-teaching while Group B students work on the lesson “Relationships Among Organisms.” For the



● For each of the scenarios described below, identify what type of symbiotic relationship is represented

and explain how you know.

○ Barnacles are a type of crustacean that attaches to the bodies of large organisms like whales.

Barnacles use their feather-like feet to catch food such as plankton while the whale is moving.

Unit 9 Outline


Answer: This is an example of commensalism, because the barnacle benefits from its

association with the larger organism, while the larger organism is neither benefitted nor

harmed.

○ Mistletoe is a plant that is commonly associated with Christmas festivities. This plant obtains

water and nutrients from host trees, sometimes causing the tree to weaken or even die.

Answer: This is an example of parasitism, because the mistletoe benefits from its association

with the host tree, and the host tree is harmed.

○ Oxpeckers are a unique kind of bird found on certain animals such as rhinos or zebras. These

birds obtain food by eating ticks or other parasites that may infest the skin of the larger animal.

Answer: This is an example of mutualism, because both the oxpecker and the larger organism

benefit from the relationship.

Encourage students to brainstorm additional examples of symbiotic relationships seen in the real world and

evaluate the claims of others during the discussion. For the remainder of the time, students will work

independently on finishing the digital lesson: “Relationships Among Organisms.” If students have completed

this lesson already, guide them to the work for early finishers. Work with individual students as needed.


Within the lesson “Relationships Among Organisms,” students will examine the impact of symbiotic

relationships on organisms, as well as the impact of invasive organisms on the environment. Prior to

beginning the lesson, review the concepts of cause and effect with students. Ensure that students

understand that, just because an organism has a symbiotic relationship with another organism, that

does not mean that the symbiotic relationship will be the cause of different illnesses, interactions with

the environment, etc. that an organism has (i.e., if an organism has a parasite and dies, that does not

mean that the parasite caused the organism to die). Also ensure that students understand that, in

some cases, the symbiotic relationship between two organisms actually aids in maintaining stability

in an organism (such as with humans and intestinal bacteria).

Unit 9 Outline


Day 3 Students will work independently on the digital lesson: “Energy Flow in Ecosystems.” Monitor students who

are struggling and provide individual attention as needed.

Science and Engineering Practices

Within the lesson “Energy Flow in Ecosystems,” students will examine the transfer of energy that

occurs between trophic levels in a food chain/food web, and how the percentage of energy available

at each trophic level changes. Prior to beginning the lesson, review with students the methods for

calculating percentages of a whole value.


Within the lesson “Energy Flow in Ecosystems,” students will analyze and model the relationships

between organisms and the environment that occur between trophic levels and within energy

pyramids. Prior to beginning the lesson, review with students the concept of conservation of energy.

Explain to students that energy is only transferred between organisms or from organisms to the

environment (i.e., energy can be transferred at different scales), but energy is never lost.

Day 4 Use data to identify students who struggled with the following learning objectives:

● Describe the five major types of interactions between organisms.

● Examine how symbiotic relationships can create dependency among species.

Group students in pairs or triads such that each grouping has at least one student who did not struggle with

these objectives and at least one student who did. Have students work in groups to create posters, worksheets,

or other activities that could teach younger students the differences between the five types of interactions

between organisms, including distinguishing between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.


Many students may confuse the interactions between different organisms and the types of symbiotic

relationships that they represent. One major misconception students may have about symbiotic

Unit 9 Outline


relationships is that some interactions between organisms may fall into more than one category of

symbiosis. Students often may confuse mutualistic relationships for commensalistic relationships and

vice versa. Encourage students to carefully analyze what is actually occurring within the organismal

relationship - is one of the organisms being harmed? Are both organisms helped? Is only one organism

being helped? Careful analysis will help students to be able to better differentiate between

mutualistic, commensalistic, and parasitic relationships. Many videos (such as the example here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doB6fyzoO68) are available online to provide students with a

more interactive visualization of the applications of symbiotic relationships in nature.

Another misconception students may have about symbiotic relationships is that they only impact the

organisms that are directly involved in the relationship. Highlight for students that symbiotic

relationships between organisms can have effects on other relationships that occur within the

ecosystem, such as predator-prey relationships.

Day 5 Begin the lesson with the following discussion question:

● Why can’t there be an infinite number of organisms in a food chain or food web?

Encourage students to analyze how energy is transferred between organisms and how the amount of energy

available changes between levels of a food chain. During the discussion, complete the following demonstration

to help students better visualize the energy transfer that occurs between trophic levels that limits the number

of organisms in a food chain.

Demonstration

Obtain a one-liter container of a soda such as cola, root beer, etc. Select four volunteers from the class to aid

in the demonstration. Explain that in the demonstration, the teacher will represent the sun and each student

will represent one of the trophic levels in a typical food chain (i.e., the first student will be a producer, the

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doB6fyzoO68

Unit 9 Outline


second a primary consumer, the third a secondary consumer, and the fourth a tertiary consumer or a

decomposer). Each student will receive an amount of the soda equal to 1/10th of the previous individual to

represent the change in energy that occurs between trophic levels (so, the teacher represents 100% of the

energy from the sun since they have the full liter of soda, the first student will receive 1/10 of that energy as a

producer, so 100 mL of soda, the second student will receive 1/10 of the energy of the producer, so 10 mL of

soda, and so on).

Use the demonstration to clarify for the students that the energy that is not transferred between organisms

still exists, but it is transferred to the environment rather than to organisms. Students will then use the

remainder of the day to finish any remaining work on the week’s digital lessons and/or activities. Refer to the

work for early finishers for those that have completed the required lessons.





each student population, but consider including:

Predation, competition, mutualism, commensalism,

parasitism, producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Have students illustrate the five major types of

interactions with a descriptive caption. Additionally,

have students create a cartoon illustrating the three

steps in the energy flow (producers, consumers, and

decomposers) with descriptive captions.

Work for Early Finishers Have students complete the scenario and questions for the interactive food web simulation located here:

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/food_web.php. Students will need a copy of the

data table that is found here: https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/index.php. (Note:

Students will only need the data table for Lesson 2.) Students should complete both steps if time allows.)



● Use mathematical representations of phenomena or design solutions to support claims. (HS-LS2-4)

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/food_web.php

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/index.php

Unit 9 Outline


● Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to

determine the merits of arguments. (HS-LS2-6)

● Evaluate the evidence behind currently accepted explanations to determine the merits of arguments.

(HS-LS2-8)


occurs. (HS-LS2-1)

● Energy cannot be created or destroyed— it only moves between one place and another place, between

objects and/or fields, or between systems. (HS-LS2-4)


stable. (HS-LS2-6)

● Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about

specific causes and effects. (HS-LS2-8)

Real-World Connections Discuss the impact of exotic and/or invasive species on the relationships between organisms in ecosystems.

Point out examples such as Burmese pythons and African clawed frogs and the impacts they have had on native

animal populations in Florida and California. Have students brainstorm strategies to make humans more aware

of the impacts of these organisms and why it is important to avoid releasing exotic animals or invasive species

into native ecosystems.

Social Emotional


Individually, students will reflect on the relationships in their lives related to the five major types of interactions

between organisms (predation, competition, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism). Students will write

down examples of relationships that fit one or more of these interactions and determine if that interaction is

healthy, unhealthy, or neutral for their personal growth. This activity should be done independently or on a one

on one basis with the teacher as to monitor any significant concerns in each individual student’s personal life.

Unit 9 Outline


Week 3 – Factors Affecting Populations and

Adaptation Unit 9: Introduction to Ecology

Learning Goals This week, students examine factors that affect the size and growth of populations in environments, including

differentiating between types of limiting factors seen in ecosystems. Students also will compare and contrast

the processes of primary and secondary succession that occur when ecosystems are impacted by environmental

changes.

Describe the effects of density-dependent and density-independent factors on populations. (HS-LS2-1)

Explain how various natural events affect population size. (HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2)

Differentiate between primary and secondary succession in ecosystems. (HS-LS2-6, HS-LS4-5)

Describe how changes to the overall biodiversity impact populations of organisms in ecosystems.

(HS-LS4-5)

Edgenuity Digital Lessons Population Size and Structure

Succession and Extinction

Week at a Glance

Day 1 Use data to identify students who did not pass the quiz from “Energy Flow in Ecosystems.” These students will

be Group A. Students who passed the quiz will be Group B. During the first part of the class period, pull Group

A together for re-teaching while Group B students work on the lesson “Population Size and Structure.” For the



Many students may have difficulty understanding how matter and energy are transferred between

organisms within different trophic levels, as well as interpreting the information provided in energy

Unit 9 Outline


pyramids. One common misconception students may have about trophic levels is that organisms that

consume the same food sources must be on the same trophic level. Highlight for students that, while

there is only one level for producers in an energy pyramid, there are multiple levels for consumers.

For example, both owls and snakes will feed on small animals like mice and squirrels. However, owls

may also feed on snakes, so these organisms are not part of the same trophic level, even though they

do have some of the same food sources.

Another misconception that students may have is that organisms that are at different trophic levels

always have predator-prey relationships. Highlight for students that there are multiple relationships

where organisms that are in different trophic levels either do not have predator-prey relationships,

or may in fact have symbiotic relationships, such as with the shark and remora fish. Yet another

misconception students may have is that food chains end with a large predator. Clarify for students

that food chains do not ever end, but rather act more as a mechanism for matter cycling and energy

transfer. Within food chains, large predators become a nutrient source for decomposers and

producers after they die. Finally, students may have misconceptions regarding the accumulation

and/or loss of energy that takes place at the different trophic levels. It is important for students to

understand that, while the amount of energy available at each trophic level does decrease, the energy

itself is not lost but transferred to the environment to be used in other ways.

Day 2 Begin the lesson with the following discussion question:

● As the effects of climate change and urbanization have begun to have a greater impact on organisms

throughout the world, humans have begun to relocate various animal species from areas experiencing

the negative impacts of these phenomena to new areas in order to improve survival rates and prevent

animal endangerment or extinction. Would this scenario be an example of emigration or immigration?

How do you know?

Encourage students to analyze how both emigration and immigration relate to the movement of populations

from one region to another and how they are related to each other. Students work on finishing “Population

Unit 9 Outline


Size and Structure” and moving on to “Succession and Extinction” for the remainder of the class period.

Monitor students who are struggling and provide individual attention as needed.


Within the lesson “Population Size and Structure,” students will examine how factors such as birth

rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration affect the size of populations and overall carrying

capacity of an ecosystem. Prior to beginning the lesson, review with students the concepts of density

and distribution. After the lesson, discuss with students the connections between population size and

population growth, such as what it would mean to the population size if a population is growing at a

rate of zero or a has a negative rate of growth.

Day 3 Students will work independently on finishing the digital lesson “Succession and Extinction.” Monitor students

who are struggling and provide individual attention as needed.


Within the lesson “Succession and Extinction,” students examine the various factors that contribute

to the processes of succession that occur within ecosystems and the extinction of different organisms,

including the impacts of seasonal variations and climate change. As an extension activity, students

could work in groups to evaluate various claims regarding the impact of climate change on different

populations in ecosystems such as the tundra, rainforest, or wetlands. Students could present their

views either individually in a written analysis that includes supporting evidence, or collaboratively with

other students in a classroom debate.

Day 4 Use data to identify students who struggled with the following learning objectives:

● Differentiate between density-dependent and density-independent factors.

● Explain how birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration affect population size.

Unit 9 Outline


Group students in pairs or triads such that each grouping has at least one student who did not struggle with

these objectives and at least one student who did. Have students work in groups to create posters, worksheets,

or other activities that could teach younger students the differences between density-dependent and density-

independent factors, as well as how the reproduction, death, and movement of organism populations affects

the overall size of a population in an ecosystem.


Many students may confuse density-dependent limiting factors with density-independent limiting

factors, as well as have misconceptions regarding what types of factors can be limiting. One common

misconception students may have is that density-dependent factors are only biotic, while density-

independent factors are only abiotic. Clarify for students that there are density-dependent limiting

factors, such as availability of water or space, that are not biotic. Also clarify that density-independent

limiting factors, such as the use of pesticides or habitat destruction, are directly caused by biotic

factors (humans).

Another misconception students may have about limiting factors is that all resources found within an

environment act as limiting factors except the most abundant resource. Clarify for students that even

though some resources within an environment are available in greater abundance, there are multiple

instances in ecosystems where the removal of one factor, regardless of its abundance, can prevent

specific events from occurring. A good example of this is photosynthesis - plants require sunlight,

water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the soil in order to complete the processes involved in

photosynthesis. Even if a plant has an abundance of three of these factors, without the fourth, the

process cannot occur. Many videos (such as the example here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IS_M6CX7FE) are available online to provide students with a

more interactive visualization of the relationship between limiting factors and populations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IS_M6CX7FE

Unit 9 Outline


Day 5 Some students will need this day to finish the week’s required digital lessons. Other students will be finished

with the required digital lessons. Refer to the work for early finishers for those that have completed the

required lessons.





each student population, but consider

including: extinction, succession, stability, disturb,

immigration, emigration, population, dependent and

independent.

Have students complete a flow chart of energy in an

ecosystem using pictorial representation of various

vocabulary words.

Work for Early Finishers Allow early finishers to read a brief article discussing the long-term impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the

ecosystems of the Gulf Coast: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-hurricane-katrina-

redrew-gulf-coast-180956444/

Have the students write a short summary discussing how Hurricane Katrina affected the ecosystems and

biodiversity of the Gulf Coast, including both positive and negative impacts on the organisms of the region and

steps that scientists are taking to aid in the recovery of the ecosystem.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-hurricane-katrina-redrew-gulf-coast-180956444/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-hurricane-katrina-redrew-gulf-coast-180956444/

Unit 9 Outline




● Use mathematical representations of phenomena or design solutions to support and revise


● Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to

determine the merits of arguments. (HS-LS2-6)

● Evaluate the evidence behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to determine the merits of

arguments. (HS-LS4-5)


occurs. (HS-LS2-1)

● Using the concept of orders of magnitude allows one to understand how a model at one scale relates

to a model at another scale. (HS-LS2-2)


stable. (HS-LS2-6)



Real-World Connections Discuss how the processes of succession may differ after natural disasters vs. man-made disasters. Provide

examples of events such as the Mount St. Helens eruption, Hurricane Katrina, the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, etc. and

have students brainstorm how succession might be impacted in these scenarios (i.e., can succession occur in

this situation? What type of succession could occur? How do you know? Are there any disaster scenarios where

succession may not be able to occur? etc.)

Social Emotional


Lead a classroom discussion asking students to share a time when their ecosystem was disrupted in some way

(divorce, death of a family member, moving to a new home/city, addition of a family member, illness of a family

member, a new job, natural disaster etc.). Ask students how different people in their family coped with the

change, how that disturbance affected their day to day lives, and what advice they would give someone going

through that same situation. Be aware of any students in your classroom that have experienced trauma as this

discussion might be challenging (or a trigger) for them.

Unit 9 Outline


Week 4 – Human Impact on the Environment Unit 9: Introduction to Ecology

Learning Goals This week, students will finish their exploration of ecosystems by investigating the positive and negative impacts

of human activities on the environment and completing the Unit Review and Unit Test.

Explain the relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming. (HS-LS2-7)

Describe positive and negative effects of human activities on ecosystems. (HS-LS2-7)

Analyze how humans can reduce negative impacts on ecosystems.

(HS-LS2-7, HS-LS4-6, HS-ETS1-1, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3, HS-ETS1-4)

Edgenuity Digital Lessons Human Impact on the Environment

Unit Review

Unit Test

Week at a Glance

Day 1 Use data to identify students who did not pass the quiz from “Succession and Extinction.” These students will

be Group A. Students who passed the quiz will be Group B. During the first part of the class period, pull Group

A together for re-teaching while Group B students work on “Human Impact on the Environment.”


● What are some ways that advances in technology have changed how humans interact with the

environment? Do you think technological advances are more beneficial or detrimental to the

environment? Why?

Unit 9 Outline


Encourage students to analyze the various types of and ways that technology is used by humans to interact

with the environment (such as in agriculture, the creation of genetically modified organisms, etc.), as well as

how technology can be beneficial and detrimental to humans and the environment.

During the discussion, complete the following demonstration to help students better understand how the

detrimental effects of some technologies, such as pesticides or pollutants, can accumulate between different

organisms within an environment.

Demonstration

Obtain 9 small cups, 3 medium cups, and 2 large cups. The small cups will represent 9 primary

consumers, the medium cups will represent 3 secondary consumers, and one of the large cups will

represent a tertiary consumer.

Obtain 20 candies that are the same color to represent the general producer population, and 10

candies of a different color from the first set of candies to represent producers that have been affected

by a pesticide or pollutant.

Place all of the candies into the second large cup to represent the “producer population” in the

example ecosystem.

Shake the large cup and simulate one primary consumer eating some of the producers by having a

student remove 3 of the candies from the “producer population” cup at random and placing them into

one of the small cups.

Repeat this step for the rest of the small cups with other students.

Next, simulate the secondary consumers eating the primary consumers. Have another student empty

the contents of 2 of the small cups at random into one of the medium cups.

Repeat this process for the remaining medium size cups with other students.

Unit 9 Outline


Finally, simulate the tertiary consumer eating secondary consumers. Have one last student empty the

contents of 2 of the medium size cups at random into the large cup.

Discuss with the students how the effects of the pesticide or pollutant traveled from the primary consumers

all the way through the food chain to the tertiary consumer, and how this provides just one example of why it

is important for humans to try to minimize the negative impacts we have on the environment. For the

remainder of the time, students will work independently on finishing the project for the “Human Impacts on

the Environment” lesson. If students have completed this project already, guide them to the work for early

finishers. Work with individual students as needed.


Within the project for the lesson “Human Impact on the Environment,” students evaluate the impacts

of human activity on coral reef ecosystems, then develop solutions to mitigate some of the negative

impacts. Prior to beginning the project, review with students the steps involved in the engineering

design process. Emphasize the importance of considering factors such as safety, overall cost, impacts

to society, etc. when developing an effective solution to an engineering problem, as well as the

importance of providing scientific evidence to support their proposed solution.

Day 3 Have students share their work from the previous day’s project with one other group. Invite each group to

share positive feedback with the whole class about the other’s group’s work. Use data fr to identify students

who did not pass the quiz from “Human Impact on the Environment.” These students will be Group A. Students

who passed the quiz will be Group B. After project results are shared, pull Group A together for re-teaching

while Group B students work on the Unit Review.


Many students may have misconceptions regarding the connections between the greenhouse effect

and global warming or may think that these two phenomena are identical. Clarify for students that the

greenhouse effect refers specifically to how the solar radiation that reaches the Earth moves into and

Unit 9 Outline


out of our atmosphere, similar to how heat moves in and out of a greenhouse. When solar radiation

reaches the Earth and enters the atmosphere, it is trapped close to the Earth’s surface by greenhouse

gases. This energy then warms the oceans, land and atmosphere. In normal circumstances, heat energy

is then re-released back out through the atmosphere into space, maintaining the Earth’s temperature

within a certain range. Global warming occurs when the amount of greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere increases due to human activity. The increased amounts of greenhouse gases enable the

atmosphere to absorb and trap more heat, causing Earth’s surface to warm even more than in normal

circumstances and preventing heat from escaping the atmosphere.

Students can complete a modeling activity to further aid in developing a thorough understanding of

the relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming—such as the example found here:

http://www.lsop.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/07/WhatIsAModel.pdf.

Day 4 Have any students that have yet to complete Unit Review activity do so at the start of the class period.

Ask the remaining students to participate in the following review activity:

● Separate the students into several groups and provide each group with a list of various producers,

consumers, and decomposers found in a specific ecosystem (i.e., one group will get a list of rainforest

organisms, one will get a list of desert organisms, etc.).

● Students will separate the organisms in their list into specific groups (i.e., they will identify which

organisms are producers, which are consumers, and which are decomposers - make sure that the lists

of organisms have all of the types mixed together and not already separated).

● Each student in the group will select four organisms from the list (including appropriate consumers,

producers, and decomposers), in order to create a food chain that can model the relationships that

occur between various organisms in their ecosystem. Make sure the students all choose different

organisms to make up their individual food chains.

http://www.lsop.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/07/WhatIsAModel.pdf

Unit 9 Outline


● After all of the students in an individual group have created their food chains, have the students discuss

the individual food chains and work together to combine them into an overall food web for the

ecosystem.

● Once each group has created their food web, give each of the groups a written description of an

ecological disturbance that the organisms in their ecosystem might encounter (such as seasonal

changes, natural disasters, human impacts, etc.) and have the students work together to create a

written description of how the ecological disturbance could affect the organisms in the food web.

As students complete the Unit Review, have them join this activity.

Day 5 Have all students take the Unit Test.



To build background knowledge, have students watch

the video “Human Impacts on the Environment” here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZMGBA_0Ik.

Then have them list the positive and negative effects

of humans on the environment. Encourage students

to add their own ideas.

In groups, have students list all of the natural

resources they use in one day. Have students group

the resources by renewable and non-renewable

resources. Lastly, have students determine what

requirements would need to be in place to make the

resources sustainable.

Work for Early Finishers If students complete the Unit Test before the entire class is done, encourage them to journal or discuss the

questions below with other students:

Do you think technological advances will help humans significantly reduce our impact on the

environment in the long run? Why or why not?

Do you think it is more important for humans to view ourselves as separate from nature, or as a part of

nature? Why?

Which alternative energy source (wind, water, biofuel, etc.) do you think will be most beneficial to

humans in the long run? Why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZMGBA_0Ik

Unit 9 Outline


Science & Engineering Practices ● 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)

● Create or revise a simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system. (HS-LS4-6)

● Analyze complex real-world problems by specifying criteria and constraints for successful solutions.

(HS-ETS1-1)

● Design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated

sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. (HS-ETS1-2)

● Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated

sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. (HS-ETS1-3)

● Use mathematical models and/or computer simulations to predict the effects of a design solution on

systems and/or the interactions between systems. (HS-ETS1-4)

Cross-Cutting Concepts ● Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain

stable. (HS-LS2-7)



● Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and

interactions— including energy, matter, and information flows— within and between systems at

different scales. (HS-ETS1-4)

Real-World Connections Discuss with students the increasing role renewable resources are playing in providing energy for homes, cars,

industrial buildings, etc. Provide examples of both common (solar, wind, hydropower, etc.) and uncommon

(biofuel, hydrogen) resources that are being used to create renewable energy. Have students discuss the

advantages and disadvantages that the different types of renewable energy have in different applications and

brainstorm what additional applications these types of energy could have in the future.

Social Emotional


Students will write a short paragraph on an activity they enjoy, why they enjoy it, and how the activity depends

on natural resources. Then in small groups, students will share their ideas and discuss how their activity would

be impacted and how their life would change if the natural resources were eliminated. Lastly, students will

discuss sustainable practices and actions steps they can take to ensure the continuation of their activity.

Introduction to Ecology...ecosystem plays a unique role, they all have unique impacts on the ecosystem. If an organism is lost within an ecosystem, other species cannot fill the “niche”

Documents