Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, & Dynamics

Explore: In collaborative groups of no more than 4, have students record their thoughts from the video on poster size paper and post in the classroom. Questions to ask to encourage their thinking: 

• Should the alligator be forced to leave the neighborhood? Why or why not?
• Why is the alligator “hanging out” in the Cape Coral neighborhood?
• How do you think residents should proceed in relation to the alligator? 

Watch Coastal Kingdom Classroom- Adult Alligators (linked in resources tab)
After watching this video and learning more about adult alligators in their natural environment, their behaviors, adaptations, and ecological roles, ask groups if they would like to change anything on their poster and/or add to the information on their poster. 

Share: Inform groups that a wildlife removal company has been called to remove the curious alligator from the Cape Coral neighborhood, because a neighbor said it was making her uncomfortable while she was trying to cut her lawn because she was scared and he smelled bad. Tell groups to use the information they provided on their posters to develop a short presentation (in any format of their choice) in which they take a stance either agreeing with the neighbor and advocating for the alligator to be removed or disagreeing with the neighbor and advocating for protection of the alligator. Presentations should be no more than 5 minutes in length. All group members should participate. The focus for this activity is having students begin to evaluate evidence regarding the effect of changes in environmental conditions and the impact of human activities on biodiversity and ecosystem health. Remember this is a time for students to inquire and explore the relevance of the content, therefore grading for this presentation should not be based on accuracy of content but 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, presenting information, etc. Use rubric linked in the resources tab.

Engage: Engage your students in real scientific data with the data nugget, Lizards, Iguanas, and Snakes! Oh My! (linked in the resources tab). These activities assist students in building their quantitative abilities such as those needed for B-LS2-1 while guiding them through the entire process of science with real world data that is relative. In this data nugget, the focus is on the urbanization of riparian habitats resulting in the loss of green spaces that provided water filtration, species diversity, and connections to nature. This specific team of researchers with the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project seek to find out how restoration 
of disturbed riparian habitats will affect animals living near rivers. Students answer the scientific question: How do urbanization and riparian rehabilitation impact reptile diversity and abundance? They then find the hypothesis in the research background and underline it. Based on the hypothesis, they answer the question, what are their predictions for lizard abundance and diversity at the three research sites. A scientific data table of a variety of specific reptiles is provided for students to use when answering the above questions as well as for graphing the data. Students must identify the changes, trends, and/or differences they see in their graph with explanations for their observations. Students also interpret the data. They make a claim that answers the scientific question identified above. They identify the evidence that used to write their claim and to reference specific parts of the table or graph. Students must explain their reasoning along with how the evidence they identified supports their claim. They must connect their data back to what they learned about the impact of urbanization on riparian habitats. In conclusion, students summarize if they felt the data supported the researchers’ hypothesis and use evidence to explain why or why not. Students contemplate next steps as science is an ongoing process by speculating as to new questions the researchers should investigate and what future data should be collected. 
Video of Heather and her lab out in the field collecting lizards
Virtual field trip to the Salt River biodiversity project

Explore: Students will use the provided line graphs (models) of carrying capacity of an ecosystem and deer population sample to support their explanations of the following questions (also provided as worksheet). 
1. Describe the changes at year 7 that would be expected of wildlife populations in the habitat being cleared for land development. 
2. Explain the changes that would occur in a forest ecosystem if 80% of the land was developed. 
3. What was the deer population when 250 homes were built? Provide an explanation as to why the deer population started to grow after this point even though houses continued to be built. 
4. Were significant changes observed in the deer population when the houses began being built in their habitat? Why or why not?
5. Explain how the decline of the deer population in their natural ecosystem affects other living 
organisms within that ecosystem. 

Students will complete Hi! I’m the Problem It’s Me task (linked in the resources tab).

Engage: Students will use the provided cards (print and cut out the cards at end of this unit- you will need 1 set per group of students) to complete a data table and create a graph of information. You will need to provide students graph paper to complete this task. Put all cards for each group in an envelope and label by group to keep cards organized. Each group of students will need one copy of the provided data table at the end of the unit. Students will analyze data at the end of this activity by answering questions based on their data table and graph that was created. Students will develop a graph based on information provided about the Yellowstone National Park and wolf population. They will answer the questions that follow the graph. 

Explain: Students should use the provided model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Activity includes students identifying and labeling key components of model such as biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, carbon sinks, and methane. Students also must illustrate the following processes on using the model: photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition, combustion, and carbon fixation. In summary, the activity asks student to check their cycle to ensure they have arrows that demonstrate the full carbon cycle. The next component of the learning experience for this standard provides students with a clean copy of the same model they labeled above to illustrate the effect of climate change on the carbon cycle. The interactive, Carbon Dioxide and the Carbon Cycle, from PBS Learning Media is used to label and illustrate information regarding climate change on the model. Students are required to read and understand models, graphs, and comprehend nonfiction text during this activity. 

Explore: Use the article How can Cheetahs and Farmers Get Along Better along with the reading strategy, Extracting Information from the Text. Students can do this in pairs if you have multilingual learners or struggling readers. After students read the article and make note of key information, surprises or new discoveries, questions or points of confusion, knowledge that is assumed and not explained, though-provoking ideas, change in perspective, and confirmation of beliefs using the marks indicated on the strategy page; discuss as a class using the Three Big Questions: Adopting a Questioning Stance. Point out to students that should use the sentence starters under each question as the class discusses the article. This could also be done in small groups with the teacher circulating the room listening for students using the sentence starters and ensuring that all students are equal participants in the discussion. Use the strategy that would work best for your class. 

Research: In groups of no more than 3, instruct students to select which organism they will be researching for the duration of this project. They may choose to visit various links prior to making their selection. 

Explore: Research and Design a Conservation Solution for a Specific Organism
In this project, students will select and research a specific organism from the research links in the above list that is currently facing threats to its survival due to human activities. Students will explore the key factors affecting the organism’s population and biodiversity, such as habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species, climate change, or other factors. Based on their research, students will design a feasible, sustainable conservation solution aimed at reducing these threats and ensuring the survival of the species.Each student or group will select a specific organism from the research links in the above list that is endangered or threatened. They will gather detailed information on: The species' biology (life cycle, role in the ecosystem, etc.) The major threats to the species' survival (pollution, overhunting, invasive species, etc.) Current conservation efforts (if any) and their effectiveness.

Explain: Designing the Conservation Solution: Based on their research, students will design a conservation solution to address the identified threats. This should include:

• A Detailed Conservation Plan: A clear explanation of the actions and strategies needed to protect the species.
• Cost and Feasibility: Consideration of materials, funding, and the resources needed to implement the solution.
• Impact Reduction: Quantitative or qualitative projections of how much the solution will reduce negative impacts on the species and its ecosystem.
• Sustainability: The long-term viability of the solution and its effects on the species' population and habitat.
• Prototype or Visual Model: Students will create a physical model, digital representation, or infographic that visualizes their proposed conservation solution. This could be a habitat restoration plan, a pollution reduction strategy, or a species protection program.

Communicate: Presentation and Report: Each student or group will prepare a presentation to communicate their findings and proposed solution. The presentation should include:

• An overview of the species and its role in the ecosystem.
• The key threats to the species and the impact of human activities.
• The proposed conservation solution, including cost, materials, and timeline.
• An assessment of how effective the solution will be in mitigating the threats.
• Social, cultural, and environmental considerations related to the solution.
• Additionally, they will submit a detailed written report that covers all aspects of their research and solution design.

Final Deliverables:

• A physical model or visual representation of the proposed conservation solution.
• A group presentation (10-15 minutes) showcasing their organism, its threats, and the proposed conservation solution.
• A written report, including: Detailed research on the species, including its biology and threats. A description of the proposed conservation plan and its feasibility. An evaluation of the solution’s potential impact on the species’ survival. Consideration of social, cultural, and environmental factors.

Differentiation: Provide graphic organizers, sentence starters, simplified readings, pre-highlighted text, smaller group sizes with more teacher guidance, and opportunities for oral responses instead of written ones.

Extension: Offer extension activities, opportunities for independent research on related topics, more complex data sets, leadership roles within groups, and the chance to design their own investigations or solutions.

Use the performance task linked in the resources section to assess student learning outcomes. 

Evaluation Criteria: Students will be assessed on:

• Research Quality: Depth and accuracy of their research on the organism and its threats.
  Creativity and Innovation: Originality and practicality of the proposed conservation solution.
• Feasibility and Impact: How realistic and effective the solution is, including cost, resources, and measurable outcomes.
• Presentation and Communication: The clarity, organization, and professionalism of the presentation.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: How well students work together to research and design the solution.