DE Science Elementary “5-Minute Prep” For Ecosystems Ecosystem Change Extinction
Extinction – The Big Ideas When an ecosystem changes, living things survive, move, or die off. Species that adapt over time can survive and reproduce. Rapid changes make survival for species more difficult than gradual changes. Changes to an ecosystem are part of the process of adaptation and survival. Some species may survive by moving to a location with better conditions.
Extinction – Prior Knowledge Students are fascinated by nature and the world around them. It will help for students to use the Fun-damental, Exploring Ecosystems, to review ecosystems. It will also be helpful if students have:Exploring Ecosystems visited different types of local habitats. read a book about dinosaurs or played with dinosaur toys.
Extinction – Common Misconceptions Individuals can adapt to a changing environment. These adaptations are heritable. –Reality: Inherited traits are passed from parents to offspring in a species. A mutation is a change in traits that are adapted over time and through generations of a species. These changes allow species to survive environmental changes. Humans are responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs. –Reality: Fossil evidence does not provide evidence that humans lived during the time period when the dinosaurs lived on Earth.
Extinction – Using DE Science Content When you close this presentation, you can review the following recommended resources for Extinction. Exploration: ExtinctionExtinction Reading Passage: Extinction TodayExtinction Today Video: The Disappearing FrogsThe Disappearing Frogs Video: Reasons for Protecting the Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic LionReasons for Protecting the Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Lion Use the PowerPoint version of this presentation for hyperlinks to these resources or you can get to them through the browser or search feature.
Extinction – Instructional Ideas Use a computer lab to have each student or pairs of students complete the Exploration: Extinction. Extinction –Have students reassemble a skeleton from an owl pellet or a puzzle of a skeleton. The students will determine about how big the animal was when it was living and what they think the animal might have eaten based on its mouth parts. Read Fossils.Fossils –Have the students make imprints with shells and Plaster of Paris.
State standards: If you wish to review your state standards regarding extinction, click here to get to the curriculum standards search feature of DES. You can click on any standard to see what resources are available to teach it. Additional Information: For additional content, check the Extend section within the concept.