1. bellwork
Lucas doesn’t understand mold and cast fossils. What could you do to demonstrate the difference
What is the difference between a stable and unstable element?
Which isotope above is unstable?
What is the half life of Potassum 40?
If a mineral sample only has 25% of its Potassium 40, how old is it?
If you started with 8mg of Potassium 40. How many would be left after 3 half lives?

2. Bellwork What characteristics should index fossils have?
A fossil has 12mg of Carbon-14. How many mg will be left after 2 half lives
What happens in radioactive decay?
Fossils of the same plants are found on continents that are across the ocean. What might this observation mean?
Give an example of trace fossils.
Why do scientists study ice cores?
Which area below has the youngest top layer. How do you know

3. Bellwork: Create a title page for the last chapter: ECOLOGY
Turn to p. 468 in the green book – read and define abiotic and biotic factors.
Draw and label 5 biotic factors and 5 abiotic factors you might find in an ecosystem (there are examples in the text)
Turn to p. 484 in the green book. Define food web.
Draw 3 different food chains that make up the food web on this page.

4. Bellwork Color and complete foldable
Answer summary questions on back of yesterday’s notes sheet
Are all of the insects in an ecosystem a population? Why or why not?
Do you think ecosystems have borders? Explain your answer.

5. Ecology - the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their environment

6. Obj: I can describe the parts of an ecosystem
SC.7.L.17.3

7. Turn and Talk: Identify the living and nonliving parts of this ecosystem

8. How are living things connected?
Each organism has a role to play in the flow of energy and matter through the environment.
These relationships affect each other’s growth and survival.
Biotic factors
The living parts of an environment
Ex.: plants, animals, fungi, bacteria
Bio = living; life

9. Abiotic factors The nonliving parts of an environment
Ex: water, sunlight, oxygen, temperature, soil
A = non; not; without
Bio = living; life

11. What are the Parts of an Ecosystem?

12. Single living thing
Smallest unit of ecosystem

13. All the members of the same species that live together in an area.
Species – a group of organisms that can reproduce and have fertile offspring

14. All the different populations of species that live together in an area

15. all the living and nonliving things (biotic and abiotic factors) that interact in a particular area
Examples: prairie, mountain stream, ocean, forest

16. The part of Earth where life exists
Includes: the top portion of Earth’s crust
all the waters that cover Earth’s surface,
the atmosphere that surrounds Earth.

19. What determines where a population can live?
habitat - the place where an organism obtains the things it needs to survive:
Food, water, shelter
A single ecosystem may contain many habitats..
Niche – the role a population plays in an ecosystem:
how it gets food or interacts with other populations
Usually no 2 populations can occupy the same niche

20. Create and label the foldable as shown in the illustration
Flap 1 – Label Organism on the front of flap. Draw a picture representing one organism. On the inside of the flap, write the definition of “organism”.
Flap 2 – Label Population on the front of the flap. Draw a picture representing a population of the same organism. On the inside of the flap, write the definition of “population”.
Flap 3 – Label Community on the front of the flap. Draw a picture representing a community that includes several different populations that interact with your organism. On the inside of the flap, write the definition of “community”.
Flap 4 – Label Ecosystem on the front of the flap. Draw a picture representing an ecosystem that includes all the abiotic and biotic factors found in your organism’s ecosystem. On the inside of the flap, write the definition of “ecosystem”. 
Flap 5 – Label Biosphere on the front of the flap. Draw a picture representing the biosphere ( ex: a picture of the earth and atmosphere) On the inside of the flap, write the definition of “biosphere”.

23. Algae live on riverbeds in the middle of Bartlet National Park
Algae live on riverbeds in the middle of Bartlet National Park. This algae absorbs light from the sun and converts it into food energy. Moose eat algae and grass in Bartlet National Park. Moose are also the main food source of the wolves in the park. 
Create a food web for the organisms above.

24. Name the producers in the food web
Consumers can be 1st level, 2nd level, 3rd level, etc... Name some first level consumers
Name a 3rd level consumer
What do all of the 1st level consumers eat? What do we call this?

25. Turn and Talk: Name as many food chains as you can in this food web

26. Construct a Food web using the following animals
Construct a Food web using the following animals. This ecosystem represents a farm area. The corn is the main source of food for many of the herbivores in the area. You do not have to draw pictures, you can just use the animal names and draw arrows between them.
SNAKE, CORN , CATERPILLAR, DEER, CROW, MOUSE, COUGAR, SQUIRREL, MICROORGANISMS (decomposers)
Label the consumers as omnivore, herbavore or carnivore