1. The study of organisms and their interaction with the environment
Ecology!
What is Ecology?
The study of organisms and their interaction with the environment

2. Name as many outdoor areas as possible
Then, think of a question about ecology!

3. Living vs. non living things
Both: an ecosystem
Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors
List examples of each!!!
Pg 90

4. Vocabulary! Based on this picture, what do the following words mean?
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
What is a habitat?
What is a niche?
Vocabulary!
Pg 64

5. Analogy Time! Habitat Individual Organism Niche Population Community
Ecosystem
Abiotic factors
Biotic factors
Football field
Pg 64
Quarterback
Throw, handoffs, run the ball, call plays
Whole football team
Team, coaches, fans, band, cheerleaders, parents, other teams that use the field
Members of the community and the field itself
Helmet, ball, playbook, stands, scoreboard
People in the ‘community’, grass

6. Venn Diagram Climate Niche Habitat Biosphere Ecosystem Biome Species
Label the venn diagram with Abiotic and Biotic. Fill in the following words where they belong:
Climate
Niche
Habitat
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Biome
Species
Community
Population

7. Warm-up Match the example with the vocab words! (like our analogies!)
***One example has two vocab words that go with it!***
Ecosystem
Individual
Niche
Population
Community
Abiotic factors
Biotic factors
Hunter/Predator, mother
Soil, water (in rivers/lakes and precipitation)
All the jaguars in the area
Rainforest
Single, female jaguar
Jaguars, parrots, lemurs, tree frogs, spider monkeys, trees and flowers.

8. Weather / Climate
What’s the difference?
Short term?
Long term?

9. Color in the climate zones on your map!

10. Why are there climate zones?
Radiation from the sun!
Earth is a sphere, different levels of solar radiation reach different parts of the curved surface
All areas near the equator receive more solar radiation & heat.
This leads to variation in weather and climate.

11. Other Factors that influence climates
Altitude:
Height above sea level.
As altitude increases temperature tends to decrease.
Ocean Currents
Mountains:
Rain shadow effect
Lack of rain on one side of the mountain.
Rain shadows can lead to almost desert like conditions.

12. In The Zone!!!
Write down descriptions about the climate zone. Think about location, temperatures, seasons…
TROPICAL ZONE – (Hint- Florida, Mexico, most of Africa, Indonesia)
TEMPERATE ZONE – (Hint- Most of US, Europe, Mongolia, Argentina)
ARTIC/POLAR ZONE – (Hint – Antartica, Northern Canada, Greenland)

13. Climatograms Precipitation scale on the left Always BARS
Temperature scale on the right
Always LINE PLOTS
Months on the bottom

14. Climatogram Practice Questions:
What is average precipitation for January? (BARS)
What is the average temperature for May? (LINE PLOT)
In which months is the average temperature above15oC?
What is the lowest average temperature in Chicago, IL?
In which month does the lowest temperature occur?
Which month has the least precipitation?
Which month has the highest temperatures?
What is the range of average precipitations in Chicago?

15. Biomes! Geographical area characterized by climate, plants and animals
Tropical rain forest
Temperate grassland
Temperate forest
Tundra
Tropical dry forest
Desert
Northwestern
coniferous forest
Mountains and
ice caps
Tropical savanna
Temperate woodland
and shrubland
Boreal forest
(Taiga)

16. HOMEWORK (yay!)