1. Unit 4: Ecology

2. Essential Questions What is ecology?
What factors affect population sizes and growth rates?
How do humans exploit the environment and how does this effect various ecosystems?
How can humans positively effect the environment?
What are some current conservation efforts, and where are conservation efforts heading?

3. Day 1: Ecology and Ecosystems
Required Readings:
2.1: Ecology and Ecosystems
Learning Objectives:
To understand that living organisms require certain conditions for their survival
To understand that living organisms interact with one another, and with their non-living environment
To define population, community and ecosystem
To realize that available resources change throughout the year

4. Starter List the different ecosystems that you know
What is the climate like in these ecosystems?
What animals and plants are present in the ecosystems?
Time: 10 minutes

5. Activity 1
Choose one of the biomes below and complete the graphic organizer for your biome
Tundra
Tropical rain forest
Taiga
Desert
Temperate deciduous forest
Grasslands
Savanna
Marine
Fresh water
Time: 20 minutes

6. Activity 2 Create a poster for your biome Include the following items:
Weather & climate
Plants, animals and their relationships
Ecological concerns or issues
Time: 25 minutes

7. Activity 3 Ecosystems at school
Go around the school and complete the “ecosystems at school” activity
Find 2 different “ecosystems” in different locations
Time: 25 minutes

8. Closing and Homework What do the following words mean?
Biotic
Abiotic
Community
Ecosystem
Population
Complete your biome poster
Complete the ecosystems at school activity
Complete Biomes of the world flow chart

9. Day 2: Factors affecting population size & Human population growth (45 minutes)
Required Readings:
4.8 & 4.9
Learning Objectives:
To understand what is meant by environmental resistance
To list examples of biotic and abiotic factors which limit population growth
To explain the form of a typical growth curve
To know that the evolution of humans from hunter-gatherers to permanent settlers caused changes in the environment
To understand the form of a human population growth curve

10. Starter What is a carrying capacity?
What are biotic and abiotic factors that would contribute to a population’s carrying capacity?
Are humans at their carrying capacity? Explain
Time: 10 minutes

11. Activity 1
We will complete the activity “How many bears can live in the forest?”
Time: 30 minutes

12. Homework Human population growth is exploding at an exponential rate.
The graph on the next page shows the population growth, as well as some predictions
What are the 3 revolutions that have occurred to aid in this exponential growth?
The red, orange, and green lines on the graph are predictions for what could happen to human population growth. What are the different situations that could lead to each of these predictions?
Choose your home country and create a population pyramid for it (if data is not available, choose any other country)
Does it have an LEDN or MEDN structure? Explain
What are the different factors that have contributed to the particular structure it has?

14. Day 3: Agriculture Required Readings: Learning Objectives: 4.10, 4.11
To understand why agriculture is a threat to conservation
To understand how careful management can help to conserve biodiversity
To understand that chemical discharges may pollute land as well as air and water
To understand that many human effects on the land involve loss of wildlife habitat
To know that there are ways to reverse loss of wildlife habitiat

15. Starter
Make a table in your notebook that depicts the pros and cons of agriculture
Take into consideration: land use, pollution, habitats for plants and animals, biodiversity, soil stability, etc.
Be thorough in your explanations
Time: 15 minutes

16. Activity 1 You will be given 1 of 3 groups
Farmers
Conservationist
Consumer
Your job is to research agriculture from your group’s point of view in order to have a debate with the other 2 groups
You will need to have an opening and closing statement, as well as points to argue during the debate
Time: 45 minutes

17. Activity 2 Debate Each side will present their opening argument
Each side will then have time to prepare rebuttal statements
Each side will then present their closing argument
You will be asked to vote which side presented the strongest case
Time: 20 minutes

18. Closing and Homework
Work with a partner to write a paper that depicts the pros and cons of agriculture
How can we move forward to prevent habitat loss, preserve biodiversity, and decrease the damage to soil?
Due: December 5
All outstanding assignments/corrections due December 7

19. Day 4: Pollution Required Readings: Learning Objectives: 4.12
To recall why water is important to living organisms
To understand that water supplies oxygen to living organisms
TO know how excess nutrients in water lead to depletion of oxygen levels
To recall other aspects of water pollution

20. Starter Why is oxygen depletion in water a negative thing?
What are the causes for oxygen depletion, or polluting of water sources?
What are some ways that you can help with the prevention of water pollution?

22. Activity 1
Imagine those rivers were your only source of water and you depended on them for cooking, bathing, washing up, etc.
Your lab group has been asked to clean up these rivers so that the communities can continue using it without the risk of getting very ill
You will be given a bucket of water that contains “pollution” in it, as well as some supplies you can use to clean it
Your lab group must devise a plan to clean the water, and then clean it
The group that has the cleanest water, and the largest quantity of clean water will receive a contract to clean the village’s water supply
Time: 60 minutes

23. Activity 2 We will discuss the action plans of each of the lab groups
What are some ways that we can improve on our water clean up?
What implications does this have for real life?
What are some ways that we can prevent this?
Time: 15 minutes

24. Closing and Homework
All outstanding work due by Friday, December 7

25. Day 5: Human Impact on the Environment
Required Readings:
4.13
Learning Objectives:

26. Day 6: Positive Human Influences (60 min)
Required Readings:
4.14
Learning Objectives:

27. Day 7: Conservation Efforts
Required Readings:
4.15
Learning Objectives: