Thursday, August 23rd

In class on Tuesday we learned about consumers, producers, and decomposers.  We also learned about herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. 

Today, you are going to use that knowledge to create at least TWO food chains for your ecosystem.  A food chain is a series of organisms that pass on energy by eating each other.  Your food chain should begin with the sun and soil and end with a decomposer.

Here is my example from Zamorano:





Notice that my food chain has

• the name of each organism
• its identification as a producer, consumer, or decomposer, and
• if it's a consumer, its classification as herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore
• a picture of each organism

You can find all the information you need for your food chain on the website for your ecosystem.

I will show you how to use Word to make your food chain.  However, before you create your food chain on the computer, you will need to make a draft of your food chain in your notebook and have me check it!

For Today--Tuesday, August 21st

1. Read the post below called "New Requirements for Ecosystem Project--Please Read!"
2. Work with your group to take notes on the biotic and abiotic elements of your ecosystem.  To do this, you will create a table in Word.  Ms. Julie will show you how!

New Requirements for Ecosystem Project--Please Read!

Requirement 1:  EVERYONE in your team must work together to make your presentation.  

Requirement 2:  Your presentation must demonstrate and understanding of following elements of the ecosystem:

• biotic and abiotic components
• producers, consumers, and decomposers
• predators and prey
• herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores

Requirement 3:  Your presentation must include a food web that contains at least two food chains.

Requirement 4:  presentation must show a symbiotic relationship within your ecosystem (commensalism, mutualism, or parasitism) and show

• who benefits
• who is harmed

Requirement 5:  Your presentation must introduce at least one stressful situation (overgrazing, overpopulation, natural disaster, introduction of a non-native species) into your ecosystem and predict the possible effects.  You may choose one of the following situations or invent your own:

• overgrazing
• overpopulation
• natural disaster
• introduction of a non-native species
• human impact/urban development
  
  

 

Ecosystems Webquest

Welcome to 3000 A.D.!  You are now living on a distant planet in a neighboring galaxy.  Earth was destroyed long ago, and now you have been asked to help educate people about what the Earth looked like in 2000 A.D.  

In the year 2000 A.D., there were many ecosystems on earth including estuaries, lakes and ponds, oceans, forest, and grasslands.

Showing all of Earth's ecosystems is a huge task, so you will work with a small group to research only one of them.  Follow the steps below to complete your project!

 Step 1: Find your group!

• Ponds & Lakes: Daniel, Adriana, & Ángel 
• Tropical Oceans: Albanize, Shannon, & Ricardo 
• Estuaries: Sofia, José Andrés, & André 
• Grasslands: Cecilia, Giorgio, & José Daniel 
• Temperate Forest: Miguel, Gaby, & Alejandra  
• Tropical Rainforest: Demi, Chávez, & María José 

Step 2:  Choose your specialty!

Each member of your group will specialize in one area:  plants, animals, or environment.  Talk to your partners to decide who will do what! 


Step 3:  Prepare!

Brainstorm four key questions you can answer about the plants, animals, or environment in your ecosystem.  Sample questions could be:

• What types of trees are found in my ecosystem?
• What types of vegetables are found in my ecosystem?
• What are the most common animals in my ecosystem?
• What types of carnivores (meat-eaters) are found in my ecosytem?
• How much does it rain in my ecosystem?
• What types of landforms are found in my ecosystem?

Type your questions in Word.  To do that

• OPEN Word.
• Make sure you are using a 12 POINT FONT that is EASY TO READ.
• At the top, CENTER your title.  Your title should contain your ecosystem, your expert topic, and your name, like this

Rainforest Plants

Ms. Julie

• Put your title in BOLD.
• Put a SPACE between your title and the first line.
• NUMBER your questions.
• SAVE your document to your personal folder.  Your document title should be the same as the title on your sheet, for example "Rainforest Plants."

Step 4:  Do your research!

• Use the LINKS in step one to find answers to your questions.  
• Type your answers in words or phrases (not complete sentences) under each question.
• Use BULLET points to make it easier to read.

Step 5:  Print your notes and have Ms. Julie check them!  

 If your partners aren't done yet, help them finish.


Step 6:  Find out where you were!

• Click this link to find a blank world map.  
• Print one copy of the map for your group.
• As a group, use this link to find at least three places on Earth where your ecosystem was located.  You may also need to refer to these maps of North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia to help you.   
• Record your locates on your blank map. 

Step 7:  Plan your presentation!

Your presentation must contain the following elements:

• A description of the physical environment (e.g. mountains, rivers, valleys, etc.)
• A description of the climate (e.g. temperature, amount of rain, etc.)
• At least three places n the world where this climate is located.  (You can use this link for help.)
• A list of the key plants.
• A list of the key animals.
• A food chain showing how the plants and animals form a system. 

You can make a poster or do a PowerPoint.  Either way, you need to complete a planning sheet that Ms. Julie will provide.  Have Ms. Julie check your planning sheet before you go on to the next step!


Step 8:  Create your presentation!

Work together to create your poster or PowerPoint.