Length [7 days] DCI Essential Questions Science and Engineering Practices Vocabulary EVSC.ETS3: Applications of Science Ecosystem, Natural Resource, How are our ecological 3. Planning and carrying out Inexhaustible Resource, Renewable EVSC.LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, footprints affecting Earth? investigations Resource, Nonrenewable Resource, Energy, and Dynamics What can we do to minimalize 6. Constructing explanations and Ecological Footprint adverse human effects on local designing solutions Standard ecosystems? Lessons EVSC.ETS3.1 Plan and carry out an Cross-Cutting Concepts investigation of a local ecosystem to Learning Outcomes Environmental Science: Sustaining Your assess human impacts. Based on your 2. Cause and effect World Page 24 – findings, design and evaluate a solution Describe the concept of 4. Systems and System Models to minimize impacts. sustainability and its significance 5. Energy and matter Environmental Science: Sustaining Your to environmental science. 6. Structure and function World Chapter 8 – 7. Stability and Change Explanation Understand the link between Ecosystems are complex, interactive ecosystem services and natural Threatened and endangered species of systems that include both biological resources. Tennessee communities (biotic) and physical Recognize some major (abiotic) components of the environmental problems that environment. As with individual lead to natural capital Wolf River Conservancy organisms, a hierarchal structure exists; degradation. groups of the same organisms (species) Describe the purpose of the form populations, different populations ecological footprint. Activities/Performance Tasks interact to form communities, Assess how ecosystems can be communities live within an ecosystem, affected by the human Investigating Local Ecosystems and all of the ecosystems on Earth make population. up the biosphere. Organisms grow, reproduce, and perpetuate their species Phenomenon Local Ecosystem Brainstorm by obtaining necessary resources through interdependent relationships Threatened and Endangered Species of with other organisms and the physical Tennessee EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM environment. These same interactions can facilitate or restrain growth and View the following article. enhance or limit the size of populations, HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR ECOSYSTEM? maintaining the balance between available resources and those who consume them. The students will read and discuss the afore mentioned article on river Misconceptions ecosystems in Tennessee. Have students develop questions from the text and Students may think varying the create an assessment from the article. population size of a species may not affect an ecosystem because some
Length [7 days] DCI EVSC.ETS3: Applications of Science EVSC.LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics Standard EVSC.ETS3.1 Plan and carry out an investigation of a local ecosystem to assess human impacts. Based on your findings, design and evaluate a solution to minimize impacts. Explanation Ecosystems are complex, interactive systems that include both biological communities (biotic) and physical (abiotic) components of the environment. As with individual organisms, a hierarchal structure exists; groups of the same organisms (species) form populations, different populations interact to form communities, communities live within an ecosystem, and all of the ecosystems on Earth make up the biosphere. Organisms grow, reproduce, and perpetuate their species by obtaining necessary resources through interdependent relationships with other organisms and the physical environment. These same interactions can facilitate or restrain growth and enhance or limit the size of populations, maintaining the balance between available resources and those who consume them. Misconceptions Students may think varying the population size of a species may not affect an ecosystem because some Essential Questions How are our ecological footprints affecting Earth? What can we do to minimalize adverse human effects on local ecosystems? Learning Outcomes Describe the concept of sustainability and its significance to environmental science. Understand the link between ecosystem services and natural resources. Recognize some major environmental problems that lead to natural capital degradation. Describe the purpose of the ecological footprint. Assess how ecosystems can be affected by the human population. Phenomenon Threatened and Endangered Species of Tennessee View the following article. The students will read and discuss the afore mentioned article on river ecosystems in Tennessee. Have students develop questions from the text and create an assessment from the article. Science and Engineering Practices 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions Cross-Cutting Concepts 2. Cause and effect 4. Systems and System Models 5. Energy and matter 6. Structure and function 7. Stability and Change Vocabulary Ecosystem, Natural Resource, Inexhaustible Resource, Renewable Resource, Nonrenewable Resource, Ecological Footprint Lessons Environmental Science: Sustaining Your World – Page 24 Environmental Science: Sustaining Your World – Chapter 8 Threatened and endangered species of Tennessee Wolf River Conservancy Activities/Performance Tasks Investigating Local Ecosystems Local Ecosystem Brainstorm EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR ECOSYSTEM?
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