Land and Aquatic Ecosystems
In this unit, students will begin to make connections between the biotic and abiotic parts of the environment. The different critical factors that define the biodiversity within each type of biome, or land ecosystem will be explored. Differentions will be made between tropical, temperate, and polar. The students will also spend time learning about the different types of aquatic ecosystems, both freshwater and marine.
Land Ecosystems and Ecological Succession Powerpoint
 |
Purpose: This lecture provides students with an overview of the major types of biomes, or land-based ecosystems. The major geographic features that affect climate are explored, including latitude and proximity to water. Climatographs are used to compare and contrast the temperature and precipitation within each of the ecosystems. Finally, a brief overview of ecological succession is given.
Essential Concepts: Biomes, ecosystems, rainshadow effect, latitude, climate, critical factor, desert, grassland, mountain, forests, rainforest, tropical, temperate, polar, tundra, climatogram, climatograph, worksheet, powerpoint, lecture, habitat, niche, abiotic factors, biotic factors, ecological succession, primary succession, secondary succession.
Land Ecosystems and Ecological Succession Notes Outline
 |
Purpose: Taking efficient notes can be a big challenge for many students, especially when working from a Powerpoint lecture. This outline gives students a means to take notes that guides them toward important concepts and avoids the pitfalls of writing word-for-word or simply not taking notes at all. The outline is written as a series of questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or diagrams.
Essential Concepts: Biomes, ecosystems, rainshadow effect, latitude, climate, critical factor, desert, grassland, mountain, forests, rainforest, tropical, temperate, polar, tundra, climatogram, climatograph, worksheet, powerpoint, lecture, habitat, niche, abiotic factors, biotic factors, ecological succession, primary succession, secondary succession.
Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity Lecture Powerpoint
|
Purpose: This lecture provides students with an overview of the major types of aquatic ecosystems. Students will learn about the different layers found within freshwater lakes and ponds as well as the ocean itself. A short section on the importance of biodiversity is also found at the end of this lecture.
Essential Concepts: Aquatic Ecosystems, coral reefs, beaches, wetlands, estuaries, swamps, bogs, marsh, fresh water, saline, littoral, benthic, benthos, nekton, plankton, aphotic, disphotic, aquatic biology, biodiversity, endangered species, invasive species, poaching, extinction.
Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity Notes Outline
|
Purpose: Taking efficient notes can be a big challenge for many students, especially when working from a Powerpoint lecture. This outline gives students a means to take notes that guides them toward important concepts and avoids the pitfalls of writing word-for-word or simply not taking notes at all. The outline is written as a series of questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or diagrams.
Essential Concepts: Aquatic Ecosystems, coral reefs, beaches, wetlands, estuaries, swamps, bogs, marsh, fresh water, saline, littoral, benthic, benthos, nekton, plankton, aphotic, disphotic, aquatic biology, biodiversity, endangered species, invasive species, poaching, extinction.
Environmental Science Journal - Climatographs
|
Purpose: The two biggest abiotic factors that determine an ecosystem are temperature and precipitation. Climatographs take each of these data and combine them in a way that can help identify what kind of ecosystem is present. Monthly average precipitation levels make a bar graph, while the monthly average temperature levels make a line graph. Together, they produce a pattern that can identify what type of ecosystem is present, any seasons it has, and what hemisphere it is located in.
Essential Concepts: Biomes, ecosystems, climate, seasons, climatographs.
Environmental Science Journal - Endangered Species
|
Purpose: Students are often left in awe of the biodiversity of many of the ecosystems of the planet after watching a nature documentary. The BBC Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Life series are particularly good at conveying the depth of biodiversity present in different areas. This activity has students document the different vertebrate animals they observe in a nature documentary, then visit the IUCN website and identify whether the animals are endangered. There are multiple levels of endangerment classification, each of which are explained in the activity. If an animal is endangered, the website offers some details as to why.
Essential concepts:Biomes, ecosystems, biodiversity, endangered species, extinction.
Planet Earth Series by BBC Nature
 |
Purpose: The Planet Earth series was groundbreaking when released. It contained stunning visuals of ecosystems and organisms never before recorded on video. This unit is ideal for showing one or more of these episodes. This section of Aurum Science has a collection of resources specifically for the Planet Earth Series.
Essential Concepts: Planet Earth, grasslands, plains, forests, deciduous forests, coniferous forests, taiga, tundra, deserts, shallow seas, fresh water, deep ocean.
Blue Planet Series by BBC Nature
|
Purpose: The Blue Planet: Seas of Life series is in many ways a prequel to the Planet Earth series. Although it does not have the name recognition or popularity of Planet Earth, it still contains wonderful images of different aquatic ecosystems from all over the world. . This section of Aurum Science has a collection of worksheets and resources specifically for the Blue Planet Series..
Essential Concepts: Planet Earth, grasslands, plains, forests, deciduous forests, coniferous forests, taiga, tundra, deserts, shallow seas, fresh water, deep ocean.
Land Ecosystems and Ecological Succession Study Guide
|
Purpose: Once the instruction for the unit is completed, students can complete this study guide to aid in their preparation for a written test. The study guide is divided into two sections: vocabulary and short answer questions. The vocabulary is taken directly form the lecture, sequentially. The short answer questions are meant to model the type they may see on the exam. This specific study guide only covers the land ecosystems section of this unit
Essential Concepts: Biomes, ecosystems, rainshadow effect, latitude, climate, critical factor, desert, grassland, mountain, forests, rainforest, tropical, temperate, polar, tundra, climatogram, climatograph, worksheet, powerpoint, lecture, habitat, niche, abiotic factors, biotic factors, ecological succession, primary succession, secondary succession
.
Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity Study Guide
|
Purpose: Study guide similar in format to the land ecosystems one. This specific study guide only covers the aquatic ecosystems section of this unit. Provides all applicable vocabulary for students to define as well as a set of critical thinking questions and comparisons.
Essential Concepts: Aquatic Ecosystems, coral reefs, beaches, wetlands, estuaries, swamps, bogs, marsh, fresh water, saline, littoral, benthic, benthos, nekton, plankton, aphotic, disphotic, aquatic biology, biodiversity, endangered species, invasive species, poaching, extinction.
PBS Living Edens Ecosystems Research Project
|
Purpose: This is a long-term research project and presentation assignment that can be used during or after the ecosystems unit. Students will be assigned specific ecosystems from different places all over the Earth. They will find and document examples of animal and plant adaptations, speciation, abiotic factors, and interspecies relationships. This assignment uses the PBS Living Edens documentary series produced in 1996-1998. The availability of the documentary is limited but it does appear on the National Geographic channel from time to time. The videos may also be available online if you know where to look.
Essential Concepts: Biomes, land ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, symbiotis, adaptations, speciation, climate, latitude, natural selection, convergent evolution, divergent evolution, co-evolution, biotic factors, abiotic factors.
