This unit explores the complex relationships between living organisms and their environments, focusing on the fundamental principles of ecology. Students will investigate how organisms interact with each other and with both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors within ecosystems. Key ecological concepts such as energy flow, nutrient cycles, population dynamics, and community interactions will be emphasized to understand the balance and sustainability of natural systems.
Learning targets
Students will be able to independently use their learning to...
AO1: Knowledge and Understanding
Students will be able to independently use their learning to:
- Define key ecological terms including ecosystem, habitat, niche, population, and community.
- Describe the levels of ecological organization from individual organisms to the biosphere.
- Explain the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in ecosystems.
- Illustrate energy flow through food chains and food webs, including trophic levels.
- Describe the main nutrient cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) and their importance to ecosystems.
- Identify factors that affect population size, including limiting factors and carrying capacity.
- Describe types of species interactions such as competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
- Explain human impacts on ecosystems, including habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.
- Discuss the importance of biodiversity and conservation efforts.
AO2: Handling Information and Problem-Solving
Students will be able to independently use their learning to:
- Analyze data on population growth patterns and predict future changes under varying environmental conditions.
- Interpret food web diagrams to determine the effects of removing or adding species.
- Evaluate the impact of human activities on local and global ecosystems using case studies.
- Assess strategies for ecosystem management and conservation, considering ecological and socioeconomic factors.
- Compare the efficiency and sustainability of different agricultural or land-use practices on ecosystems.
AO3: Experimental Skills and Observations
Students will be able to independently use their learning to:
- Design and conduct experiments to measure factors affecting population growth, such as resource availability or predation pressure.
- Investigate the role of decomposers in nutrient recycling through controlled observations or experiments.
- Monitor environmental variables (e.g., soil pH, light intensity, temperature) and analyze their effects on local plant or animal populations.
- Use sampling techniques (e.g., quadrats, transects) to collect data on species distribution and abundance.
- Interpret graphs and data from ecological fieldwork to draw conclusions about ecosystem health and biodiversity.
Presentation media
Videos
Labs and activities
- WORKSHEET - Food Chain