LS2
Middle School Science · Next Generation Science Standards · 2013
The Standard
Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Standard Unwrapping
AI-generated as a starting point.Vocabulary
resource availabilityorganismspopulationsecosystempatterns of interactionsmultiple ecosystemscycling of matterflow of energyliving partsnonliving partsphysical componentsbiological componentsempirical evidencebiodiversityecosystem servicescompeting design solutions
Skills
- analyze (data on resource availability and population effects) #dok2
- interpret (patterns of interactions among organisms) #dok2
- develop (models describing matter cycling and energy flow) #dok3
- construct (arguments supported by empirical evidence) #dok3
- evaluate (competing design solutions for biodiversity and ecosystem services) #dok4
Learning Targets
- I can identify resources available to organisms in an ecosystem. #dok1
- I can describe basic patterns among interacting organisms. #dok1
- I can interpret data to identify effects of resource availability on populations. #dok2
- I can explain patterns of organism interactions across multiple ecosystems. #dok2
- I can construct a model showing the movement of matter and energy in an ecosystem. #dok3
- I can support an argument with evidence that changes to ecosystem components affect populations. #dok3
- I can evaluate and justify the best solution for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. #dok4
Big Ideas
- Ecosystems depend on the availability of resources and interactions among organisms to maintain balance.
- Both physical and biological changes, as well as human-designed solutions, impact ecosystem health and biodiversity.
Essential Questions
- How does resource availability influence the populations of organisms in an ecosystem?
- What patterns exist in the ways organisms interact within and across different ecosystems?
- How do matter and energy cycle through the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem?
- In what ways can changes to physical or biological components affect population dynamics?
- How can competing solutions be evaluated to best maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services?
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