Objective
SWBAT identify how the abiotic and biotic factors interact in the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will now apply their understanding of abiotic and biotic factors to a larger and naturally occurring ecosystem, Yellowstone National Park.

Objective
SWBAT investigate the roles of bacteria, protists, and fungi within an ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will learn about the characteristics of living organisms and their categories. Then, students will delve deeper into four of the kingdoms by studying the roles of bacteria (archaebacteria & eubacteria), protists, and fungi.

Objective
SWBAT make a model of an aquarium ecosystem and a terrarium ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will attach two large plastic bottles to create a ecocolumn, with an aquarium ecosystem in the bottom bottle and a terrarium ecosystem in the top bottle.

In this lesson, students find their location on a map using Latitude and Longitudinal coordinates. They determine where they should go to be rescued and how best to get there.

Objective
SWBAT explain and provide evidence for how water is cycled through ecosystems.

Big Idea
How can a model help us understand the hydrologic cycle? Students revise their models, and extend what they have learned to help them construct an understanding of how water is cycled on Earth.

Earth science is the study of our home planet and all of its components: its lands, waters, atmosphere, and interior. In this book, some chapters are devoted to the processes that shape the lands and impact people. Other chapters depict the processes of the atmosphere and its relationship to the planet’s surface and all our living creatures. For as long as people have been on the planet, humans have had to live within Earth’s boundaries. Now human life is having a profound effect on the planet. Several chapters are devoted to the effect people have on the planet. Chapters at the end of the book will explore the universe beyond Earth: planets and their satellites, stars, galaxies, and beyond.

Objective
Students will be able to create their own food chains, food webs, and food pyramids for an ecosystem of their choice.

Big Idea
Spin your own food webs and other energy diagrams.

Students learn about energy flow in food webs, including the roles of the sun, producers, consumers and decomposers in the energy cycle. They model a food web and create diagrams of food webs using their own drawings and/or images from nature or wildlife magazines. Students investigate the links between the sun, plants and animals, building their understanding of the web of nutrient dependency and energy transfer.

Students learn about energy and nutrient flow in various biosphere climates and environments. They learn about herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, food chains and food webs, seeing the interdependence between producers, consumers and decomposers. Students are introduced to the roles of the hydrologic (water), carbon, and nitrogen cycles in sustaining the worlds' ecosystems so living organisms survive. This lesson is part of a series of six lessons in which students use their growing understanding of various environments and the engineering design process, to design and create their own model biodome ecosystems.

Objective
SWBAT generate a list of methods used to maintain biodiversity and incorporate the method they feel is best into their final project.

Big Idea
Students gather information on the importance of biodiversity and what we can do to maintain it for the future.

Objective
SWBAT
1. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
2. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Big Idea
Students investigate the idea that small changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another.

In this group of activities students will investigate their schoolyard or other nearby space in orderto identify what is around them and arrive at the definition of an ecosystem. Students will take a walk or go to a specific location to observe the types of constructed and natural features that are there. Students will record their observations and then begin to categorize their findings into living and non- living things. Once students have identified the living things, they will discuss what living things need to survive. Students will learn new terms, biotic and abiotic, and review what a habitat is as they discuss the components of an ecosystem. Students will also be introduced to the term biodiversity.

LESSON DESCRIPTIONStudents will analyze existing data to determine potential cause/effect of invasive species in population dynamics. Students will collect their own data in a field study to demonstrate the carrying capacity (competition and availability of resources) of an ecosystem.

As students learn about the creation of biodomes, they are introduced to the steps of the engineering design process, including guidelines for brainstorming. Students learn how engineers are involved in the design and construction of biodomes and use brainstorming to come up with ideas for possible biodome designs. This lesson is part of a series of six lessons in which students use their growing understanding of various environments and the engineering design process, to design and create their own model biodome ecosystems.

Objective
SWBAT identify and explain the roles of different organisms within an ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students research the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers within an ecosystem. Then, students apply this understanding by identifying the roles of organisms within the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem.

Objective
Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of food chains, food webs, and food pyramids.

Big Idea
Show what you know.

Objective
SWBAT describe the importance of decomposers in composting.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will sort biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. Then, teams of students will research the question, "What is composting?" and will make an idea web on a team poster.

Objective
SWBAT explain the meaning of an ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will research several sources to answer the question, "What is an ecosystem?" At the end of today's lesson, students will compile their research in a class idea web.

Objective
SWBAT explain the role of decomposers in an ecosystem.

Big Idea
In this lesson, students will be continue learning about decomposers, including mold and yeast, which are both types of fungi. Then, students will complete an investigation using bananas and yeast!