Download Commensalism, Mutualism, Parasitism

Exploring Ecology and Interactions in an Ecosystem
Species Interactions: Commensalism, Mutualism, Parasitism
Each student should have some prior knowledge about species interactions (predator and
prey relationship, herbivore, carnivore, etc.)
Each student should have some prior knowledge about types of interactions (Both species
agree, one benefits, they both do not benefit, etc.)
Each student should have some prior knowledge about examples of species interactions
(Types of predators, prey, etc.)
NGSS Standard: HS-LS2-6:
“Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems
maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but
changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem”
Colorado Standard: 2.2 High School Life Science
“The size and persistence of populations depend on their interactions with each other and
the abiotic factors in an ecosystem.”
“How do keystone species maintain balance in ecosystems?”
Learning objectives: Students will be able to (SWBAT):
Demonstrate understanding of the various roles that animals/organisms play in the
environment along with what roles they play in the world by explaining explain 4 species
interactions in which they learned from their home group.
Define each type of species interactions in their own words supported by examples in
their notebook.
Learn the information at the station they are assigned and teach their home group
members what they memorized and produced from the lab.
Materials
Lesson Plan: http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/3036.html
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNm7dg3BiyU (Start 10 seconds in to video)
Instructional planning:
Print pages for each station
Have resources like a textbook about species interactions or scientific magazines.
Procedure
Student Activity
Engage
Watch video and write down
Define parasite, mutualism and
important vocabulary terms that
commensalism with the class.
come up in the video in their science
Video: start 10 seconds into clip
notebook for later discussion.
These can be words they do not
know and what they know already.
Create a table with words they
know, do not know and definitions.
Don’t know
Words
(Definition to
fill in later)
Have students come up and write
one word on the board. This will be
used as a word bank for the lab
Known
Words and
definition
Explore
Teacher Activity
Get in home groups
Split into lab groups
Read resources and fill in the
questions using word bank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNm
7dg3BiyU
Fill in the rest of the word bank on the
board with the vocabulary on the
worksheet.
Choose home groups by a deck of cards
already counted out with same number of
each suit. All hearts work together, all
diamonds, etc.
Split students into home groups (groups
they will come back to and explain what
they learned to one another later)
Have everyone in each home group
number one to four. These are the
numbers they will use to go to the lab
group.
Explain
In their lab group students should be
reasoning with one another as to
what they think the correct answer
is.
Correct any wrong answers if the
teacher tells you to try again.
Explain correct answers before students
report back to their home groups and
teach their classmates the definitions.
Go to each lab group and make sure they
have the correct answers on their
worksheet. If not, guide them towards the
correct answer and tell them to try again.
Elaborate
Students go back to their home
Facilitate student discussion in the
groups to explain and summarize the groups.
information they learned with their
Ask them to give examples of the species
peers.
interactions.
Students will then fill in the rest of
Ask students to compare and contrast
the information on the worksheet
interactions.
from stations they did not go to.
Ask what students learned, already knew,
and want to know more about.
Ex: Group one defines what
Ask which type of interaction they want
Commensalism and Mutualism are
to explore more on another day.
and then give examples to their
Ask what they thought of the activity.
peers. Those who did not go to that
station will fill in this information.
Evaluate
Students must write on a piece of
paper and explain in their own
words species interactions they
learned during the activity.
Ask students to take out a piece of paper
for a quiz.
Use this as their ticket out the door.
Quiz:
Define the following and give examples of each.
Commensalism, Mutualism, Symbiosis and Parasitism.
Assessment:
Formative: Students will have written their answers to the worksheet questions they were
given in lab. Have students turn this sheet in for grading.
Summative: Quiz at the end of class to check for each student’s understanding of the
concepts they did not teach themselves about.
Anticipated misconceptions
Students may come with the misconception that symbiosis and mutualism are
interchangeable. Explain that symbiosis is a long term relationship between two or more
species and that mutualism is a type of symbiosis. Mutualism and commensalism and
parasitism are all examples of a type of symbiosis.
Students may come with the misconception that predation is similar to parasitism in that
one organism benefits and the other is harmed. Explain to students that symbiosis is a long
term relationship between organisms and this means that the short term relationship
between predator and prey is not a symbiotic relationship. Explain what a parasite and host
are to help explain parasitism and the differences compared to predation. Use examples.
Also explain that predation results in death for the prey, but parasitism results in the host
staying alive.
Accommodations/modifications
Since the students are working in groups they should be able to teach one another the
information fairly well, but if students would rather work alone print all the station
information out and have students go to each station. This will allow those who work faster
or already understand some of the material to work at their own pace.
The lesson can also have regional examples included in the examples. This will help
students connect to the lesson more because they may encounter the animals used in the
worksheet.
Group 1
Photo Credit
Picture Credit
Question 1
Question 2
______________________ is the ecological
______________________is the symbiotic
interaction in which one species benefits and
associations in which both partners benefit.
the other is neither armed nor helped.
Example: Clownfish and sea anemone. The
Example: Birds use tree branches for
tentacles around the mouth of the sea
roosting sites. The trees get nothing but are
anemone will be used to eat many fish, but
not harmed.
not the clownfish. The clownfish swim out
and capture food, then return to the tentacles
Give two more examples
(which protect them from predators) and the
Example:
sea anemone will eat food scraps that fall
from the mouth of the fish.
Example:
Give two more examples
Example:
Example:
Group 2
Photo Credit
Photo Credit
Question 1
Question 2
______________________is the ecological
_____________________is an ecological
interaction in which individuals that belong
interaction in which one organism feeds on
to the same population compete for a share
another.
of resources in their habitat.
Example: Caterpillar eats leaves from a wild
Example: Two solitary jaguars fighting over
lilac.
a large rodent.
Give two more examples
Give two more examples
Example:
Example:
Example:
Example:
Group 3
Photo Credit
Photo Credit
Question 2
Question 1
______________________is a type of
____________________is the ecological
predation in which the predator feeds on but
interactions in which two or more species
usually does not kill a larger organism.
live together in a close, long-term
association.
Example: Ticks that suck the blood of deer.
Example: An oxpecker bird living on a
Give two more examples
hippo’s back.
Example:
Give two more examples
Example:
Example:
Example:
Group 4
Picture Credit
Photo Credit
Question 1
Question 2
______________________is when two or
______________________are when the
more species that compete for the same
individuals of one species cannot grow and
resource, a sharing of the resource in
reproduce in the absence of intimate
different ways or at different times, which
dependency with individuals of another
allows them to coexist. Differences in
species during the life cycle.
adaptations allow for this to happen.
Example: The interaction between yucca
Example: Lions hunt gazelle at night and
plants and yucca moths. Each yucca plant
cheetahs hunt gazelle during the day.
can be pollinated only by one species of the
yucca moth
Give two more examples
Example:
Give one more example
Example:
Example:
Answer Sheet
Group 1
Question 1
Commensalism is the ecological interaction in which one species benefits and the other is
neither armed nor helped.
Example: Birds use tree branches for roosting sites. The trees get nothing but are not
harmed.
Question 2
Mutualism is the symbiotic association in which both partners benefit
Example: Clownfish and sea anemone. The tentacles around the mouth of the sea
anemone will be used to eat many fish, but not the clownfish. The clownfish swim out
and capture food, then return to the tentacles (which protect them from predators) and the
sea anemone will eat food scraps that fall from the mouth of the fish.
Group 2
Question 1
Interspecific Competition is the ecological interaction in which individuals that belong to the
same population compete for a share of resources in their habitat.
Example: Two solitary jaguars fighting over a gazelle.
Question 2
Predation is an ecological interaction in which one organism feeds on another.
Example: Caterpillar eats leaves from a wild lilac flower.
Group 3
Question 1
Parasitism is a type of predation in which the predator feeds on but usually does not kill a larger
organism.
Example: Ticks that suck the blood of deer.
Question 2
Symbiosis is the ecological interaction in which two or more species live together in a close,
long-term association.
Example: Bird living on a hippo’s back.
Group 4
Question 1
Competitive Exclusion is the theory that two or more species that require identical resources
cannot coexist indefinitely.
Question 2
Resource Partitioning is when two or more species that compete for the same resource, a
sharing of the resource in different ways or at different times, which allows them to coexist.
Differences in adaptations allow for this to happen.
Example: Lions hunt gazelle at night and cheetahs hunt gazelle during the day.
Question 3
Obligatory interactions are when the individuals of one species cannot grow and reproduce in
the absence of intimate dependency with individuals of another species during the life cycle.
Example: The interaction between yucca plants and yucca moths. Each yucca plant can
be pollinated only by one species of the yucca moth
Vocabulary List
1) Feeding Levels—the trophic levels.
2) Niche—functional role of a species in an ecosystem.
a) Sum total of all activities and relationships in which individuals of a species engage as they
secure and use the resources required to survive and reproduce.
b) Two Types:
i) Fundamental Niche—one that might prevail in the absence of competition and other factors
that could constrain its acquirement and use of resources.
ii) Realized Niche—shifts in large and small ways over time, as individuals of the species
respond to a mosaic of changes.
3) Species Interactions
a) Commensalism—ecological interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither
armed nor helped.
b) Mutualism—symbiotic association in which both partners benefit.
c) Interspecific Competition—ecological interaction in which individuals that belong to the
same population compete for a share of resources in their habitat.
d) Predation—an ecological interaction in which one organism feeds on another.
e) Parasitism—type of predation in which the predator feeds on but usually does not kill a larger
organism.
f) Symbiosis—ecological interaction in which two or more species live together in a close, longterm association.
g) Intraspecific Competition—ecological interaction in which individuals that belong to the
same population or species compete for a share of resources in their habitat.
h) Competitive Exclusion—theory that two or more species that require identical resources
cannot coexist indefinitely.
i) Resource Partitioning—of two or more species that compete for the same resource, a sharing
of the resource in different ways or at different times, which allows them to coexist.
j) Obligatory—some forms of mutualism.
i) The individuals of one species cannot grow and reproduce in the absence of intimate
dependency with individuals of another species during the life cycle.