Download 6th Grade Science Content Standards

6th Grade Science Content Standards - Focus on Earth Science
Ecology (Life Science)
Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients
among themselves and with the environment.
As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
a. energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by
producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis,
and then from organism to organism in food webs.
Kelp beds at the Piedras Blancas enrich ocean water with oxygen while
making their own food through photosynthesis. Kelp (a type of
seaweed) is an algae. As a producer, kelp uses energy from the sun
to conduct photosynthesis and make its own food. Kelp attatches to
the seabed through a holdfast, not a root system, but an anchor. A
kelp forest, much like the rain forest, can be divided into layers
including the canopy, understory, and forest floor. Kelp forests are
complex ecosystems that support many interconnected food webs,
both as a food source and as habitat.
b. over time, matter is transferred from one organism to
others in the food web, and between organisms and the
physical environment.
Elephant seals do not eat anything while on the beach. They fast and
metabolize a thick layer of blubber (fat) for their nutritional needs.
When at sea, Elephant seals feed on squid, octopus, skate, dogfish,
and hagfish. Their predators are Great White Sharks and Orca.
c. populations of organisms can be categorized by the
functions they serve in an ecosystem. (Producers,
Consumers, Decomposers)
Kelp and other algae are the producers of the ocean. They use energy
from the sun to make their own food. Other sea organisms, some
microscopic are consumers, and must get energy from other living
things – either plants or animals. Elephant seals are consumers and
during the long migration at sea, must develop a thick layer of
blubber – enough to sustain them during periods of fasting on land.
They are also prey, and must evade great white shark and orca
attacks.
Gulls and turkey vultures are decomposers that can be seen on the
beaches on the Central Coast. Microorganisms are present in every
ecosystem.
d. different kinds of organisms may play similar ecological
roles in similar biomes.
A biome includes the living and nonliving (sand, sunlight, water) in a
distinct climate zone. Piedras Blancas rookery represents a marine
biome. Marine biomes cover three quarters of the earth’s surface,
and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply
much of the world’s oxygen supply through photosynthesis. Marine
and terrestrial plants require the same conditions for healthy growth:
adequate sunshine, nutrients, water and protection form bad weather.
Human activities impact both marine and terrestrial biomes through
pollution and development.
e. the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can
support depends on the resources available and abiotic
factors, such as quantity of light and water, range of
temperatures, and soil composition.
The Piedras Blancas rookery is growing in size. Abiotic (nonliving)
factors in this ecosystem include the sand and water on this beach.
The beach is wide and deep, providing protection from storms and
safety from large waves. There is no manufacturing pollution on the
Central Coast and human interference is limited. Kelp beds and rocky
outcrops at the surf line provide a resting place for adult seals and
weaner pups learning to swim.
.