Download Biomes - Georgia Standards

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The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student
Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards
feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade
Unit: Interdependence of Life: Ecology
General Task
Biomes
Subject Area: Life Science
Grade: 7th
Standards (Content and Characteristics):
S7L4. Students will examine the dependence of organisms on one another and their
environments.
c. Recognize that changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both
individuals and entire species.
e. Describe the characteristics of Earth’s major terrestrial biomes (i.e. tropical rain forest,
savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra, and mountain) and aquatic communities (i.e.
freshwater, estuaries, and marine).
S7CS4a. Use appropriate technology to store and retrieve scientific information in topical,
alphabetical, numerical, and keyword files, and create simple files.
S7CS5a. Observe and explain how parts can be related to other parts in a system such as
predator/prey relationships in a community/ecosystem.
S7CS5c. Organize scientific information using appropriate simple tables, charts, and
graphs, and identify relationships they reveal.
Enduring Understandings:
1. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire
species
2. Organisms are interdependent on their environment and each other.
Essential Questions: How do changes in environmental conditions and changes in the transfer
of energy affect an ecosystem?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Life Science  7th Grade  Interdependence of Life
July 26, 2007 Page 1 of 3
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade
ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES
Pre-Assessment: Written pre-assessment to be given individually:
1. Name 3 biotic factors found in the classroom.
2. Name 3 abiotic factors found in the classroom.
3. List 2 things within the classroom that you depend upon.
4. List 2 things within the classroom that depend upon you.
5. What do you think is meant by the term “interdependence”?
Outcome / Performance
Expectations:
General Teacher Instructions:
Materials Needed:
Safety Precautions:
Task with Student Directions:
Working in cooperative groups to research and present
findings, students will describe earth’s major terrestrial
biomes and aquatic communities and recognize and
investigate how a change in an environmental condition can
affect one organism and the species within that biome.
Divide class into cooperative groups and assign each group a
biome. Students brainstorm and list biotic and abiotic factors
that exist within the biome. Students are asked to consider
one organism found in the biome, list the organism’s needs,
list things within the biome on which that organisms
depends, and list other organisms within the biome that are
dependent on that organism. Explain the relationships
between these organisms. Students will determine how a
change in the ecosystem, such as a spike in temperature, a
drought, the arrival of a new food source or predator, or the
loss of a food source or predator would affect the ecosystem
and the organism that they are investigating.
Research materials and reference books on each biome
Chart paper
Markers
None required
1. Assign individual tasks within the group to ensure
that members are involved. Teacher may have job
cards for students to use. (recorder, facilitator, reader,
illustrator, etc.)
2. Group should brainstorm and list on paper all of the
biotic and abiotic factors that exist within their
assigned biome.
3. Group members should then decide upon one
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Life Science  7th Grade  Interdependence of Life
July 26, 2007 Page 2 of 3
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade
Resources:
Homework / Extension:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for ELL
Students:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for Students
with Specific Disabilities:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for Gifted
Students:
organism from their list that they would like to
investigate.
4. On chart paper, the group should create a table and
identify the organism, list all things the organism
depends upon for survival, and list things within the
biome that are dependent upon that organism. They
should use their original list of biotic and abiotic
factors for this task.
5. Students should choose one change to take place
within the ecosystem. They should then describe and
illustrate on the chart paper how that change would
affect the individual organism and how a change in
that organism would affect the entire biome. They
should provide evidence/arguments for their
predicted results from the environmental change.
6. Each group will then present their information to the
class. Students may choose to construct an
informative brochure, write and illustrate a magazine
article, create a public service announcement, etc. for
their oral presentation.
Textbook, reference books from your school library
(Students may need: art supplies, computer publishing
program, video recording device, moviemaking program)
Extend and relate to energy flow by constructing a food
chain/web of organisms within the biome.
Peer assistance during cooperative groups
Preview vocabulary: biotic, abiotic, biome, dependent,
interdependence
Create a concept map/grid on the chart paper to organize
information
Cooperative grouping with students to assist with reading
and recording of information
Create a concept map/grid on the chart paper to organize
information
Students will be asked to review news articles, etc. to learn
about a natural disaster that has recently occurred in their
area. (Ex. forest fires in South Georgia, drought in rural farm
areas, etc.) They will be asked to describe the effect it has
had on the ecosystem and its inhabitants. They will then be
asked to make predictions about future changes and regrowth
in the area.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Life Science  7th Grade  Interdependence of Life
July 26, 2007 Page 3 of 3
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved