Download 7th Grade Science Possible Unit 1

ALLIANCE UNIT PLAN
SUBJECT: 7th Grade
Integrated Science
TEACHER:
UNIT: Macroscopic Ecosystem
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Provide 1-2 overarching questions that students should be able to answer by the end of the unit. Think
BIG picture.
1. What patterns of interactions are common across different ecosystems?
2. How do organisms interact with the living and non-living environmental to obtain matter and energy?
3. How do coral reefs maintain biodiversity and ecological services?
RATIONALE FOR UNIT: Provide a narrative that gives clear connections to show the sequence and progression of the standards
and answers the question: “What do I want my students to learn in this unit?
The performance expectations in the topic Macroscopic ecosystem help students answer the question, “How do organisms
interact with the living and non-living environment to obtain matter and energy?” Students engage in constructing
explanations around interactions with organism including mutualism, competition and predation. Through this exploration,
students develop the foundational understanding that that all organisms interact with each other in various relationships. Then
they develop a model to describe the relationship and how matter and energy flows through this system, using ecological
pyramids. Matter and energy transfer between producers, consumers and decomposers and the atoms that make up the
organism cycle between non-living and living parts. Finally, students look at the health of this organization of organisms to
determine the importance of biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem. Small changes in one part of a system might cause
larger changes in another part, which could cause a breakdown of ecological services humans rely on, e.g. water purification,
nutrient recycling, prevention of soil erosion, and medicine.
SUMMATIVE UNIT ASSESSMENT(S): Identify the unit assessment (performance task, project, writing task, project, etc.). Your
assessment should connect back to the essential question (s) for the unit and answers the question: How will I determine if my
students meet standards in this unit?.
STANDARDS: Identify the standards that will be addressed in this unit.
MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-5
Weekly Breakdown: Provide an outline of the scope and sequence for the unit, week by week. Include a focus for each week and
tasks and/or readings that will guide students to answer the essential question(s). Note: You can add/delete rows as needed.
WEEK
STANDARDS
WEEKLY TASKS
Week 1
MS-LS2-2
Focus: Interactions among Organisms
Readings/Tasks:
 CK-12: Competition
 Labs: Oh Deer
 STEMscopes: Predation in Ecosystems
o
o
o
Week 2
MS-LS2-2
Do: Activity 1 and 3
Expand: Explain: Communicate, Science Today, Math connections
Assess: CER
Focus: Cause and Effect of Interactions
Readings/Tasks:
 Simulations: Ecosystem Simulators- Competition
 Argumentation Tasks: Predator/Prey relationships
Week 3
MS-LS2-2
MS-LS2-3
Focus: Interactions with abiotic/biotic
Readings/Tasks:
 CK-12: Ecosystems
 EEI: Playing the same role
 Argumentation Task: Food Webs and Ecosystems
Week 4
MS-LS2-2
MS-LS2-3
Focus: Cycling of Energy and Matter
Readings/Tasks:
 Formative assessment probe:
o Ecosystem Cycles
o Food Chain energy
 EEI: Energy: Pass it On!
 STEMscopes: Matter/Energy in Ecosystems
o Do: Activity 1 and Scientific investigation
o Expand: Explain: Communicate, Math connections
o Assess: CER
Week 5
MS-LS2-2
MS-LS2-3
Focus: Ecosystem Stability
Readings/Tasks:
 Formative assessment probe: No More Plants
 BSCS: Ecosystems Resources
 Argumentation Task: Matter in Ecosystems
Week 6
MS-LS2-5
Focus: Ecological services and Biodiversity
Readings/Tasks:
 Formative assessment probe: Rotting Apple
 Simulation: Habitable Planet-Population Simulator
 Other resources: Ecology Disrupted
 STEMscopes: Ecosystem biodiversity
o Illuminate: Hook and accessing prior knowledge
o Do: Activity 1 and 2
o Expand: Science Today, Math connections
o Assess: CER
Week 7
MS-LS2-5
Focus: Protecting Biodiversity
Readings/Tasks:
 Virtual Labs: Streets to Streams: LA Zoo
 Other Resources: Ocean Bully