Download 8th grade 1st week Ecology Lessons. Introduced March 11 and 12

8th grade 1st week Ecology Lessons. Introduced March 11 and 12 2015.
The first week of ecology begins with a review of last year’s concepts.
Imagine you have left Earth and returned two million years later. Evolution has taken place while you
were gone and disease, famine and war has all but wiped out the human race. Small pockets of humans
have survived in the lush green Arctic and Antarctica. A few pockets of life survive in the harsh deserts
between 23 degrees North and 23 degrees South latitudes. The oceans are very warm extremely salty.
There is a thin layer of water vapor haze that envelopes the Earth but the sun is still visible during the
day and a full moon at night is fairly visible. Stars that you once saw are no longer in the right place and
some constellations are no longer visible or recognizable.
A) Using any of today’s creatures; marine, land, arctic, plants, animals, birds, reptiles, mammals,
plankton, moss, ferns, fungus, bacteria, virus etc, Create their evolved ancestor using the
observations above. At least 5 from two of today’s existing biomes or 10 from one of today’s
existing biomes
B) List their characteristics: ie. herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, parasite, host,
What creatures do they compete with and what do they compete for?
C) Describe what trophic level each inhabits.
D) Describe where it is in its food chain.
E) Describe its interaction with its surroundings;
1. co-operative (parasite, mutualism, commensalism)
2. Competitive;
a. What resources does it compete for?
b. Predator /Prey
F) Adaptations
1. Mimicry
2. Camouflage
3. Homeostasis
Project details:
All creatures with the above criteria listed in journals by Wednesday March 18.
“Paper doll” cut out of creatures which include mimicry or camouflage and evolved features, placed in
their scale model of their habitat showing food chain interaction, competition for resources and
predator/prey relationship as well as any co-operative interactions. Due March 25.
Recognize the definition of homeostasis –
(1) The tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system
of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing
conditions
(2) The ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability
within its internal environment when dealing with external changes
Evolutionary biology Lessons Week 2
8th grade assignments For week of
Life Over Time pages 43- 67
1. Monday - Describe what Classification, Taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, dichotomous
2.
3.
4.
5.
key, and Carolus Linnaeus, have in common. Use a Venn Diagram to illustrate your
description. DUE TUESDAY
Monday -List the Seven Levels of Classification that organisms are classified into from
broadest to most specific. DUE TUESDAY
Tuesday -Find the classification hierarchy for a Dog. DUE WEDNESDAY
Wednesday- Create a dichotomous key for the item Mr. Shoop will give you after showing
completion of #1-3 above. DUE THURSDAY
Thursday -Taxonomy, Classification, and Dichotomous Keys DUE AT END OF CLASS
Assessment: Get packet from Mr. Shoop
Help! Scientists have discovered quite a few new creatures on planet Pamishan. They need
your help to identify and classify them. Use the dichotomous key provided to you to help
identify these creatures.
Answers to Week 2 assignments above
#1–
A. Taxonomy – is the science of naming and classifying organisms
B. Classification - is the process of arranging organisms into groups based on similarities.
C. Binomial nomenclature the system for naming species.
D. A dichotomous Key uses a series of questions each of which has only two answers. Your
answer to each question leads you to another question that also has only two answers.
E. Carolus Linnaeus – Developed a way for naming and grouping species.
#2. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, order, family, genus, species.
#3. Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae, Genus: Canis , Species: Canis lupus, Subspecies: Canis lupus familiaris
(includes both feral and domesticated dogs)
#4 student will be given a crayon, pencil, pen, dry erase marker, permanent marker. Student
will create a dichotomous key for one of the items chosen by Instructor.
#5 (See
http://campus.kellerisd.net/Teachers/21843/Lists/Announcements/Attachments/44/Pamis
han%20Creatures%20Dichotomous%20Key.pdf)
Week 2 assignments March 31 – April 4
Defining Evolution
Monday: March 31,
Genetic drift
BB individuals have big beaks, Bb individuals have medium-sized beaks, and bb individuals have small beaks. These birds
live in a place where large and small seeds are abundant, but no medium-sized seeds are available. Populations of all bigbeaked individuals have a very high average fitness — they can crack open big seeds. Populations of all small-beaked
individuals do well (they can manipulate smaller seeds) — but not quite as well as the big-beaked individuals. Mediumbeaked individuals have the lowest fitness — they are not particularly good with either big or little seeds (and no mediumsized seeds are available). A graph of these gene frequencies and the population's resulting fitness levels is shown. This
sort of graph is called an adaptive landscape.
Recognize an adaptive behavior in organisms, vs. adaptation
e.g., salmon laying eggs in fresh water, bird beak size and diet, birds flying south in the winter.
Identify adaptations of desert plants that help them thrive in arid climates
Recognize types of adaptations Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands
Identify the causes and benefits of dormancy and hibernation
Identify the role of animals in dispersing seed, e.g., eating fruits
Determine characteristics of organisms can change over several generations
Identify the environmental benefits of specific phenotypic traits, e.g., long hair, short hair
Identify the cause of earth's rising temperature, e.g. global warming and CO2
Use a data table to determine which factor has the greatest impact
Lesson 1 goal:
Students will identify and clarify for themselves the difference between biology, ecology, evolutionary
biology and environmental science.
On tables as team students write the terms; biology, ecology and evolutionary biology and
environmental science in order to answer the question; Is biology a branch of ecology or is ecology a
branch of biology? Is evolutionary biology a branch of either biology or ecology? Where would
entomology, botany, ichthyology belong?
A: Divide class into teams of three: recorder-records team decision, timer-keeps track of time and keeps
team focused,Spokesperson speaks for the team when time to share.
1. Instructor will post the terms on the smart board for student teams to manipulate.
2. Student teams will discuss the arrangement and arguments for why they feel they are correct.
3. Teams will Share out with the class.
4. Read the article found at
http://103.1.174.97/newcms/attachments/article/62/Ecology_Introduction.pdf
5. Highlight parts of the article that supports your team’s argument.
Ticket out the door: What is your definition of, “Evolution”?