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WEEKLY LESSON PLAN
TEACHER:
T. Kargou
7th WEEK OF SCHOOL
COURSE:
DATES:
Environmental Systems CP
10/03 – 07/2016
Learning Focus – Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control
Chapter Overview: How do species interact; how can natural selection reduce
competition between species; what limits the growth of populations; and how do
communities and ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions?
TEKS taught this lesson:
TEKS: ENV 7.A, 7.B, 7.C, 7.D
Materials:
Living in the Environment, AP Edition, Miller; Chapter 5
Monday 10/03
1. The students will discuss and learn How do species interact?
2. Engage and connect –
Read: Core case study – southern sea otters: are they back from the
brink of extinction? First page of the chapter.
Question: What human activities have interfered with the ecological
niche of the southern sea otter?
Why is it important the southern sea otters are back from near
extinction?
What is a keystone species?
3. Guided instruction –
Read TB section 5-1 – How do species interact?
 Species interact in five major ways
 Most species compete with one another for certain resources
 Most consumer species feed on live organisms of other species
 Predator and prey species can drive each other’s evolution
 Some species feed off other species by living on or in them
 In some interactions, both species benefit
 In some interactions, one species benefits and the other is not
harmed
Independent practice – none
4. Check for understanding – Student discussion and responses to
questions
5. Homework – Read TB section 5-1 and 5-2
Questions – Review Question Q #2 page 120 due 10/05
Tuesday 10/04
1. The students will discuss and learn How do species interact?
2. Engage and connect –
Read: Science Focus: Why should we care about Kelp forests? Page
104
Question: What are three ways to protect the giant kelp forests and
southern sea otter?
3. Guided instruction –
Read TB section 5-1 – How do species interact?
 Most species compete with one another for certain resources
 Most consumer species feed on live organisms of other species
 Predator and prey species can drive each other’s evolution
 Some species feed off other species by living on or in them


In some interactions, both species benefit
In some interactions, one species benefits and the other is not
harmed
Independent practice – none
4. Check for understanding – Student discussion and responses to
questions
5. Homework – Read TB section 5-2 and 5-3
Questions – Review Question Q #2 page 120 due 10/05
Wednesday
10/05
1. The students will discuss and learn How can natural selection reduce
competition between species? And what limits the growth of
populations?
2. Engage and connect –
Show the class internet pictures of mutualism and commensalism
relationships
3. Guided instruction –
Read TB section 5-2 – How can natural selection reduce competition
between species?
 Some species evolve ways to share resources
Read TB section 5-3 – What limits the growth of populations?
 Populations have certain characteristics
 Most populations live together in clumps or patches
 Populations can grow, shrink, or remain stable
 No population can grow indefinitely: J-curves and S-curves
 When a population exceeds its habitat’s carrying capacity, its
population can crash
 Species have different reproductive patterns
 Genetic diversity can affect the size of small populations
 Under some circumstances population density affects population
size
 Several different types of population change occur in nature
 Humans are not exempt from nature’s population controls
Independent practice – none
4. Check for understanding – Student discussion and responses to
questions
5. Homework – Read TB section 5-3
Questions – Critical Thinking Question Q #3 page 120 due 10/07
Thursday
10/06
1. The students will discuss and learn what limits the growth of
populations?
2. Engage and connect –
Compare figures 5-12 and 5-13 on pages 111 and 112 and answer the
critical thinking question: Why do think the population in Figure 5-13
grew fast and crashed, unlike the sheep in Figure 5-12?
3. Guided instruction –
Read TB section 5-3 – What limits the growth of populations?
 Populations have certain characteristics
 Most populations live together in clumps or patches
 Populations can grow, shrink, or remain stable
 No population can grow indefinitely: J-curves and S-curves
 When a population exceeds its habitat’s carrying capacity, its
population can crash
 Species have different reproductive patterns
 Genetic diversity can affect the size of small populations
 Under some circumstances population density affects population
size
 Several different types of population change occur in nature
 Humans are not exempt from nature’s population controls
Independent practice – none
4. Check for understanding – Student discussion and responses to
questions
5. Homework – Read TB section 5-4
Questions – Critical Thinking Question Q #3 page 120 due 10/07
Friday 10/07
1. The students will discuss and learn How do communities and
ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions?
2. Engage and connect –
Read Case Study: Exploding white-tailed deer population in the US on
page 114 and answer the critical thinking question: What should be
done about this exploding population?
3. Guided instruction –
Read TB section 5-4 – How do communities and ecosystems respond
to changing environmental conditions?
 Communities and ecosystems change over time: ecological
succession
 Some ecosystems start from scratch: primary succession
 Some ecosystems do not have to start from scratch: secondary
succession
 Succession doesn’t follow a predictable path
 Living systems are sustained through constant change
 Some scientists study ecosystem in the laboratory
 Some scientists use models to simulate ecosystems
 We need to learn more about the health of the world’s ecosystems
Independent practice – none
4. Check for understanding – Student discussion and responses to
questions
5. Homework – Read chapter all sections
Questions – no assignment
Upon request by any special needs student, they can receive additional time to complete
their assignments. Also, I am available every morning and most afternoons to provide
additional assistance to any student who requests it.
Depending on their specific request or my assessment of their involvement and
understanding of the subject matter in the classroom, special needs students are given
preferential seating.
Worksheets are used to prepare for each major test.
How will you assess learning?
Daily
 Observations during student group and independent work time and class discussions
 Class participation and involvement
Weekly
 Homework
 Class participation
Periodic
 Focus Activity and note taking Notebook
 Current events discussions


Chapter tests
Student presentations
Test:
Chapter 5 Test – Friday October 14th