Download Ecological Relationships Overview Directions

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Activitydevelop
EcologicalRelationships
Howdospeciesinteractwithoneanotherandshapemarineecosystems?
Overview
Studentswatchvideosanddiscussecologicalrelationshipswithafocuson
observingsymbiosis.Thentheyclassifytheecologicalrelationshipstheyobserve
asmutualism,commensalism,andparasitism.
Forthecompleteactivitywithmediaresources,visit:
http://nationalgeographic.org/activity/ecological-relationships/
Directions
1.Introducevocabularytermsrelatedtoecologicalinteractionsand
symbiosis.
Explainthatinthisactivitystudentswilluseaseriesofvideos,images,and
scenariostoidentifyanddiscussexamplesofecologicalandsymbiotic
relationshipsintheocean.Writethefollowingtermsontheboard:competition,
predation,symbiosis,mutualism,commensalism,andparasitism.Donotincludethe
definitionsyet.First,askstudentstoidentifytherootwordsandbrainstormwhat
typesofecologicalandsymbioticrelationshipsthetermsdescribe.Then,review
thedefinitionsoftheterms.Pointoutthatthetermsymbiosisisanoverarching
termformutualism,commensalism,andparasitismandthattheecological
relationshipspredationandcompetitionarenotgenerallyconsideredtobe
symbiotic.
competition—whentwoormoreorganismsrelyonthesameenvironmental
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resource
predation—behaviorofoneanimalfeedingonanother
symbiosis—thecloserelationshipoftwodissimilarorganisms
mutualism—asymbioticrelationshipwherebothorganismsbenefit
commensalism—asymbioticrelationshipwhereoneorganismbenefitsandone
doesnotbenefitbutisunharmed
parasitism—asymbioticrelationshipwhereoneorganismbenefitsandoneis
harmed
2.BuildbackgroundaboutNationalGeographicCrittercam.
ExplaintostudentsthattheywillwatchfootagefromaNationalGeographic
projectcalledCrittercam.Crittercam’sgoalistohelpresearchersunderstandthe
day-to-daylivesandecologicalrelationshipsofdifferentspecies.Scientistsfitwild
animalswithaGPStrackerandacombinationvideoandaudiorecorderwith
environmentaldatainstrumentstomeasuresuchthingsasdepth,temperature,
andacceleration—whichallowthestudyofanimalbehaviorwithoutinterferenceby
humanobservers.Askstudentstothinkaboutthebenefitsofstudyinganimal
behaviorandecologicalinteractionswithoutinterferencebyhumanobservers.
3.HavestudentsuseaCrittercamvideotoidentifyecologicalrelationships.
ShowstudentstheNationalGeographicvideo“FishThievesTakeRareSeals’Prey”
(3.5minutes),inwhichanendangeredHawaiianmonksealpreysuponand
competesforfishandinvertebratesontheseafloorat80meters(262feet)deep.
Ask:Whatistheecologicalrelationshipbetweenthemonksealandthe
octopus/eel/triggerfish?(predator/prey)Ask:Whatistheecologicalrelationship
betweenthemonksealandthejacks/sharks?(competition)Askstudentstoagain
thinkaboutanddiscussthebenefitsofstudyinganimalbehaviorandecological
interactionswithoutinterferencebyhumanobservers.Elicitfromstudentsthat
Crittercamallowsresearcherstoexaminethebehaviorandinteractionsofmarine
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speciesthattheynormallywouldbeunabletoobserve.
4.Havestudentsviewvideostoidentifysymbioticrelationships.
Showstudentsthethreevideosofdifferentmarinespeciesinteractions.After
eachvideo,havetheclassidentifyanddiscussthesymbioticrelationshipsthey
observed.
“CaribbeanCleaners”(2.5minutes)—mutualism
“GivingFishaBath”(5.5minutes)—parasitism
“ClownfishandSeaAnemonePartnership”(1.5minutes)—mutualism
Ask:Whattypeofsymbioticrelationshipwasnotshowninthevideos?
(commensalism)
5.UseaNationalGeographicimagetoexplorecommensalismanddiscussthe
originsofCrittercam.
Displaytheimage“lemonshark”intheresourcecarouselandhavestudents
observeitclosely.Ask:Otherthantheshark,arethereanyotherorganismsyou
see?Elicitfromstudentsthatthesharkandtheremoras,thesmallerfishbelow
theshark,haveasymbioticrelationshipcalledcommensalism,wheretheremoras
benefitfromholdingontotheshark,butneitherspeciesisharmed.Tellstudents
thatthiscommensalrelationshipiswhyGregMarshall,marinebiologistand
filmmaker,inventedCrittercam.In1986,asharkapproachedhimduringadive
nearBelize.Marshallnoticedaremoraclingingtoashark,andashewatchedthe
sharkdisappear,itoccurredtohimthatifhecouldputacameraintheplaceof
theremora,hecouldseetheshark'sbehaviorunfoldwithoutdisturbingtheshark.
ExplainthatwithCrittercam,Marshalllearnedthatremorasattachthemselvesto
predatoryfishlikesharksfortworeasons:afreerideandprotectiondueto
hangingontoafearedpredator.Thesharkisnotaffectedintheprocesssince
remoraseatonlyleftoverfoodfromtheshark.
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6.Havestudentsreadstatementsandidentifytypesofecological
interactions.
GiveeachstudentacopyoftheSymbioticInteractionsworksheet.Readaloudthe
directions.Tellthemthattheyshouldbeabletoprovidereasonsfortheirchoices.
Discusstheanswersasaclass.Havestudentsexplainwhytheyclassifiedthe
differentscenariosasonetypeofsymbiosisandnottheothers.Ask:Howdo
ecologicalrelationshipsshapethemarineecosystem?Whyisitimportanttoidentify
andunderstandtheserelationships?
InformalAssessment
Usetheprovidedanswerkeytocheckstudents'completedworksheetfor
accuracy.Askstudentstoorallyexplainwhytheylabeledeachmutualism,
commensalism,orparasitism.
ExtendingtheLearning
Havestudentsidentifyonenewmarine-relatedexampleforeachoftheecological
relationshipsdiscussedinthisactivity:predation,competition,mutualism,
commensalism,andparasitism.Discusstheexamplesasaclass.
Objectives
Subjects&Disciplines
Geography
PhysicalGeography
Science
Earthscience
Oceanography
LearningObjectives
Studentswill:
describepossibleecologicalrelationshipsbetweenspeciesthatliveinclose
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proximitytoeachother
definesymbioticrelationshipsasmutualistic,parasitic,orcommensalistic
classifysymbioticrelationships
TeachingApproach
Learning-for-use
TeachingMethods
Discussions
Hands-onlearning
Visualinstruction
SkillsSummary
Thisactivitytargetsthefollowingskills:
CriticalThinkingSkills
Analyzing
Applying
Remembering
Understanding
GeographicSkills
AnalyzingGeographicInformation
AnsweringGeographicQuestions
NationalStandards,Principles,andPractices
NationalGeographyStandards
•Standard8:
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ThecharacteristicsandspatialdistributionofecosystemsandbiomesonEarth's
surface
NationalScienceEducationStandards
•(9-12)StandardC-4:
Interdependenceoforganisms
•(9-12)StandardC-5:
Matter,energy,andorganizationinlivingsystems
•(9-12)StandardC-6:
Behavioroforganisms
OceanLiteracyEssentialPrinciplesand
FundamentalConcepts
•Principle5d:
Oceanbiologyprovidesmanyuniqueexamplesoflifecycles,adaptationsand
importantrelationshipsamongorganisms(suchassymbiosis,predator-prey
dynamicsandenergytransfer)thatdonotoccuronland.
•Principle5e:
Theoceanisthree-dimensional,offeringvastlivingspaceanddiversehabitats
fromthesurfacethroughthewatercolumntotheseafloor.Mostoftheliving
spaceonEarthisintheocean.
•Principle5f:
Oceanhabitatsaredefinedbyenvironmentalfactors.Duetointeractionsofabiotic
factorssuchassalinity,temperature,oxygen,pH,light,nutrients,pressure,
substrateandcirculation,oceanlifeisnotevenlydistributedtemporallyorspatially,
i.e.,itis“patchy”.Someregionsoftheoceansupportmorediverseandabundant
lifethananywhereonEarth,whilemuchoftheoceanisconsideredadesert.
•Principle5g:
Therearedeepoceanecosystemsthatareindependentofenergyfromsunlight
andphotosyntheticorganisms.Hydrothermalvents,submarinehotsprings,and
methanecoldseepsrelyonlyonchemicalenergyandchemosyntheticorganisms
tosupportlife.
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Preparation
WhatYou’llNeed
MaterialsYouProvide
Pencils
RequiredTechnology
InternetAccess:Required
TechSetup:1computerperclassroom,Projector,Speakers
Plug-Ins:Flash
PhysicalSpace
Classroom
Grouping
Large-groupinstruction
OtherNotes
Beforestartingtheactivity,downloadandqueueupallofthevideos.
ResourcesProvided:undefined
FishThievesTakeRareSeals'Prey
CaribbeanCleaners
GivingFishaBath
ClownfishandSeaAnemonePartnership
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ResourcesProvided:Handouts&Worksheets
SymbioticInteractions
SymbioticInteractionsAnswerKey
ResourcesProvided:Images
LemonShark
Background&Vocabulary
BackgroundInformation
Symbiosisisanecologicalrelationshipbetweentwospeciesthatliveinclose
proximitytoeachother.Organismsinsymbioticrelationshipshaveevolvedto
exploitauniquenichethatanotherorganismprovides.Theserelationshipsare
basedontheadvantagesthatcanbegainedbyfindingandusingapreviously
unexploitedniche.Competitionandpredationareecologicalrelationshipsbutare
notsymbiotic.Predationdoesnotoccuroveralongperiodoftime,and
competitionisanindirectinteractionoverresources.
PriorKnowledge
[]
RecommendedPriorActivities
CreateanImaginaryMarineEcosystem
MarineEcologyVideoScavengerHunt
Vocabulary
Term
Partof
Definition
Speech
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Term
Partof
Speech
commensalismnoun
mutualism
noun
parasitism
noun
predator
prey
noun
noun
symbiosis
noun
Definition
relationshipbetweenorganismswhereoneorganism
benefitsfromtheassociationwhilenotharmingtheother.
relationshipbetweenorganismsofdifferentspecies,in
whichbothorganismsbenefitfromtheassociation.
relationshipbetweenorganismswhereoneorganism(a
parasite)livesorfeedsontheother,usuallycausingharm.
animalthathuntsotheranimalsforfood.
animalthatishuntedandeatenbyotheranimals.
twoormoredistinctorganismslivingtogetherforthe
benefitofoneorboth.
ForFurtherExploration
Websites
NationalGeographicEducation:NationalTeacherLeadershipAcademy(NTLA)
Funder
©1996–2016NationalGeographicSociety.Allrightsreserved.
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