Download UNIT 6 – SYLLABUS and Parent Letter

UNIT 6 – SYLLABUS and Parent Letter
Evolution, Ecology, and Biomes
Approximate Dates: Feb 18th – March 20th
Topics that will be discussed in the Ecology and Biomes unit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Food chains / Food webs
Interactions w/in Ecosystems
Biomes
Fossil Record
Evolution and Natural Selection
Chapter 14.3
Chapter 15
Chapter 14.4
Page 171
Chapter 7
Please utilize notes and resources offered on my
website to learn this material:
http://www.effinghamschools.com//Domain/703
Vocabulary terms to know in order to discuss Ecology and Biomes:
Flashcards have already been made and you may print
1. biotic
12. food chain
and utilize them by going to www.quizlet.com , type
2. abiotic
13. food web
in cdurden3131 in your search
3. herbivore
14. mutualism
4. carnivore
15. commensalism
5. omnivore
16. parasitism
6. natural selection
17. generation time
7. scavengers
18. extinct
8. adaptation
19. biome
9. speciation
20. population
10. habitat
21. carrying capacity
11. niche
The biomes we will discuss in this unit and that will be treated as vocabulary terms include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
tundra
taiga/ coniferous forest
temperate deciduous forest
grasslands
a. tropical – savanna
b. temperate - prairie
5. tropical rain forest
6. desert
7. freshwater
8. estuaries
9. marine
10. wetlands
Ecology Test: March 7th
Cumulative Vocabulary Test: March18th
Evolution Test: March 20th
Dates may change*
As you can see there are many new topics and vocabulary words to learn in this unit. In order to participate in the discussions
and labs your child needs to know these terms. Please remind your child to be reviewing vocabulary flashcards and notes each
night. Read notes one time through – don’t try to memorize. If something does not make sense come to class and ask for
clarification – DON’T wait until a test to say you don’t understand something!
Enrichment Activities:
**Do not forget that each student is responsible for two enrichment activities this 9 weeks.
The first Enrichment Activity was due February 12th and the second by March 12th. These activities are located
in my room as well as on my website. Students MUST choose at least one from the 3rd- 9 weeks list of activities.
If you have any questions regarding any of this information, feel free to call me at 754-7757 or e-mail me at
[email protected]
____________________________________ Unit 6 Syllabus___________________________________________________________
Do not remove this from your notebook.
Student Signature _____________________________________________________________
Parent Signature _________________________________________________________ ____
Key terms and vocabulary essential in learning this unit:
1. Desert - a hot or cold region that receives less than 25 centimeters of rain per year
2. Adaptation - a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment and reproduce
3. Savanna - a tropical grassland with scattered clumps of trees; found in the tropical wet-and-dry
climate zone close to the equator
4. Tundra - an extremely cold, dry biome with permafrost
5. Estuary - a habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean
6. Generation time - the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next
generation
7. Natural selection - the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment
survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do
8. Biotic - the living factors which affect the system - for example predators or food supply
9. Abiotic - the non-living factors which affect the system - for example weather, natural disasters,
drought ....
10. Food chain - a chain of organisms in which each link feeds on the one ahead and is eaten by the
one behind
11. Food web - way of showing how food chains are related
12. Mutualism - symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship
13. Commensalism - a symbiotic relationship in which one member is benefited and the second is
neither harmed nor benefited
14. Parasitism - a symbiotic relationship whereby one organism/species benefits from the relationship
and the other organism is harmed
15. Freshwater - water that is not salty or has minute traces of salt, ponds, lakes, streams
16. Marine - ocean biome; water contains approximately 3.5% salt
17. Taiga - a coniferous forest biome characterized by long cold winters and short summers; famous
for mountains
18. Tropical rain forest - average yearly rainfall is great, soil is thin and nutrient poor, lush plant life,
located near the equator
19. Deciduous forest - biome characterized by trees that shed their leaves during the autumn; mild
climate - warm summers, cool winter
20. Temperate grassland - warm hot summers; cold winters, and characterized by a rich mix if grasses
and some of the world's most fertile soils; home to large grazing herds
21. Wetlands - Areas of standing water such as marches, swamps and bogs; acts as a filter of run off
water
22. Scavenger - An animal that feeds on the remains of a dead organism
23. Herbivore - a consumer that eats only producers like plants or algae
24. Carnivore - a consumer that eats other consumers or animals
25. Omnivore - a consumer that eats producers and consumers
26. Extinct - no more living members of the species still alive
27. Speciation - The formation of a new species
28. Population - a group of the same species that interbreed and live together in one area.
29. Carrying Capacity – the maximum number of organism that the environment can support.
30. Habitat - the environment in which an organism lives
31. Niche – the role that an organism plays in its environment