Linden Community Schools

Ecology/Science and Socity

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand I, Construct New Scientific Knowledge

Content, standard 1:4

The learner will define environmental science and compare it with ecology

readings and discussion

All assessments will be either tests, quizzes, worksheet completion, lab reports, group evaluation, or project evaluation.  In a few cases, subjective evaluation may replace one or more of the above.

Strand I.1:4

The learner will list the five major fields of study that contribute to environmental science.

notes, reading

 

Strand V.1:3

The learner will distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.

charting, listing, discussion

 

Strand I.1:4

The learner will classify environmental problems into three major categories.

class discussion, examples, hypothetical situations.

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand I.1:4

The learner will list three differences between developed and developing countries.

map usage, listing, notes.

 

Strand II.1:3

The learner will explain what sustainability is and describe why it is a goal of environmental science.

class discussion

 

Strand III.5:1

Strand III.5:2

The learner will distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.

picture activity     

 

Strand III.5:1

The learner will differentiate between community, species, and ecosystem.

worksheets, reading.

 

 


 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:1

The learner will differentiate between habitat and niche.

discussion, notes

 

Strand III.5:4

Strand III.3:3

The learner will explain evolution by natural selection, including the term adaptation.

discussion, examples, notes, worksheets.

 

Strand III.5:4

The learner will understand the method by which a population of insects can become resistant to pesticides.

examples, discussion.

 

Strand III.2:1

The learner will name the six kingdoms and identify characteristics and examples of each.

research, worksheets.

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:5

The learner will explain the importance of bacteria and fungi to the environment.

discussion, notes.

 

Strand III.5:2

The learner will understand the flow of energy in ecosystems.

diagrams, examples, trophic level activity.

 

Strand III.5:1

The learner will learn the three main niches in an ecosystem and their importance to each other.

notes, worksheets, classroom discussion.

 

Strand III.5:5

The learner will understand food webs and food chains and trophic levels.

comparison and contrast, food web activity

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand IV.2:2

The learner will understand the importance of the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles to ecosystems.

worksheets, discussion.

 

Strand III.5:4

The learner will understand the stages of primary and  secondary succession

examples, discussion.

 

Strand III.5:2

Strand III.5:4

The learner will understand the term biome and be able to list several terrestrial and aquatic biomes.

discussion, posters, notes, worksheets.

 

Strand III.1:1

The learner will explain how temperature and precipitation determine the types of plants that will grow in an area.

reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.1:1

The learner will learn about tropical and temperate rainforests, and the adaptations plants need to live in those biomes.

research, discussion, worksheets.

 

Strand III.4:2

The learner will learn about the different types of forest biomes as well as the adaptations necessary for the plants and animals that live there.

reading, notes, worksheets.

 

Strand III.5:6

The learner will understand the threats to all biomes discussed.

class discussion, charting.

 

Strand III.4:2

Strand III.5:6

The learner will learn the differences between the different types of grassland biomes, the adaptations of plants and animals, and the threats to those biomes.

charting, class discussion, reading.

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:1

The learner will describe the factors that determine where an organism lives in an aquatic ecosystem.

reading

 

Strand III.5:2

The learner will describe the littoral and benthic zones of an aquatic biome.

reading, discussion, note taking.

 

Strand III.5:5

The learner will describe the importance of wetlands.

Michigan wetland’s article, questions.

 

Strand III.5:6

The learner will learn the threats to aquatic biomes of all types.

essay type questions

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:6

The learner will describe and learn the importance of an estuary, coral reef and threats to those marine ecosystems.

essay questions.

 

Strand I.1:3

Strand II.1:4

The learner will describe exponential population growth.

Ex. Growth worksheet, graphing, prediction. population games (labs)

 

Strand III.5:3

The learner will describe how the reproductive behavior of individuals can affect the growth rate of their population.

Discussion of the characteristics that cause an organism to add more to the population.  Activity of the women and their decendents.

 

Strand III.5:3

The learner will understand carrying capacity, limiting factors and biotic potential.

worksheets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:1

The learner will understand and provide examples of the different types of symbiotic relationships within an ecosystem.

examples, discussion

 

Strand III.5:1

Strand III.5:3

The learner will understand the dynamics of predator/prey relationships.

Pred/Prey worksheet. 

 

Strand III.5:3

The learner will learn how the concepts of population growth and management in nature relate to those same things in the human species.

Human pop. histograms, per capita activity.

 

Strand III.2:5

The learner will understand demographic transition.

reading, notes, discussion.

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand II.1:6

The learner will describe problems caused by rapid human population growth.

resource use graphs, activity

 

Strand II.1:7

The learner will compare population growth between developed and developing countries.

Age histogram study.

 

Strand II.1:4

The learner will analyze strategies countries may use to reduce their population growth.

research and discussion.

 

Strand III.4:2

Strand III.5:6

The learner will describe the diversity of species, relate the differences between known and estimated numbers on earth.

reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark

Performance Description

Recommended Activities

Recommends Assessments

Strand III.5:6

The learner will explain why biodiversity is important to ecosystems and to humans.

class discussion, small group activities

 

Strand III.5:6

The learner will analyze the potential of a single species.

class discussion, Conservation Today activity