Students will define ecological forecasting, and be able to describe three examples of this process. Students will explain how the life cycle and ecological preferences of sea nettles help make them unusually abundant in the Chesapeake Bay and describe the economic and ecological impacts associated with large numbers of sea nettles in the Chesapeake Bay, and how ecological forecasting may help reduce these impacts. They will also define "limiting factors," explain how physical factors can be used to forecast sea nettle "outbreaks," and describe the limitations of these forecasts.

This video shows the connection between climate change, an increase in beetles, and a decline of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park.

Students analyze videos to make observations about species, populations, and communities of organisms and discuss their symbiotic relationships. Then they create a hypothetical marine ecosystem and describe the adaptive, trophic, and symbiotic relationships between the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.

This brief video lesson discusses invasive species. Discussion/assessment questions and suggested supplemental resources are also included.

In this activity students investigate the importance of persistence and creativity in scientific research through an examination of "bush sickness" in the Kaingora Forest in New Zealand.

This activity accompanies the Scientists at Work video Genetically Modified Mosquitoes. The video describes how scientists at the company Oxitec produced a line of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes that, when released into the wild, would reduce local mosquito populations. In this activity, students are challenged to provide their own questions and ideas for experiments they could conduct to investigate the impact of releasing GM mosquitoes into the wild. The students then learn the approaches that scientists at Oxitec have used to conduct such experiments, and use math, descriptive statistics, and line and bar graphs to analyze their data from treatment and control areas. As an option, students may also use spreadsheets to analyze and graph the data.

This lab-based course covers the foundational principles of modern life science as outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It also includes approximately a third of the Earth and Space Science standards, primarily those connected to environmental science and ecology. The course emphasizes all three dimensions of the NGSS, with special attention to the crosscutting concepts of Patterns and Energy and Matter. Additionally, scientific inquiry and engineering design practices are emphasized throughout the course. The course is designed to follow a chemistry course and so builds on student understandings of molecules as they explore the biomolecular underpinnings of life's functions, the evolution of life, and the interactions of life in ecosystems. Technological, historical, political, and environmental aspects of biology will also be addressed. Critical thinking, data analysis, and argumentation from evidence are also emphasized.

Population increased a lot from 1961-1975 and we want to figure out why. After investigating various details about The Serengeti, we realize we have lots of questions we need to answer.

A disease, Rinderpest, that affected cattle, was keeping the population of buffalo low. When the Rinderpest was eliminated, the population grew.

The biggest changes were caused when Rinderpest was eliminated. Our models predict after a while the population of buffalo and wildebeest will become more stable.

For this unit plan, see the old unit calendar (link on left sidebar, click ALT7 tab at the bottom).  Once we update this unit to the new Doc template, we will post it here. This is now unit 7, but it used to be unit 4 (we will update file and folder numbering as we continue to revise the units). Thanks for your patience as we work hard this year to update all of the materials to the new unit template and unit/standards arrangements.

In this lesson, students will analyze population graphs, collect data to generate their own population graph, and experience limiting factors and their impact on carrying capacity in a small deer population. Students will be able to identify, explain, and evaluate the impact that different limiting factors have on the population of organisms including food, water, shelter, predation, human interference, changes in birth and death rate, changes in immigration and emigration, disease, and reproduction.

In this lesson, students will analyze real scientific data from a short visualization clip to form logical hypotheses about what drives the migration patterns of raptors. Students will also describe and explain the connectedness of organisms within and across ecosystems and illustrate how primary productivity is the foundation of all food webs and how seasonal changes in primary productivity influence the behaviors of higher order consumers.

In this lesson, students will work to develop a prevention plan for an American Indian reservation that is experiencing a new occurrence of West Nile virus infection, while taking into consideration the cultural and environmental implications relevant to this population. To successfully complete these activities, the students should have some knowledge of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis.

In this lesson, students describe how abiotic and biotic factors can affect the size of a deer herd. Students will explain and simulate the management of a deer herd.

This is an encyclopedia entry for "biosphere." The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists. The biosphere extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests and high mountaintops. Text for this entry is appropriate for the middle and high school grade levels.

This is an encyclopedia entry for the term "ecosystem." An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. Text for this entry is appropriate for the middle and high school grade levels.

This encyclopedia entry is for the term "food chain." A food chain describes who eats whom in the wild. Text for this entry is appropriate for the upper elementary, middle and high school grade levels.

This is an encyclopedia entry for "habitat." A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home. Text for this entry is appropriate for middle and high school levels.

This is an encyclopedia entry for "keystone species," a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Text for this entry is appropriate for the middle and high school grade levels.