Population Dynamics

Assignment:

1) Create a flip book or flashcards with the following terms. Include the definition, the word in a sentence and a drawing for each term:

carrying capacity
competition
disease
emigration
exponential growth
immigration
limiting factor
mutualism
parasitism
predation
population density
population distribution
zero population growth
biotic
abiotic

Six Kingdoms Brochure

Objective: You will demonstrate your knowledge of the six kingdoms of organisms by gathering information (from your class notes, the internet, and the biology textook) and creating a brochure on the six kingdoms in which scientists classify organisms.

Your brochure will be organized as follows:

Making the Brochure- the brochure is made of one piece of paper. Fold the paper into thirds.
Cover- your cover should have a picture and an appropriate title. Your name should be written in the bottom right corner of the cover.

3. Inside the Brochure- inside your brochure, you should have one section for each of six kingdoms. Use the front and back of the paper. Since there will only be five open sections left in the brochure, you should place both the Eubacteria Kingdom and Archaebacteria Kingdom in the same section.

You must include the following information for each of the six kingdoms:

Are the organisms unicellular (one cell) or multicellular (many cells) or both?
Do they have a nucleus in their cells?
Do they make their own food or get it from other organisms?
Other important characteristics
A picture or a diagram of sample organisms (one or a few)

Important vocabulary

Unicellular - made of only 1 cell, small organisms

Mulitcellular - composed of more than one cell

Prokarytic - orgnaisms without a nucleus inside their cells

Eukaryotes - orgnaisms without a nucleus inside their cells

Autotroph - you can make your own food (like plants)

Heterotorph - must eat other organisms for energy

ASSIGNMENT:

1) See me for a copy of the Abiotic v. Biotic Factors Practice.

2) Watch the video on the left to complete the front side of the sheet.

3) Use the video on the right to complete the back side of the worksheet.

1) Watch the video on food webs and pyramids.

2) Use your knowledge to complete the "Swamp Chomp" activity. (see me for copy)

1) See me for an active reading on energy flow.

2) Use the reading and your knowledge to answer the questions.

Assignment:

1) Watch at least 2 of the above videos on invasive species.

2) Write a 3-5 complete sentence summary on invasive species. What are they? Why are they problematic?

Assignment:

1) Conduct research and identify an invasive species in Texas.

2) Create a WANTED poster about your invasive species. Include:

Economic Impacts
- how does the presence of the non-native species effect the economy?
Biodiversity Impacts
- how does the species effect other living things?
Habitat alteration Impacts
- how does the species effect the habitat?
Food chain
- how does the species impact the food chain in the area?

Removal of invasive species
- how could your species effectively be removed? and/or, are there currently efforts to remove the species?

ASSIGNMENT:

1) Watch the video on biomagnification.

2) Then, see me for a reading with questions about DDT.

3) Answer the questions using your knowledge from the reading and video.

UN sets 2030 targets to save Earth's biodiversity amid mass extinctionAlmost a third of the Earth will need to be protected by 2030 and pollution cut by half to save our remaining wildlife, according to a United Nations agency.

Assignment:

1) Watch the video and read the article on the right.

2) Conduct research and identify a local species at risk of extinction. What actions are currently being taken to prevent their extinction?

3) Create a one-page advertisement about the species you identified, where the species is found, why it's important and actions you suggest the public take to save it from extinction.

Why is biodiversity so important? - Kim PreshoffOur planet’s diverse, thriving ecosystems may seem like permanent fixtures, but they’re actually vulnerable to collapse. Jungles can become deserts, and reefs can become lifeless rocks. What makes one ecosystem strong and another weak in the face of change? Kim Preshoff details why the answer, to a large extent, is biodiversity.

Assignment:

1) See me for questions on loss of biodiversity and answer the questions using the videos above.

2) NOTE: the 3rd video is more catered to answering the questions, though the first two are also interesting

3) Then, see me for a reading and questions on biodiversity.

ASSIGNMENT:

1) Watch the video above on ecological relationships.

2) Then, take a piece of paper and divide it both hamburger and hotdog. Write: predator/ prey in one box, mutualism in another, commensalism and parasitism in the last.

3) See me for a card sort activity to practice identifying different ecological interactions.

Assignment:

1) Watch the videos above on carrying capacity.

2) Create a bubble map over carrying capacity, including at least 4 bubbles describing carrying capacity and factors that can effect carrying capacity.

Assignment:

1) Watch the video on calculating population growth problems.

2) See me for a copy of the Lesson of the Kaibab.

ASSIGNMENT:

1) Watch the videos on resource depletion. Write a 4-6 sentence summary on how humans deplete resources. Address at least two of the following in your discussion:

Changes in carrying capacity of organisms
Changes in balance of power (e.g., supply and demand)
Growth in use of alternative sources of energy
Possible lack of sustainable economic development
Extinction of some populations

ASSIGNMENT:

1) Watch the video above on population regulation.

2) Then, see me for the population graphs activity.