Embedded Files
Lessons 1 & 2 Vocabulary
ecosystem – A community that includes the living and nonliving things found in a certain area.
ecology – The science concerned with the relationships among living things and their environments.
organism – A living thing
decomposer – Microorganisms that dispose of waste matter in the ecosystem . They also take nutrients from dead organic matter and return them to the soil.
terrarium – A closed glass or plastic container where organisms can live and be observed.
aquarium – A water-filled glass or plastic container where organisms can live and be observed.
microorganism – any organism too small to be viewed by the unaided eye, such as bacteria, fungi and algae.
germination – The process by which seeds swell up and begin to sprout and develop roots.
Lessons 3 & 4 Vocabulary
consumers – An organism that feeds on other organisms or organic matter because it can not make its own food.
producers – An organism that make its own food through the process of photosynthesis.
photosynthesis – The process by which green plants, in the presence of light, make food out of carbon dioxide and water.
respiration – The process by which an organism takes in and processes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
larvae – A stage in the life cycle of some organisms.
gravid spot – Black spot on the side of the body of a female fish that is carrying offspring.
lateral line – A dark line, running the length of the fish, that senses pressure in the water.
radula – A tongue like organ that has tiny teeth that break down an animal’s food into bits.
mantle – A structure that lines the shell of shell-bearing animals.
scavenger – An organism that eats dead or decaying organic matter.
gastropods – A class of animals with soft bodies and a muscular foot, which is used for moving.
Lesson 1: Notes
Complex relationships exist in an environment.
Plants:
-produce their own food
-are at the beginning of the food chain
All living things, including microorganisms, exist in a community of living organisms called an ecosystem.
An ecosystem includes nonliving elements, too, such as:
-soil
-water
-air
-sunlight
Some animals depend on plants and/or animals for their food.
Living things may depend on nonliving things for their shelter.
“Eco” comes from the Greek word for house, habitat, or environment.
Ecology- the science that deals with the relationship of living things to each other and their natural environment.
These relationships commonly involve:
food
protection
shelter
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Energy flow in a riverbank environment:
SUN à WATER PLANTS à FISH à RACCOON
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Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, dispose of waste matter. They act as the ecosystem’s “cleanup crew.” They unlock valuable nutrients stored in dead organic matter and return them to the soil.
Lesson 2 Notes
Just as the earth is made up of land and water, your ecocolumn will also contain these 2 elements.
The upper portion will be the TERRARIUM.
· -“Terra” = “land” in Latin
The lower portion will be the AQUARIUM.
· -“Aqua” = “water” in Latin
This will represent a pond ecosystem.
Lesson 3 Notes
Each of the aquatic producers will play an important role in maintaining an ecosystem.
Plants + Algae:
-get dissolved nutrients from the aquarium sediment
-take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen
Lessons 5 & 6 Vocabulary
embryo – The first stage in the development of an organism.
interdependent relationship – the connection that shows how living and nonliving organisms rely on one another.
aquatic – Living in water.
isopod – A small animal with a segmented thorax.
exoskeleton – A hard and supporting or protective structure on the outside of the body of an insect or other animal.
entomologist – A scientist who studies insect life.
molt - to shed or cast off skin, feathers, fur, or horns, and grow a new covering.
thorax – The middle segment of an insect’s body.
-provide young fish with food and a hiding place from predators
Lesson 5 Notes
Dependent Relationships:
-gravel/ plant
-Gravel provides a base into which plant roots can grow.
-live organisms/ water
-All of the live organisms in the aquaria (mosquito fish, snails, elodea, algae, and duckweed) need water to survive.
Interdependent Relationships:
-snail/ plant
-As a producer, the plant provides food for the snail.
-It also offers shelter and adds some oxygen to the water.
-What the snail does for the plant is less obvious. In some ways, the snail is a gardener. It eats up the dead leaves (as well as some live ones, too!) and adds fertilizer in the form of feces.
-The snail also gives off carbon dioxide, which the plants use.
-fish/ plant
-This relationship is pretty much the same as the snail and plant, except that the fish prefer to eat live plant material.
-gravel/ plant
-This can be an interdependent relationship, especially in larger ecosystems.
terrestrial – Of or related to the land.
-Plant roots often hold dirt and gravel in place and prevent the dirt or gravel from washing away. The gravel holds the plant in place and gives it a place to root.
Lesson 8 Vocabulary
alkalinity – The value of pH in a solution.
acidic solution – A solution in which the pH value is below 7.
acid rain – Rain that is contaminated with pollutants.
algae bloom – When algae reproduces rapidly and turns water a bright green color.
basic solution – A solution in which the pH value is above 7.
fossil fuel – Fuels, such as coal, natural gas and oil that are formed from plant or animal remains.
fertilizers -a natural or chemical substance added to soil to make it better for growing plants.
pollutant – Anything that spreads harmful or unpleasant substances into the air, water, or ground.
neutral solution – A solution in which the pH value is 7.
pH scale – A special scale used to measure acids and bases.
Lesson 8 Notes
Disturbing forces occur naturally in nature. Ecosystems change in response to these forces in an unending process.
Human-made forces also disturb nature.
A POLLUTANT is anything that can harm living organisms when too much of it is released into the ecosystem.
Examples:
Ø Pesticides
Ø Fertilizers
Ø Nuclear waste
Ø Garbage
Ø Exhaust fumes
These pollutants upset the stability of ecosystems in:
Ø Land
Ø Water
Ø Air
The pH is the value of a solution’s acidity or basicity. It depends on the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (H-).
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The pH scale ranges from 0 – 14:
strongest acids neutral strongest bases
1 ACIDS 7 BASES 14
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The pH paper has a color range from yellow (most acidic) to green (least acidic).
Lesson 10 Vocabulary
experimental variable – It is the one different in a planned scientific experiment.
controlled experiment – A scientific investigation in which one variable is changed and all the others are kept the same.
scientific experiment - A carefully planned test used to discover something unknown.
control – The one factor that is constant in an experiment.
Lesson 10 Notes
In a good experiment, all conditions are kept the same EXCEPT for one, which is known as the experimental variable.
An experiment is a “fair test.”
-Just like in a race to see who is the fastest, all of the runners compete under the same conditions.
-They all:
Ø Start from the same line
Ø Run on the same course
Ø End at the same finish line
*All of the ecocolumns must also “compete” under the same conditions!
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