Environmental Systems Unit 2

Big Idea:

• This unit bundles student expectations addressing population dynamics. Students investigate factors impacting populations and analyze and make predictions about the impact on populations of geographic locales due to diseases, birth and death rates, urbanization, and natural events such as migration and seasonal changes. Students also analyze and predict the effects of non-renewable resource depletion. Students research and explain the causes of species diversity and predict changes that may occur in an ecosystem if species and genetic diversity is increased or reduced. Additionally, students relate carrying capacity to population dynamics and calculate birth rates and exponential growth of populations. Students also predict how the introduction or removal of an invasive species may alter the food chain and affect existing populations in an ecosystem, and they predict how species extinction may alter the food chain and affect existing populations in an ecosystem. Students continue to practice safety and utilize the science notebook to record, organize and communicate information.
• Students will examine how natural events and human activities impact the environment.

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

E.7(A) relate carrying capacity to population dynamics

E.7(B) calculate birth rates and exponential growth of populations

Focus TEKS

E.7(C) analyze and predict the effects of non‐renewable resource depletion

E.7(D) analyze and make predictions about the impact on populations of geographic locales due to diseases, birth and death rates, urbanization, and natural events such as migration and seasonal changes.

Ongoing TEKS

E.2(K) communicate valid conclusions supported by the data through methods such as lab reports, labeled drawings, graphic organizers, journals, summaries, oral reports, and technology‐based reports

E.3(A) in all fields for science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student

E.3(B) communicate and apply scientific information extracted from various sources such as current events, news reports, published journal articles and marketing materials

Student Learning Targets:

• I will know the variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions.
• I will know a great diversity of species increases the chance that at least some living things will survive in the face of large changes in the environment.
• I will understand the growing worldwide interdependence of social, economic, and ecological systems means that changes in one place in the world may have effects in any other place.

Essential Questions:

• In what ways does the introduction or removal of an invasive species affect existing populations in an ecosystem?
• In what ways does the extinction of one species affect existing populations in an ecosystem?
• What changes may occur in an ecosystem if species diversity or genetic diversity within a species is changed?
• What are the social, ecological, political, and economic factors that affect birth rates, death rates, and fertility rates?
• What are the effects when a population exceeds carrying capacity?
• What factors can cause carrying capacity to change?

Extra Information:

Adopted Textbook: Environmental Systems Texas: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center