March 11

Levels of Organization in Ecology 🌍🦎

📅 Lesson Overview:
Today, students graded their reading assignment from the previous day and then moved on to the Levels of Organization in Ecology lesson. This activity helped students understand how living things are structured and interact in ecosystems.

📝 What We Covered:

1️⃣ Introduction to Ecology Review

• Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.

• Biotic factors = Living things (plants, animals, bacteria).

• Abiotic factors = Non-living things (water, sunlight, soil, air).

2️⃣ Levels of Organization in Ecology

• Organisms are grouped into levels based on how they interact:
  ✅ Organism – A single living thing (e.g., one frog).
  ✅ Population – A group of the same species living together (e.g., all frogs in a pond).
  ✅ Community – All living organisms in an area (e.g., frogs, fish, plants, insects).
  ✅ Ecosystem – The living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors in an area (e.g., pond ecosystem).
  ✅ Biosphere – All ecosystems on Earth, including land, water, and air.

3️⃣ Frog Activity: Building the Levels of Organization

• Students used a frog example to visualize ecological levels.

• Activity:
  ✅ Labeled each level of organization for a frog.
  ✅ Drew and identified the biotic and abiotic factors in a pond ecosystem.
  ✅ Discussed dominant species (most abundant) and keystone species (species that shape the ecosystem).

4️⃣ Earth’s Systems & Interactions

• Atmosphere = The air surrounding Earth.

• Lithosphere = The solid land (continents, mountains).

• Hydrosphere = All of Earth's water (oceans, lakes, rivers).

• Biosphere = All living organisms on Earth.

📌 Why This Matters:

Understanding ecological organization helps us see how life is interconnected and why changes in one part of an ecosystem can impact everything else. This knowledge is essential for conservation, environmental science, and understanding biodiversity.

✅ Great job today! Be ready to continue applying these concepts to real-world ecosystems in upcoming activities! 🌱🔬✨