Lesson 2.

What relationships exist in ecosystems?

Pre Assessment: Respond to the question below in your field notebooks.

John Muir is a famous naturalist, conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club. He has authored many books about the natural world. In his book, My First Summer in the Sierra, he wrote:

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it is hitched to everything else in the universe."

(Muir, 1911)

What did Muir mean by this?

John Muir

Objective: Describe the interdependence of organisms within an ecosystem.

Enduring Understandings:

Ecology is the study of the relationships between abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem.
Ecology encompasses all of the activities and relationships that affect the environment and living organisms that depend upon it.

Activity 1: Read

(Link to article)

Ecosystem structure and functions.pdf

Activity 2: Food Chain Game

Play the food chain game
- Group 1: Connor, Sierra, Reece, Julie, Carmine
- Group 2: Quinn, Emmyrson, Haley, Gianna
- Group 3: Cooper, Hailey, Elise, Kyle, Indira
Reflect:
- How did this game illustrate ecosystem ecology?
- What would you change about the game to make it more realistic?

Homework: Ecology Article Review

Pick an article related to ecology from an issue of Connecticut Wildlife (copies also available in the classroom). Write a reflection on the article, including the following components:

Heading:
- Your name
- Date
- Article's title
- Author of article
Paragraph I: Summarize the article
Paragraph II: Identify examples of the concepts we have covered so far:
- Abiotic components of the environment
- Biotic components of the environment
Paragraph III: Identify the relationships illustrated in the article
- Ex. Feeding relationships, symbiotic relationships
Paragraph IV: Why do you think this article is a good example of ecology?

Assessment: You will be assessed using the WPS Communication Rubric.