Students will explore a freshwater environment as an ecosystem, considering biotic and abiotic factors, relationships in nature and how organisms fill various niches. They will use microscopes to look at macro-invertebrates and plants collected from the water, focusing on evolution, adaptations and classification. Students also consider complex avenues for energy to transfer from the sun through living things in this environment.
Curriculum Frameworks:
HS-LS1-2 - From Molecules to Organisms--Structures and Processes - animal body systems functions
HS-LS2-1 - Ecosystems--Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics - (a)biotic factors and carrying capacity
HS-LS2-2 - Ecosystems--Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics - (a)biotic factors and biodiversity
HS-LS2-4 - Ecosystems--Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics - energy transfer across trophic levels
HS-LS2-6 - Ecosystems--Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics - change and resilience in ecosystems
HS-LS4-5 - Biological Evolution--Unity and Diversity - env. changes drive evolution