This explore on your own student managed lesson explores ecosystems and how living things are interconnected.

This explore on your own student managed lesson explores ecosystems and how living things are interconnected and is presented in Spanish

This highly informative site explores five different ecosystems and the public health issues that have arisen in each. Students can explore the different ways that ecosystem services that address air quality, heat hazard mitigation, recreation and physical activity, water hazard mitigation, and water quality impact many health conditions.

This lesson is about the flow of energy in ecosystems. The setting is Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, where students will learn about the first Thanksgiving meal in America, celebrated in 1621 by early American settlers and Wampanoag Indians. By examining this meal and comparing it to a modern day Thanksgiving celebration, students will be able to explore the way in which food energy moves and is transformed in an ecosystem. The learning goals focus on the movement of energy from one feeding level to the next within a food web, the way in which energy changes form, and the inefficiency of energy transfer, which in turn affects the availability of food energy for organisms at the highest feeding level. The lesson is directed at high school level biology students. Students should be familiar already with food webs, food chains, and trophic (feeding) levels. They should also be familiar with the general equations for photosynthesis (CO2 + H2O => C6H12O6) and cell respiration (C6H12O6 => CO2 + H2O), and understand the basic purpose of these processes in nature. This lesson can be completed during one long classroom period, or can be divided over two or more class meetings. The duration of the lesson will depend on prior knowledge of the students and on the amount of time allotted for student discussion. There are no supplies required for this lesson other than the downloadable worksheets (accessed on this BLOSSOMS site), paper and some glue or tape.

Communities are dynamic and change over time, and we can observe this process with particular clarity after a disturbance or on new land. Learn about primary and secondary succession, as well as pioneer species. Created by Sal Khan.

We will cover fundamentals of ecology, considering Earth as an integrated dynamic system. Topics include coevolution of the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and oceans; photosynthesis and respiration; the hydrologic, carbon and nitrogen cycles. We will examine the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems; regulation of the distribution and abundance of organisms; structure and function of ecosystems, including evolution and natural selection; metabolic diversity; productivity; trophic dynamics; models of population growth, competition, mutualism and predation. This course is designated as Communication-Intensive; instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. Biology is a recommended prerequisite.

This video focuses on the conifer forest in Alaska to explore the carbon cycle and how the forest responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Topics addressed in the video include wildfires, reflectivity, and the role of permafrost in the global carbon cycle.

This activity is an open-ended inquiry investigation in which students analyze and predict how an environmental change will affect the visitation rates of insects. Students will ask a question, develop multiple hypotheses, run a scientific investigation, and report their findings to their "colleagues".

Great way for students to explore biomes while using their creativity to show what they have learned, can be adapted for f2f, blended or online learning. Was created as part of the Bio 11 curriculum but could be adapted for lower grades.

Students will explore and create a healthy ecosystem, once established they will then introduce additional variables which may harm the ecosystem and determine which hazards should be avoided.

Are all coral reefs the same? Each regional ecosystem has its own assemblage of species and each contributes uniquely to global biodiversity. Explore why ecosystem diversity is important for conservation decisions. Video by California Academy of Sciences.

Students in this lesson will investigate the different components of an ecosystem and how food chains play a vital role in the survival of animals and plants in specific ecosystems. 

Flow of energy and matter through ecosystems. What happens if an ecosystem is disrupted. Video by California Academy of Sciences. Created by California Academy of Sciences.

Flow of energy and matter through ecosystems. What happens if an ecosystem is disrupted. Video by California Academy of Sciences. Created by California Academy of Sciences.

Students are charged with thinking about what it takes to 'do science'. They are introduced to the science of dendrochronology and learn how tree-ring science is executed.

Nitrate and phosphate are useful as fertilizers in agriculture and gardening. Nitrate and phosphate aid agricultural production by producing more abundant crops. However, since the mass production of ammonia during the 1940's by way of the Haber process, it has been noted that a phenomenon known as “nitrate pollution” may occur. This pollution can be demonstrated by conducting this simple experiment. This experiment demonstrates two main ideas. The first is a test of what levels of nitrate and phosphate allow for optimum algal growth. The second demonstrates at which levels of nitrate and phosphate algal blooms may occur, causing harm to an aquatic ecosystem (Freeman, 2002).

In this media-rich lesson, students learn how global warming is changing the Alaskan environment and examine the consequences of climate change on the region's human and wildlife inhabitants.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students play a game about fishing, write a story about what happened, and learn how climate change impacts fish populations.

SCIENTIST NOTES: In this lesson, students play the Fish Game to investigate sustainable fishing practices. This lesson passes our scientific review process.

En esta lección, los estudiantes juegan El Juego de Peces para investigar prácticas de pesca sostenible. Esta lección pasa nuestro proceso de revisión científica.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson includes hands-on, student-led communicative tasks and an authentic Spanish language listening activity.
-The fish game allows students to practice their extemporaneous speaking skills while learning about the impact of decision-making on communities.
-By playing the fish game, students encounter the economic, ecological, and social challenges of sustainable fishing.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is Lesson 1 of 3 in our Cambio Climático y la Pesca unit.
-This lesson is meant for students with an intermediate-low Spanish language proficiency level. However, novice-high level students can play the game by using the support materials in the Differentiation section below.
-Teachers can use paper clips or scraps of paper to represent the fish in the game to help students visualize their “catches” and the fish remaining in the lake.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students who need a review of basic grammatical concepts can complete the Grammar Review before playing the game.
-Students with novice-high proficiency levels can use the useful phrases included at the end of the El Juego de Peces Student Packet to help them interact in Spanish during the game.
-The tira cómica activity in the Inspire section can be modified to incorporate advanced grammar, such as the use of past tenses or the present tense subjunctive.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students play a game, participate in communicative activities, and research recipes to explore the role of consumers in supporting climate change resilience in the oceans.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Many people use fish as their primary source of protein. But climate change is hurting fish populations and the people who need them. This lesson has passed our scientific review process.

Muchas personas utilizan el pescado como fuente principal de proteínas. Pero el cambio climático está perjudicando a las poblaciones de peces y a las personas que los necesitan. Esta lección ha pasado nuestro proceso de revisión científica.

POSITIVES:
-Students participate in a variety of communicative activities and are exposed to authentic resources from Spain and Latin America.
-The post-game reflection allows students to make personal connections to the ideas in this lesson and reflect on cultural and social justice themes.
-The recipe competition is motivating and allows for student voice and choice.
-Since most activities are completed independently, this lesson can be used for substitute plans.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 3 in our Cambio Climático y la Pesca unit.
-This lesson can be used as a standalone lesson or added to units on food, shopping, the environment, global challenges, science, technology, or contemporary life.
-Students with intermediate-low proficiency will be able to successfully navigate the activities in this lesson.
-Students should have a general familiarity with vocabulary and concepts related to climate change and fishing.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-As an alternative to the video in the Investigate section, teachers can print out MarViva's Guía de Trazabilidad and place the pages around the room. Students can walk around the room and take notes on the recommendations in the guide.
-The teacher can project the game board and students can play the game as a class instead of in pairs or small groups.
-Students can create personalized lists of vocabulary with expressions from this lesson to practice on a platform like Quizlet.
-Students can create a local guide in Spanish about where to buy sustainable seafood or write an article in Spanish for the school newspaper.
-Advanced classes can begin the lesson by analyzing Pablo Neruda’s poem “Oda al Caldillo de Congrio” instead of describing the photos.
-After completing this lesson, AP Spanish Language and Culture students can record a two-minute cultural comparison using one of these prompts:
-¿Cómo ha afectado el cambio climático la vida de las personas en tu comunidad? ¿Qué hacen para expresar solidaridad los miembros de tu comunidad?
-¿Qué hábitos o actividades se consideran una expresión de los valores en tu comunidad? ¿Qué opinión tienen las personas en tu comunidad con respecto a los avances en la ciencia y la tecnología?
-¿Qué papel juegan las tradiciones de la comida en las familias de tu comunidad? ¿Qué importancia tiene el trabajo en el bienestar de las familias en tu comunidad?
-As a culminating activity for this three-lesson unit, the class can watch this Youth for Sea music video and then create their own version of the video or create graphics to go with the song.
-The class can come up with their own criteria, based on the lesson, for the competition “La Gran Receta de los Océanos.”