One Stop Shop For Educators The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance

Tasks, examples of Student Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.

Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade

Unit: Interdependence of Life: Ecology General Task Biomes Subject Area: Life Science Grade: 7th Standards (Content and Characteristics): S7L4. Students will examine the dependence of organisms on one another and their environments. c. Recognize that changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species. e. Describe the characteristics of Earths major terrestrial biomes (i.e. tropical rain forest, savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra, and mountain) and aquatic communities (i.e. freshwater, estuaries, and marine). S7CS4a. Use appropriate technology to store and retrieve scientific information in topical, alphabetical, numerical, and keyword files, and create simple files. S7CS5a. Observe and explain how parts can be related to other parts in a system such as predator/prey relationships in a community/ecosystem. S7CS5c. Organize scientific information using appropriate simple tables, charts, and graphs, and identify relationships they reveal. Enduring Understandings: 1. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species 2. Organisms are interdependent on their environment and each other. Essential Questions: How do changes in environmental conditions and changes in the transfer of energy affect an ecosystem?

Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools Life Science 7th Grade Interdependence of Life July 26, 2007 Page 1 of 3 Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

One Stop Shop For Educators

Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade

ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES Pre-Assessment: Written pre-assessment to be given individually: 1. Name 3 biotic factors found in the classroom. 2. Name 3 abiotic factors found in the classroom. 3. List 2 things within the classroom that you depend upon. 4. List 2 things within the classroom that depend upon you. 5. What do you think is meant by the term interdependence? Outcome / Performance Expectations: Working in cooperative groups to research and present findings, students will describe earths major terrestrial biomes and aquatic communities and recognize and investigate how a change in an environmental condition can affect one organism and the species within that biome. Divide class into cooperative groups and assign each group a biome. Students brainstorm and list biotic and abiotic factors that exist within the biome. Students are asked to consider one organism found in the biome, list the organisms needs, list things within the biome on which that organisms depends, and list other organisms within the biome that are dependent on that organism. Explain the relationships between these organisms. Students will determine how a change in the ecosystem, such as a spike in temperature, a drought, the arrival of a new food source or predator, or the loss of a food source or predator would affect the ecosystem and the organism that they are investigating. Research materials and reference books on each biome Chart paper Markers None required 1. Assign individual tasks within the group to ensure that members are involved. Teacher may have job cards for students to use. (recorder, facilitator, reader, illustrator, etc.) 2. Group should brainstorm and list on paper all of the biotic and abiotic factors that exist within their assigned biome. 3. Group members should then decide upon one

General Teacher Instructions:

Materials Needed:

Safety Precautions: Task with Student Directions:

Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools Life Science 7th Grade Interdependence of Life July 26, 2007 Page 2 of 3 Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

One Stop Shop For Educators

Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Life Science- 7th Grade

Resources:

Homework / Extension: Instructional Task Accommodations for ELL Students:

Instructional Task Accommodations for Students with Specific Disabilities: Instructional Task Accommodations for Gifted Students:

organism from their list that they would like to investigate. 4. On chart paper, the group should create a table and identify the organism, list all things the organism depends upon for survival, and list things within the biome that are dependent upon that organism. They should use their original list of biotic and abiotic factors for this task. 5. Students should choose one change to take place within the ecosystem. They should then describe and illustrate on the chart paper how that change would affect the individual organism and how a change in that organism would affect the entire biome. They should provide evidence/arguments for their predicted results from the environmental change. 6. Each group will then present their information to the class. Students may choose to construct an informative brochure, write and illustrate a magazine article, create a public service announcement, etc. for their oral presentation. Textbook, reference books from your school library (Students may need: art supplies, computer publishing program, video recording device, moviemaking program) Extend and relate to energy flow by constructing a food chain/web of organisms within the biome. Peer assistance during cooperative groups Preview vocabulary: biotic, abiotic, biome, dependent, interdependence Create a concept map/grid on the chart paper to organize information Cooperative grouping with students to assist with reading and recording of information Create a concept map/grid on the chart paper to organize information Students will be asked to review news articles, etc. to learn about a natural disaster that has recently occurred in their area. (Ex. forest fires in South Georgia, drought in rural farm areas, etc.) They will be asked to describe the effect it has had on the ecosystem and its inhabitants. They will then be asked to make predictions about future changes and regrowth in the area.

Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools Life Science 7th Grade Interdependence of Life July 26, 2007 Page 3 of 3 Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved