Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Ecosystem Shuffle Name: Kelsey Stehle

Content Area: Biology Grade Level: 10th
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):
HS-LS2-6 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of
organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different
scales.
HS-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in
ecosystems of different scales.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Big Ideas:
Individual Populations have a carrying capacity which is the maximum number of individuals an environment can sustain with available
resources (food, water, space etc)
With unlimited resources, populations experience exponential growth
Ecosystems consist of a complex network of interacting organisms and their environment.
Ecosystems can experience phase shifts and have multiple stable states that look very different.
Formulas can help predict how a population will grow over time
We as humans are part of the global ecosystem and have the ability to impact that ecosystem in both negative and positive way s
There are two types of population growth curves, logistic and exponential growth curves
Graphs and models can be build to determine population size, phase shifts, and population changes within an ecosystem.
Biodiversity is the measure of unique species within an environment

Goal: The goal of this unit is to help students understand how population dynamics work for individual populations and how those dynamics
ultimately impact larger ecosystems. Ecosystems are complex and are ever changing as individual populations change in response to environmental
changes. Changes in individual population sizes can cause changes in entire ecosystems. It is important to understand how ecosystems work because
humans impact ecosystems all over the world in drastic ways. If students understand the complexity and interdependence of ecosystems, then they
will be more informed citizens when it comes to environmental issues and policy.
Unit Summary:
This unit is all about interactions between organisms and their environment. This is known as ecology. The goal of this unit is to understand
how population dynamics work for single populations and how those dynamics impact larger ecosystems. An ecosystem is a community of
interacting organisms and their environment. Ecosystems are complex and are ever changing as individual populations change in response to
environmental fluctuations. Changes in individual population sizes can cause changes in entire ecosystems. We can model these changes to
see how ecosystems will react to different types of fluctuations. This is important because humans are part of the global eco system and impact
the environment in both negative and positive ways. By understanding how ecosystems work and how much change they can endure, we can
come up with solutions to help reduce the negative impact we have on the environment. Students will learn how to graph and calculate
population changes as well as differentiate between exponential and logistic population growth. This will help students under stand how the
whole ecosystem works together and give them the tools to predict and understand how environmental cha nges and/or changes in individual
populations can cause large changes in ecosystems.

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:
Students will brainstorm the meaning of population
and ecosystem. Students will come up with examples of
each. This will be done in the context of an introductory
class discussion.
Formative:
-Students will take a quiz that tests their knowledge on logistic
and exponential growth curves. Students will need to label a
graph and interpret what is happening in real world examples
of logistic and exponential growth curve examples.
-Students will solve an ecology cross word puzzle full of
vocabulary and concepts related to the ideas that students
have been learning about in class. In order to complete the
puzzle students will have to understand the concepts and how
they work together within ecology. This is a fun way to test
students knowledge of the unit so far.
-Students will create flashcards on Quizlet to further learn and
study the vocabulary and concepts related to logistic and
exponential growth. This will help determine what
information students think is important related to those topics
and how well they understand the information presented so
far in the unit.
-Students will take a quiz based on the population formulas
and how to use them to determine population growth, size and
whether a population is experiencing logistic or exponential
growth.
Summative:
Coral Reef Health Project: This assessment is a way to check
student understanding of the entire unit. In this project
students will be comparing coral reef health over a number of
years. Students will choose a species to look at within a set of
scientific photos taken over a series of years in the same spot.
Students will count the number of individuals of the species
within the community and create a graph using chart builder
of the population over time. Some of the species students can
choose from will be declining over time while other
populations will be growing. Students will determine what is
happening (increasing or decreasing) to the population they
have chosen. Students will use their growth formulas to find
out what the dN/dT is currently for their species. Students will
research their species and what role it has within the
community and determine what effect the population change
will have on the surrounding community. This will be an
opportunity for students to use real data to make conclusions
about an ecological problem by using the skills they have
learned in class.
 Endangered Species Project: In this project students will
choose an endangered species to research. Student will write a
4 page paper that explains the role of the endangered
organism within their community and what is happening to
the community with the population of the organism in decline.
Students will explore what the original populations size of the
organism was and whether the current population is in
decline or growing. Students will research what population
size would be needed for the organism to be delisted. The
overall community will also be researched and students will
explain how the community is reacting to the decline of the
organism. In some instances the effects on the community will
be drastic, in others the effects will be more subtle. Students
should use the correct vocabulary and use evidence to make
claims about the organism and surrounding community.
Students will also find current population data and create a
population growth curve based on the data available.

Lesson 1 (Teacher Lecture)

Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence Lesson Activities:
-Students will be able to (Assessments): For the first lesson students will be participating in a lecture presented by the instructor about
differentiate between logistic and -students can differentiate population dynamics and ecosystem interactions. The instructor will present a prezi presentation while
exponential population growth between logistic and exponential the students follow along completing their guided notes and participate in class discussions. The prezi
-Students will be able to define growth curves on notes discusses population dynamics and ecosystems. The presentation has prompting questions throughout
carrying capacity -students labeled the logistic that will either be answered on the guided notes and/or the instructor will pause the presentation to
-Student will be able to label a growth curve correctly allow the students to have a small discussion in class. This is meant to be an introduction to the topic
for students.
population curve graph -Students can answer questions
-Students will be able to predict prompted by teacher about what
what will happen to a population would happen to a population if
when changes in environment are resources were increased or
introduced. decreased
Lesson 2 (Webercise/ iPad Lesson)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
-students will create a comic strip -Student graph is correct and they Students will do a number of things to complete this lesson. First students will look at the data
highlighting the effects a can state whether logistic or regarding the population of otters over time. They will then use the Chart Builder App for iPad and
population decline will have on exponential growth is occurring create a growth curve for the otter population using the data given to them in the assignment. Students
the surrounding community -comic is accurate and shows clear will answer a few questions regarding population dynamics and their graph before they move on. Then
-students will be able to create a understanding of population students will play habitactics and explore the levers that cause changes in ecosystems. This is a fun
population growth curve dynamics game that students can play and learn about the complexity of ecosystems. Once students feel they have
a good idea how populations effect the communities and ecosystems around them, students will choose
-Students will be able to
a community or ecosystem to study. They will conduct research on what effect a change in population
communicate the effects a
of a species within the ecosystem will have on the entire ecosystem. This can be a real change or a
population change will have on hypothetical one. Students will then create a comic strip using the app comic life on the classroom iPads
the surrounding community about the population they researched and the effect its change had on the surrounding
 community/ecosystem. This comic strip will need to contain between 4-6 pictures and accurately
represent a community in the limited space.

Lesson 3 (Graphic Organizer)

Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
-Students will be able to use the -Graphic organizer clearly shows For this lesson students will read an article about logistic and exponential growth and the equations
logistic and exponential growth difference between logistic and associated with each type of growth. As students read they will complete a compare and contrast matrix
formulas with real data exponential growth about logistic and exponential growth. This matrix should include an example problem using each
-Students will be able to -Students demonstrate in their equation from the material in the reading. Students will work in groups to complete this reading and
communicate the mathematical notes how to use the formulas graphic organizer. There will be practice problems posted that the group will work on at the end of
difference between logistic and correctly class to ensure that they understand the formulas and how to use them. These questions will be
discussed as a whole class to make sure everyone has the same level of understanding.
exponential growth
Unit Resources:
https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=380
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlnFylwdYH4
sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/fishery_sim.html
http://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/coral-reef-ecology/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8dkWQVFAoA
oceantippingpoints.org/our-work/glossary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn7Sd5Uu42A
https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=381
https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?ResourceID=664&method=c Resource.dspDetail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4
https://www.esa.org/esa/careers-and-certification/explore-ecology-as-a-career/

Useful Websites:
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp
https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/habitactics
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chartbuilder/id1067399590?mt=8
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/population-growth-and-regulation/a/exponential-logistic-growth