Aquatic Ecosystems

Environmental Science Unit Plan

Suggested Academic Level: 11-12th grade or 100-level college course

Anticipated Time Required: 10 class periods, including chapter test

Previous Unit: Land Ecosystems

Next Unit: Human Population

Vocabulary: Salinity, turbidity, plankton, nekton, benthos, lentic, lotic, littoral zone, limnetic zone, oligotrophic, eutrophic, source zone, transition zone, flood plain zone, mouth, brackish, marsh, swamp, bog, coastal zone, estuary, salt marsh, sea grass bed, mangrove swamp, intertidal zone, rocky shore, sandy shore, coral reef, photic zone, aphotic zone, benthic zone.

Objectives:

1.  Compare the physical characteristics of different types rivers, lakes, wetlands, and marine ecosystems.

2.  Classify aquatic organisms as plankton, nekton, benthos, or decomposers.

3.  Describe the different layers of a lake or ocean.

Lesson Title / Description / Time / Resources
Introduction and Freshwater Ecosystems / Discuss the lead-up to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Define the different characteristics of freshwater lakes and rivers. Show clips from Planet Earth Freshwater. / 45 minutes / Powerpoint Lecture
Wetlands / Explain the importance of wetlands. Show Bill Nye clip.
Relate the loss of coastal wetlands to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Show PBS ScienceNOW clip. / 45 minutes
Ocean Ecosystems / Compare coastal ocean ecosystems with those out in the open.
Define each of the ocean light zones.
Show an episode of Blue Planet to illustrate these ecosystems. / 75 Minutes / Blue Planet – Open Ocean, Tidal Seas, or Ocean Deep.
Lesson Title / Description / Time / Resources
Review / Students complete unit study guide in preparation for exam. / 30 minutes / Student Study Guide

Optional Activities:

Planet Earth Episodes and Worksheets
AurumScience.com / Full episodes of Planet Earth can be shown to give more detailed examples of freshwater, deep ocean, or shallow sea ecosystems.
Blue Planet Episodes and Worksheets
Aurumscience.com / Full episodes of Blue Planet can be shown to give more detailed examples of coral reefs, coastal zones, and ocean light zones.
Sharkwater Movie and Worksheet
Aurumscience.com / This documentary exposes some of the misconceptions we have about sharks, and why sharks as top predators are incredibly important to maintaining the ocean’s food webs.

Environmental Science Teaching Resources http://www.aurumscience.com