The Lorax

Vocabulary-(please define the following vocabulary terms before watching “The Lorax” video).

population density-

immigration-

emigration-

carrying capacity-

limiting nutrients-

invasive species-

native species-

salinity-

marine-

estuary-

primary succession-

secondary succession-

climate change-

non-native species-

ecological footprint-

biodiversity-

sustainable development-

eutrophication-

ecosystem-

renewable resources-

non-renewable resources-

The Lorax

Movie Questions: (answer the following questions from the movie.)

1. Who is the Once-ler?

2. Name at least one producer and one herbivore consumer.

3. Why did he like the truffula trees?

4. What was the Lorax’s job?

5. What is a thneed?

6. What were some examples of pollution from the “thneed factory”?

7. What did the Lorax mean when he said sometimes progress progresses too fast?

8. How did deforestation affect the environment? Explain how this is an example of habitat fragmentation.

9. How could the Oncler have practiced sustainable development and probably saved his business?

10. If the Oncler had planted an invasive, non-native species of tree that had no predators, would this have solved his

problems? Explain what would have happened in the forest.

11. Why did the barbalots leave?

12. Why did the swammy swans leave?

13.Why did the humming fish leave?

14. Did the Once-ler ever feel bad about what he was doing? Explain.

15. Why did we never see the Once-ler’s face?

16. What does UNLESS mean?

17. What lesson should we all learn from this video?

The Lorax

Higher Order Questions: (on a separate sheet of paper answer the following questions.)

  1. When a population is declining, what two factors are likely outpacing what other two factors?
  2. What mechanisms does nature use to control population growth and how can we predict future events?
  3. How might density-dependent limiting factors be affected by a flood or some other natural disaster?
  4. How might the carrying capacity of an environment for a particular species change in response to an unusually long and harsh winter? Why?
  5. A red tide occurs when a bloom of plankton causes a reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters . What might cause such an increase in plankton populations?
  6. Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession.
  7. How might climate change affect the Earth if the current use of fossil fuels is not replaced by more renewable energy?
  8. How might the introduction of a species of a fast-growing plant impact the forest ecosystem?
  9. What are some positive and negative reasons to intentionally add a non-native species to an environment?
  10. What does it mean to have a large carbon footprint? Explain the process in calculating a carbon footprint.
  11. Explain why it is very important that humans carefully and extensively research, and/or apply a slow introduction process to new things that we haven't experienced in our ecosystem before. Provide possible situations, or real world examples.
  12. Explain how having bottled drinking products, and other bottled items is both a benefit and a detriment.
  13. Older light bulbs are fairly cheap compared to the new energy saving style bulbs. Provide reasoning to convince someone to change from older light bulbs to newer light bulbs.
  14. The progressive increase in Earth's human carrying capacity came from advances in technology. What density- independent and density-dependent limiting factors may prevent the human population from continued growth?
  15. How can a renewable resource such as water become a non-renewable?