Collingwood SchoolScience 10 Chapter 3.2 and 3.3

‘How Humans Influence Ecosystems’ and ‘Invasive Species’

Date:

You will be working in large group, six members from the class. Your group will be given a region of the world to which you will research various topics and answers questions accordingly. The three regions are:

  1. British Columbia
  2. The Amazon (South America)
  3. California

This assignment will be divided into two sections; one looking at How Humans Influence Ecosystems and the second looking at invasive species.

Each group member will research and complete the following:

a)Choose one factor that affects an ecosystem. Define, provide an example and location of where this factor is occurring in your given region. This information will be gathered by finding one article (magazine, newspaper, internet source)

  1. Provide a sustainable solution that can prevent or diminish this factor

b)Choose an invasive species that inhabits your given region. What effect does this species have on the environment? Any solutions to diminish this negative effect?

The following are the topics that you will be assigned. Definitions for these are highlighted in Chapter 3 of the BC Science 10 textbook. Each member of your group will be responsible for the following topics within each region:

Group Member
(and page # on google doc) / Ch. 3.2 - Humans Influence on Ecosystems.
Explain how this factor does affect the ecosystem you are studying?
What sustainable solution can you provide that either prevent or diminish this factor? / Ch 3.3 - Invasive Species
How has an introduced species effected your region? Name an example
Is a solution possible? Does the species give the ecosystem an advantage?
Each member must choose an example of an invasive species, determine the effect on the ecosystem. (page 51 in the workbook)
1 / Habitat Loss
2 / Habitat Fragmentation
3 / Deforestation
4 / Soil Degradation and Soil Compaction
5 / Contamination
6 / Overexploitation

Finished product looks like:

  1. Each member of the group will present their findings on a google doc, shared between each member of your group. Each member will post their findings on one page of the google doc, equaling a total of six pages. Remember to add images that will support your text.

The seventh page will be a complete list of references for your group.

Please share your ‘Group Google Doc’ with your teacher!

Each individual page on the shared google-doc should include:

  • Title + Name
  • A summary of your article (based on your factor affecting ecosystems)
  • Include a definition and / or an explanation outline the effects of this factor
  • A sustainable solution to this problem
  • Describe an invasive species
  • What impacts this species will have on the region / ecosystem
  • References (on the last page)
  1. A poster will be submitted featuring large map of your region. From there, images and summarized text will show where humans have had influence on this region and where the invasive species are located.


RUBRIC (*This will be completed for each individual student, group marks given where appropriate)

Name: ______Group Region: ______

Did you choose at least one relevant article (from your region) for your topic? Did you summarize it to the appropriate length? / 1 2 3 4
Did you cite your sources? In the correct APA format? / 1 2
Did you correctly define and identify a factor that humans have had an influence? / 1 2 3 4
Did you provide a realistic (and sustainable) solution to human’s influence in your region? / 1 2 3 4
Did you correctly identify an invasive species in your region? / 1 2 3 4
Did you correctly identify their impact within the region and possible solutions (if needed?) / 1 2 3 4
Did your group submit, share, and present their findings in a google doc shared with your teacher? / 1 2 3 4
Did your group submit a poster with quality effort, impressive images / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Attitude, Collaboration, Tardiness, Use of class time / 1 2 3 4
TOTAL / / 38