Energy Flow through Ecosystems Unit 2012-2013

Teachers: Ben Lyne

Rebecca King

Grade/Subject: 7th Grade Science

Unit: Energy Flow through Ecosystems

Length of Unit: 3weeks

Core Content/ POS:

  • S-07-4.6.4

Students will describe or represent the flow of energy in ecosystems, using data to draw conclusions about the role of organisms in an ecosystem.

For most ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis. That energy then passes from organism in food webs.

DOK 3

  • SC-7-ET-U-5

Students will understand that the role various organisms play within an ecosystem can be determined by observing the flow of energy between them.

  • SC-7-ET-S-2

Students will model, explain and analyze the flow of energy in ecosystems and draw conclusions about the role of organisms in an ecosystem

Unit Goals:

  1. Students will be able to use data to draw conclusions about the role of organisms in an ecosystem and describe the flow of energy in ecosystems.
  2. Students will be able to describe the processes of photosynthesis and respiration and explain how energy is transferred from the Sun to a plant and then to an animal.

“I Can” Statements:

Unit Goal / “I Can” Statement
1 / I candescribe the functions of producers, consumers and decomposers in an ecosystem.
1 / I can distinguish between a food chain, food web and energy pyramid.
1 / I can trace a path of solar energy through a simple food chain.
1 / I can construct food webs.
1 / I can describe how the amount of energy decreases as energy flows through an ecosystem.
2 / I can describe the parts of a plant and their functions.
2 / I can identify the needs of a plant for photosynthesis and the parts that help to obtain the needs.
2 / I can identify the importance of photosynthesis to a plant.
2 / I can write and describe the chemical reaction required during photosynthesis.
2 / I can identify the needs for respiration and the parts that help to obtain the needs.
2 / I can write and describe the chemical reaction required during respiration.
2 / I can explain how photosynthesis and respiration are dependent on one another in the carbon cycle.
2 / I can explain how the Law of Conservation of Matter is demonstrated in the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.

Vocabulary:

Herbivore

Carnivore

Omnivore

Consumer

Producer

Decomposer

Scavenger

Food chain

Food web

Energy pyramid

Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis

Conservation of matter

Activities/Tasks:

Day 1

  • Hand out Energy Flow packet
  • Assign vocabulary (students will complete vocabulary on their own time)
  • Packet pgs. 2-3
  • EP- Vocabulary
  • ADV EP- Vocabulary

Day 2

  • Notes: Roles in the Ecosystem
  • Packet pg. 4
  • Activity: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Consumer’s Card Sort (FOSS Kit)
  • Packet pg. 7
  • EP- Energy Role Classification worksheet pg. 8
  • ADV EP- Energy Role Classification worksheet pg. 8

Day 3

  • Activity: Finish Consumer Card Sort
  • Activity: Energy Flow Role Playing
  • Part 1: Each person will get a sheet containing a producer (grass, berry bush or fruit tree) or consumer (rodent, bird, owl, fox, coyote or bear). Ask the students who are producers and consumers and then make a simple food chain.
  • Part 2: Call all producers and line them up. Then call for the consumers who eat producers and line them up behind the producers (rodents and birds-1st level consumer). Next, call the consumers that eat the 1st level consumers (foxes and owls- 2nd level consumers) and line them up behind the 1st level. Finally, call the organisms that eat the 2nd level consumers (bears and coyotes-3rd level consumers) and line them up behind the 2nd level.
  • Students should be able to see the “pyramid” of energy flow beginning with most of the energy at the producer level and only a few organisms at the top.
  • Be sure to mention decomposers.
  • Food Chains and Food Web worksheets
  • Packet pgs. 9-10
  • EP- Finish packet pgs. 9-10
  • ADV EP- Finish packet pgs. 9-10

Day 4

  • Notes: Food Chains & Webs and The Energy Pyramid
  • Packet pg. 5-6
  • EP- “What Kind of Vore?” w/s pgs. 12-13 & “Food Chains to Webs” w/s pgs. 11-12
  • ADV EP- “What Kind of Vore?” w/s pgs. 12-13 & “Food Chains to Webs” w/s pgs. 11-12

Day 5

  • Vocabulary Quiz: Roles in an Ecosystem
  • Activity:Food Chains in Color (review/separate sheet)
  • Decide and color the organisms as producers (green), consumers (red) and decomposers (blue).
  • Cut out the organism cards and create food chains with the organisms, gluing them to construction paper.
  • EP- “How do food chains make a food web?” worksheet pgs. 13-14
  • ADV EP- “How do food chains make a food web?” worksheet pgs. 13-14

Day 6

  • Activity:Finish Food Chains in Color
  • EP- “Food Webs and Energy Pyramids” worksheet pgs. 15-17
  • ADV EP- “Food Webs and Energy Pyramids” worksheet pgs. 15-17

Day 7

  • Hand out Photosynthesis/Respiration packet
  • Pose question: We know that all living things use energy but where does the energy come from? This should lead into a discussion about photosynthesis
  • Notes: Parts of a plant
  • Packet pg. 2-3
  • Pgs. 88-93 in Microorganisms, Fungi and Plants textbook
  • EP-
  • ADV EP-

Day 8

  • Notes:Finish Parts of a plant
  • Notes: Photosynthesis
  • Packet pg. 4
  • EP- “Photosynthesis” worksheets pgs. 7-8
  • ADV EP- “Photosynthesis” worksheets pgs. 7-8

Day 9

  • Notes:Finish Photosynthesis
  • EP-
  • ADV EP-

Day 10

  • Computer lab: Photosynthesis Cyber Hunt
  • EP-
  • ADV EP-

Day 11

  • Notes:Cellular Respiration
  • Packet pgs. 5
  • EP- “Respiration” worksheet pgs. 11-12
  • ADV EP- “Respiration” worksheet pgs. 11-12

Day 12

  • Lab: Floating Disks
  • Packet pg. 15
  • Materials: grasses (long, wide), hole puncher, syringe, cup with water/baking soda solution (quarter of teaspoon per 500mL), graphing worksheet, heat lamp attached to stand, document camera
  • Procedure:
  • Have student’s hole-punch 10 disks from the grass and place in syringe.
  • Extract about 5mL of water/baking soda solution.
  • Create a vacuum (hold thumb over bottom end and pull back on syringe handle). This will take all of the oxygen out of the disks. They will sink to the bottom.
  • Pour out disks in cup. Shine the heat lamp over the cup. The plants will resume photosynthesis and will produce oxygen. (Should see bubbles and the disks will rise back up.)
  • EP- “Reteach: Energy in Plants” worksheet pg. 13
  • ADV EP- “Reteach: Energy in Plants” w/s pg. 13

Day 13

  • Notes:Comparing Photosynthesis vs. Respiration & Counting Atoms
  • Packet pg. 6
  • EP- “Reviewing Photosynthesis & Respiration” worksheets pg. 14
  • ADV EP- “Reviewing Photosynthesis & Respiration” worksheets pg. 14

Day 14

  • Notes:Finish Comparing Photosynthesis vs. Respiration & Counting Atoms
  • Photosynthesis & Respiration Short Answer Questions
  • Packet pg. 16
  • EP- Finish packet pg. 16
  • ADV EP- Finish packet pg. 16

Day 15

  • Study guide for Energy Flow Test/ORQ
  • EP- Study for test
  • ADV EP- Study for test

Day 16

  • Energy Flow Test/ORQ
  • EP- none
  • ADV EP- none

Accommodations for Special Populations

1.) Students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) or 504 plans

Accommodations/Modifications will be based on a student’s individual education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. Some of the accommodations/modifications may include:

·Modified assignments

·Extended Time

·Reader

·Scribe

·Paraphrasing

2.) Students with English Language Learner plans (ELL)

Accommodations/Modifications will be based on a student’s English language learner plan (ELL). Some of the accommodations/modifications may include:

·Modified assignments

·Extended Time

·Reader

·Scribe

·Paraphrasing

·Graphic organizers and visual aids

3.) Students with a Gifted Student Services Plan (GSSP)

Possible modifications may include:

·Extensions/Enrichment

·Acceleration

·Cluster Grouping

·Independent Study

·Instructional Grouping

·Advanced courses are available if the entrance criteriaare met.