Choose ONE Project from below to complete and prepare to present your work to the class in a one-minute presentation on Tuesday October 11, 2011. Please review the rubric carefully. You must attach your Rubric to the project!!!

Project Choice #1 Ecosystem in a Jar

Materials: soil, gallon milk jug or gallon jar, dirt, rocks, green plants, twigs and sticks, tadpoles small aquatic animals found in ponds, screen, masking tape

Procedures:

  1. Place the soil in the bottom of the jar.
  2. Add the dirt and rocks.
  3. Position the green plants so they will be easy to climb on and under.
  4. Add an arrangement of the twigs and sticks.
  5. Add the creatures you found from the pond.
  6. Place the screen on top of the jar or jug.
  7. Tape around the screen so it stays in place.

Write a 3-5 paragraph paper describing the aquatic ecosystem you have created that answers the following questions.

  1. What are the abiotic factors in my ecosystem?
  2. What are the biotic factors in my ecosystem?
  3. What are the major limiting factors in my ecosystem?
  4. What real ecosystem, location, did I get my miniature ecosystem out of?
  5. Why did you create your ecosystem step by step? Why didn’t you just dump everything in the jar at once?
  6. Describe how your community differs from the community you removed it from in the real world.

Project Choice #2 Brochure of a Coral Reef

Materials: computer, printer, various websites, creativity!

Procedures:

  1. Design a brochure that you would give a tourist going to a real Coral Reef.
  2. Print the brochure in color.

Questions to answer in the brochure:

  1. What are the abiotic factors in my ecosystem?
  2. What are the biotic factors in my ecosystem?
  3. What are the major limiting factors in my ecosystem?
  4. What is a coral reef?
  5. Where is the exact geographic location of my coral reef?
  6. What are the rules to visiting my coral reef?

Project Choice # 3Photic Zones of the Ocean Poster

Materials: Poster Board, markers, drawing skills

Procedures:

  1. Using Figure 3.27 from textbook page 80 or using the internet create a poster that clearly shows the
  2. Photic zone
  3. Aphotic zone
  4. Benthic zone
  5. Abyssal zone
  6. Epipelagic zone
  7. Mesopelagic zone
  8. Define each of the zones above by answering the following questions
  1. Listing the abiotic factors in each zone.
  2. List the biotic factors found in each zone.
  3. What are the limiting factors found in each zone.
  4. What is one interesting fact about each zone.

Project Choice #4 Zones of Freshwater Biomes Poster

Materials: Poster Board, markers, drawing skills

Procedures:

  1. Using Figure 3.23 from textbook page 77 or using the internet create a poster that clearly shows the
  2. Littoral zone
  3. Limnetic zone
  4. Profundal zone
  5. Abyssal zone
  1. Define each of the zones above by answering the following questions
  1. Listing the abiotic factors in each zone.
  2. List the biotic factors found in each zone.
  3. What are the limiting factors found in each zone.
  4. What is one interesting fact about each zone.
  1. Is your Freshwater Biome
  1. Eutrophic
  2. Oligotrophic

How do you know? What does each mean?

Check out this link to see how an effective poster project and presentation are completed!

Rubric for Posters
Student Name:
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Required Elements / The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information. / All required elements are included on the poster. / All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster. / Several required elements were missing.
Labels / All items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. / Almost all items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. / Many items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. / Labels are too small to view OR no important items were labeled.
Graphics - Relevance / All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation. / All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. Some borrowed graphics have a source citation. / All graphics relate to the topic. One or two borrowed graphics have a source citation. / Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation.
Attractiveness / The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness. / The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. / The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. / The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.
Grammar / There are no grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. / There are 1-2 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. / There are 3-4 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. / There are more than 4 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster.

Brochure Rubric

Student Name:

CATEGORY / (4) Excellent / (3) Good / (2) Almost / (1) Not Yet
Attractiveness & Organization
(Organization) / The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information. / The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information. / The brochure has well-organized information. / The brochure's formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.
Content - Accuracy
(Ideas) / The brochure has all of the required information (see checklist) and some additional information / The brochure has all of the required information (see checklist). / The brochure has most of the required information (see checklist). / The brochure has little of the required information (see checklist).
Writing - Mechanics
(Conventions) / All of the writing is done in complete sentences. Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure. / Most of the writing is done in complete sentences. Most of the capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure. / Some of the writing is done in complete sentences. Some of the capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure. / Most of the writing is not done in complete sentences. Most of the capitalization and punctuation are not correct throughout the brochure.
Graphics/Pictures / The graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics. / The graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text. / The graphics go well with the text, but there are too few. / The graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.
Sources / There are many citations from a variety of sources accurately listed on the brochure. / There are some citations from a variety of sources accurately listed on the brochure. / There are a few citations accurately listed on the brochure. / Incomplete citations are listed on the brochure.

Ecosystem in a Jar Report Rubric

Students Name:

Beginning
1 / Developing
2 / Accomplished
3 / Exemplary
4 / Score
Introduction / Does not give any information about what to expect in the report. / Gives very little information. / Gives too much information--more like a summary. / Presents a concise lead-in to the report.
Research / Does not answer any questions suggested in the template. / Answers some questions. / Answers some questions and includes a few other interesting facts. / Answers most questions and includes many other interesting facts.
Purpose/Problem / Does not address limiting factors. / Addresses limiting factors which are unrelated to research. / Addresses limiting factors somewhat related to research. / Addresses real limiting factors directly related to research findings.
Project / Jar does not have abiotc or biotic factors. / Jar has abiotic factors only. / Jar has all elements except a creature. / Jar has all elements.
Oral Presentation / Presents an illogical explanation for findings and does not address any of the questions suggested in the template. / Presents an illogical explanation for findings and addresses few questions. / Presents a logical explanation for findings and addresses some of the questions. / Presents a logical explanation for findings and addresses most of the questions.