Topic: Interconnections within Ecosystems
Content Statement
Organisms perform a variety of roles in an ecosystem. Populations of organisms can be categorized by how they acquire energy. Food webs can be used to identify the relationships among producers, consumers and decomposers in an ecosystem.
Big Concepts
The content statements for fifth-grade life science are each partial components of a larger concept. The parts have been isolated to call attention to the depth of knowledge required to build to one of biology’s foundational theories: dynamic relationships within ecosystems. It is recommended that the content statements be combined and taught as a whole. For example, it is important that the ecological role of organisms is interwoven with a clear understanding that all living things require energy. Plants and some microorganisms are producers. They are the foundation of the food web. Producers transform energy from the sun and make food through a process called photosynthesis. Animals get their energy by eating plants and other animals that eat plants. Animals are consumers and many form predator-prey relationships. Decomposers (primarily bacteria and fungi) are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Decomposers also return nutrients to the ecosystem. One way ecosystem populations interact is centered on relationships for obtaining energy. Food webs are defined in many ways, including as a scheme of feeding relationships, which resemble a web. This web serves as a model for feeding relationships of member species within a biological community. Members of a species may occupy different positions during their lives. Food chains and webs are schematic representations of real-world interactions. For this grade level, it is enough to recognize that food webs represent an intertwining of food chains within the same biological community. See the next content statement for details on grade-appropriate food webs. Organisms have symbiotic relationships in which individuals of one species are dependent upon individuals of another species for survival. Symbiotic relationships can be categorized as mutualism where both species benefit, commensalism where one species benefits and the other is unaffected, and parasitism where one species benefits and the other is harmed. Investigations of locally threatened or endangered species must be conducted and include considerations of the effects of remediation programs, species loss and the introduction of new species on the local environment
Performance Based Assessments
DESIGNING TECHNOLOGICAL/ ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS USING SCIENCE CONCEPTSDesign and build a self-sustaining ecosystem (e.g., terrarium, bottle biology). Considerations for the ecosystem include the size of the container, the location to create the proper temperature, light and humidity, and organisms that will support one another.
Resources: Terrarium Project Overview |
Demonstrating Science KnowledgeInvestigate change in an established model of an ecosystem over time (e.g., terrarium, aquarium). Answer: What would happen with removal or introduction of one kind of living thing (e.g., one species of producers not all producers)? Design experiments to observe what actually happens when one species is changed.
Resources: Terrarium Project Overview Group Activity: Conduct a field study involving a hands-on investigation of a rotting log in a temperate forest. Examine the relationships among organisms (e.g., decomposers, green plants, insects, worms) found in the soil.
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INTERPRETING AND COMMUNICATING SCIENCE CONCEPTSCompare the roles of producers, consumers and decomposers and explain how they work together within an ecosystem.
Given a list of organisms and a description of their interactions within an environment, classify them as producers, consumers, decomposers or by type of symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism and parasitism)
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Topic: Interconnections within Ecosystems
Content Statement
All of the processes that take place within organisms require energy. For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred and transformed by producers into energy that organisms use through the process of photosynthesis. That energy then passes from organism to organism as illustrated in food webs. In most ecosystems, energy derived from the sun is transferred and transformed into energy that organisms use by the process of photosynthesis in plants and other photosynthetic organisms.
Big Concepts
The content statements for fifth-grade life science are each partial components of a larger concept. The parts have been isolated to call attention to the depth of knowledge required to build to one of biology’s foundational theories: dynamic relationships within ecosystems. It is recommended that the content statements be combined and taught as a whole. For example, it is important that the ecological role of organisms is interwoven with a clear understanding that all living things require energy. Virtual simulations and investigations can help demonstrate energy flow through the trophic levels. Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to consumers (herbivores, omnivores to carnivores) and decomposers. The exchange of energy that occurs in an ecosystem can be represented as a food web. The exchange of energy in an ecosystem is essential because all processes of life for all organisms require a continual supply of energy. Satellite imaging, remote sensing or other digital-research formats can be used to help visualize what happens in an ecosystem when new producers (e.g., Tamarisk plants) are introduced into an ecosystem. The information gained should be used to determine the relationship between the producers and consumers within an ecosystem.
Performance Based Assessments
DESIGNING TECHNOLOGICAL/ ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS USING SCIENCE CONCEPTSOhio Animal Research Project
Students will choose several animals that have Lake Erie as a habitat and write a research report and design a poster about that animal. Students will identify threats to their habitat and how humans can help preserve the habitat. |
Demonstrating Science KnowledgeInvestigate change in an established model of an ecosystem over time (e.g., terrarium, aquarium). Answer: What would happen if one factor of the environment changes (e.g., temperature increased or decreased, higher intensity of sunlight)? Design experiments to observe what actually happens when one environmental factor is changed.
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INTERPRETING AND COMMUNICATING SCIENCE CONCEPTSExplain ways that humans can improve the health of ecosystems (e.g., recycling wastes, establishing rain gardens, planting native species).
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