Ecosystem Dynamics
Orangutan Study
How does a system of living and non-living things operate to meet the needs of the organisms in an ecosystem?
How does changing an ecosystem affect what lives there?
How does a nurse log help other things live and grow?
Students design and carry out a quantitative study of Orangutans in Indonesia while we are visiting there. Use the OpenSciEd 7.5 Unit Materials for guidance on project design.
Provide step by step instructions for students to complete the unit and unit project.
MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Outcomes Courtesy of Next Generation Science Standards.
Ecosystem Dynamics - Orangutans live in INDONESIA
Resources on Local Ecosystem Dynamics
Provide rubrics used for the unit project and for any major activities done during the unit (anything we'd like to show schools how we correlated between projects, learning, and outcomes).