SCCPSS UNIT 5: ECOLOGY

SUB-UNIT 1A: INTRODUCTION TO ECOSYSTEM INTERACTIONS

Kendall Liscom 7th Grade

Savannah Chatham County Public School System Georgetown K-8
Science Life Science

I. Context/Relevance (ICU 1 & 2)

This unit will be focused on ecology and tailored to meet the needs of and standards for

7th-grade students in a life science classroom. Students in the 7th grade at Georgetown K-8 are

between 12 and 14 years old. When ten 7th-grade students were interviewed about ecology, most

students did not know what ecology is. Of the students who knew what ecology is, most believed

ecology to be about the environment and how it's changing. After being told ecology is the study

of living things and how they interact with their environment, students expressed interest in

predators like lions and cheetahs. When further probed with common ecology terms such as

“population”, “biomes”, “pollution”, “food chain”, “food web”, “species”, “the carbon cycle”

and “invasive species”, students stated they were least familiar with the term “invasive species.”

Further, they were, on average, least interested in “the carbon cycle” and most interested in the

concept of “food chain” as well as “biomes” – namely rainforests and “the safari.” However,

many (approximately 6 out of 10) students did not know what most, if not all, of the terms were.

It is extremely important to note that students in the 7th-grade classroom are in the

process of going through hormonal, emotional, and physical changes that are characteristic of

middle school students. Due to these changes, students are in the process of re-learning how to

behave around others as well as how to be organized and exhibit self-control. It is essential that

as their perspective changes, we are reminding them how important their actions are. This unit

on ecology can help students to understand how every interaction they have with the world

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around them has an impact. This can be applied to both the environment in a literal sense as well

as to the people around them in a social and behavioral sense -- an ecosystem is a delicate

interwoven web of interactions just like to social structure of the US society. More directly,

students will be prompted to dwell on real-world phenomena such as global warming, pollution,

resource scarcity, and other problems that they will have to face as adults. It will be essential to

stress the importance of these topics while teaching this unit in order for these students to

understand the significance and impact of these problems on their future.

II. Standards (ICU 3)

S7L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine the interdependence of

organisms with one another and their environments.

a. Construct an explanation for the patterns of interactions observed in different

ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic

components of the ecosystem.

Inter-disciplinary Standards

ELAGSE7SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,

in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues,

building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

ELAGSE7W1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant

evidence.

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 ELAGSE7W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,

concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant

content.

III. Goals (ICU 4 – 2-4 cross-disciplinary goals, including conceptual understanding)

1. Students will be able to describe the interactions and relationships between organisms in

an ecosystem.

2. Students can construct a model of how energy flows through an ecosystem.

IV. Objectives and Essential Questions (ICU 5 – list all the objectives and then the related EQ

(s) under each Objective)

Objectives under Goal 1:

1. Students will be able to identify the relationship type between two organisms in an

ecosystem.

a. Essential Question: In what ways do organisms in an ecosystem interact with each

other?

b. Essential question: What are the four types of symbiosis?

2. Students will be able to describe how each type of species interaction (predator-prey,

competition, mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism) impacts the flow of energy and

matter in an ecosystem.

a. Essential question: How do species interactions relate to the food chain?

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 3. Students will be able to calculate the amount of energy that moves from one trophic level

to the next and the amount of energy lost as heat given a food chain

a. Essential question: How do energy pyramids and food chains illustrate the

movement of energy between organisms?

4. Students will be able to explain the difference between abiotic and biotic components.

a. Essential question: How do we know if something is living or nonliving in an

ecosystem?

Objectives under goal 2:

5. Students will be able to construct a model of the ecosystem in Georgetown, GA using a

glass jar to demonstrate their understanding of ecosystem structure.

a. What is an ecosystem?

b. What is ecology?

c. What is the overall structure of an ecosystem?

6. Students will be able to develop a model that illustrates the flow of energy among biotic

and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

a. Essential question: Why are abiotic components so important to biotic organisms?

7. Students will be able to deconstruct and interpret food webs to explain how energy moves

through trophic levels.

a. Essential question: What do the different trophic levels indicate?

8. Students will be able to discuss the role of photosynthesis in the flow of energy within an

ecosystem.

a. Essential question: How does energy enter the food web to begin with?

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V. Formative Assessments – (ICU 6 – list all formative assessments that can be used with each

objective)

The following formative assessments will be used DAILY. These formative assessments would

prompt conversations about sticking points for student understanding and allow for clarification

during the lesson.

 Index cards: Periodically, distribute index cards and ask students to write on both sides,

with these instructions:

o (Side 1) Based on our study of ecology today, list a big idea that you understand.

Then, write a summary statement indicating your understand of the idea.

o (Side 2) Identify an idea, vocabulary term, or relationship we’ve learned about so

far in this ecology unit that you do not yet fully understand. Word this as a

question you would like me to answer in a lesson later this week.

 Fist to Five: Ask students to display a designated hand signal to indicate their

understanding of a specific concept, principal, or process:

o Fist (0 fingers) = I do not understand at all

o One finger = I understand some, but not all of the key ideas

o Three fingers = I understand all the key ideas, but not how they relate

o Four fingers = I understand all the key ideas and how they relate but cannot put it

into my own words

o Five fingers = I can teach this to the class

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  Student Conference: One-on-one conversations with students to heck their level of

understanding. Especially useful for review days or days where independent work is the

primary lesson method.

The following formative assessments will be performed when I am at a point in the unit where I

expect students to successfully be able to complete the objective. These formative assessments

will help me to clarify misconceptions that would prevent students from successfully completing

the objectives.

1. Students will be able to develop a model that illustrates the flow of energy among biotic

and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

a. CONCEPT MAP: Given a list of organisms and abiotic components in the

environment, students would be asked to create a food web with arrows denoting

the flow of energy (including energy lost as heat). Students would work

independently or in pairs (differentiated based on the class period – inclusive

homeroom would work in pairs for extra support) to complete the assignment.

Teacher circulation during the activity would allow for the identification of weak

points and for review and remediation after the activity is over.

2. Students will be able to deconstruct and interpret food webs to explain how energy moves

through trophic levels.

a. Think-Write-Pair-Share: This formative assessment will happen after food

chains and food webs are taught; during a lesson where the energy pyramid is

being introduced. Students would be presented with an image of a food web and

asked the question: “How is energy moving through this food web? State where

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 the energy is created and moves through the trophic levels using the animal names

and ensure you specify what trophic level the animal is in.” I would then use the

TLAC strategies “everybody writes” and “turn and talk” to have students think

independently (5 min) during their writing and talk as group (3 min) to work

through the problem together. During their group time, I would circulate the room

to identify areas in which the students are struggling and close the activity with a

2-minute class discussion/mini-lesson focusing on weak points identified during

the break-out session.

3. Students will be able to identify the relationship type between two organisms.

a. Four corners: During the lesson, place the 4 types of symbiotic relationships

(mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition) on postcards in the

corners of the room and have students move to which they think a set of

characteristics belong to. Class discussion would be prompted between the

different groups and each group’s perspective would be shared during each round.

Sticking points would be reviewed after the activity is over. Before the activity

begins, emphasis should be placed on the fact that students will be asked to

explain their position, to help deter students who want to follow their friends.

4. Students will be able to describe how each type of species interaction (predator-prey,

competition, mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism) impacts the flow of energy and

matter in an ecosystem.

a. One-word Summary: Students will be prompted to select (or invent) one word

that describes how each of the types of species interactions impacts the flow of

energy. I will tally the number of students who CANNOT successfully complete

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 this task for each type of interaction and review the ones with the most tallies

because this indicates they do not understand the concept well enough to

summarize it. I would be sure to model this activity before asking the students to

complete it.

5. Students will be able to explain the difference between abiotic and biotic components.

a. Graphic organizer (T-CHART): Prepare flashcards that contain a mix of

descriptive sentences and photos of abiotic and biotic components and distribute

one pack of flashcards to each group of 3-4 students. Students will be asked to

place them onto a t-chart of abiotic vs biotic components. I would then have a

clipboard with each of the flashcards where I can tally which of the cards I see

placed in the wrong category most often so I can review those cards with the class

and identify what their thinking is regarding that flashcard. This will allow me to

solidify their definitions and understand of biotic and abiotic components.

6. Students will be able to discuss the role of photosynthesis in the flow of energy within an

ecosystem.

a. One Minute Essay: During the lesson on autotrophs and heterotrophs, students

would be presented with the question: “How does the role of photosynthesis in the

flow of energy within an ecosystem? Write a minimum of one paragraph.”

Teacher circulation during the activity would allow me to identify weak points

and review and remediate them after the activity is over.

VI. Rationale – (ICU 7 Must mention theorists)

Ecology is one of the most relevant topics to these 7th grade students in all of the 7th grade

life science curricula. In the future, these students will face continued climate change and change

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in the environment around them. Understanding the delicate interactions of an ecosystem will

help these students to understand how they can impact the environment around them – be is

physical or social. In analyzing their immediate surroundings outside the school building, these

students will be more cognizant of their surroundings. Seeing how ecosystem interactions exist

even in the car rider ramp outside their school, will make a connection between the unit material

and their world that they can take with them anywhere they go.

The activities throughout this unit will help them to understand an ecosystem and how

phenomena like climate change are possible given how delicate ecosystems are. The ecosystem

in a jar activity will help them to see how even the smallest changes can throw an ecosystem out

of balance because of the connections between biotic and abiotic factors as well as the intricate

inner workings of a food web. Resources like Flocabulary videos and Nearpod will allow the

non-activity portions of the lesson to be engaging and relevant. There are a lot of Flocabulary

videos for the vocabulary in this unit, and I will be utilizing these videos because watching the

words be put to music will help students who are auditory learners to further comprehend the

meaning of the words. The video aspect of Flocabulary typically helps visual learners as well.

This unit is planned with several writing portions to help develop students'

communication skills. Writing is an essential skill to develop in any context because you use it in

your educational career, life career, and even in social contexts. I have also included plans for

several discussion-based activities such as “think-write-pair-share” and “four corners” to

incorporate verbal communication development into the lessons. Theorists such as Vygotsky

purported that talking out loud is an important part of developing thoughts whether that is private

self-talk while performing a task or communicative talk while discussing an idea. Vygotsky also

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heavily believes in the importance of the cross-curricular approach to education such as the use

of writing in other curricula.

Additionally, I plan to give the students regular and constructive feedback to help them

correct their knowledge. My feedback will focus on the acquisition of knowledge rather than

complementing a student’s “smarts.” The feedback will be positive and constructive in addition

to showing students what they did incorrectly. Carol Dweck's work suggests that feedback can

impact whether a person stays in a growth mindset or becomes fixed in their thinking about their

work. My goal will be for students to view feedback as a chance to hone their knowledge rather

than simply seeing what they got wrong or being praised for a “good try.”

Introductory Activity and Culminating Activity –

For this unit, the introduction and culminating activity will be one and the same. I plan to

begin the unit by holding up an empty mason jar and asking students, “In what ways is Earth like

this jar?” Students will discuss their ideas in small groups for five minutes and then we will

discuss their ideas as a class. From there, each group will be provided with an empty mason jar

and be instructed to plan how to make their jar a miniature model of the ecosystem outside the

classroom. They will plan, sketch, and then be allowed to collect items from outside to create

their miniature model. This model will be re-visited via observation, discussion, and comparison

to our unit material to get them thinking about how they might change their model.

The last two days of the unit will consist of the students revising their models to more

appropriately reflect the ecosystem outside of the school using their acquired knowledge of the

abiotic and biotic components as well as interactions that take place in an ecosystem. Students

will be prompted to draw a food web, chain, or pyramid that depicts species interactions in their

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miniature ecosystem. They will also have to write a short passage that explains how energy

circulates through their ecosystem. Since this activity grows with their knowledge, it will be a

wonderful activity to both open and close with so they are able to make a long-term connection

in their understanding of ecology. This idea is an adaptation of Emily Cizmas’ activity detailed

in this article from NSTA’s “The Science Teacher” Journal.

VII. Sequence and Timeline Outline of Unit – (ICU 8)

Target Vocab Notes (Activities,

Lesson
Date Essential Question & Main Formative
#
Concepts Assessments, etc.)

Ecosystem Jar
What is an ecosystem?
- Day 1: intro,
2/21/2 Food chain sketch, &
3– Food Web discussion
1-2
2/22/2 Energy Pyramid - Day 2:
3 (Brief intro) Collection &
What is the overall structure
creation
of an ecosystem?

How do we know if
something is living or
nonliving in an ecosystem?
2/23/2 Biotic T-chart (biotic v
3
3 Abiotic abiotic)
Why are abiotic components
so important to biotic
organisms?

Symbiosis
In what ways do organisms in Food Web
2/24/2
4 an ecosystem interact with Herbivore Flocabulary Video
3
each other? Carnivore
Omnivore

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 Commensalism
2/27/2 What are the four types of Competition
5 Four Corners
3 symbiosis? Parasitism
Mutualism

Decomposer
2/28/2 How do species interactions
6 Producer One Word Summary
3 relate to the food chain?
Consumer

Competition
Decomposer
How does a food chain Producer Think-write-pair-share
3/1/23 7 illustrate the movement of Consumer
energy between organisms? (primary, MATH STANDARD
secondary,
tertiary)

Energy Pyramid
How does energy enter the
Photosynthesis
food web to begin with?
Autotroph
3/2/23 8 One minute Essay
Decomposer
What do the different trophic
Producer
levels indicate?
Consumer

3/3/23 Day 1: Ecosystem Jar

REVIEW: What is the overall
– 9 (Revise)
structure of an ecosystem?
3/4/23 Day 2: Concept Map

VIII. Creation of Resource Bank – (ICU 9)

Unit Content Resources

- GaDOE Lesson – Patterns in Living Ecosystems

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 - Nearpods

o Carbon and Oxygen and You (Video)

o Food Web and Energy (Lesson)

o Ecosystems (Presentation)

- Biology Corner – Comparing Ecosystems

- Claim Evidence Response Resources

o Sentence Starters (PDF)

o Transition Word Chart (PDF)

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Lesson Planning Resources

- Nearpod - Breaking Down the Standard

- Cognitive Rigor Matrix -

https://www.karin-hess.com/_files/ugd/5e86bd_db128ad5d1a44f549bc5cc12c15b9799.p

df

- Q-Chart: https://padlet.com/amerrittsreb/GREATCohort1/wish/803462639 
o Use to adjust the DOK level of your questions.

General Lesson Content Resources

- Better Lesson: https://betterlesson.com/ 

- Ck-12: https://www.ck12.org/student/
- National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Daily Do’s:
https://www.nsta.org/resources/daily-do 

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Resource Chart from SCCPSS:

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