Introduction:
Ecology is the study of living things in their home or environment: all the external conditions and factors, living and non-living, that affect an organism. Scientist usually carry out this study by examining different ecosystems: forests, deserts, grasslands, ponds, lakes, oceans, or any set of organisms interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment.

Objectives:
1. Students will learn about major ecosystems, and the particular environmental characteristics of each.
2. Students will learn about the roles different organisms play in an ecosystem, and how organisms interact with one another.
3. Students will construct a model of a major ecosystem to be presented to the class.
4. Students will learn about humanistic affects on ecosystems.
5. Students will learn about world geography as they construct maps of climates and ecosystems.
6. Students will learn about the ways in which sub-ecosystems vary in response to precipitation and temperature.
7. Students will learn about the construction and maintenance of a man made aquatic ecosystem.

Questions:
1. What two major natural processes keep us and other organisms alive?
2. What is an ecosystem, and what are its major living and non-living components?
3. How do organisms interact with one another and their environment?
4. How have people altered ecosystems?
5. How are organisms dependent upon their particular ecosystems?

Content and Sequence:

1. World Climates:
   Students will learn about the nature of world climates and how these climates affect ecosystems.
   
2. Major Ecosystems:
   Students will learn about the earth's major types of ecosystems, the climates of each, and the varieties of organisms that inhabit them.
   
3. Terrestrial Ecosystems:
   Students will learn about grassland, forest, and desert ecosystems.
   
4. Aquatic Ecosystems:
   Students will learn about ocean, lake, wetland, and estuary ecosystems.
   
5. Man Made Ecosystems:
   Students will construct, learn about, and study an aquatic ecosystem.
   
6. Final Project:
   Students will give an in-depth presentation a selected ecosystem.

Objectives:

1. Define and discuss organisms
2. Define and name major ecosystems
3. Students will construct a map of the worlds major ecosystem
4. Students will make inferences about ecosystems based on global climates

Discussion:

1. Organisms- any form of life
2. Environment- all external conditions that affect an organism or other specified system during its lifetime
3. Ecosystems- community of organisms interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their environment. Ecosystem types include, but are not limited to, forests, ponds, oceans, rainforests, prairies, deserts, mountains, and tundra.
4. Climate- general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions, seasonal variations, or extremes.

Activities:

1. Construct a world map of climates
2. Construct a world map of ecosystem
   1. Ask students (small groups) to name as many different types of ecosystems as they can
   2. Have students come together and discuss the various ecosystems named
   3. Working as a class, have students construct an ecosystem map using a legend to designate color schemes.

Discussion questions:

1. What are the physical characteristics of each ecosystem? Trees, Grassland?
2. What is the climate of each ecosystem like? Wet or dry? Cold or Hot?
3. Where are the ecosystems located on the world map?
4. How does global location affect climate?

Materials:
large world map for class presentation, individual world maps for students- ecosystem and climate, colored pencils or crayons

Lesson 2: Exploring Terrestrial Ecosystems: Deserts, Grasslands, and Forests

1. Students will learn more about terrestrial ecosystems
2. Students will learn how sub-ecosystems differ in response to average temperature and precipitation
3. Students will predict what types of organism inhabit each of the terrestrial ecosystems
4. Students will learn about adaptations humans must make to live in each of these ecosystems

Discussion:

1. Deserts are areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation and the average amount of precipitation is less than 25 cm (10 in.) year. Characteristics common to all deserts include; shortage of water, slow growth rate of plants, and low species diversity.
   
   1. Tropical desert- temperatures are hot year round. Tropical deserts comprise one fifth of the worlds desert area.
   2. Temperate desert- day time temperatures are hot in the summer and cool in the winter.
   3. Cold desert- winters are cold and summers are worm or hot.
2. Grasslands are regions where the average annual precipitation is great enough to allow grass to prosper, yet so erratic that periodic drought and fire prevent large stands of trees from growing
   1. Tropical grasslands (savannas)- high average temperatures. Two prolonged dry seasons during winter and summer, abundant rain the rest of the year.
   2. Temperate grasslands (prairies)- found in the large interiors most continents. Rapid evaporation, fertile soil, farmland
   3. Polar grasslands (arctic tundra)- thick spongy mat of low-growing pants such as lichens. Low average temperatures
3. Forests
   
   1. Deciduous forest- tree such as Oak and Maple that lose their leaves during part of the year. They produce wood known commercially as hard wood. Moderate temperatures that change significantly during the seasons.
   2. Coniferous forest- cone bearing trees, mostly evergreens, that have need-shaped or scale-like leaves. They produce wood known commercially as soft wood. Long dry winters with temperatures that range from cool to extremely cold.
   3. Tropical rain forest- warm but not hot temperatures that varies little with season. High humidity and heavy rainfall. Evergreen trees.

Activity:
Determine the variety of organisms that each type of ecosystem can support.

1. Have students (small groups) discuss and chart the various types of organisms- plants and animals that each terrestrial ecosystem is likely to support.
2. Have students construct a list of adaptations that most humans make to survive in each of these ecosystems?
   1. What type of animal and plant life are suited for desert ecosystems?
   2. What types of organism thrive in grass land ecosystems?
   3. What types of organisms inhabit forest ecosystems?

Materials:
large construction paper, world maps

Lesson 3: Exploring Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands, Oceans, Estuaries, and Freshwater

1. Students will learn about fresh and salt water ecosystems
2. Students should identify and label major oceans, rivers, and lakes
3. Students will identify types of aquatic ecosystems and make predictions about organism that inhabit them

   Discussion:
   

   1. Wetlands
      
      1. Freshwater wetlands- lands covered with fresh water all or part of the year located away from coastal areas. Swamps, bogs, marshes, wet tundra, and mud flats
      2. Coastal wetlands- salt water wetlands, delta flood areas
   2. Salt Water ecosystems have varying salinity concentrations.
      1. Oceans- high to very high salinity levels. 97% of the earth's water is contained in the oceans. Oceans contain about 250,000 species of marine plants and animals
      • Coastal zones- represents about 10% of the total ocean area. Relatively warm, nutrient rich shallow water. Coastal zones sustain about 90% of all oceanic organisms.
      • Open sea- represents about 90% of the total ocean area. Contains approximately 10% of the oceanic organisms. Divided into three areas dependent upon penetration of sunlight at various depths.
4. Fresh water ecosystems have low salinity concentrations
   1. Lakes- large bodies of standing fresh water
      1. Oligotrophic lake- small supply of plant nutrients. Usually deep and crystal clear. Cool to cold temperatures.
      2. Eutrophic lake- large excessive supply of plant nutrients. Usually shallow, cloudy and warm.
   2. Rivers and Streams- carry moving water from higher to lower elevations. Carry fresh water to the oceans. Shape the lands through erosion.
5. Estuaries are coastal areas where fresh and salt waters mix.

Activity:

1. Have students construct maps of the majors oceans, rivers, and lakes.
2. Ask students to identify: coastal zones, open oceans, deltas, fresh and salt water wetlands
3. Ask students to predict the kinds and locations of aquatic organisms.

Materials:
world maps, ocean life hand-out, lakes hand-out.

Lesson 4: Aquatic Ecosystems

1. Students will learn about the components that make up an aquatic ecosystem.
2. Students will learn about the maintenance of a man made ecosystem.
3. Students will learn about the responsibilities of pet care.

Activities:
Set up a self-sustaining aquarium for tropical or fresh water fish.

Discussion Questions:

1. What kind of fish will we purchase?
2. How do we care for the fish?
3. What type of ecosystem does this fish require? Salt or Fresh water?
4. How does the size of the tank affect the number of fish we can have?
5. How do we maintain a healthy ecosystem for all of the organisms?
6. Are the compatible organisms for this ecosystem? What happens if they are incompatible?
7. How do we maintain the aquarium?
8. What and how often do we feed the fish?
9. How do we care for the aquatic vegetation?
10. What temperature should the water be maintained at?
11. How much will this cost? What are the maintenance expenses? how long do we expect this fish to live?

Materials:
fish care manual, aquarium, filtration system, several small fish, fish food, aquatic plants

Note: Prior consultation with fish care specialists is recommended especially for many of the more delicate tropical varieties.

Lesson 5: Final Project

1. Students will construct a model of a major ecosystem.
2. Students will give group presentations based on ecological research material gathered.

Activities:
Have students work in small groups on a model of one of the major ecosystems for an in-class presentation.
Presentation should include:

1. Written- 3 to 5 typewritten pages
2. Visual- large poster board
3. Oral- 10 to 15 minutes
4. Questions and Answers

Materials:
large poster board, magazine articles etc. (for pictures), scissors, glue, Nature's Balancing Act- Work sheet, world maps hand out, final project outline-work sheet

Pre-Arrange:
library access time for research
Internet access
class time devoted to group work

Final Project: Ecosystems

1. Geographic Location World map work sheet
   1. What are the geographic boundaries of this ecosystem?
   2. How have the boundaries changed over time?
   3. What are the surrounding ecosystems?
2. Abiotic Factors:
   1. Climate, Soil conditions, Precipitation, Temperature
   2. What is the average climate like for this ecosystem?
   3. Are there seasonal changes?
   4. What is the average yearly precipitation? Are there wet and dry seasons?
   5. What is the average temperature? Is the temperature dependent upon seasonal changes?
      
   6. What is the soil like for this ecosystem?
3. Organisms:
   1. Wildlife
   2. Which major wildlife forms inhabit this ecosystem?
   3. Do people inhabit this ecosystem?
   4. Is the wildlife diverse?
   5. How does the wildlife adapt to the climate?
   6. How might the wildlife respond to a sudden change in this ecosystem?
   7. Vegetation-plant life
   8. What are the major types of vegetation inhabit this ecosystem?
   9. Is the plant life diverse?
   10. How does the plant life depend upon the climate? How might the plant life respond if the climate drastically changed?
4. Balancing Act: Chicago Academy of Sciences: Nature's Balancing Act- Worksheet
   
5. Food Chain
   1. Which organisms serve as: producers, consumers, decomposers?
   2. How are these organisms dependent upon another?
   3. What happens if certain organisms become extinct?
6. Resource Management:
   1. Why is this ecosystem so important? what would happen if this ecosystem failed to exist?
   2. What affect would overpopulation have on this ecosystem?
   3. How have people modified this ecosystem ? How have these changes affected the plant and animal life?
   4. Has pollution affected this ecosystem? If so, what results have been noted?
   5. How can you and your classmates help to preserve this ecosystem?

Bibliography

1. Environmental Science, Sustaining The Earth. Miller, G. Tyler Jr. Third Edition.
2. Wadsworth Publishing Company. ISBN 0-534-13458-0. Selected to accompany the Annenberg/CPB
3. Project's Television Course, Race To Save The Planet