Ledyard Public Schools

a. identify abiotic factors. (Ex: temperature, water, sunlight, soil, etc.)

b. identify biotic factors. (Ex: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, etc.)

1. Use informational text to learn about biotic and abiotic factors. C4a, b Environmental Science pgs. 7-8 (Teachers – see All-In-One Resource for graphic organizers and reading strategies to help students make meaning of text – pgs. 47-48)
2. Label a magazine picture for biotic and abiotic factors then infer how living things are dependent on the non-living things. C4a, b “What’s in the Scene?” Environmental Science p. 6

1. Investigate how organisms survive in a closed ecosystem. C4a, b “A World in a Bottle” Environmental Science p. 12 (CINQ. 3, 9)

a. explain how water, sunlight and carbon dioxide are used by plants to create their own food in the process of photosynthesis.

b. describe how abiotic factors affect the ability of plants to create their own food.

1. Research the process of photosynthesis. C4a Sciencesaurus p. 107, Environments Foss Science Stories, The Producers (Newbridge), classroom text set
2. Investigate what happens when you change the patterns of a plant’s light source. C4b “Lights Out!” from Newton’s Apple Teacher’s Guide (see Appendix) (CINQ. 3, 4, 5, 8, 9)
3. Student-designed investigation: Students predict how different abiotic conditions (light, temperature, water, soil, oxygen) will affect plant growth by designing an investigation to test one of these predictions, and explain how this factor affects the process of photosynthesis. C4b (CINQ. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

a. describe the relationship between organisms, species, populations, communities.

b. explain the make up of an ecosystem (biotic and abiotic factors).

c. describe the differences between producers, consumers, and decomposers (fungi/bacteria) and explain the energy role each plays in an ecosystem.

d. illustrate a food chain (include arrows that show the flow of energy, from the bottom up).

e. illustrate a food web.

f. explain the difference between a predator and a prey.

g. explain how populations are affected by predator/prey relationships.

1. Use informational text to learn about levels of organization in an ecosystem. C5a, b Environmental Science pgs. 9-20 (Teachers – see All-In-One Resource for graphic organizers and reading strategies to help students make meaning of text – pgs. 47-48)
2. Use informational text to describe the differences between producers, consumers, decomposers, food chains and food webs. C5c Environmental Science pgs. 42-47 (Teachers – see All-In-One Resource for graphic organizers and reading strategies to help students make meaning of text – pgs. 109-112) Students may also refer to classroom text set.
3. Use informational text to determine predator/prey relationships and use graphs to analyze predator/prey interactions. C5f, g Environmental Science pgs. 26-29 including “Math Analyzing Data” p. 27 (Teachers – see All-In-One Resource p. 68 for additional graphs to analyze predator/prey relationships. (CINQ. 6)
4. Dissect owl pellets, collect data on types of animals eaten and graph results. Create a food web poster using the evidence from their owl pellets and knowledge of food webs. C5c, d, e “Mystery Pellets” Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry pgs. 115-131 (CINQ. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)

1. Students investigate the factors influencing changes in population size through interactive technology. Go Online Active Art Web: www.PHschool.com code cep-5012 C5g
2. Students play a game to show understanding of the concepts of food chains and food webs and how energy flows through these chains. C5c, d, e “Food Chain Game” Long Island Sound in a Jar pgs. 26-27

a. identify the different kinds of ecosystems in Connecticut.

b. compare and contrast two Connecticut Ecosystems.

c. describe common food webs in the different Connecticut ecosystems.

1. Use informational text (including interpreting maps) to identify biomes and aquatic ecosystems in Connecticut. C6a Environmental Science, pgs. 58-73 (Teachers – see All-In-One Resource for graphic organizers and reading strategies to help students make meaning of text – pgs. 128-133, 138-142) Students may also use classroom text set.
2. FIELD STUDY: Students engage in a field study (to be developed) at Bluff Point, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Project Oceanology, or various areas of Ledyard, to gather data on ecosystems in Connecticut, with a focus on food webs within these ecosystems. Students will use field guides to identify organisms. Ca, b, c “Ecosystem Food Chains” Environmental Science All-In-One Resource pgs. 149-151. Also refer to Long Island Sound in a Jar “Collecting Life in Water” pgs. 31-36.
3. Performance task provided by SDE (tbd).

1. Related activities from Long Island Sound in a Jar