Project GLAD



Ecology:

Energy Flows Through Ecosystems

Level 4

Project Glad

Livermore Joint Unified

School District

Kären Woodward and Anne Rosendin

Key Trainers in Training

2006

Project GLAD

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Ecosystems (4)

Idea Pages

I. Unit Theme –Energy flow through ecosystems

• All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow.

• Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival.

• Compare ecosystems, the organisms and the role(s) they play within the ecosystem.

• Cross cultural:

- ecosystems have common characteristics around the globe

II. Focus /Motivation

• Realia: Animal specimens alive and preserved, fungus, mold, worm bin,

ant farm, live plants, experiments

• Big Book

• Videos and/or movies

• Field trip(s)

• Observation Charts

• Inquiry Chart

• Picture File Cards

• Ecologist Awards

• Team points

III. Closure

• Process grid

• Personal exploration

• Student created poems, songs, and Big Books

• Student portfolio of individual tasks.

• Teacher and student generated tests: ecology

• Team ecosystem project – teacher/student made rubric

• An expository writing piece to prompt

• Revisits of Inquiry Chart

IV. Concepts – 4th Grade Standards

Science

Life Science

2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow.

As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

a. plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.

b. producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem.

c. decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms, recycle matter from dead plants and animals.

3. Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival.

As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

a. ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components.

b. that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

c. many plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and animals depend on plants for food and shelter.

Investigation and Experimentation

6. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations.

As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists' explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.

c. Formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-effect relationships.

d. Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions about the relationships between predictions and results.

f. Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.

V. Vocabulary

ecology

biotic

abiotic

environment

organism

population

community

ecosystem

biosphere

producer

consumer

herbivore

carnivore

omnivore

scavenger

decomposer

food chain

food web

energy pyramid

habitat

niche

limiting factor

carrying capacity

competition

prey

predator

symbiosis

mutualism

commensalism

parasitism

parasite

host

coevolution

adaptation

photosynthesis

tundra

grassland

desert

temperate forest

tropical rain forest

mangrove

temperate

arctic

tropical

oasis

equator

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

VI. English Language Arts Standards

Reading

1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development

Word Recognition

1.1 Read narrative and expository text aloud with grade-appropriate fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression.

Vocabulary and Concept Development

1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases.

1.3 Use knowledge of root words to determine the meaning of unknown words within a passage.

1.4 Know common roots and affixes derived from Greek and Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of complex words (e.g., international).

1.5 Use a thesaurus to determine related words and concepts.

1.6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings.

2.0 Reading Comprehension

Structural Features of Informational Materials

2.1 Identify structural patterns found in informational text (e.g., compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequential or chronological order, proposition and support) to strengthen comprehension.

Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

2.2 Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes (e.g., full comprehension, location of information, personal enjoyment).

2.3 Make and confirm predictions about text by using prior knowledge and ideas presented in the text itself, including illustrations, titles, topic sentences, important words, and foreshadowing clues.

2.4 Evaluate new information and hypotheses by testing them against known information and ideas.

2.5 Compare and contrast information on the same topic after reading several passages or articles.

2.6 Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion in expository text.

2.7 Follow multiple-step instructions in a basic technical manual (e.g., how to use computer commands or video games).

3.0 Literary Response and Analysis

Structural Features of Literature

3.1 Describe the structural differences of various imaginative forms of literature, including fantasies, fables, myths, legends, and fairy tales.

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, their causes, and the influence of each event on future actions.

3.3 Use knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character's traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character's actions.

3.4 Compare and contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the exploits of one character type and develop theories to account for similar tales in diverse cultures (e.g., trickster tales).

3.5 Define figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification) and identify its use in literary works.

Writing

1.0 Writing Strategies

Organization and Focus

1.1 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon purpose, audience, length, and format requirements.

1.2 Create multiple-paragraph compositions:

a. Provide an introductory paragraph.

b. Establish and support a central idea with a topic sentence at or near the beginning of the first paragraph.

c. Include supporting paragraphs with simple facts, details, and explanations.

d. Conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the points.

e. Use correct indention.

1.3 Use traditional structures for conveying information (e.g., chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and difference, and posing and answering a question).

Penmanship

1.4 Write fluidly and legibly in cursive or joined italic.

Research and Technology

1.5 Quote or paraphrase information sources, citing them appropriately.

1.6 Locate information in reference texts by using organizational features (e.g., prefaces, appendixes).

1.7 Use various reference materials (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, card catalog, encyclopedia, online information) as an aid to writing.

1.8 Understand the organization of almanacs, newspapers, and periodicals and how to use those print materials.

1.9 Demonstrate basic keyboarding skills and familiarity with computer terminology (e.g., cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive).

Evaluation and Revision

1.10 Edit and revise selected drafts to improve coherence and progression by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging text.

2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

2.1 Write narratives:

a. Relate ideas, observations, or recollections of an event or experience.

b. Provide a context to enable the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience.

c. Use concrete sensory details.

d. Provide insight into why the selected event or experience is memorable.

2.2 Write responses to literature:

a. Demonstrate an understanding of the literary work.

b. Support judgments through references to both the text and prior knowledge.

2.3 Write information reports:

a. Frame a central question about an issue or situation.

b. Include facts and details for focus.

c. Draw from more than one source of information (e.g., speakers, books, newspapers, other media sources).

2.4 Write summaries that contain the main ideas of the reading selection and the most significant details.

Written and Oral English Language Conventions

1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions

Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.

Sentence Structure

1.1 Use simple and compound sentences in writing and speaking.

1.2 Combine short, related sentences with appositives, participial phrases, adjectives, ad-verbs, and prepositional phrases.

Grammar

1.3 Identify and use regular and irregular verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions in writing and speaking.

Punctuation

1.4 Use parentheses, commas in direct quotations, and apostrophes in the possessive case of nouns and in contractions.

1.5 Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to identify titles of documents.

Capitalization

1.6 Capitalize names of magazines, newspapers, works of art, musical compositions, organizations, and the first word in quotations when appropriate.

Spelling

1.7 Spell correctly roots, inflections, suffixes and prefixes, and syllable constructions.

Listening and Speaking

1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies

Comprehension

1.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond to relevant questions with appropriate elaboration in oral settings.

1.2 Summarize major ideas and supporting evidence presented in spoken messages and formal presentations.

1.3 Identify how language usages (e.g., sayings, expressions) reflect regions and cultures.

1.4 Give precise directions and instructions.

Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication

1.5 Present effective introductions and conclusions that guide and inform the listener's understanding of important ideas and evidence.

1.6 Use traditional structures for conveying information (e.g., cause and effect, similarity and difference, and posing and answering a question).

1.7 Emphasize points in ways that help the listener or viewer to follow important ideas and concepts.

1.8 Use details, examples, anecdotes, or experiences to explain or clarify information.

1.9 Use volume, pitch, phrasing, pace, modulation, and gestures appropriately to enhance meaning.

Analysis and Evaluation of Oral Media Communication

1.10 Evaluate the role of the media in focusing attention on events and in forming opinions on issues.

2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

2.1 Make narrative presentations:

a. Relate ideas, observations, or recollections about an event or experience.

b. Provide a context that enables the listener to imagine the circumstances of the event or experience.

c. Provide insight into why the selected event or experience is memorable.

2.2 Make informational presentations:

a. Frame a key question.

b. Include facts and details that help listeners to focus.

c. Incorporate more than one source of information (e.g., speakers, books, newspapers, television or radio reports).

2.3 Deliver oral summaries of articles and books that contain the main ideas of the event or article and the most significant details.

2.4 Recite brief poems (i.e., two or three stanzas), soliloquies, or dramatic dialogues, using clear diction, tempo, volume, and phrasing.

VII. ELD Standards - 3rd -5th grades

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Comprehension

B Speak with few words/sentences

Answer simple questions with one/two word response

Retell familiar stories/participate in short conversations/using gestures

EI Ask/answer questions using phrases/simple sentences

Restate/execute multi step oral directions

I Ask/answer questions using support elements

Identify key details from stories/information

EA Identify main points/support details from content areas

A Identify main points/support details from stories & subject areas

Respond to & use idiomatic expressions appropriately

Comprehension, Organization & Delivery of Oral Communication

B Uses common social greetings

EI Identify main points of simple conversations/stories (read aloud)

Communicate basic needs

Recite rhymes/songs/simple stories

I Speak with standard English grammatical forms/sounds

Participate in social conversations by asking/answering questions

Retell stories/share school activities using vocabulary, descriptive words/paraphrasing

EA Retell stories including characters, setting, plot, summary, analysis

Use standard English grammatical forms/sounds/intonation/pitch

Initiate social conversations by asking & answering questions/restating & soliciting information

Appropriate speaking based on purpose, audience, subject matter Ask/answer instructional questions

Use figurative language & idiomatic expressions

A Question/restate/paraphrase in social conversations

Speak/write based on purpose, audience, & subject matter

Identify main idea, point of view, & fact/fiction in broadcast & print media

Use standard English grammatical forms/sounds/intonation/pitch

Reading - Word Analysis (Grades 3-5 ELD Standards)

Concepts about Print, Phonemic Awareness, Decoding & Word Recognition

B Recognize familiar phonemes

Recognize sound/symbol relationships in own writing

EI Read orally recognizing/producing phonemes not in primary language

Recognize morphemes in phrases/simple sentences

I Read aloud with correct pronunciation of most phonemes

Use common morphemes in oral & silent reading

EA Use knowledge of morphemes to derive meaning from literature/texts in content areas

A Use roots & affixes to derive meaning

Reading - Fluency & Systematic Vocabulary Development (Grades 3-5 ELD Standards)

Vocabulary & Concept Development

B Read aloud simple words in stories/games

Respond to social & academic interactions (simple questions/answers)

Demonstrate comprehension of simple vocabulary with action

Retell simple stories with drawings, words, phrases

Uses phrases/single word to communicate basic needs

EI Use content vocabulary in discussions/reading

Read simple vocabulary, phrases & sentences independently

Use morphemes, phonics, syntax to decode & comprehend words

Recognize & correct grammar, usage, word choice in speaking or reading aloud

Read own narrative & expository text aloud with pacing, intonation, expression

I Create dictionary of frequently used words

Decode/comprehend meaning of unfamiliar words in texts

Recognize & correct grammar, usage, word choice in speaking or reading aloud

Read grade level narrative/expository text aloud with pacing, intonation, expression Use content vocabulary in discussions/reading

Recognize common roots & affixes

EA Use morphemes, phonics, syntax to decode/comprehend words

Recognize multiple meaning words in content literature & texts

Use common roots & affixes

Use standard dictionary to find meanings

Recognize analogies & metaphors in content literature & texts

Use skills/knowledge to achieve independent reading

Use idioms in discussions & reading

Read complex narrative & expository texts aloud with pacing, intonation, and expression.

A Apply common roots & affixes knowledge to vocabulary

Recognize multiple meaning words

Apply academic & social vocabulary to achieve independent read.

Use idioms, analogies & metaphors in discussion & reading

Use standard dictionary to find meanings

Read narrative & expository text aloud with pacing, intonation

Reading Comprehension

B Answer fact questions using one/two word response

Connect simple test read aloud to personal experience

Understand & follow one-step directions

Sequence events from stories read aloud using key words/phrase

Identify main idea using key words/phrases

Identify text features: title/table of contents/chapter headings

EA Use simple sentences to give details from simple stories

Connect text to personal experience

Follow simple two-step directions

Identify sequence of text using simple sentences

Read & identify main ideas to draw inferences

Identify text features: title, table of contents, chapter headings

Identify fact/opinion in grade level text read aloud to students

I Orally respond to comprehension questions about written text

Read text features: titles, table of contents, headings, diagrams, charts, glossaries, indexes

Identify main idea to make predictions & support details

Orally describe connections between text & personal experience

Follow multi-step directions for classroom activities

Identify examples of fact/opinion & cause/effect in literature/content texts

EA Give main idea with supporting detail from grade level text

Generate & respond to text-related comprehension questions

Describe relationships between text & personal experience

Identify function of text features: format/diagrams/charts/glossary

Draw conclusions & make inferences using text resources

Find examples of fact, opinion, inference, & cause/effect in text

Identify organizational patterns in text: sequence, chronology

A Make inferences/generalizations, draw conclusions from grade level text

Describe main ideas with support detail from text

Identify patterns in text: compare/contrast, sequence/ cause/effect

Writing Strategies and Applications (Grade 3-5 ELD Standards)

Penmanship, Organization & Focus

B Write alphabet

Label key parts of common object

Create simple sentences/phrases

Write brief narratives/stories using few standard grammatical forms

EI Write narratives that include setting and character

Respond to literature using simple sentences, drawings, lists, charts

Write paragraphs of at least four sentences

Write words/simple sentences in content areas

Write friendly letter

Produce independent writing

I Narrate sequence of events

Produce independent writing

Use variety of genres in writing

Create paragraph developing central idea using grammatical form

Use complex vocabulary & sentences in all content areas

Write a letter with detailed sentences

EA Write detailed summary of story

Arrange compositions with organizational patterns

Independently write responses to literature

Use complex vocabulary & sentences in all content areas

Write a persuasive letter with relevant evidence

Write multi-paragraph narrative & expository essay for content areas

A Write short narrative for all content areas

Write persuasive composition

Write narratives that describe setting, character, objects, events

Write multi-paragraph narrative & expository compositions

Independently use all steps of writing process

Writing Conventions

B Begin own name and sentences with capital letter

Use period at end of sentence

EI Begin proper nouns & sentences with capital letter

Use period at end of sentence/use some commas

Edit for basic conventions

I Produce independent writing

Use standard word order

EA Produce independent writing with correct capitals, punctuation, spelling

Edit for basic conventions

Use standard word order

A Use complete sentences and correct order

Use correct parts of speech

Edit for punctuation, capitalization, spelling

Produce writing with command of standard conventions

Reading Literary Response and Analysis (Grades 3-5 ELD Standards)

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text

B One/two-word oral responses to factual comprehension questions

Word/phrase oral response identifying characters and settings

Distinguish between fiction & non-fiction

Identify fairy tales, folk tale, myth, legend using lists, charts, tables

EI Orally answer factual questions using simple sentences

Orally identify main events in plot

Recite simple poems

Orally describe setting of literature piece

Orally distinguish among poetry, drama, short story

Orally describe character of a selection

I Paraphrase response to text using expanded vocabulary

Apply knowledge of language to derive meaning from text

EA Describe figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification)

Distinguish literary connotations from culture to culture

Identify motives of characters

Describe themes stated directly

Identify speaker/narrator in text

Identify main problem of plot and how it is resolved

Recognize first & third person in literary text

A Describe characteristics of poetry, drama, fiction & non-fiction

Evaluate author's use of techniques to influence reader

Describe directly stated & implied themes

Compare & contrast motives of characters in work of fiction

VIII. Resources and Materials – Teacher

Hands on Nature; Jenepher Lingelbach, Editor

Project Wild

Project Wild – Aquatic

Harcourt – Science 4th grade, California edition

Holt – Earth Science

Environmental Science, 6th Edition; G. Tyler Miller

Ranger Rick’s Nature Scope series, National Wildlife Federation

Resources And Materials – Non-Fiction/Expository

Various Field Guides

Environmental Science, 6th Edition; G.Tyler Miller

Harcourt – Science 4th grade, California edition

(Resources And Materials – Non-Fiction/Expository – cont.)

Visual Factfinder: Planet Earth. Neil Curtis and Michael Allaby

Oil Spill!, Melvin Berger

Series: One Day in the . . . Jean Craighead George

Ecosystems Library Series, Thompson Gale, Publisher

Ecosystems Series, Chelsea House Publishers

Ecosystems, Greg Reid

Ecosystems, Jim Pipe

Who Eats What?: food chains and Food Webs, Patricia Lauber

Aliens from earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems, Mary Batten

Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus, Barbara Bash

Eyewitness Books Series, DK Publishing

Science of Ecosystems: Species, Spaces, and Relationships, Gillian Richardson

War in Your Backyard: Life in an Ecosystem, Louise and Richard Spilsbury

Cactus Café:A Story of the Sonoran Desert, Kathleen Weidner

Salamander Rain, Kristin Joy Pratt-Serefini

Rain Forests: A Nonfiction Companion to Afternoon in the Amazon (Magic Tree House Research Guide Series), Mary Pope Osborne

Pass the Energy, Please!, Barbara Shaw McKinney

Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab, Barbara Bash

Endangered Planet, David Burnie

Exploring Land Habitats, Margaret Yatsevitch Phinney

Resources And Materials – Fiction/Narrative

The Big Book For Our Planet, Ann Durell ed.

The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle, Lynne Cherry

A River Ran Wild, Lynne Cherry

The Armadillo from Amarillo, Lynne Cherry

Flute’s Journey, Lynne Cherry

The Great Kapok Tree, Lynne Cherry

The Shaman’s Apprentice, Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin

Water Dance, Thomas Locker

Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book about Food Chains, Scholastic Books Inc.

Afternoon in the Amazon (Magic Tree House), Mary Pope Osborne

Everglades, Jean Graighead George

One Day in the Prairie, Jean Graighead George

Resources And Materials – Big Book

The Important Book of Ecosystems

Resources And Materials – Poetry

101 Science Poems and Songs for Young Learners, Meish Goldfish

Student poetry booklet (Energy through ecosystem) teacher made

People/ Community

East Bay Regional Park District Naturalist Programs

Livermore Area Recreation And Park District

Oakland Museum

Project Learning Tree, State Dept. of Education, Jay Antunez

(916) 323-2498

Project Wild, State Dept. of Education, Elena Scofield (916) 455 – 7613

Project Wet, State Dept. of Education, Elena Scofield (916) 455 – 7613

Bay Nature magazine

Web Sites











Project GLAD

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Ecosystems (4)

Planning Pages

I. FOCUS AND MOTIVATION

• Big Book

• Observation Charts

• Picture File Cards

• Cognitive Content Dictionary

• Inquiry Chart

• Realia: Animal specimens alive and preserved, fungus, mold, worm bin, ant farm, live plants

• Ecologist Awards

• T-Graph

• Poetry/Chants

• Read Aloud: anything by Lynne Cherry

• Science Experiments

• Videos

• Field Trip(s)

II. INPUT

• Graphic organizer - Levels of Organization of Matter

• Graphic organizer – World map with major climate bands/zones of the world

• Narrative - “From Island to Island” or A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry

• Pictorial - Tundra Ecosystem

• Read Aloud

III. GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE

• Sentence Patterning Chart (aka Farmer-in-the-Dell)

• T-graph for social skills: Cooperation

• Poetry/Chants, Raps, Songs

• Home/School Connection

• On-going oral processing of charts

• Exploration Report

• Team evaluation

IV. READING AND WRITING

• Total Class

Process Grid

Group Poetry Frame - (Flip Chant)

Co-Operative Strip Paragraph - topic sentence (comp and contrast)

Big Book

Chants/poems

Found Poetry

• Small Group

Expert Groups

Ear to Ear reading

Flexible reading groups

Team Tasks

Sentence Patterning Chart, Pictorials, Poetry Frame, Group Big Books, CCD, Chart labeling

Reader’s Theater

ELD story retell

Write a paragraph using the process grid

• Individual Activities - Portfolio

Interactive Journal

Learning logs

Mind mapping

Individual practice and choice of all team tasks

Reading and Writing in student’s own language

Silent Sustained Reading

Silent Sustained Writing

Reading and Writing to all genres and domains

Reading the walls

• Writer’s Workshop

Mini Lesson

Writing/Planning

Conferencing

Author’s Chair

V. EXTENSIONS:

• Slide shows

• Field Trip to local parks, open space, museums

• Games (Project Wild)

• Experiments

VI. CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Process grid

• Personal exploration/ research project

• Student created poems, songs, and Big Books

• Student portfolio of individual tasks.

• Teacher and student generated tests: ecology

• Team ecosystem project – teacher/student made rubric

• A expository writing piece to prompt

• Reprocess of all Charts

• Learning Logs

• Adopted Science Curriculum assessments

• Sharing of student generated work

Project GLAD

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Ecosystems (4)

Sample Daily Lesson Plans (5-day)

DAY 1:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Realia: Animal specimens alive and preserved (fungus, mold, worm bin, ant farm, live plants)

• 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- ecologist

• Observation Charts

• Inquiry Chart: What do we know about ecology? What do we want to know?

• Big Book

INPUT:

• Graphic Organizer – World map – World map with major climate bands/zones

10/2 with primary language

Learning Log/ELD review/retell

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

• T- graph

• Exploration Report

INPUT:

• Narrative Input – “From Island to Island” by Lynne Cherry (Personal Narrative)

READING AND WRITING:

• Interactive Journal

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

CLOSURE:

• Process Inquiry chart

• Home/School Connection

DAY 2:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- producer

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home /School Connection

• Review Graphic organizer Input- World Map- with word cards

Learning Log

• Review Narrative input with word cards

INPUT:

• Pictorial Input of an Ecosystem (Tundra)

Learning Log

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

• Review Pictorial input with word cards

READING AND WRITING:

• Mind map of Pictorial input

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Team Tasks – world map, pictorial input, mind map

Expert Groups 1/2 (highlight and sketch)

• Team Evaluations

READING AND WRITING:

• Interactive Journal

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess Charts/poems

• Home/School Connection

DAY 3:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- student selected

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home /School connection

• Team tasks all of yesterday’s and Sentence Patterning chart and CCD

Expert groups 1/ 2 (with mind maps)

READING AND WRITING:

• Process Grid (1st row)

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

READING AND WRITING:

• Writer’s workshop

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Big Book

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess charts/poems

• Interactive Journals

• Home School Connection

DAY 4:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- student selected

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home/School Connection

• Sentence Patterning Chart:

Reading Game

Trading Game

READING AND WRITING:

• Flip Chant

• Narrative review w/ conversation bubbles

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Expert Group Share out

READING AND WRITING:

• Process Grid

• Co-op Strip Paragraph

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Team tasks

READING AND WRITING:

• Co-op Strip Paragraph edit

• Story Map of Narrative

• Writer’s Workshop

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess charts/poems

• Interactive Journals

• Home School Connection

DAY 5:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- student selected

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home/School Connection

READING AND WRITING:

Small group

• Scaffold Paragraph

- Sentence

- Phrases

- Words

- Missing word

• Poetry Booklets

• SQ3R – clunkers and links

• Co-op strip typed text

Whole Group

• Ear to Ear reading

• Listen and sketch

• Interactive Journal

- ELD story retell

- L1 story retell

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess Inquiry chart

Project GLAD

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Ecosystems (4)

Sample Daily Lesson Plans (4-day)

DAY 1:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Realia: Animal specimens alive and preserved (fungus, mold, worm bin, ant farm, live plants)

• 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- ecologist

• Observation Charts

• Inquiry Chart: What do we know about ecology? What do we want to know?

• Big Book

INPUT:

• Graphic Organizer – World map – World map with major climate bands/zones

10/2 with primary language

Learning Log/ELD review/retell

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

• T- graph

• Picture file card activity w/ Exploration Report

INPUT:

• Narrative Input – “From Island to Island” by Lynne Cherry (Personal Narrative)

READING AND WRITING:

• Interactive Journal

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

CLOSURE:

• Process Inquiry chart

• Home/School Connection

DAY 2:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- producer

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home /School Connection

• Review Graphic organizer Input- World Map- with word cards

Learning Log

• Review Narrative input with word cards and conversation bubbles

INPUT:

• Pictorial Input of an Ecosystem (Tundra)

Learning Log

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Poetry/Chants

• Review Pictorial input with word cards

READING AND WRITING:

• Mind map of Pictorial input

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Team Tasks – world map, pictorial input, mind map

- Expert Groups 1 /2 (highlight and sketch)

READING AND WRITING:

• Interactive Journal

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess Charts/poems

• Home/School Connection

DAY 3:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- student selected

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home /School connection

• Sentence Patterning Chart:

Reading Game

Trading Game

Flip chant

• Team tasks all of yesterday’s and Sentence Patterning chart, Flip Chant, and CCD - Expert groups 1/ 2 (with mind maps)

• Oral Team Evaluation (from T-Graph)

READING AND WRITING:

• Process Grid

- 1st row from input of tundra

- other rows from expert groups

READING AND WRITING:

• Co-op Strip Paragraph

- read

- revise

- edit

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Big Book

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess charts/poems

• Interactive Journals

• Home School Connection

DAY 4:

FOCUS AND MOTIVATION:

• Review 3 Standards/Reinforcers

• Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) with signal word- student selected

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE:

• Process Home/School Connection

• Poetry/Chants

READING AND WRITING:

• Story Map of Narrative

• Leveled Reading Groups

- Co-op Strip Paragraph typed text (struggling readers)

- sentence, phrases, words, missing word

- ELD Group Frame (story retell)

or L1 story retell

- SQ3R – clunkers and links (for at or above level readers)

• Focused Reading – read the walls with personal Cognitive Content Dictionary

• Ear to Ear reading

• Listen and sketch

• Interactive Journal

• Writer’s Workshop

CLOSURE/EVALUATION:

• Reprocess Inquiry chart

Ecologist Award Text (just add pictures)

Food chains and food webs show whom or what is consumed or eaten by whom or what in an ecosystem.

Herbivores Carnivores

Plants (primary consumer) (secondary consumer)

(primary producers)

Scavengers and Decomposers

Plants harness energy from the sun. That energy is changed or converted into food energy. Herbivores eat plants and carnivores eat herbivores.

Decomposers play a very important role in ecosystems. They break down animal wastes and dead remains of plants and animals and return nutrients to the soil to be used by producers (plants).

Decomposers

(recycle matter from dead plants and animals)

Fungi Bacteria Insects Earthworms

Ecosystems are made up of both living (biotic) and non living (abiotic) parts. Biotic parts are the plants, animals, and microorganisms. The abiotic parts include sun, soil, water, temperature, and nutrients.

Plants and animals depend on each other for survival. Plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal. Animals depend on plants for food and shelter.

Deserts are widespread, and can be hot or cold, tropical, temperate, or arctic, but all are dry, having less than 10 inches of rain a year. The soil is generally hard and low in nutrients. Shrubs, cacti, and small trees, all with special adaptations to the dry conditions, are the dominant plants (producers). Animals tend to be small and nocturnal.

Grasslands are found in the middle areas of all continents except for Antarctica and can be tropical, temperate or arctic. These “seas of grass” have between 10-25 inches of rain each year. The soil is generally dark and rich in nutrients at the surface. Grasses are the dominant plant (producer), with occasional trees and shrubs. Grazing herbivores (plant eating animals) are abundant. Grasses have adapted to survive both severe grazing and fire.

Temperate Forests are found in the temperate zones around the world. They receive between 30-60 inches of rain each year and have an average temperature of 75O F with great variations from season to season. The soil is very fertile and high in nutrients. Broadleaf, deciduous trees such as beech, oak and maple are the dominant plant (producer) with shrubs and grasses at the forest floor. These forests are known for their brilliant fall colors of red, orange and yellow, as the leaves are getting ready to fall.

Tropical Rain Forests are found near the equator in the tropic zone and have more than 75 inches of rainfall each year. The temperature stays a fairly constant 68- 77O F throughout the year. The soil is actually low in nutrients because plants quickly absorb the nutrients before they can enter the soil. Broadleaf evergreen trees are the dominant plant (producer) with ferns, shrubs and mosses at the forest floor. There are more plant and animal species per unit of area than any other ecosystem.

Tundra is found in the extreme northern latitudes and have less than 5 inches of frozen precipitation per year. The average temperature is 10 -21O F. The soil is frozen most of the year with only the upper few inches thawing during the short summer. Soil nutrient levels are low because it it so cold that nutrient breakdown is slow. Small lichens, mosses, and shrubs less than inches tall are the dominant plants (producers). Predators migrate into the tundra during the short growing season.

The Important Thing About Ecosystems

(Big Book)

The important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

• Energy enters ecosystems as sunlight.

• Photosynthesis is the process of transforming solar energy into chemical energy.

• Green plants and photosynthetic microorganisms, also called producers, are the foundation of energy flow in most ecosystems because they are capable of producing their own food by photosynthesis.

• A food web depicts how energy is passed from organism to organism.

But, the important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

The important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

• Energy and matter transfer from one organism to another organism through consumption.

• Plants are eaten by primary consumers (herbivores); herbivores are eaten by secondary consumers (carnivores); all are eaten by scavengers and decomposers when dead.

• Energy is transferred from organisms to the physical environment through heat loss.

• Carbon, nitrogen, and water are also cycled and returned to the physical environment.

But, the important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

The important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

• Organisms in a population may be categorized by whether they are producers of chemical energy from solar energy or consumers of chemical energy.

• Consumers can be categorized as herbivores, predators, scavengers, or decomposers.

• Consumers may also be categorized in multiple ways, such as omnivores that eat both plants and animals and opportunistic consumers that act as both predators and scavengers.

But, the important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

The important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

• Different kinds of organisms may play similar ecological roles in similar biomes.

• Ecological roles are defined by the environment and not by any particular organism.

• For example: Australia has plants that are unique to that continent yet play the same role as other kinds of plants in similar environments elsewhere.

• Another example is in the rain forests of South America, the mammalian consumers and predators are placental (nonmarsupial) sloths, deer, monkeys, rodents, and cats, and in the rain forests of Australia, marsupial kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, play the same ecological role.

But, the important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

The important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

• The number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, and soil composition.

• The richer the plant growth, the more diversity of life types and number of organisms can be supported in an ecosystem.

• The richness of plant growth depends on abiotic factors, such as water, sunlight, moderate temperatures, temperature ranges, and composition of soils.

• The number of plant-eating animals in an ecosystem depends directly on the available edible plants.

• The number of predators in an ecosystem depends on the amount of prey available.

But, the important thing about ecosystems is that the organisms within them exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

Kären Woodward

Project GLAD 2006

[pic]

[pic]

Energy Through Ecosystems

Poetry Booklet

Name: _________________________

Is this an Ecosystem?

By Kären Woodward

Is this an ecosystem? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this an ecosystem? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? Environments and organisms

How do you know? Interacting with each other.

Give me some examples: Grasslands and forests

Give me some examples: Deserts and rivers.

Is this an ecosystem? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this an ecosystem? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? It varies by climate,

How do you know? By latitude and altitude.

Give me some examples: Hot, low and wet rainforests.

Give me some examples: Cold, high and dry tundra.

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Is this a producer? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this a producer? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? It uses sunlight to make food.

How do you know? It’s green and photosynthesizes.

Give me some examples: Grasses in a prairie.

Give me some examples: Trees in a forest.

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Is this a consumer? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this a consumer? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? It eats plants for food.

How do you know? It eats other animals.

Give me some examples: Rabbits and grasshoppers.

Give me some examples: Foxes and hawks.

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Is this a scavenger? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this a scavenger? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? It eats dead things.

How do you know? It’s nature’s trash collector.

Give me some examples: Vultures and hyenas.

Give me some examples: Cockroaches and crayfish.

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Is this a decomposer? Yes, Ma’am!

Is this a decomposer? Yes, Ma’am!

How do you know? They recycle organic matter.

How do you know? They make nutrients available.

Give me some examples: Bacteria and fungi.

Give me some examples: Crabs and earthworms.

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And are we through? Yes, Ma’am!

Did you tell me true? Yes, Ma’am!

What did you chant? ECOSYSTEMS!

What did you chant? ECOSYSTEMS!

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Photsynthesis Rap

By Kären Woodward

Have you heard the Photosynthesis Rap?

It’s real cool and has lots of facts!

Green plants do it and they’re called the producers

Turning sunlight and stuff into simple sugars.

Algae and bacteria can photosynthesize too.

Whatever the organism, they be makin’ food.

Water travels from the roots to the leaves,

Where they pull in carbon dioxide that we don’t need.

Chlorophyll in the leaves trap energy from our sun,

There it makes the food and oxygen for everyone.

And now you’ve heard the Photosynthesis Rap

You’re even smarter and that’s a fact!

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Symbiosis

By: Karen Hernandez

Is this symbiosis? Yes Ma’am

Is this symbiosis? Yes Ma’am

How do you know? Species interact

How do you know? They live together

Give me some examples: Mutualism & parasitism

Give me some examples: Commensalism

Is this mutualism? Yes Ma’am

Is this mutualism? Yes Ma’am

How do you know? Both organisms benefit

How do you know? They help each other

Give me some examples: Capuchin monkeys & flowers

Give me some examples: Bacteria & termites

Is this commensalism? Yes Ma’am

Is this commensalism? Yes Ma’am

How do you know? One organism benefits

How do you know? The other is unaffected

Give me some examples: Moths & sloths

Give me some examples: Flower mites & hummingbirds

Is this parasitism? Yes Ma’am

Is this parasitism? Yes Ma’am

How do you know? The parasite benefits

How do you know? The host is harmed! OUCH!

Give me some examples: Fungus & insects

Give me some examples: Fly & leaf cutter ant

The Energy Connection

to the tune of: “She’ll be Coming ‘round the Mountain

words by Karen Hernandez

Plants, bacteria, and algae are PRODUCERS three.

They use photosynthesis you see.

They absorb the energy from the sun,

and use carbon dioxide before they’re done,

converting it to food for living things.

CONSUMERS eat producers for energy.

Herbivores eat only plants or trees.

Carnivores eat meat,

and omnivores eat both things,

but scavengers find dead animals to eat.

DECOMPOSERS recycle energy from dead things.

Their job is more important than you think.

Earthworms, fungi, and bacteria

decompose materials in every area,

so that producers can use them once again.

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Ecology Here, Ecology There

By Kären Woodward

Ecology here, ecology there

Ecology, ecology everywhere!

Rich rain forests flourishing,

Parched deserts surviving,

Sparse tundra existing

and expansive grasslands rolling.

Ecology here, ecology there

Ecology, ecology everywhere!

Energy from the sun,

Energy in producers,

Energy through the food web,

and energy into the environment.

Ecology here, ecology there,

Ecology, ecology everywhere!

Ecology! Ecology! Ecology!

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Three Functions of Life

(To the tune of: “Three Blind Mice”)

words by Kären Woodward

Three functions of life

Three functions of life

See how they live

See how they eat

Producers, consumers, and decomposers

Producers, consumers, and decomposers

Three functions of life.

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Photosynthesis

(To the tune of: “Three Blind Mice”)

words by Kären Woodward

Six CO2

Six CO2

Plus six H2O

Plus six H2O

Add solar energy to the mix

You get C6H12O6

And 6O2

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Project GLAD

Home/School Connection -1

Ecology –Energy Through Ecosystems

Get permission from your parent or caregiver to go into your backyard or some other. Spend 15 minutes sitting quietly in the outside places, noticing the sounds, sights and odors that surround you in nature.

Afterwards, draw and write about as many of the plants and animals you noticed in nature. Tell about the odors you smelled or the sounds you heard.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

Student Signature: ___________________________________________

Project GLAD

Home/School Connection - 2

Ecology –Energy Through Ecosystems

Neighborhood Plant and Animal Search

Ask an adult to accompany you on a walk around your neighborhood during daylight hours. Do not go out alone. Look for parts of the neighborhood ecosystem such as sun, rocks, soil, plants and animals that exist/live there.

Take your pencil, this page and something to write on.

Put a check mark on the paper next to the type of item you find and then draw or write the specific items you see.

o Energy source (source of energy for the ecosystem)

o Non-living things

o Producers (plants)

o Consumers (animals that eat the producers or other animals)

o Decomposers (eat dead things)

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

Student Signature: ___________________________________________

Project GLAD

Home/School Connection -3

Ecology –Energy Through Ecosystems

Retell the Narrative story “From Island to Island” to someone at home.

What did the person think of the story?

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

Student Signature: ___________________________________________

Project GLAD

Home/School Connection -3 (alternate)

Ecology –Energy Through Ecosystems

Retell the Narrative story A River Ran Wild to someone at home.

What did the person think of the story?

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

Student Signature: ___________________________________________

Projecto GLAD

Coneccion Casa-Escuela-1

Ecologia-Energia atravez del Ecosystema

Obten un permiso del padre o tutor de ir atras de su casa o alguna otro lugar lejos de la gente. Pasa 15 minutos sentado calladamente en ese lugar de afuera, notando los sonidos, lo que viste y olores alrededor de la naturaleza.

Despues de todo, dibuja y escribe acerca de las muchas cosas de las plantas y animales que tu notaste en la naturaleza. Dinos acerca de los olores alrededor tuyo y de los sonidos que escuchaste.

Nombre del Padre/Tutor:___________________________

Firma del estudiante:_______________________________

Projecto GLAD

Coneccion con la Casa-Escuela 2

Ecologia- Energia Atravez del Ecosistema

En Busca de Plantas y Animales en tu Vecindario

Pidele a un adulto que te acompañe alrededor de tu vecindario durante las horas de la luz del dia. No salgas afuera solo/a. Busca por partes del ecosistema en el vecindario, tales como el sol, rocas, tierra, plantas, y animals que existen y o que viven ahi.

Toma tu lapiz, esta pagina y algo en que escribir. Pon una marca en el papel enseguida del tipo de articulo que encontraste, y enseguida dibuja o escribe los articulos especificos que viste.

Recursos de energia (recursos de energia del ecosistema)

Cosas no-vivientes

Productoras (Plantas)

Consumidoras (animales que comen el producto u otros animales)

Decomposidores (comen cosas muertas)

Firma del Padre/Tutor______________________________

Firma del Estudiante_______________________________

Projecto GLAD

Coneccion Casa/Escuela 3

Ecologia-Energia Atravez del Ecosistema

Recuentale la historia narrativa “De la Isla a la Isla” a alguien de tu casa. Que opino esa persona de la historia?

Firma del Padre/Tutor______________________________

Firma del Estudiante_______________________________

Projecto GLAD

Coneccion Casa-Escuela (Alterno) 3

Ecologia-Energia Atravez del Ecosistema

Recuenta la historia narrativa “El Rio se Volvio Loco” a alguien en casa. Que opino esa persona de la historia?

Firma del Padre/Tutor_____________________________

Firma del Estudiante______________________________

Desert

A desert is an arid or dry area where the amount of water that evaporates is greater than the rainfall. Rainfall in a desert is usually less than 10 inches a year. Deserts are harsh environments with extreme temperatures. Tropical deserts, such as the Sahara and Namib in northern Africa, are warm to hot year round. Temperate deserts, such as the Mojave in southern California, are hot in the summer and cool in the winter. Summer temperatures often exceed 120o F. Cold deserts such as the Gobi in China, have cold winters and warm to hot summers. Most deserts have cool to cold nights. The coldest place in the world, Antarctica, is also a desert where the temperature can fall to -130o F in the winter. Most desert soils contain little to no organic matter and have hard windblown surfaces with rocks and sand.

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The dry soil, results in scarce or limited plant growth. The two main types of plants found in deserts are shrubs, such as sagebrush, creosote bush, mesquite, agave, prickly pear and tamarisk and small trees such as Joshua tree, Saguaro cactus. Many have adaptations such as waxy or oily covered small to no leaves to reduce loss of water, fleshy stems to store water, deep roots to tap into groundwater, and wide shallow roots which capture and conserve the scarce water. Some desert soils are rich in nutrients and have been converted to farmland with irrigation. An oasis is a fertile place in the desert with a lot of plant and animal growth due to ground water that reaches the surface.

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Animals that live in the desert have adaptations allowing them to survive the extreme temperatures, lack of water, and shortage of food. Some are nocturnal or active at night and rest in the shade during the hot day. Small desert animals get all the moisture they need from their food, reducing the need to drink. Some examples of plant eating animals, also called herbivores or primary consumers are the kangaroo rat, insects such as locusts, and quail. Some examples of carnivores (animals that eat other animals) or consumers are roadrunner, fringe-toed lizard, black widow spider, red-tailed hawk and diamondback rattlesnake. Scavengers are coyote, and vultures. Decomposers are dung beetles, fungi and bacteria.

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Grassland

Grasslands are areas that have enough precipitation each year to allow grass and a few small trees to grow but periods of drought and fires prevent large groups of trees from growing. Annual precipitation is between 10-30 inches. The winters are wet and the summers are dry. Grasslands are found in the middle on all continents except Antarctica. Temperature varies with location. They can be hot year round such as the tropical African savannahs, hot in the summer and cold in the winter, such as the temperate North American prairies, Australian rangelands, and the pampas of South America or cold year round such as the arctic tundra. Grasslands are often referred to as a “sea of grass”. Nearly one fourth of the Earth’s land area is grassland. Soil is rich and fertile.

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Plant growth is limited by the amount of rainfall. Grasslands often separate forests from deserts. Deep rooted grasses are the dominant plant life. Some grasslands have scattered shrubs or small trees. Because grasses grow from the bottom of their stems they can grow back after grazing and fire consumes the tops. Grasses vary in height from a few inches to several feet. Grasslands are used as farmland and for grazing.

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Animals of grasslands are adapted to dry windy conditions. Grazing and burrowing animals are dominant as well as insects. Plant eating animals, also called herbivores or primary consumers, include antelope, prairie dogs, rabbits, zebras and insects such as grasshoppers. Carnivores (animals that eat other animals) are sparrows, coyote, eagle, and cheetahs (cats).

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Scavengers are vultures, dingo, and insects. Decomposers are bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and insects. Grasslands carry a moderate amount of animal diversity.

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Temperate Forest

Temperate forests are areas with high amounts of precipitation (30-60 inches) spread fairly evenly throughout the year. The average temperature is moderate (75o F) with significant changes with the seasons. Summers are long and the winters are cold but not extreme. Temperate forests are found in North America, eastern Asia, Europe and the southern tips of Chile and Australia. The soil in a temperate forest is very fertile, enriched by the decomposition of leaves, twigs, logs and dead organisms.

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Large, broadleaf, deciduous trees, such as oak, maple, beech, sycamore, and hickory, are the dominant plant life. Smaller trees, shrubs, and ground cover are also present. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall. This helps conserve water, which is often frozen and unavailable in the winter. In the fall, as the number of hours of daylight and temperature decrease, the leaves turn brilliant colors of red, orange and yellow and then fall to the ground. Unfortunately, most of the original temperate forests have been cleared for farmland and urban development.

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These forests provide food and shelter for many species of animals. The European Oak can support more than 300 animal species. Animal life is abundant and include the following: plant eating animals, also called herbivores or primary consumers, such as white tailed deer, rabbits, and insects. Carnivores (animals that eat other animals) or secondary consumers include songbirds, foxes, brown bear, wolves and raccoons.

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Scavengers include vultures and insects. Bacteria, fungi and earthworms are some decomposers found in this ecosystem.

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Tropical Rain Forest

Tropical rain forests are generally found near the equator (Central America, central Africa, India, Asia) and cover about 2% of the land surface of Earth. The climate has little variation and is very warm and wet year round. The average temperature is between 68 and 77o F. Rainfall is about 75 inches annually. Soil nutrient levels are low because dead plants and animals are broken down very quickly and used very quickly by plants entering the soil. A mature tropical rain forest has more plant and animal species than any other ecosystem. Much of these forests are being cut down for farming.

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Plant life in the tropical rain forest is so abundant and dense, that distinct layers occur. These layers are based mostly on the need for sunlight. The dominant plants are broadleaf, evergreen trees. Evergreen plants don’t lose their leaves all at once like deciduous plants, but instead a few leaves at a time throughout the year. Lower layers or strata contain mosses, ferns, and evergreen shrubs. Many plants have showy, brightly colored flowers to attract pollinators such as bees, birds, and bats.

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The animal life in the tropical rain forests is also very abundant and diverse. It too, lives in layers. This reduces competition and allows for increased diversity. Like the other ecosystems, the animal life varies from one rain forest to another around the world. Some examples of plant eating animals, also called herbivores, are insects, monkeys, tapirs, sloth, kangaroo, and bats. Some examples of carnivores (animals that eat other animals) or secondary consumers that live in the rain forest are opossum, bats, eagles, apes, and jaguars.

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Some examples of scavengers are hyena and insects such as flies, wasps, and cockroaches. Decomposers include bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and insects including cockroaches.

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Ecosystem Mind Map

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|Ecosystem/ Biome |Proliferation of Resources |Where found in the world |Dominant |Consumers |Decomposers |Interesting |

| | | |Producers |(examples) | |Facts |

| |Water: | | |Herbivore: | | |

| |Temp: | | | | | |

|Tundra |Soil: | | |Carnivore: | | |

| |Nutrients: | | | | | |

| | | | |Scavenger: | | |

| |Water: | | |Herbivore: | | |

| |Temp: | | | | | |

|Temperate Forest |Soil: | | |Carnivore: | | |

| |Nutrients: | | | | | |

| | | | |Scavenger: | | |

| |Water: | | |Herbivore: | | |

| |Temp: | | | | | |

|Grassland |Soil: | | |Carnivore: | | |

| |Nutrients: | | | | | |

| | | | |Scavenger: | | |

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| |Water: | | |Herbivore: | | |

| |Temp: | | | | | |

|Desert |Soil: | | |Carnivore: | | |

| |Nutrients: | | | | | |

| | | | |Scavenger: | | |

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| |Water: | | |Herbivore: | | |

| |Temp: | | | | | |

|Tropical Rain Forest |Soil: | | |Carnivore: | | |

| |Nutrients: | | | | | |

| | | | |Scavenger: | | |

|Ecosystem/ Biome |Proliferation of Resources |Where found in the world |Dominant |Consumers |Decomposers |Interesting |

| | | |Producers |(examples) | |Facts |

| |Water: < 5” /year |extreme north latitudes | |Herbivore: | bacteria |plants small < 4” |

| |Most frozen |Greenland |lichens |Musk Ox, lemmings |fungi |permafrost |

|Tundra |Temp: Avg. 10oF to |N. Alaska |mosses |Carnivore: |nematodes |predators migrate seasonally |

| |21 oF |N. Canada |dwarfed shrubs |Arctic Fox, Snowy Owl | | |

| |Soil: frozen |Scandinavia | |Scavenger: | | |

| |Nutrients: low due to |Siberia | |Vulture, insects | | |

| |cold temp. | | | | | |

| |Water: 30-60” /year |temperate zones |broadleaf, deciduous trees |Herbivore: |bacteria |most of original temperate |

| | |North America |Oak |deer, rabbits, insects |fungi |forests have been cleared |

|Temperate Forest |Temp: Avg. 75oF |Europe |Beech |Carnivore: |nematodes |European Oak can support more |

| |> seasonal changes |S. Africa |Maple |Songbirds, fox, raccoon, brown|earthworms |than 300 species |

| |Soil: very fertile, rich |S. Australia |lower: shrubs, grasses |bear | | |

| |in hummus |China | |Scavenger: | | |

| |Nutrients: high. | | |vultures, insects | | |

| |Water: 10-25” /year |middle of continents |grasses (drought resistant) |Herbivore: antelope, |bacteria | fires are common |

| | | |scattered trees and shrubs |grasshopper |fungi |fires return nutrients to soil|

|Grassland |Temp: varies with location |all continents except | |Carnivore: |nematodes |different names in different |

| | |Antarctica | |Sparrow, eagle, coyote, bats |earthworms |places: |

| |Soil: dark, surface rich | | |Scavenger: |insects |Europe:steppes, N.A. praries, |

| |in hummus | | |vultures, insects | |S.A. pampas |

| |Nutrients: high | | | | | |

| |Water: < 10” /year | wide spread |shrubs: sagebrush, Agave |Herbivore: |bacteria |Antarctica is a desert |

| | |N. Africa (tropical) |Small trees: Joshua Trees, |kangaroo rat, insects, quail |fungi |plants survive -very fast |

|Desert |Temp: extreme |N. Asia(cold) |Saguero Cactus |Carnivore: |nematodes |life cycle and special |

| |-130oF to 120 oF |China (cold) | |roadrunner, snake, hawk, |dung beetles (insect) |adaptations |

| |Soil: hard, windblown |California (temperate) | |coyote | |oasis – fertile place with |

| | |N. Mexico(temperate) | |Scavenger: | |lots of plants and animals |

| |Nutrients: low in most areas | | |coyote, vultures | | |

| |Water: 75” /year |near equator |broadleaf, evergreen trees |Herbivore: |bacteria |2% of land surface |

| |Temp: 68 – 77 oF |Central America |lower levels: mosses, ferns, |insects, tapir, bats |fungi |more plant and animal species |

|Tropical Rain Forest |little variation |central Africa |evergreen shrubs |Carnivore: |nematodes |per unit of area than any |

| |Soil: low nutrient |India | |opossum, bats, eagle |insects (cockroaches) |other ecosystem |

| |level |Asia | |Scavenger: | |distinct layers of |

| |Nutrients: high, quick |S. America | |cockroach, insects | |plant/animal life |

| |breakdown and use |Australia | | | | |

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Ecosystem/Biome

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