8th Grade Science Guide

8.3: Ecology 3 Dimensions & Progressions

Unit 3

8.3.1 & 8.3.2 Phenomena Assessment: Spinach Disk

Objective

Overview

Materials

●​ I can make a Claim,

●​ Review the observations and the demonstration with students from the Spinach Disk phenomena. Allow students to write an explanation about why the phenomena occurred.

●​ Lesson Plan

supported with evidence and reason about why the Spinach leaf discs floated to the top of the water when the light was turned on.

8.3.3 Phenomena - Cougar Gardeners

Objective

Overview

Materials

●​ Students read an article about Cougars and seeds found in scat. ●​ Ask students what they learned from the reading, and what they can infer about how things are connected in an ecosystem.

●​ Article

●​ I can make observations and inferences about a phenomena.

Activity: Oh Deer! Lab

Objective

Overview

Materials

●​ I can make connections between ecosystem changes and the stability of cycling matter

●​ Students simulate

●​ Lab

producer, predator, prey relationships in a game format as a class to study the stability between living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

between living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Activity: Food Chain - Gizmo

Objective

Overview

Materials

●​ Students classify producers and

●​ Students are shown a

●​ Gizmo

hypothetical food chain in which hawks eat snakes, snakes eat rabbits, and rabbits eat grass. The

consumers, observe food chain equilibrium, and determine how one