Week 6-7 Goals and Notebook

Our first big Unit Test will be Thursday Oct. 20

Week 6-7 goals.
1. Identify major ecological communities.
2. List and describe key features of major ecological communities.
3. Make data tables and graphs with trend lines.


Week 6-7 Notebook Contents.
1. Duckweed Growth Patterns
2. Hmwk Read 103-107. Answer Q: p.107 2-4,6
3. Biomes Answer Sheet and Unit Review

Week 4-5 Goals and Notebook Contents

Goals: (Friday's quiz will focus on these goals.)
1. Know and correctly use the terms: Trophic Level, Consumer, Producer, Food Web, Niche, Invasive Species, Carrying Capacity Equilibrium, Feedback, Tragedy of the Commons
2. Describe how equilibrium is achieved and give examples of equilibrium in natural systems.
3. Use concepts of feedback and carrying capacity to explain population growth patterns.*
4. Describe multiple types of connections within an ecosystem:*
Food webs, Trophic levels, Predator-prey interactions.

Notebook Contents: (These should be in your notebooks when you turn them in on Friday.)
1. A Study of Population Growth II
2. Biology Notes, Biobottle Observations
3. Food Webs, Populations and Invasive Species
4. HW: read p86-89,112-115,133 answer Q p.115 #1-4
5. Feedback Practice/Week 4-5 Review Worksheet
6. The tragedy of the commons (We'll do this in class on Friday.)

Update to Class Description

This weekend I made a number of changes to the class routines and policies regarding work and grades. The type of work will be the same, but it will no longer be separated into different categories of A level and C level work. This system was difficult for the students to understand, unwieldy for communication, and an extra challenge for me to create.

I encourage you to read the updated links in the right hand column: class description/grading and class routines/how to help your student.

First Notebook in Unit 1 - Sept. 23

Table of Contents
1. Unit 1 Overview
2. UNIT NOTES
3. Bottle Ecosystem Journal
4. A Study of Population Growth
5. Homework (Read Pages 90-93) Answer Q. 1-4 page 93
6. Biology –Ecosystems and Pop. Unit Weeks 1-3 Review
7. The Carbon Cycle-Independent Answer Sheet

Goals for the Week - Review these for the quiz
1. Define and use the following terms: observation, inference, ecosystem, element, atom, molecule, pure substance, mixture, compound, model, cycle, growth pattern, stock, flow, birth fraction, death fraction, abiotic.
2. Describe what elements are essential for life.*
3. List biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
4. Describe natural biogeochemical cycles: H2O, Carbon, Nitrogen.*
5. Distinguish between observations and inferences

Accessing the Online Textbook

You can access your online textbook by using the following link.
http://my.hrw.com/

You will need your username and password that Mr. Medley will give you in class.

Unit 1: Populations and Ecosystems

Unit 1: Populations and Ecosystems

Related Chapters in Biology Textbook: 3-6

Vocabulary: element, pure substance, mixture, compound, atom, molecule, cycle, ecosystem, biome, population, niche, carrying capacity, growth pattern, feedback, equilibrium, biogeochemical cycle, invasive species, food web, trophic level, stock, flow, birth fraction, death fraction, model, producer, consumer, abiotic, tragedy of the commons

Unit Goals

· Define unit vocabulary and use appropriately.

· Describe what elements are essential for life.*

· List biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems.

· Describe natural biogeochemical cycles: H2O, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous.*

· Describe how equilibrium is achieved and give examples of equilibrium in natural systems.

· Use concepts of feedback and carrying capacity to explain population growth patterns.*

· Distinguish between observations and inferences.

· Make Data tables and graph data with trend lines.

· Describe multiple types of connections within an ecosystem:*

o Food webs

o Trophic levels

o Predator-prey interactions.

· Describe and assess human impact on various populations.

· List and describe key features of major biomes.

· Describe and give examples of the impact of invasive species on an ecosystem.*

*Both A and C levels of proficiency.

Quizzes and Tests

Friday Quizzes: 9/23, 10/7 Unit Test: 10/20

Homework, Lab Reports and Projects

A level

· Bottle Ecosystem Research due Mon 9/19

· The Elements and Molecules of Life due Fri. 9/23

· Predator-Prey Interactions due Thurs 9/29

· Fishbanks Response due Fri 10/7

· Invasive Species Research due Tues 10/11

· Biome Poster due Tues 10/18

· Duckweed Lab Report due Thurs 10/20

B level

· The Elements and Molecules of Life due Fri. 9/23

· Fishbanks Response due Fri 10/7

· Invasive Species Research due Tues 10/11

· Biome Poster due Tues 10/18

· Duckweed Lab Report due Thurs 10/20

C level

· Fishbanks Response due Fri 10/7

· Biome Poster due Tues 10/18

· Duckweed Lab Report due Thurs 10/20

How families can best support their students.

The first page in the students’ notebooks will list the work that they are doing during each two week period and the goals for those weeks. Thursday nights before the quiz are a good time to check with students to make sure their notebooks are complete and that they are confident about the material that will be on the quiz.

On the following Tuesday they should be able to show you their notebook and quiz or test scores. Encourage them to retake the quiz or test if they did not do well.