Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 1: What's an Ecosystem?
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
Lesson 1: What's an Ecosystem?
| | adaptation [a-dap-TAY-shuhn] |
| A change in a body part or behavior that makes an organism better able to survive in its surroundings. Heavy fur is an adaptation that enables some animals to live in very cold climates. |
| | boreal [BOR-ee-uhl] |
| |
| climate | |
| The usual pattern of weather that has occurred in an area over a long period of time. California's climate consists of hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. |
| ecology | |
| The study of how animals and plants interact with their surroundings. |
| | ecosystem [EE-koh-sis-tuhm] |
| A community or group of organisms living and interacting with each other and their environment. |
| polar zone | |
| Parts of the Earth where the climate is extremely cold and dry. Polar zones are located near the North and South Poles. |
| | precipitation |
| Water that falls from clouds as rain, hail, snow, or sleet. A weather map shows areas that are receiving precipitation. |
| temperate zone | |
| The parts of the Earth located between the tropical zones near the equator, and the polar zones near the North and South Poles. The climate of a temperate zone is generally cold in the winter, warm in the summer, and moderate during the spring and fall. Much of the United States is in the temperate zone. |
| tropical zone | |
| The part of the Earth near the equator, where the weather is warm or hot all year long. Many people go on vacations in the tropical zone. |
| | tundra [TUN-druh] |
| |
Explore: Ecosystems
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
This activity is best completed online.
| Learn how scientists use patterns of climate, vegetation, and animal life to identify ecosystems. Travel around the world to discover the different climate zones and the ecosystems within them. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
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This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
| Ecosystems Learn what an ecosystem is and where the polar, temperate, and tropical climate zones are located around the world. Click the Explore button to begin. | |||||||||
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This activity is best completed online.
| Climates Around the World Locate the three main climate zones on a world map. Click on Botanical Garden to compare plants in three ecosystems. A notebook will automatically record and categorize the plant parts you identify. |
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Lesson Assessment: What's an Ecosystem?
Learning Coach login is required to print this assessment and answer key. Please log in as the Learning Coach or print directly from the assessment within the lesson.
Assessment Sheet
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
This activity is best completed online.
| The Greenhouse Effect Perform an experiment to simulate the greenhouse effect. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 2: Tundra
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
Lesson 2: Tundra
| | adaptation [a-dap-TAY-shuhn] |
| A change in a body part or behavior that makes an organism better able to survive in its surroundings. |
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants that live in an area with a similar climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of all the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
| permafrost | |
| Permanently frozen ground beneath the top layer of soil. Most tundra plants have shallow roots because their roots cannot grow down through the layer of permafrost. |
| | tundra [TUN-druh] |
| |
Read:
A Walk in the Tundra
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
This activity is best completed online.
| Read A Walk in the Tundra to learn about the climate of the tundra and the plants and animals that live there. | | |||||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
A Walk in the Tundra
| Read A Walk in the Tundra Read A Walk in the Tundra to learn about the climate, plants, and animals that live in the tundra. Click the Explore button to begin. Print the Reading Guide when you are ready to read. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Tundra Research Develop note-taking and research skills as you learn about the plants and animals of the tundra. Use the book to complete the Tundra Research activity sheet. |
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Lesson Assessment: Tundra
Learning Coach login is required to print this assessment and answer key. Please log in as the Learning Coach or print directly from the assessment within the lesson.
Assessment Sheet
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
This activity is best completed online.
| Blubber How does the layer of fat under a mammal's skin help keep some mammals warm in the tundra? Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Where Does the Water Go? Make your very own permafrost model to see what happens when the top layer of the soil above the permafrost begins to melt. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 3: Boreal Forests
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
*A Walk in the Boreal Forest by Rebecca L. Johnson
Lesson 3: Boreal Forests
| | adaptation [a-dap-TAY-shuhn] |
| A change in either the body structure or the behavior of an organism that makes it better able to survive in its environment. |
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants that live in an area with a similar climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of all the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
| | boreal [BOR-ee-uhl] |
| |
| | conifer [KAH-nuh-fur] |
| |
| | coniferous [kah-NIH-fuh-ruhs] |
| |
| | deciduous [dih-SIH-juh-wuhs] |
| |
| | stomata [STOH-muh-tuh] |
| Tiny openings in a leaf that allow gases to pass in and out. When the water in leaves evaporates, it escapes through the stomata. |
| | taiga [TIY-guh] |
| |
Read:
A Walk in the Boreal Forest
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
This activity is best completed online.
| Read A Walk in the Boreal Forest to learn about the climate of the boreal forest and the plants and animals that live there. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
A Walk in the Boreal Forest
| Read A Walk in the Boreal Forest Learn about the plants and animals of the boreal forest as you read A Walk in the Boreal Forest. Click the Explore button to begin exploring. Print the Reading Guide when you are ready to read. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Boreal Forest Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the boreal forest. Use the book to complete the Boreal Forest Research activity sheet. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Boreal Forests
Learning Coach login is required to print this assessment and answer key. Please log in as the Learning Coach or print directly from the assessment within the lesson.
Assessment Sheet
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
This activity is best completed online.
| Deciduous and Coniferous Leaves Compare the amount of water that evaporates from deciduous leaves and coniferous leaves. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 4: Temperate Deciduous Forests
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
Lesson 4: Temperate Deciduous Forests
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants that live in an area with a similar climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of all the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
| | deciduous [dih-SIH-juh-wuhs] |
| |
| | stomata [STOH-muh-tuh] |
| Tiny openings in a leaf that allow gases to pass in and out. When the water in leaves evaporates, it escapes through the stomata. |
Read:
A Walk in the Deciduous Forest
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
This activity is best completed online.
| Read A Walk in the Deciduous Forest to learn about the climate in a deciduous forest and the plants and animals that live there. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials before having your student view them.
A Walk in the Deciduous Forest
| Read A Walk in the Deciduous Forest Learn about the plants and animals of the temperate deciduous (dih-SIH-juh-wuhs) forest as you read A Walk in the Deciduous Forest. Click the Explore button to begin exploring. Print the Reading Guide when you are ready to read. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Deciduous Forest Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the deciduous forest. Use the book to complete the Deciduous Forest Research activity sheet. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Temperate Deciduous Forests
Learning Coach login is required to print this assessment and answer key. Please log in as the Learning Coach or print directly from the assessment within the lesson.
Assessment Sheet
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
This activity is best completed online.
| Leaf Observations Learn to identify types of leaves. Make a record of some leaf types by making rubbings with paper and crayons. Label the types of leaves, noting their characteristics, then use the leaves to identify trees. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 5: Tropical Rain Forests
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
For the Adult
*spray bottle
*ruler
*aluminum foil
*scissors
*A Walk in the Rainforest by Rebecca L. Johnson (2)
*tape, clear
Lesson 5: Tropical Rain Forests
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants and a particular climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
Read:
A Walk in the Rain Forest
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials listed here.
This activity is best completed online.
| Read A Walk in the Tropical Rain Forest to learn about the climate of rain forests and the plants and animals that live there. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials listed here.
A Walk in the Rain Forest
| Read A Walk in the Rain Forest Learn about the plants and animals of the tropical rain forest as you read A Walk in the Rain Forest. Click the Explore button to begin exploring. Print the Reading Guide when you are ready to read. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Rain Forest Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the tropical rain forest. Use the book to complete the Rain Forest Research activity sheet. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Tropical Rain Forests
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
This activity is best completed online.
| Shapely Leaves Experiment with the shapes of leaves to see how different leaf shapes help plants in the rain forest cope with water. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 6: Deserts
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
For the Adult
*clock, digital - or analog
*A Walk in the Desert by Rebecca L. Johnson (2)
*household items - cookie sheet
*household item - oven mitt
*paper towels, roll (12)
*rubber band (9)
*wax paper
Lesson 6: Deserts
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants and a particular climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
Read:
A Walk in the Desert
As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials listed here.
Beyond The Lesson: A Waxy Coating
The metal cookie sheet may become extremely hot. Use oven mitts to handle the cookie sheet and any metal objects left in the sun for a long time.
This activity is best completed online.
| What makes a desert different from a tropical rainforest? Read A Walk in the Desert to learn about the climate, plants, and animals that live in the desert. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you will want to preview any websites or recommended reading materials listed here.
A Walk in the Desert
| Read A Walk in the Desert Learn how plants and animals survive in a dry, dusty environment as you read A Walk in the Desert. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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| Imagine yourself standing in a desert. Chances are you pictured yourself on a hot sand dune. Not all deserts are hot, however. Some are freezing cold! But hot or cold, a desert is always dry. The key is rainfall--deserts get fewer than 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) of rain a year for many years. Now imagine a plant that lives in a desert. From their shallow roots that soak up rainwater before it evaporates, to their thick, waxy leaves that keep moisture inside, desert plants have special adaptations for getting, and holding onto, water. And desert animals--with their thick, watertight skin and their habit of snoozing underground during the hottest part of the day--are also well adapted to living in the driest places on Earth.So come exploring the real deserts with Rebecca Johnson. | |
This activity is best completed online.
| Desert Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the desert. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Deserts
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: The metal cookie sheet may become extremely hot. Use oven mitts to handle the cookie sheet and any metal objects left in the sun for a long time.
| A Waxy Coating Observe how the waxy coating on the stem of a cactus helps the plant keep moisture inside. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 7: Grasslands
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
For the Adult
*A Walk in the Prairie by Rebecca L. Johnson (2)
Lesson 7: Grasslands
| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants and a particular climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
| prairie | |
| A region of cool, temperate grassland that is too dry for trees to grow in. A prairie is one type of grassland. The savanna is another. |
Read:
A Walk in the Prairie
As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
This activity is best completed online.
| What do grasslands and prairies have in common? Prairies are one type of grassland. Read A Walk in the Prairie to learn about the climate and the plants and animals that live in the grasslands. | | |||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
A Walk in the Prairie
| Read A Walk in the Prairie Take a tour through the prairie as you read A Walk in the Prairie. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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| The prairie is a biome that looks simple at first, but it's full of surprises.The climate is too dry for trees. Instead, the ground there is covered with grass. If you were standing in one of these places right now, you might think you were in a land of nothing but grass but, in fact, many things live in grasslands. In the Pampas of Argentina, the grassland thunders with enormous herds of cattle. In the savannah of Africa, the tall grass hides crouching lions, while long-necked giraffes go galloping by. On the American prairie, "the deer and the antelope play," just as the song says. People traveled across the American prairie a lot in the 1800's. Back then, it was home to great crowds of buffalo, enormous underground cities built by prairie dogs, and, of course, all that grass. Take a walk in the prairie with Rebecca Johnson. | |
This activity is best completed online.
| Prairie Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the prairie. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Grasslands
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 8: Freshwater Ecosystems
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
For the Adult
*glass, drinking
*jar, with lid
*book - field guide
Lesson 8: Freshwater Ecosystems
| freshwater | |
| Water that contains very little salt. |
Explore: Freshwater Ponds
As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
Beyond The Lesson: A Pond Visit
Supervise children at all times when visiting a pond, and use extreme caution when working near the edge of a pond or any other body of water.
This activity is best completed online.
| Freshwater ecosystems are found in almost every part of the world. Ponds are one type of freshwater ecosystem. See how certain plants and animals have become "pond specialists," and learn about a scientist who became a pond specialist, too! | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
| Freshwater Ponds Visit a pond to learn about the plants and animals that live in this freshwater ecosystem. While you're there, meet Ann Morgan, a scientist who spent her life learning about pond ecosystems. |
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| The air is full of buzzing, flitting, and flapping noises. You can smell mud and rotten logs. Dragging your sneakers through the goop, you lean in for a closer look. A dozen tiny creatures scurry across the top of the water. You look again--yes, they're on top of the water! What on Earth is this place? Freshwater ecosystems come in many forms: lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, even swamps. A good place to begin learning about freshwater ecosystems is with one that's small enough to walk around, a pond. | |
| Ponds are similar to lakes in that they both have calm water. You'd never mistake a quiet pond for a rushing stream or river. But ponds are also different from lakes. Lakes are much deeper than ponds. Plants can't grow very easily on the bottom of a lake because lakes are so deep that sunlight cannot reach the bottom. Sunlight does reach the bottom of a pond, though. That's why ponds are often overflowing with plants--even plants that have their roots on the bottom and their stems and leaves all the way up at the top of the water. | |
| Every pond is full of life. A single pond can be home to thousands of organisms. Most live their entire lives in or around the pond. Some live part of their lives there. Some just visit the pond looking for food or water. Ponds are all over the world, in all climate zones, even in the tundra. But you won't find freshwater ponds at the North and South Poles. Those places are too cold! Have you ever visited a pond? How many living things did you find there? | |
| The shallow water in a pond lets sunlight reach even those plants that are rooted on the bottom. Also, many animals prefer a calm pond to a fast-moving body of water. These animals don't like streams and rivers, where the rushing water might sweep them away! Other animals may visit ponds from time to time. Fast-moving water doesn't bother these animals so much, but they still enjoy taking a swim--and getting something tasty to eat--in a peaceful, quiet spot. Click on each plant and animal to learn more about life in a pond. | |
| All the plants and animals in a pond live together within their small ecosystem. But just because ponds are small doesn't mean there's nothing going on there. If you visit a pond on any day you'll probably see something you’ve never seen before. Have you ever seen a frog catch an insect right out of the air? Or a turtle sticking its head up out of the water like a periscope? How about a snake making a wiggly line as it swims through the water? With all this activity going on, it's no wonder that some people spend their entire lives studying ponds. One scientist who did just that was Ann Morgan. She loved ponds and discovered all sorts of interesting things about them. Click below to learn more about Ann Morgan and what she saw in a pond. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Pond Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the freshwater pond. |
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Lesson Assessment: Freshwater Ecosystems
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: Supervise children at all times when visiting a pond, and use extreme caution when working near the edge of a pond or any other body of water.
| A Pond Visit How many living things can you find in a pond near you? Visit a pond to see the animals and plants that call that pond their home. Follow the instructions in your learning coach guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 8: Freshwater Ecosystems
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
Firefox cannot print Flash images. The on-screen images might print as blank spaces. If you need to print this lesson, try using Internet Explorer so that all the images print.
For the Adult
*glass, drinking
*jar, with lid
*book - field guide
Lesson 8: Freshwater Ecosystems
| freshwater | |
| Water that contains very little salt. |
Explore: Freshwater Ponds
As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
Beyond The Lesson: A Pond Visit
Supervise children at all times when visiting a pond, and use extreme caution when working near the edge of a pond or any other body of water.
This activity is best completed online.
| Freshwater ecosystems are found in almost every part of the world. Ponds are one type of freshwater ecosystem. See how certain plants and animals have become "pond specialists," and learn about a scientist who became a pond specialist, too! | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
|
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: As usual, you may wish to preview any books or websites listed in this lesson.
| Freshwater Ponds Visit a pond to learn about the plants and animals that live in this freshwater ecosystem. While you're there, meet Ann Morgan, a scientist who spent her life learning about pond ecosystems. |
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| The air is full of buzzing, flitting, and flapping noises. You can smell mud and rotten logs. Dragging your sneakers through the goop, you lean in for a closer look. A dozen tiny creatures scurry across the top of the water. You look again--yes, they're on top of the water! What on Earth is this place? Freshwater ecosystems come in many forms: lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, even swamps. A good place to begin learning about freshwater ecosystems is with one that's small enough to walk around, a pond. | |
| Ponds are similar to lakes in that they both have calm water. You'd never mistake a quiet pond for a rushing stream or river. But ponds are also different from lakes. Lakes are much deeper than ponds. Plants can't grow very easily on the bottom of a lake because lakes are so deep that sunlight cannot reach the bottom. Sunlight does reach the bottom of a pond, though. That's why ponds are often overflowing with plants--even plants that have their roots on the bottom and their stems and leaves all the way up at the top of the water. | |
| Every pond is full of life. A single pond can be home to thousands of organisms. Most live their entire lives in or around the pond. Some live part of their lives there. Some just visit the pond looking for food or water. Ponds are all over the world, in all climate zones, even in the tundra. But you won't find freshwater ponds at the North and South Poles. Those places are too cold! Have you ever visited a pond? How many living things did you find there? | |
| The shallow water in a pond lets sunlight reach even those plants that are rooted on the bottom. Also, many animals prefer a calm pond to a fast-moving body of water. These animals don't like streams and rivers, where the rushing water might sweep them away! Other animals may visit ponds from time to time. Fast-moving water doesn't bother these animals so much, but they still enjoy taking a swim--and getting something tasty to eat--in a peaceful, quiet spot. Click on each plant and animal to learn more about life in a pond. | |
| All the plants and animals in a pond live together within their small ecosystem. But just because ponds are small doesn't mean there's nothing going on there. If you visit a pond on any day you'll probably see something you’ve never seen before. Have you ever seen a frog catch an insect right out of the air? Or a turtle sticking its head up out of the water like a periscope? How about a snake making a wiggly line as it swims through the water? With all this activity going on, it's no wonder that some people spend their entire lives studying ponds. One scientist who did just that was Ann Morgan. She loved ponds and discovered all sorts of interesting things about them. Click below to learn more about Ann Morgan and what she saw in a pond. |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Pond Research Continue research on the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the freshwater pond. |
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Lesson Assessment: Freshwater Ecosystems
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
This activity is best completed online.
SAFETY: Supervise children at all times when visiting a pond, and use extreme caution when working near the edge of a pond or any other body of water.
| A Pond Visit How many living things can you find in a pond near you? Visit a pond to see the animals and plants that call that pond their home. Follow the instructions in your learning coach guide to complete this optional activity. |
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Click "Print Lesson" button to use your browser print Student Name: Alethea
Date Printed: Jan 11, 2015
Science 3
Unit 3: Ecosystems
Lesson 9: Marine Ecosystems
Duration: Approx. 60 min.
There are one or more assessments in this lesson. Offline assessments and answer keys can be printed from the materials lists. Online assessments must be printed from the assessment itself within the lesson.
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For the Adult
*suction cups - uniform size, with hooks (4)
*paper towels, roll
Beyond The Lesson: Strong Sea Star
1 day
In the optional activity, Strong Sea Star, your student will demonstrate how a sea star can open a mussel shell. If you choose to do the activity, you will need to purchase four sturdy suction cups of uniform size, at least 5 centimeters in diameter. You can buy them at most craft or hardware stores.
Lesson 9: Marine Ecosystems
| | atoll [A-tahl] |
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| | biome [BIY-ohm] |
| A large area with a distinctive community of animals and plants and a particular climate. The tundra is a biome that covers a large area of the northern part of the continents in the northern hemisphere. |
| | ecosystem [EE-koh-sis-tuhm] |
| A community or group of organisms living and interacting with each other and their environment. |
| marine | |
| Anything having to do with the sea and the living and nonliving things in the sea. The plants and animals in a marine environment need saltwater to survive. |
| | phytoplankton [fiy-toh-PLANGK-tuhn] |
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| | zooxanthelle [zoh-uh-zan-THEH-luh] |
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This activity is best completed online.
| Like freshwater ecosystems, marine ecosystems exist in almost every part of the world. Coral reefs are one type of marine ecosystem. Explore a coral reef to learn about the plants and animals that live there. | | |||||||
| Lesson Overview
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This activity is best completed online.
| The Coral Reef: A Marine Ecosystem Explore the colorful world of a marine ecosystem as you learn about the coral reef. Click the forward arrow to visit a coral reef |
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| Like ponds and lakes, oceans are a water-based biome, but they are based on saltwater instead of freshwater. Many of the same things that determine what types of organisms live on land also determine what organisms live in the ocean. Some of these things include: How much sunlight does the area get? What is the temperature like? What nutrients--chemicals that are needed for life--are available for plants and animals? Let’s take a look at a special kind of saltwater ecosystem--the coral reef. | |
| Corals are little animals. They live in all parts of the ocean. You can find them in plenty of cool places, such as the near-freezing waters of Antarctica. You can also find them off the coast of Norway, where the water is still mighty chilly! But the most amazing corals live in shallow tropical waters, where the temperature stays warm all year round. Here they build beautiful "cities" of coral--huge reefs that are home to all sorts of other plants and animals. Click Reefs Around the World to see a map of reef locations. |
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| Corals are very simple animals that live their whole lives in one place. The kinds of coral that thrive in warm, tropical waters build little homes for themselves--homes that pile up over time to become large reefs. In shallow water about 10 to 20 meters deep, there's still plenty of sunlight for plants to live. Small animals feed off the underwater plants, and the corals feed off the small animals. | |
| All three types of tropical coral reefs form the same way. Reefs usually grow near land, making a ring or fringe along the coast. This kind of reef is called a fringe reef. After a long time, the land near the reef may sink away. When it does, the coral continues to build on itself until it becomes a huge reef far from land--a barrier reef. Some barrier reefs are more than a thousand miles long. If the reef forms near a volcanic island, when the island sinks away the reef forms a ring, called an atoll, around a small body of water, called a lagoon. | |
| Coral reefs need warm, tropical waters, plenty of sunlight, and some serious wave action to keep the nutrients moving around. When all these things exist in the same place, get set for an amazing collection of plants and animals all living together underwater. Click each plant and animal to learn more about life in a reef. Click the down arrow to dive deeper into the reef's underwater world. | |
| Coral reefs are some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. That makes them fascinating. But they are also fragile. Many things can damage these ecosystems. Too many coral-eating star fish can destroy a reef. Too much fertilizer or topsoil runoff can hurt the corals. Fishermen who use explosives, bleach, or poisons to catch fish also kill coral. Divers and boaters can damage coral by running into them with boats, standing on them, or handling them. Water temperatures greater than 30° C can damage the whole reef community. | |
| Like a snowflake, a coral reef is both beautiful and fragile. But if we are very careful we can protect and save coral reefs, along with all the wonderful plants and animals that live in them. | |
This activity is best completed online.
| Coral Reef Research Continue to research the different ecosystems of the world as you learn about the coral reef. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this activity. |
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Lesson Assessment: Marine Ecosystems
Print this offline assessment and answer key using the links below. You will need to enter your student's results online later.
This activity is best completed online.
| Strong Sea Star Can a sea star open a mussel shell? Investigate how the arms of the sea star are adapted for this job. Follow the instructions in your student guide to complete this optional activity. |
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