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LIBRARY
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This is to certify that the
thesis entitled

Evaluating the Knowledge of At Risk High School
Students in Ecology Through Alternative Assessment

presented by

Tina Marie Kopinski

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for the

MS degree in Interdepartmental Biological
Sciences

 

 

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Date

MSU is an affinnative-action, equal-opportunity employer

 

 

 

PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record.
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6/07 p:/C|RC/DateDue.indd-p.1

EVALUATING THE KNOWLEDGE OF AT RISK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN
ECOLOGY THROUGH ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

By

Tina Marie Kopinski

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE
Interdepartmental Biological Sciences

2007

ABSTRACT

EVALUATING THE KNOWLEDGE OF AT RISK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN
ECOLOGY THROUGH ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

By

Tina Marie Kopinski
This purpose of this study was to determine if the use of alternative methods of
evaluating At Risk students is favorable to traditional practices of tests and quizzes.
Resources were consulted on the needs of Special Education children and Diverse
Learners, and lessons plans reflected these findings. The scientific topics taught in the
study unit were those in Ecology: characteristics of life, taxonomy, symbiotic
relationships, nutrient cycles, food webs, succession, alien species, populations, and
biomes. A Final Assessment Portfolio project was used in place of a comprehensive test.
To determine the efficacy of this study, the following assessment tools were used: Pre-

Unit Survey, Post-Unit Survey, Pretest, and Posttests in the form of Weekly Quizzes.

To my family, who has always believed I can do anything I want, and has put up with a
lot from me while figuring out exactly what that is.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have made this
study and ultimately the completion of my Masters degree possible. I would first like to
thank the wonderful people in the Division of Science and Mathematics Education
(DSME) at Michigan State University for all of the time and support they have given me
and my fellow students as we pursue our higher education. To all of the professors
whose classes challenged me and pushed me to do my very best- thank you! This
includes Doctors Charles “Chuck” Elzinga and Jerry Urquhart for Environmental and
Behavioral Biology at the Kellogg Biological Station, and Doctors Kenneth Nadler and
Merle Heidemann for Cellular and Molecular Biology on campus at MSU. I’d like to
give special thanks to Merle for finding a way for me to do my class work around two
major surgeries and reading multiple drafts of my thesis. I’d also like to thank Margaret
Iding, the amazing office assistant for DSME, for keeping me and everyone else who
comes through there on track!

Thanks goes out to the students and parents of Dexter High School that allowed
me to try my new teaching methods with you this past school year. We had a fun time
and I appreciate your cooperation.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of my family. To
my mother, Jean, and my sister, Barbara, I would like to say thanks for calling me every
few hours to make sure I was working on my thesis, and for leaving me alone for hours
on end to do just that. You knew exactly what I needed to accomplish my goals, and I

did it!

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................ vii
LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................. viii
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1
Demographics and Statement of Purpose ................................................. 1
Literature review ............................................................................ 5
Concepts in Ecology ....................................................................... 10
IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................. 13
Week 1: Basic Organizational Tools and Practices .................................... 13
Week 2: Life and Introduction to Ecology .............................................. 17
Week 3: Taxonomy ........................................................................ 18
Week .4: Symbiotic Relationships and Food Webs ..................................... 19
Week 5: Nutrient Cycles .................................................................. 19
Week 6: Succession and Alien Species ................................................. 20
Week 7: Populations ....................................................................... 21
Week 8: Biomes ............................................................................ 21
Week 9: Portfolios and Wrap-Up of the Ecology Unit ................................ 22
Overview of the Unit ....................................................................... 23
RESULTS/EVALUATION ...................................................................... 25
Pre-Unit Survey ............................................................................ 25
Pretest versus Posttest Analysis .......................................................... 29
Final Assessment: Portfolio ............................................................... 37
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ........................................................... 39
General Discussion ........................................................................ 39
Leichart Scale Analysis .................................................................... 40
Student Opinions and Written Reponses ................................................ 43
Conclusions ................................................................................. 44
APPENDICES ...................................................................................... 49
APPENDIX A: Ecology: Parent Consent/ Student Assent Form ............................. 50
APPENDIX B: (Evaluations) Assessments .................................................... 52
Appendix B1: Ecology: Pre-unit survey ................................................ 52
Appendix B2: Practical Biology Pretest: Ecology .................................... 55
Appendix B3: Ecology: Post-unit survey .............................................. 60
Appendix B4: Posttests ................................................................... 64
Appendix B43: Practical Biology Quiz #2: Life and Introduction to Ecology 64
Appendix B4b: Practical Biology Quiz #3: Taxonomy .............................. 65
Appendix B40: Practical Biology Quiz #4: Symbiotic Relationships and Food
Webs ..................................................................... 66

Appendix B4d: Practical Biology Quiz #5: Nutrient Cycles ........................ 68

Appendix B46: Practical Biology Quiz #6: Succession an Alien Species ......... 69
Appendix B4f: Practical Biology Quiz #7: Population ............................... 70
Appendix B43: Practical Biology Quiz #8: Biomes! ................................. 71
Appendix B411: Ecology Portfolio: A Final Assessment .............................. 73
APPENDD( C: Organizational Tools and Activities .......................................... 77
Appendix C1: Table of Contents ........................................................ 77
Appendix C2: Weekly Assignment Sheet ............................................. 78
Appendix C3: How Can I Do Better in Science Class? .............................. 80
Appendix C4: Checklist of Study Habits and Test-Taking Skills ................... 81
Appendix C5: What is Life? ................................................................................... 83
Appendix C6: Ecology Concept Map: What is Ecology? ...................................... 85
Appendix C7: Bottle Biology: An Ecosystem in a Bottle ............................ 86
Appendix Cg: Taxonomy: The Classification of Living Things ..................... 88
Appendix C9: Food Webs and Symbiotic Relationships ............................ 90
Appendix C10: Community Studies ...................................................... 91
Appendix C”: Ecology Trophic Levels and Energy Flow ........................... 93
Appendix C12: Water Cycle Vocabulary ................................................ 95
Appendix C13: Chapter 50 and 51.1 Vocabulary:
Introduction to Population Growth .................................... 97
Appendix C14: PowerPoint: Invasion of: Alien Species .............................. 98
Appendix C15: Resources and Carrying Capacity Lab: Owls as Predators ....... 104
Appendix C16: Traveling to the Biomes ............................................. 107
Appendix C17: Biome Project Notes Sheet ........................................... 109
Appendix C13 Climatogram ............................................................. 111
WORKS CITED .................................................................................. 112

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Classification of Special Education students in Practical Biology .................. 4
Table 2. Students’ first responses to academic difficulty in class ............................ 28
Table 3. Pre-Unit Survey report on Practical Biology study environments ............... 29

Table 4. Pre-Unit versus Post-Unit Survey responses: test-taking strategies ............... 42

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Male to female ratio in Practical Biology versus

the sophomore class at DHS ............................................................ 3
Figure 2. Sample fiom the students’ Table of Contents ........................................ 14
Figure 3. Overview of the Objectives and Activities in the First Marking Period ......... 15

Figure 4. Number'of students who are considering continuing their education after high
school, and whether or not those plans include science ............................ 25

Figure 5. Students’ favorite and least favorite class, according to the Pre-Unit Survey...26
Figure 6. Average grade in science classes as reported in the Pre-Unit Survey. . . . . .. . 26
Figure 7. Student responses to how often they employ positive organizational skills. . .. 27
Figure 8. Student responses to how often they employ negative organizational skills... 28

Figure 9. Students’ study skills in Practical Biology, as reported on the Pre-Unit
Survey .................................................................................... 29

Figure 10. Comparison of student Pretest to Posttest response on introductory ecology..30
Figure 11. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 3 through 9: vocabulary . 31
Figure 12. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 7 through 9, 11: vocabulary ...... 31

Figure 13. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 12 through 16:
Food Webs and Nutrient Cycles .................................................... 32

Figure 14. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 17 through 21: Nutrient Cycles. . .32

Figure 15. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 27-31:
succession and animal niches. ............................................ 33

Figure 16. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 32-36:
succession and animal niches ........................................................ 34

Figure 17. Results from poorly written questions .............................................. 35

Figure 18. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions23-26, 47, 48:
Symbiotic Relationships and the Climatogram .................................... 37

viii

Figure 19. Students’ Post-Unit Survey responses to how often they
employ positive organizational skills ................................................. 41

Figure 20. Students’ Post-Unit Survey responses to how often they
employ negative organizational skills ................................................ 41

ix

Introduction

Statement of Purpose and Demographics

This study was conducted at Dexter High School (DHS) in Dexter, Michigan.
The official count of students at the end of the 2006-2007 school year was 1141, making
it Class A or Division H in most sports where appropriate (Pearson School Systems,
2006). In the fall of 2006, I was challenged with two sections of a class called “Practical
Biology.” The original intent of this class was to give those students who struggle with
science and have little or no intention of continuing in it a place to succeed and meet the
requirements set forth by the high school and the State of Michigan. Most of the students
were intent on pursuing trade skills through the school’s Consortium program in their
junior and senior years, to prepare them for the work force right out of high school.
There was also a handful of students who were college bound, but science was not their
forte and they would have met with defeat in the “regular” biology class. Since the
inception of Practical Biology, the dynamics of the school, the community, and the class,
has changed. Dexter was mostly a farming community within as little as ten to fifteen
years ago, but it is has since been flooded with an explosion of subdivisions. This has
occurred as more and more people who work in nearby Arm Arbor seek to live outside
the city but keep its conveniences close by. The proximity of Ann Arbor has contributed
to the wide range of students (and their parents) seen at Dexter High School. Ann Arbor
is home to the University of Michigan and the hospital by that name, as well as St. Joseph
Mercy Hospital and until recently a large Pfizer facility. Many of the students’ parents
work at these places, and this plays a part in what previous knowledge they bring to class.

Of course, there are still several families in the area that have been in Dexter for

generations as part of the farming community, and those children bring a different set of
experiences to the classroom with them. Currently, over 90% of the graduates of DHS go
on to two or four year colleges and universities. There has been a big push in the
community to offer more Advanced Placement (AP) classes so that students can earn
some college credit before they arrive on campus. The State of Michigan has recently
introduced a whole new set of standards and requirements that students will be expected
to complete for graduation (Michigan Department of Education, 2001- 2007). There is a
lot of pressure on students from many angles to have four years’ credit in all core
subjects, and also fit physical education, foreign language, and fine or performing arts
into their schedules. This push towards the upper end of academics has left a lot of
students in the dust, and yet we are to “leave no child behind” per our president.
Consequently, many students opt to (or their parents tell them to) take the college
preparatory track of classes when they probably aren’t ready. Students no longer want to
take Practical Biology instead of Biology; it’s seen as the slow class, the dumb class, the
easy class, etc. As a result, there are usually only two sections of it that run all year.
They are small classes, and they are very heavily packed with students with special needs
or those with behavioral problems that see it as an easy way to get through their required
biology. There are still some students who are in Practical Biology for its original
purpose, but it is hard for them to not get swept up in some of the drama that the other
students create. Because of this, class sizes are huge and teachers are forced to teach to
the middle level academic abilities of their classes in an attempt to bring along as many

students as they can (Tapp, 2005).

Biology is generally taken the second year of high school at Dexter, so all but 2 of
the students in these two sections were sophomores (the remaining 2 were juniors). Not
all students participated in the study so that I was not able to collect and use their work
for data analysis, but they were subject to the same instruction as the others. For this
reason, and because their presence in the classes contributed to the environment in which
this information was taught, they are included in the following demographic set up. This
study was conducted with two sections of Practical Biology that were extremely different
in their makeup. The first class consisted of 21 students, 20 of whom were male. As has
become the norm, a large portion of the students in this section were classified as Special
Education and therefore had Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Many of their IEPs
required that they have access to extra assistance on homework or in understanding
questions on tests when needed. Therefore, during class there was one female
paraprofessional and one female special education teacher present in addition to myself.
The second class consisted of 11 females and 9 males, for a total of 20, and one female
paraprofessional was on hand as well for the same reason. The large discrepancy of
males to females in the first class proved to provide a challenge to the three female adults
and myself. That first class was extremely lopsided, even for the male dominated

sophomore class (Figure 2) (Pearson School Systems, 2006).

Practical Biology DHS Sophomore Class

   

Figure 1. Male to female ratio in Practical Biology versus the sophomore class at DHS.

3

 

The total number of students in both classes was 41, with 24 IEPs, 3 Individual

Student Plans (504) for behavioral modification, and 14 students with no special needs

classification. Of those with Special Education classification, almost half were Learning

Disabled (LD), and several were classified as Otherwise Health Impaired (OHI) for

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

Table 1 shows the complete breakdown of the students with IEPs in Practical Biology.

With such a diverse group of people in one room, the year was going to be fill] of

challenges, not the least of which was keeping track of all the students’ individual

accommodations! With that in mind, I set out to develop a unit that would not only

Table 1. Classification of Special Education students in Practical Biology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

otherwise speech and
emotionally learning hearing health language cognitive physically
impaired disabled impaired impaired impaired impairment autism impaired
IEP 2 10 l 6 4 l 1 l

 

encompass the appropriate science standards, but would incorporate everyday skills that

everyone in the class could use. Some of the goals for the students were organization and

individual accountability, and also a sense of enthusiasm for the scientific topics. They

needed to take responsibility both inside and outside of the classroom for performing

tasks and completing assignments. A good work ethic and pride in their work was

essential to completing these tasks. These were two classes full of students with learning

disabilities and poor writing techniques. Yet, one objective was to improve their

communication skills and help them enjoy science even though many felt like they had

been “dumped” into Practical Biology. The time spent researching (Summer 2006,

Michigan State University campus) eventually resulted in the development of a unit that

encompassed the entire first marking period (nine weeks). Its scientific focus was
ecology, but the main goal was to engage this diverse group of learners and integrate as
many of the students’ necessary modifications into the structure of the class as I could.
One common IEP requirement was to have a homework planner signed by the teacher
once a week (or even daily) in order to help keep the student on track. Many of the
Special Needs students were allowed extended testing times and/or were allowed to use
their notes on quizzes and tests. Still others had language disabilities that entitled them to
a copy of the paraprofessional’s notes, provided they had made an effort in class to obtain
them on their own. The study unit was aimed at incorporating as many of these
modifications into the structure of the class as possible. That way, I would be covering
most of the accommodations of all the special needs students and providing all the
students with some basic organizational and coping skills for an otherwise difficult class.
For ideas on how to focus this diverse group of learners, I turned to the available
literature.
Literature Review

According to Piaget, the students in Practical Biology classes should be at the
point in their development where they can handle abstract thinking. However, even
though he gives a characteristic age range for this step in their cognitive development,
true abilities vary for every individual (Genetic Epistemology (J. Piaget), 2005). Throw
in the disabilities of many of the students, and you have a class with an incredibly wide
range of learning styles and capabilities. It has been noted that “teachers tend to teach the
way that they were taught” (Edwards, et. al, 2006). In this particular setting, that would

not work well as I learned by reading the chapter, taking copious notes, making

flashcards, and drawing flowcharts of scientific processes. Many of the students in
Practical Biology have learning disabilities in the areas of writing and reading
comprehension, while others are classified as speech or language impaired. Instructing
these students in the traditional manner would not be appropriate. So, I looked for
suggestions on how to best serve such a diverse group of learners. In general, most of my
sources pointed to eliminating traditional methods of instruction in favor of alternative
assessment, group work, and eliminating an arduous textbook. In short, my new
direction became constructivism. Constructivism is basically a theory about how people
learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world,
through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. We are active creators
of our own knowledge, and to do this we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we
know. In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point towards a number
of different teaching practices. It usually means encouraging students to use active
techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving) to create more knowledge and then
to reflect on and talk about what they are doing. The teacher makes sure she understands
the students' preexisting conceptions, and guides the activity to address them and then
build on them (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004).

One of the central ideas in constructivism is to do away with the textbook and
teacher as the primary sources of information. Instead of being fed isolated facts or
concepts, the students are given an overall picture and framework in which to work, and
then to guided into discovering the bulk of the information themselves. As a group, the
students of Practical Biology are not readers, so this move away from the text was

welcome. Practical Biology and Biology at Dexter High School use different textbooks

because of the different level of students, but really neither one is stellar (Modern
Biology, 1986). I recently found that many of the textbooks schools use cover far too
many topics and none of them in depth. The reason for this is that they are mass
marketed for schools in many different states that all have different sets of standards.
The result is a textbook that has more than one school needs and it becomes daunting in
the eyes of the student. There is also a problem with delivery of material. There are so
many different ways of teaching any one topic that textbooks have for the most part
stayed with the traditional presentation of information; this makes them too large, too
encyclopedic, and loosely structured pedagogically. In 2001, the American Institute of
Biological Sciences (AIBS) reviewed 10 sets of biology textbooks and accompanying
instructional materials used in secondary schools. It reported that the “content of all of
the instructional materials is accurate and up to date, but the way the materials are present
for teaching leaves for vast improvement” (National Science Teachers Association,
2006). It seems that many teachers and professors are jumping on the band wagon of
using the textbook as a resource only. In 2004, Honors Biology 163 at the University of
Michigan was taught without it, by Dan Kilonsky. His approach to teaching biology is
called active learning, and instead of using a text he provides the students with lecture
notes ahead of time, daily quizzes, and a lot of interaction time. “You can’t just transfer
knowledge from one person to another,” Kilonsky says. “Knowledge is constructed, and
learned, by each individual in their own way” (Bates, 2004). With that in mind, I set out
to change the curriculum to one where we could develop an organized notebook of
information and use it as a tool for learning, leaving the textbook as a resource for

vocabulary and reinforcement of topics.

A move towards constructivism means a move towards imbedded or alternative
assessments. This simply means using methods other than traditional testing to
determine if students have mastered the appropriate concepts. Everything from projects,
poems, and papers, to homework and in-class assignments can be used as an assessment
(Barton & Osborne, 2001). I ultimately decided not to abandon traditional testing
altogether; however, I did scale things down to weekly quizzes over smaller topics.
Other assessments included numerous in-class activities, posters and projects, homework
assignments, and a portfolio as the final assessment in place of a comprehensive unit test.
I chose a portfolio as the final assessment for several reasons. When designed correctly,
portfolios can determine whether or not the student knows a scientific concept. It can
also determine whether or not the student can apply this new scientific concept by
creating or doing something that illustrates the concept (Valdez, 2001). It allows students
. to reflect on the work they've already done by letting them choose the pieces they want to
include. It forces students to assess their own strengths and weaknesses on different
topics throughout the unit, and it allows the instructor to see these in the presentation of
the portfolio so that she may alter instruction to be more helpful in the future. In
reflecting on the unit's work, students are also able to see their own progress as
individuals instead of being compared to others in the class (Barton & Osborne, 2001).
The portfolio also gives students a chance to show what they've learned fi'om beginning
to end in the unit; it provides a timeline of learning to the person reading the portfolio.
For the students in Practical Biology, it also gave them some much needed practice in

writing skills.

Along with alternative assessment comes alternative instruction. Students with
learning disabilities, attention span issues, or behavioral problems aren’t likely to succeed
if you force them to sit through a lengthy lecture. Instead, it is advised to break subjects
into smaller topics than can be mastered in shorter amounts of time by doing a hands-on
group activity. This way, students learn to solve problems independently and help each
other with the material (ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, 1988). This is truly
the base of the constructivist model, and it fit perfectly into my classroom. Ultimately, I
found that the more varied instruction can be the better for all those involved.
Surprisingly, this included me; of course it’s easier to lecture and be done with a tOpic,
but it’s a lot more interesting and to watch the students figure out some of the information
on their own. So, instead of a traditional lecture, one source suggested giving the
students modified lecture notes with blanks at key points in the information. This would
allow the students to pay attention to and participate in the lecture instead of trying to
write down all the important information and missing out on the discussion. Other tools I
found were to review using games or puzzles, use a slide show or PowerPoint
presentation to illustrate new concepts, and of course try to use as many real-life
examples for things as possible (Miller, 2002).

The key to not losing the students in all these activities is organization. Learners
with mild disabilities need consistency; therefore teachers should establish a daily routine
in their classrooms (Aefsky, 2000). Anything that happens on a daily basis should
basically be done in the same way every time. This can be something as simple as
writing the weekly schedule on the board or having a standard place for papers to be

handed in. Though activities are meant to be student-directed to allow for questioning

and understanding, a fair amount of structure must be included at the start of the unit in
order to scaffold and model the process for the students. This group, especially, needed
concrete instructions to get them started. My goal, however, was to move away from this
rigidity as we progressed through the unit. In the meantime, I found suggestions for
guiding the students along the right path. Even for my weekly quizzes I discovered some
tricks for making them easier to conquer. Test-taking skills were briefly discussed at the
beginning of the year and then again before the first quiz. I also found some guidelines
on the formatting of my quizzes: make sure the directions are short and step-by—step,
leave plenty of space for written answers (due to writing disabilities), have various types
of questions on the quizzes, and provide a word bank where possible (Spinelli, 2002).
Concepts in Ecology

The concepts taught during this nine-week unit on ecology were determined in
large by the standards outlined in the May draft of the High School Science Course
Content Expectations (Michigan Department of Education, 2001-2007). These will be
finalized and used to govern high school curriculum starting with the fall of 2007. I
broke down the large unit of ecology into topics that could be assessed by weekly
quizzes. The first topic was simply “what is ecology?” and what do we mean when we
say we’re studying the “environment?” Next we tackled the technical subject of
taxonomy and discussed how and why things are classified. The systems of Aristotle and
Carolus Linnaeus were compared to each other and to the modern system of using
common ancestry (phylogeny) to classify organisms. Focus was put on the classification
of humans and the six-kingdom system, as well as why Latin is used as the language of

science. We also learned how to use a dichotomous key to identify species. You are

10

given two basic structural characteristics to choose from to start, and then follow the
instructions to a second set of choices, and so on. Eventually the characteristics given are
so specific that picking your last choice gives you the name of the species.

Food webs and symbiotic relationships came next. Vocabulary covering the
terms for plant-eaters, meat-eaters, and those who eat both plants and animals (herbivore,
carnivore, and omnivore, respectively) were review. Symbiotic relationships were a new
topic; this is where two organisms of different species live together. Examples of
predation, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism were studied. Predation is where
one animal, the predator, hunts and kills another, the prey. Parasitism exists when one
organism in the relationship is harmed (but not necessarily killed) and the other benefits,
as in a tapeworm inside of a human. Mutualism is a relationship where both organisms ,
involved benefit from each other like a honeybee pollinating a flower. Commensalisrn is
present when one organism gains something and the other is not affected by this. A good
example would be a squirrel using an abandoned woodpecker hole in a tree as its new
home. Included here as well was the concept of biomass and how the energy transferred
lessens with each step of the food chain, even though the overall amount of energy stays
the same.

The next three topics looked more in depth at how biotic and abiotic factors
interact with one another. The water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles were presented
individually and then as an integrated concept to see how they all depend on each other.
The main ideas presented on the nutrient cycles were how organisms assimilate each
nutrient, use it, and recycle it back into the environment. Primary and secondary

succession followed, and students were asked to differentiate between the two and give

11

examples. Primary succession occurs when bare rock is exposed due to a natural
phenomenon such as a volcanic eruption or a receding glacier. Decomposers such as
fungi and bacteria then enter the area and break the rock down into soil, and a general
progression ensues as to what organisms invade next. Secondary succession is very
similar except that the disturbance leaves behind the soil, so the succession process does
not take as long. Typical disasters that can cause secondary succession are forest fires,
tornadoes, or floods. Students also discussed the pros and cons of man-made fires in
forests in an attempt to control blazing wildfires from undergrowth accumulation.

The study of populations was a very vocabulary intensive subject. Terms like
immigration, the movement of organisms into a population, and emigration, the
movement of individuals out of a population, were used to describe the movement of
things in and out of populations. Included in this discussion were natality (birth rate),
mortality (death-rate), and density-dependent and independent factors. Also controlling
the size of a population is an area’s carrying capacity; this is the number of organisms an
area can support based on the amount of available resources. Food, water, shelter, and
space were taught as the resources all organisms must have to survive.

The very last topic was intended to bring everything together: a survey of the
Earth’s major biomes. The students got into small groups and each did a presentation on
one of these biomes: tundra, desert, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, tropical
rainforest, savanna, prairie, and the Chaparral. The focus was put on characteristic plants

and animals, as well as overall climate and geographic location.

12

Implementation
Week 1: Basic Organizational Tools and Practices

Practical Biology started in the fall of 2006 with a defined structure and a daily
routine. There was a white board on the side of the room that was reserved solely for the
weekly schedule. In the comer of this board was written a Question of the Day, along
with the date, objectives, and any homework for that night. Students were to get a new
Weekly Assignment Sheet each Monday and write down the daily question (Appendix
C2). Many students with IEPs have a stipulation that I am to sign their planner either
every night or once a week; this weekly assignment sheet took the place of that and
eliminated students having to come see me and be singled out by their peers. We spent
the first 5-10 minutes of class answering the Question of the Day, taking attendance and
collecting papers from the night before if need be. In the front of the room was a
designated bin for all assignments to be handed in, marked with the appropriate class
period.

Students were provided with a class notebook, a three-ring binder just for this
class that was organized according to a table of contents (Appendix C1). Every time we
started any new sheet of paper, it was numbered and entered in the table of contents. For
example, on the first day of class I handed the students a syllabus and a safety contract.
These were items 1 and 2, and were written down in the table of contents as such. There
was also a place to keep track of the date of the assignment and the score they earned if
the student wanted to (Figure 2). Most students had not organized their binders in this
manner before. Usually they separate homework, labs, and test/quizzes into different

sections. This way, everything was in chronological order so that an entire unit was all in

13

one place. Before each major test or every two quizzes (whichever came first), I would
tell the students what pages to make sure they had in order and what to study. I would
then check in the notebooks on those test/quiz days and give them points for staying

organized and not losing their assignments (practices borrowed from Aefsky, 2000).

 

 

 

 

 

Date Pg # Assignment Score
1 Syllabus
2 Safety Contract
3 How can I do better in science class?
4 MS U Consent form

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Sample from the students’ Table of Contents.

The major reason for having the students organize their papers was that several of
the students with IEPs were allowed to use their notes on tests and quizzes as part of their
accommodations. I decided to incorporate this into the class and let all the students use
their notebooks on all tests and quizzes, including the final exam. The students knew
about the exam ahead of time, so that was a big incentive to keep up with their notebook.
As I wanted to reward students for being responsible and organized, they were not
allowed to use their textbooks on any tests or quizzes. This also ensured that students
would put a little more effort into their notes and assignments.

Within the first week of class, more routines were put into place. I handed out a
list of tips called How Can I Do Better in Science Class? as students are often asking me
what they can do to bring their grade up (Appendix C3). It was at this time that I also
introduced and explained the study to the students. The only difference in what they
were going to do was participate in a pretest (Appendix B2), as well as a survey before

and after the study (Appendices B1 and B3). Otherwise, on a day-to-day basis they were

14

doing nothing different; I was simply going to collect some of their work and make

copies to look at later. Thirty-four students total turned in consent forms and ended up

participating. There were 23 males and 11 females, 32 sophomores and 2 juniors. Near

the end of the first week, I distributed a Checklist of Study Habits and Test-Taking

Skills (Appendix C4). I went through some basic studying and test-taking strategies with

the students the day before and of the first quiz. This began another routine of having a

weekly quiz in order to break up the large subject of ecology into manageable topics.

Figure 3 is a basic overview of the unit (objectives, activities, and comment on success).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obfctives Activities Successful?
Week 1: 1. Emergency routes, safety 1. Introduce all organizational All
Basic 2. What is Biology? Topics tools: Question of the Day organizational
Organizational covered this year (Qofl)), Table of Contents, tools were
Tools and 3 Needs for the class syllabus/rules, test-taking received well.
Practices 4. Spontaneous generation strategies, safety contract, Students
vs. biogenesis language of science- why excelled on Quiz
Latin/Greek? #1 which
2. MSU consent form and covered basic
explanation safety rules and
3. Hand out books and How to Use procedures for
Your Science Book and Break it the classroom.
Down as HW
4. Sketch a Scientist
5. Go over test-taking strategies
with examples
_ 6- M1
Week 2: 1. What is life? 1. Outdoor activity: biotic vs. 1. Combination
Life and 2. Characteristics of living abiotic of outdoor
Introduction things: 2. Char. of Living things: coloring activity, notes,
to Ecology 3. Levels of organization- with notes and homework
where are we going to 3. HW: Vocab - biotic, abiotic, assignment
focus for this unit? biosphere, resources; p. 704- worked well
4. Announce portfolio, 709 #1—4 (Quiz #2
5. What is ecology? 4. ECOLOGY PRETEST was good).
6. Introduce Bottle Biology 5. Brainstorm and concept map on 2. Pretest was
ecology frustrating for
6. Quiz #2- ntbk check. many students
7. Into to BioBottle: go through 3. Students see
options, assign partners, take excited about
home list of needed materials BioBottles

Figure 3. Overview of the Objectives and Activities in the First Marking Period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ol_)je_ctives Activities Successful?
Week 3: 1. Construct Biobottles! 1. Finish construction and fill 1. Construction
Taxonomy 2. Characteristics of 6 Biobottles. of BioBottles
kingdoms- Define terms: 2. HW: answer questions on went as
autotroph, heterotroph, article, “How many species planned
prokaryote, eukaryote are there?” 2. A lot of
3. System of Classification 3. HW: Read section 14.1, 14.2, reading with
and the rules for writing and 14.3. Define the vocab, assignments
scientific names. then do the matching 1-5 and this week; first
4. The more levels questions for review 1-7 struggle with
organisms have in 4. Levels of classification getting
common, the more activity- grid with charac. homework
closely related they are. 5. iz #3 turned in
Week 4: l. Dichotomous keys 1. Online dichotomous leaf 1. Dichot. key
Symbiotic 2. Symbiotic relationships key with samples from outside activities too brief-
Relationships and related vocabulary 2. Shark dichotomous key. student responses
and Food 3. Energy pyramids. Why 3. Community Studies. suffered.
Webs the world should 4. Vocab for energy pyramids 2. Community
become vegetarians! 5. Study skills worksheet 46-1 Studies: great
6. @iz #4-ntbk check ggoup work
Week 5: 1. Water Cycle 1. define vocabulary for water 1. Water Cycle
Nutrient 2. Carbon and Nitrogen cycle- fill in diagram had good mix
Cycles Cycles 2. Water cycle game of activities-
3. Notes and pictures of carbon Quiz #5
and nitrogen cycles. responses were
4. Review all cycles- make large good.
poster as class with all three 2. Other nutrient
cycles on one picture cycles need
5. Take Quiz #5. more time or
6. Read Chapter 50 and section difi‘erent act;
51.1; define the words on the responses
worksheet. suffered
Week 6: 1. Population cology 1. OH DEER! 1. 0H DEERI:
Succession 2. Primary and Secondary 2. Hudson Bay Population Study success students
and Alien Succession 3. Tree Tops Valley: Story of did well on Quiz
Species 3. Alien Species Succession Questions and Fire 2. Tree Tops Valley
. diagrams too long
4. Alien Species PowerPoint 3. Alien Species ppt.
5. @iz #6- ntbk check Ss enjoyed it
Week 7: l. Carrying Capacity and l. Carrying Capacity Lab: Owls l. Owl Lab: Students
Populations things affecting as Predators acted out and
population size 2. Review worksheet for Quiz: understood what
2. Begin Biomes 47-1 plus extra questions. happens when
3. Quiz #7 resources rim out
4. Intro Biome Project- assign
_ biomes
Week 8: 1. Levels of organization: 1. Biome projects 1. Students picked
Biomes Biomes 2. Ntbk check own groups which
2. Climatogram 3. Biome chart- write down info resulted in some
from each poster uneven ou work
Week 9: 1. Portfolios! 1. Quiz #8 1. Quiz #8 the best
Portfolios and 2. Conclude BioBottles 2. Portfolios! 2. Students
Wrap-Up 3. Ecology Unit Post-Unit 3. Clean BioBottles and make cooperative about
Survey Conclusions Post-Unit Survey
4. Post-Unit Survey 3. Portfolios ggeat!

 

 

Figure 3 (cont’d).

l6

 

Week 2: Life and Introduction to Ecology

The second week began with a discussion of what it means to be alive and what
the requirements are for being considered a living organism (Griffin, 1986). We ventured
out into the outdoor lab to compare biotic to abiotic factors, and explained why each
thing we saw was categorized as such (Appendix C5). The Pre-Unit Survey and Pretest
(Appendices B1 and B2) were administered early in the week and collected for later data
analysis. The next day we officially started the ecology unit with a concept map that
asked simply, What is Ecology? (Appendix C5). I introduced the portfolio project
(Appendix B41.) so that students would be thinking all through the unit which pieces they
might want to include. I also wanted them to keep their papers in the best condition
possible for the portfolio so they wouldn’t have to rewrite anything. The week finished
with our second quiz (Appendix B43) and an introduction to a long term project: the
BioBottle. Using ideas and modified directions from Bottle Biology. Second Edition. I
developed a laboratory procedure (Appendix C7) that would allow students to design a
small contained ecosystem within the confines of a 2-1iter soda bottle (Department of
Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003). Students worked in small
groups of 2 or 3 and decided what type of bottle to make. Some chose to try to maintain
a fish in the bottom chamber and grow a bean plant out of the top (T errAqua Column),
while others worked on a compost pile to see how long it would take to break down
certain materials. The task was to get together with another pair and develop a
hypothesis about competing BioBottles. One group had two people make a TerrAqua
Column out of store bought materials while the other pair used things collected from the

outdoor lab. They each formed their own hypothesis about whose BioBottle in the group

17

would survive the longest and why. One group was allowed to work alone and build an
entire EcoColumn. They had plants on top, a compost pile in the middle, and fish on the
bottom. Their goal was to see if they could get all three layers to be self-sustaining,
modeling an actual ecosystem! All students were responsible for dividing up the tasks of
bringing in materials and setting up the BioBottles, as well as recording observations for
the life of their projects.
Week 3 : Taxonomy

Week three saw the construction of the BioBottles and an introduction to
taxonomy. This tOpic used the first fill-in-the-blank lecture notes of the year (Appendix
C3), and‘well as the first homework book and reading assignment. The book assignment
was fairly easy; it was mostly vocabulary definitions so that they would be prepared for
the language when they got to class. The reading assignment was a little long, but the
students did well and returned with questions answered the next day about the number of
different species in the world (Tangley, 1997). Basically, no one has any idea because
there are so many! We worked on learning the characteristics of the six kingdoms:
Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. In doing so, we
learned new vocabulary such as prokaryote and eukaryote, and heterotroph and
autotroph. Some time was spent on an activity that compared the characteristics of
various animals’ structure to each other and how that related to their classification
(Investigation 4.1: The Levels of Classification, 1986). The overall conclusion was that
the more levels of classification animals have in common with each other, the more

closely related they are. The third week wrapped up with another quiz (Appendix B4b)

18

and I encouraged students to think about picking their first portfolio piece and writing it
up so they wouldn’t have to do the whole thing at the last minute.
Week 4: Symbiotic Relationships and Food Webs

The next week started with a wrap up of taxonomy by learning how to use a
dichotomous key. I picked a few leaves from the outdoor lab and as a class we used an
online dichotomous key to identify what tree they must have come from (Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, 2007). For homework, the students had to use a paper
dichotomous key to identify 14 different types of sharks (no reference available- widely
used activity). The rest of the week was spent learning about the difference between a
food chain and a food web, and all the symbiotic relationships that occur within each.
Students also used fill-in—the-blank lecture notes for this topic (Appendix C9) and then
spent two class periods constructing their own food webs out of pictures cut from old
National Geographic magazines (Appendix C10). A rubric was giveniahead of time so
that students would know exactly what to include on their posters for full credit (Lantz
Jr., 2004). Thursday, students learned about energy pyramids (not the nutritional food
pyramid) and why energy is lost as you move up the food chain. We discussed why there
are many who advocate for the world to go vegetarian because it would be more energy
efficient (Appendix C”). The week concluded with Quiz 4 (Appendix B4c).
Week 5 : Nutrient Cycles

The halfway point of the unit began with vocabulary and diagrams of the water
cycle (Appendix C12). Students were familiar with most of the "-tion" terms, but things
like transpiration, percolation, and infiltration were new to them. We played a water

cycle game that allowed each student to pick scenario cards and pretend to be a drop of

19

water. We discovered that you could spend your entire existence as a water molecule in
only a few steps of the water cycle (Project Learning Tree, 1993). The carbon and
nitrogen cycles were also introduced. These proved a little more technical and confusing
to the students, and so a large class collaborative drawing was made that showed all three
cycles and how they interact with each other. This seemed to help with comprehension,
and the fifth week ended with our fifth quiz (Appendix B4d).
Week 6: Succession and Alien Species

In the sixth week of the ecology unit, the natives were getting restless, so to
speak. So, we began our investigation of populations with an outdoor activity called 0H
DEER! (Project Wild, 1992). In this survival game, four students started out on one side
of the field as "deer." The rest of the class lined up on the opposite side of the field and
pretended to be food, shelter or water, symbolized by how they held their hands. Food
was signified with hand over the stomach, water as hands over the mouth, and shelter
hands held overhead in a teepee. Both groups started facing away fiom each other; the
"deer" also had to pick a symbol without knowing what the other side was up to. When I
gave the signal, both groups turned and faced each other. The "deer" had to find students
with symbols that matched their own; this allowed them to take that person back to the
other side and they became a deer. If they could not find food, water, or shelter, then
they died and became part of the resources. Alter awhile, the students on the resource
side of the field became clever and decided to all be one type of resource, signifying a
drought or famine year, and many of the "deer" died. At one point I let some of the
students be wolf predators that had to skip while the deer could run. It was interesting to

see the population of "deer" fluctuate, and the kids had a great time too.

20

Two days were spent learning about what other factors affect population growth
(Appendix C13). We also discussed what happens when whole ecosystems are disturbed
by either natural or manmade disasters. Students compared and contrasted what happens
during primary and secondary succession, as well as how forest fires can be both good
and bad (Project Learning Tree, 1996). We ended the topic by discussing how other
artificially introduced organisms like alien species have affected the ecosystems in and
around the Great Lakes (Appendix C14). The week finished with Quiz 6 (Appendix B4,).
Week 7: Populations

Week 7 was shortened by a teacher in-service day, so we used it to wrap up some
projects. An activity was done in class to simulate the carrying capacity of a population
(Appendix C15). Students were owls pretending to forage and feed their fledglings by
"hunting" M&Ms candy in green Easter grass. Parent owls had to feed their offspring
equally and get them each a set number of M&Ms in order for them to survive the round
(each round= one year). Different groups of owls had different scenarios: some had one
parent, some had two parents but one had a broken talon, some had only a few fledglings
and some had huge owl families. At the end of the week we cleaned up our BioBottles
that had mostly perished. Our seventh quiz was on Thursday (Appendix B41), and I
introduced the final small project of creating a poster brochure for each of the major
biomes on Earth, Traveling to the Biomes (Appendix C16).

Week 8: Biomes

Traveling to the Biomes was the name of our last project before students started

putting their portfolios together. Students formed groups of three and were assigned one

of the eight major biomes: tundra, desert, coniferous forest (taiga), deciduous forest,

21

tropical rainforest, savanna, prairie, and chaparral. Students were to find informatibn in
their books and online about the climate and characteristic plants and animals in their
biome. They had to represent the typical climate of the biome by using a Climatogram,
which they learned how make early in the week (Appendix C13). They were also
responsible for finding a National Park within their biome and giving a description of
what a person might do while visiting. Students had to list items to pack and things to
look for while visiting each biome, as well as dangerous or unusual things they might
encounter. The project culminated with a poster that was tri-folded like a travel
brochure; students had to post their findings in an attractive manner on the poster as if
they were working for a travel agency. When the posters were complete, they were
displayed around the room for everyone to examine. Though each group became
particularly knowledgeable about their assigned biome, it was important that they have
the basic information on all eight of the major biomes. Therefore, once the projects were
displayed, the students went around the room and filled in a chart with the climate,
geographic location, and typical plants and animals for each of the biomes studied
(Appendix C17). The last quiz of the unit was on the following Monday so that students
could have enough time to fill in this chart.
Week 9: Portfolios and Wrap- Up of the Ecology Unit

Upon completion of Quiz 8 (Appendix B4g), the last week of the marking period
was devoted to preparing the students' Portfolios. The requirements were reviewed and I
assisted students in picking out the pieces they wanted to use. Students had access to
computers so they could type up information about each piece. This information was to

include why they chose each piece, what they did well and what they would change if

22

they could do it over (a suggestion borrowed from Valdez, 2001). Also, students had to
discuss in writing what objectives were accomplished by completing the piece and key
terms that were learned. The final draft of the Portfolio was to be presented in its own
folder or three-ring binder with an illustrated cover page and table of contents. Once
again, a rubric for grading the portfolio was handed out ahead of time with the
instructions so that students would know exactly what to include for full credit (Appendix
B4h).

Portfolios were turned in on the last day of the first marking period. I graded
them over the weekend, and on Monday the students completed the Post- Unit Survey
(Appendix B3). This survey included their opinions on how well they knew the topics,
what their favorite project was, and if any of their organizational or study habits had
changed over the course of the unit.

Overview of the Unit

In essence, this study began with the implementation of several organizational
tools such as the Question of the Day and the class notebook with a Table of Contents.
Daily routines and expectations were established like the bin to turn in papers and the
weekly schedule on the board. Once these were in place, a Pretest and Pre- Unit Survey
were given to determine the students’ previous knowledge in ecology and their opinions
on how well-prepared they thought they were for class. Various activities were employed
to convey the content of ecology to a wide range of learning styles. The assessments
used were Posttests in the form of weekly quizzes, biweekly notebook checks, and the

evaluation of the many activities previously mentioned. At the conclusion of the unit, a

23

Portfolio was the final assessment as well as a Post- Unit Survey to get the students

opinions on how well they felt things went.

24

Results/Evaluation
Pre- Unit Survey

The purpose of the Pre- Unit Survey (Appendix B1) was to assess the attitudes and
organizational habits of the students in Practical Biology. Preliminary questions asked
about future plans and whether or not they included science. The latter half of the survey
questioned their study habits and how well-prepared they were for class every day. All of
the data herein was self-reported by the students. No content-related questions were
asked on the Pre- Unit Survey.

From the very beginning of this unit, I had doubts about the students’ interest and
willingness to participate in the various activities I had planned. My skepticism stemmed
from the Pre- Unit Survey I handed out the daybefore we began the first lesson on
ecology. Figure 4 shows that the students in Practical Biology set some lofty goals for
themselves, but continuing in science is not one of them. Of the 34 students polled, 27 of
them are intent on continuing their education after high school, with 26 of those students
predicting they are headed for a two or four-year college or university. Out of the
students that said they will continue, only 3 were certain they would end up in science

professions.

Continuing Education? Science Career?

 

  

 

not sure Yes no not sure

Figure 4. Number of students who are considering continuing their education after high school,
and whether or not those plans include science. (n=34)

25

Also, while only a handful of students listed science as their least favorite class,
only a few listed it as their favorite (Figure 5). In general, the class was made up of many
students who at best seemed indifferent about science, and their placement in this class
meant that they probably struggled with the subject in the past. Indeed, when asked, the

students confessed that their normal grades in science class ranged from Bs to Ds; not

Favorite Class Least Favorite Class

 

Figure 5. Students’ favorite (n=36) and least favorite (n=37) class, according to the Pre-Unit
Survey. Some students reported more than one for each category.

one person responded positively with an “A” as their normal achievement level in science
(Figure 6). No one reported failure, either. A large number of students listed English as
their least favorite class. As many of the students’ disabilities were related to reading
comprehension and writing skills, this did not surprise me. It would, however, mean that

some of our projects would present a challenge to most of the class.

 

D
896

 

 

 

 

Figure 6. Average grade in science classes as reported in the Pro-Unit Survey.

26

The focus of this study was to give the students structure and daily routine in
which to provide a good atmosphere for learning ecology. In order to make sure that they
could succeed in my (and any) science class, I asked them about their own organizational
habits before we started the ecology unit. Students were asked how often they were
prepared for class, and how often they wrote down homework assignments in their
planners. A few students filled in "Always" for all the good habits and "Never" for all
the bad ones, and I suspect it was because they were filling in what they thought I wanted

to hear; their responses were not tallied (Figures 7 and 8). My goal in asking students

 

always usually 'sometimes .never

 

 

 

Bring my Write Have a Make up Keep an Bring my Use my
planner to assignments writing utensil absent work organized notebook to notebook as a
class down in my for class as soon as notebook class reference to
planner possible study from

 

 

Figure 7. Student responses to how often they employ positive organizational skills.
(n=34; some surveys had no response)

about their habits was to make them more aware of what they were doing on a daily
basis. The students reported that they were pretty good at being prepared for class and
bringing all the necessary materials with them. I hoped the integrated structure of

Practical Biology would give them a chance to improve these areas. In keeping with that,

27

I also had students evaluate their strategies for conquering difficulties with the class
material. Do they ask a fiiend for help? Do they speak up and ask questions in class? I

was surprised at how many students use the teacher and their book as a last resort. They

 

 

 

always usually sometimes I never
23 23
2 1
16
8
S
2
Shove notes or Have missing Forget to do my Choose not to do Forget to take my
worksheets into assignments homework my homework planner home

my textbook

 

 

 

Figure 8. Student responses to how often they employ negative organizational skills. (n=34; some
surveys had no response)

turn to their friends first, look through their notes next, and then ask questions during
class (Table 2). I was also curious about the students’ study habits and test-taking

strategies. Many of the Pre- Unit Survey questions asked them to evaluate the same

Table 2. Students’ first response to academic difficulty in class.

 

read book talk to teacher talk to friend 0 back throu h notes ask uestions in class
3 4 ll 8 6

 

things listed on our Checklist of Study Habits and T est-T aking Skills fi'om the first week
of class (Appendix C4). Students checked off all the techniques they use in order to

prepare for an upcoming quiz or test (Figure 9). I also added in a section that asked

28

students about the environment in which they study. Many of the students in both

sections have trouble focusing in class when in the company of their peers. I was

 

 

 

25

20

15

10

5

0
Look up reread review past apply outline review all make rewrite
hard chapter tests memory main ideas illustrations flashcards definitions

vocabulary summaries devices

 

 

 

Figure 9. Students’ study skills in Practical Biology, as reported in the Pro-Unit Survey. (n=34)
curious whether or not they would seek to eliminate distraction at home or if it was a
problem for them there as well. As it turns out, many of the students said that they found
a quiet room at home to study in, but most of them listened to music while preparing for a
test or doing homework (Table 3). The Post-Unit Survey will be addressed in the
Discussion/Conclusion section.

Table 3. Pre-Unit Survey report on Practical Biology study environments. (n=32)

 

 

 

listen to turn on the TV for go to a fiiend's Find a quiet room Go to the
music background noise house to study in the house library
18 2 l 11 0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretest versus Posttest Analysis
To determine the students’ previous knowledge of ecology, the Pretest (Appendix
B2) was taken the day before the unit was to begin. Then, each week, we concluded with

a quiz on a smaller topic within the unit which was used as the posttest. Figures 10

29

through 18 show an itemized comparison between the Pretest and the quiz answers that
students gave. Figure 10 shows the difference in their responses for the questions
regarding the definition of ecology and what possible jobs a person could have if they
were interested in the field. The most remarkable difference was in question 2, where
several students left the Pretest blank with respect to the occupations of an ecologist, but
the Posttest (Quiz 2, Appendix B4,) shows that 100% of the students provided the correct

answer. A similar trend continued with many questions; many students left more than

 

35 Introduction to Ecology

31

Number of Responses
3

 

      

10
5
0
2 pretest 2 posttest
Question Number

Correct {33 incorrect E no answer

_._.-_M__._.__.__.-_.,*_ .....

 

 

 

Figure 10. Comparison of student Pretest to Posttest responses on introductory ecology.
(n=34, 31)

half of the Pretest blank, but then were able to correctly respond to the item on the
Posttest (Figure 11 and 12). Very few questions were left unanswered on the quizzes; I
expected this because one of the test-taking skills we worked on was making sure that
everything was attempted. You would also think that with the use of their notes, almost
all the students would have correct responses on the Posttest questions, but that was not
the case (Figure 13). From monitoring the students and helping them with questions

during the Posttest, two main reasons for this became very clear. In spite of all my

30

 

35 Vocabulary

Number of Responses

 

 

3 pretest 3 posttest 4 pretest 4 posttest 5 pretest 5 posttest 6 pretest 6 posttest
Question Number

- Correct incorrect no answer

 

 

 

Figure 11. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 3 through 6: vocabulary. (n= 34)
efforts, there were still some students who had not taken very good notes or filled in all of
their worksheets. Therefore, they had no information to fall back on for reference during
the quizzes. The other scenario stemmed from either the students’ disabilities or from a

lack of patience or maturity. Whatever the cause, this second group of students was not

 

30
25 Vocabulary

23 23

 

Number of Responses

 

7 pretest 7 posttest 8 pretest 8 posttest 9 pretest 9 posttest ll pretest 11 posttest
Question Number

- Correct 1: incorrect 33': no answer

 

 

L

 

Figure 12. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 7 through 9, 11: vocabulary. (n=34)

31

 

    

 

 

3 5 Food Webs and Nutrient Cycles
‘ 31 50 33
30
g 25
i:
a .
8 -0 17
a: 15
"5 15
’5
'2 10 9 8
g 4 2"
0 0 " _ O
O _ . <"- l _>
14 15 15 16 16
pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest
Question Number
- Correct 2; incorrect no answer

 

 

 

Figure 13. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 12 though 16:
Food Webs and Nutrient Cycles. (n=34)

 

Nutrient Cycles

Number of Responses
5‘.

 

 

l7 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21

pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest
Question Number
- Correct {if incorrect - no answer

 

 

 

Figure 14. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 17 though 21: Nutrient Cycles. (n=34)
taking the time during quizzes to look up answers they didn’t know. Some of them had

excellent notebooks with the missing answers right in front of them, but they were not

32

using this resource. I was able to guide a few students at different times through this
process, but they readily reverted.

However, most results showed vast improvement from the Pretest to the Posttest.
Because I am aware of the middle school curriculum in our district, I can safely say this
improvement was mostly due to the students learning new topics to which they had not
previously been exposed. Once we completed the lessons in class they showed
competency in most areas. On the topic of succession and animal niches, over half of the
Practical Biology students left this entire section blank on the Pretest even though it was
a matching exercise. However, they showed understanding during class which was
reflected on the Posttest questions. The two tall peaks on Figures 15 and 16 for questions

27 through 36 signify that almost everyone lefi these questions blank on the Pretest and

 

Succession and Animal Niches

 

3° 27 27 27 23 27 33
25
a
E 20
8"
£2 15
91
0
g 10
E
=
z 5
o

 

27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31

pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest
Question Number

- Correct a incorrect I no answer

 

 

 

Figure 15. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 27-31: succession and animal niches. (n=34)

33

 

Succession and Animal Niches

30 23 23 ,7 ,7 23 ,7 23 ,7

Number of Responses

 

 

32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36

pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest
Question Number

  
 

incorrect no answer

- Correct

 

 

 

Figure 16. Pretest versus Posttest answers, questions 32-36: succession and animal niches. (n=34)

the majority of students got them all right on the Posttest. Occasionally, there was a
question or two that was poorly worded or excessively specific, and the students
struggled with these. Question number 22 was one that asked for the vocabulary word
“fixation” or that bacteria “fix” nitrogen. Many students put that bacteria change
nitrogen or implied that they do something with it, but couldn’t come up with the specific
term. Therefore, this was one question that did not show positive improvement from the
Pretest to the Posttest. Question ten was part of a small matching section on the Pretest
which about half of the students got right. On Posttest Quiz 4 (Appendix B“), this same
term was part of a larger matching section including a similar term. The two comparable

words were “heterotrophy” and “consumer,” and the descriptions given by me were not

34

sufficiently different enough for the students to tell them apart. Consequently, more

people got the question wrong on the Posttest than on the Pretest (Figure 17).

 

     

 

35 Question 10: Vocabulary and Question 22: Nutrient Cycles
30 29
25
3
E’ 20
O
5‘:
E 15
"5
B 10
g .
5 .
:1 .. 2
Z : fl ‘
10 pretest 10 posttest 22 pretest 22 posttest
Question Number
- Correct . incorrect no answer

 

 

 

Figure 17. Results from poorly written questions. (n=34)

A few questions produced unexpected difficulties for the students, and I’m unsure
as to the explanation for this. The first small section of questions was about symbiotic
relationships. On the Pretest, most everyone lefi this section blank as they did many
others. However, on the Posttest, even with their notes, many students could not
correctly choose which situation represented parasitism, mutualism, or commensalism
(they had little problem with predation). I found this interesting because if you had asked
a student in class for the straight definitions of these relationships, they probably could
have told you the correct answers. When faced with examples instead of definitions, they
faltered and could not make the connection. This inability of the students to apply
knowledge is typical in both Practical Biology and the regular Biology class. Figure 18

shows the results of the symbiotic relationship questions as well as questions 47 and 48

35

about the Climatogram. Question 47 asked students to use provided data and graph a
Climatogram from it. Question 48 then asked the students to identify what biome the data
could have come from based on the graph. Only 3 students attempted to draw the
Climatogram on the Pretest, and yet 14 attempted to answer question 48 and identify the
appropriate biome. Eleven of their responses were based on a graph they didn’t draw. It
is possible that students could figure out what the data meant without knowing how to
plot} it on the graph. However, this hypothesis is thrown out in light of the fact that 12 of
the 14 who attempted to identify the biome did so incorrectly. On Posttest Quiz 8
(Appendix B45), only about 60% of the students drew the Climatogram correctly, but they
did a much better job of correctly identifying which biome the data correlated with. The
follow-up questions about the climates of the various biomes showed the typical
improvement fiom Pretest to Posttest.

The completion of the unit’s activities should have given the students the
appropriate knowledge to succeed on topics that were largely new to them. Thus, the
remainder of the Pretest versus Posttest improvements was as anticipated. Out of the
remaining subjects, the most impressive in terms of student achievement was the last
question assessed. It was a short answer about alien species in the Great Lakes area. On
the Pretest, only one student answered the question correctly and the rest didn’t even
attempt it. After the Alien Species PowerPoint (Appendix C14) presentation in class, it
was clear that the students actually had extensive knowledge and experience with local
alien species like lampreys, zebra mussels, and purple loosestrife. Most of the students
were aware that these species are not native to Michigan. When asked during lecture

about their reason for not answering the question on the Pretest, they responded that they

36

didn’t know these organisms were referred to as alien species. The students were
actually very interested in this topic and offered stories and information during class

discussion. This was a “new” topic about which they had previous knowledge. This

 

Symbiotic Relationships and Climatogram
31

Number of Responses
'5 ”J.

'J!

    

 

O

23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 47 47 48 48
pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest pretest posttest
Question Number

- Correct

incorrect $23 no answer

 

 

 

 

Figure 18. Pretest versus Posttest, questions 23-26, 47, 48:
Symbiotic Relationships and the Climatogram. (n=34)

was empowering to students who normally struggle with written responses, as was
reflected in their answers on the quiz. There were still two students who did not answer
the question, but every person who attempted it got it right.
Final Assessment: Pory'olio

The final assessment was the Portfolio (Appendix B4h). Though grading them
was a daunting task, overall the outcome was positive. It took a lot of prodding to get

students working on this project, but once they had chosen the ten pieces they wanted to

include, the rest went pretty smoothly. The normal difficulties when doing a large project

with forty individuals were a small factor during the last week of the unit. There were

37

some printing issues and some lost assignments, but in the end a large majority of the
students turned in good quality work. Students made positive comments about the
portfolio project in place of a test on the Post- Unit Survey (Appendix B3). Many students
felt that it gave them a better chance of doing well since so many of them have difficulty
taking tests. One girl reported, “I really liked the portfolio. I don’t think I would rather
have a test because I blank out when I get a test in front of me. And I feel like I could
show more on the portfolio...” Another student commented that the Portfolio was a great
tool for reviewing. “It allowed you to look back on all of your work and see if you need
to improve. .. and overlook it for the exam.” Almost every student had good things to say
about the Portfolio, even those that ended up not getting full credit. Most of their
comments alluded to the fact that they thought they wouldn’t have done as well on a big
unit test. I only received one survey response fiom a student who said he would have
rather had a test, and there were a few comments about needing more time or requiring

fewer assignments in the PorU’oIio.

38

Discussion and Conclusion
General Discussion

For this study, I had two classes of students with a wide range of abilities and
behaviors, and no idea how I was going to effectively teach them the basic ideas of
ecology that the State of Michigan deemed necessary for all high school students. The
literature suggested that Special Needs students require definite structure in the classroom
with daily routines. Sources also indicated that I should vary activities to fit a diverse set
of learning styles. I ultimately decided upon integrating some constructivist methods in
with traditional practices. I believe I found a good balance of individual and group work.
Students completed the reading and book assignments by themselves, and there were
several classroom group projects like BioBottles and Community Studies. There were
also a few assignments that combined writing and pictorial requirements like The Water
Cycle and Traveling to the Biomes, which gave students who like to draw a chance to
show their skill. In retrospect, I do wish I had found a few more activities where the
students could move around like in 0H DEER !. Interactive activities such as 0H DEER!
and Carrying Capacity Lab: Owls as Predators gave the students the opportunity to
simulate an environmental process and make their own conclusions about the outcome. '
Community Studies is a great example of an activity that paired traditional instruction
with constructivism. I used lecture notes to provide the students with the overall picture
of a food web and some basic vocabulary. Then, they had to create an appropriate food
web that showed how organisms in an ecosystem interact and label their project using the
vocabulary I had given them. It was great to watch the students figure out where animals,

plants, and fungi all belonged on their posters.

39

I was most pleased with the numerous structural components of the unit. I don’t
think the students or I have ever been more organized! Instead of using the textbook as a
primary resource, we developed an organized notebook of vocabulary lists, activities and
labs, and used them as reference tools during projects and quizzes. I certainly noticed a
difference from the previous year in terms of lost papers and missing assignments; there
were fewer this time around. Weekly Assignment Sheets provided a place to write down a
class-starting Question of the Day and homework assignments. I also provided the
students with fill-in—the-blank notes. Previously, they were so busy trying to keep up
with the writing that they were not focused on what I was saying. This way, when we
came to a blank, as a class we would try to figure out the missing word (usually a new
vocabulary word) together.
Leichart Scale Analysis

Upon reading through the Post- Unit Survey responses of the students, I
determined that the habits of the students hadn’t changed that much in general, but there
were a few improvements in specific areas. The same questions on the Pre- Unit Survey
about being prepared for class were asked of the students on the Post- Unit Survey, and
those responses did not change (See Figures 7 and 8 for Pre-Unit Survey results). Those
who exhibited individual responsibility in bringing their planner and writing down
assignments continued to do the same, and those who habitually forgot their writing
utensils hadn’t gotten much better at it. However, there was an upward trend in the
number of students who regularly claimed to bring their notebook to class (Figures 19
and 20). Since it became such an integral part of our daily routine, this was a positive

result. Also, those students who said they “never” brought their planner to class or

40

 

 

always usually lsometimes .never

26

 

Bring my Write Have a Make up Keep an Bring my Use my
planner to assignments writing utensil absent work organized notebook to notebook as a
class down in my for class as soon as notebook class reference to
planner possible study from

 

Figure 19. Students’ Post-Unit Survey responses to how often they employ positive
organizational skills. (n=31; some surveys had no response)

 

 

always usually .sometimes .never

 

Shove notes or Have missing Forget to do my Choose not to do Forget to take my
worksheets into assigmnents homework my homework planner home
my textbook

 

 

 

Figure 20. Students’ Post-Unit Survey responses to how often they employ negative
organizational skills. (n=3 1; some surveys had no response)

41

“usually” forgot to write down the assignment in their planner were doing that by filling

out their Weekly Assignment Sheets. Since most students got full credit on those each

week, I can assume that they were, in fact, filling out their planner in a different format.

Home study habits and the environments students set up for themselves did not

seem to change, but in retrospect there was nothing in my unit specifically targeted to that

area of their academic lives. I would like to work on this as they will not always be

allowed to use their notes as a crutch and need some better techniques for preparing for

tests and quizzes. However, a lot more of the test-taking strategies were checked off on

the Post- Unit Survey than on the Pre- Unit Survey (Table 4). Going through the checklist

at the beginning of the unit and then emphasizing these skills during the quizzes yielded

some positive results. Whenever a student handed in a quiz in what seemed like record

time, I would ask him or her a few questions. Did you answer every question? Did you

read the directions to make sure you did each part correctly? The most common response

was, “oh yeah. . .,” and then the student would head back to their desk to try again. By

the end of the unit I didn’t have to remind students so much about these strategies, and

several of them asked for help to make sure they did everything right without being

 

 

 

prompted.
Table 4. Pre-Unit versus Post-Unit Survey responses: test-taking strategies. Q1=31)
look answer make make sure
for and easy sure ALL answers
maintain a read use questions questions eliminate are neat proofread
positive directions clue first, hard are wrong and for
attitude carefully words later answered answers legible mistakes
Pre .
Unit 22 25 23 17 14 24 17 16
Post
Unit 27 28 25 25 28 22 21 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

42

 

Student Opinions and Written Responses

In addition to questions about their organizational and study habits, the students
were asked to give their opinions about the structure of the unit and its activities on the
Post- Unit Survey. The students written responses indicated that their favorite and most
helpful assignments while learning ecology were OH DEERI, the Owl Carrying Capacity
Lab, and Traveling to the Biomes. They liked the first two the best because both

activities involved getting up and moving around with each other and the students were

‘- #:H

also able to see the point behind them. Many students also listed these as the most
helpful to them, saying that when things were fun, they were easier to remember. I é...
agree! According to Post- Unit Survey responses, the Traveling to the Biomes project was
a favorite more among the females because they liked the groups they had picked and
enjoyed doing more artsy projects. Some of the boys agreed, but they were more likely
to cite the previous favorites as their own (they got a little rowdy and enjoyed running
around outside). Traveling to the Biomes was also listed as one of the most helpful
projects, along with the BioBottle, because it allowed students to see how everything
worked together.
There were also activities that the students did not like or didn’t think
were very helpful. The Tree Tops Valley activity and the dichotomous key work were not
well-received by the students. Many students (n=15) noted that the Tree Tops Valley
article on succession was too long and boring; therefore it was their least favorite and not
very helpful because they got lost in it. I was surprised by the dichotomous key response
because we did an online example together in class and then the students got to classify

sharks; usually predatory animals elicit a positive response no matter what you’re doing

43

 

with them. However, several students’ written responses indicated that they never really
understood the point of the dichotomous key or how it worked. The basic dichotomous
key on Posttest Quiz 4 (Appendix B4,) was simple enough for students to manage, and it
was not part of my Pretest/Posttest analysis. Consequently, I was not aware of the
students’ misunderstanding until I read the students’ responses on the Post- Unit Survey.
If I decide to keep this topic in the unit, these activities will need to be revised to be more
helpful to the students.
Conclusions

Taking a look back at the entire ecology unit, there are some activities I would
keep as well as those I would change. Starting the unit with the Ecology Concept Map
(Appendix C6) was a good activity, because it allowed students to see the scope of
learning about organisms and their environment. The BioBottle was a great project, but it
should be moved to later in the unit. According to the conclusions on their lab write-ups,
not enough students understood the point of the project. They likely would have after
learning more about ecology. The modified lecture notes were very helpfiil. Even with
few words for the students to fill in, a small group of kids couldn’t keep up because their
abilities were so low. The contrast between the typed notes and their own handwritten
vocabulary words in the blanks also allOwed for easy retrieval of information during
quizzes. Interestingly, there was an additional longer reading assignment that not many
students commented on in the Post- Unit Survey. The article entitled How Many Species
Are There? was lengthy, but students did not react negatively to it as they did the Tree
Tops Valley piece. The topic of all the various diverse species in the world and just how

numerous they are was more appealing than the story of how a mountain recovered from

44

a forest fire. I will keep the species article in the unit, but will replace the Tree Tops
reading. As previously mentioned, more time needs to be spent on the topic of
classification, particularly the use of the dichotomous key, with modification of relevant
activities. We need to do more examples or even add a lab activity where students go out
and find a few leaves they don’t know and then use the online key themselves. After
working in class groups on this subject, students should meet with success on an
individual assignment such as the shark dichotomous key I used this time.

The most successful topic within the unit was definitely food webs and ecological
relationships. The students brought in previous knowledge on the subject and were eager
to show what they knew. This, coupled with some new information, provided excellent
results on the weekly quiz (Figures 15 and 16). During the Community Studies activity,
most students seemed to enjoy making the food web posters and successfully labeled
different types organisms as well as various trophic levels. I would not change a thing in
this section.

Nutrient cycles brought the most challenging information with an onslaught of
new vocabulary. The students performed well on the Posttest questions (Figures 13 and
14) concerning the water cycle due to previous knowledge, a diagram, and the Water
Cycle Game (Project Learning Tree, 1993). However, I was lacking in appropriate
activities for the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and this was apparent on the Posttest
(Figures 14 and 17). Students had lecture notes and a diagram to consult, but were
confused on the overall paths of different molecules in the cycles.

The activities in population growth and succession produced mixed results. As

discussed earlier, 0H DEER! was very successful, as was the Owl Carrying Capacity

45

Lab. Both activities allowed the students to be interactive, and they analyzed the data
afterward for an overall picture of what was happening as a result of their behaviors
during the activity. Other assignments included the Tree T ops Valley article (already on
the chopping block) and the presentation of alien species. I was excited about the
students’ enthusiasm toward the topic of alien species, and I will do more with it in the
future. In the spring garlic mustard sprouts in our outdoor lab forest and takes over. It
would be a great project for all of my classes to clear the forest of this alien species.

The last section before the portfolio project was biomes. I gave students the
rubric for their Traveling to the Biomes project (Appendix C16), showed them how to
make a Climatogram (Appendix C13), and then sent them on their way. At this point in
the year, students were familiar with the classroom resources and knew exactly what was
expected of them by the eighth week of the marking period. A few groups needed to be
prodded into using their classroom time wisely, but overall the students’ projects turned
out well and can be left as is.

The students’ portfolios and their comments on the Post- Unit Survey indicate that
I made the right decision in using them in place of a unit test, but there are some aspects
that should be changed. I would like to find a way for students to make comments on
their work without being quite so structured. I read the same strengths or weaknesses
many times over in one person’s portfolio. Also, from a time perspective, I think it
would be more useful and less of a chore if I reduced the number of required portfolio
pieces. Using the last week of the marking period in class was sufficient time for the
students to complete this project, and it was a good way to review and wrap up the unit.

Overall, the students succeeded at displaying their knowledge of ecology, and performed

46

much better on the portfolio than they would have on a comprehensive unit test. From
observing my students on quiz days, it seems they come to class with a lot of anxiety and
preconceived notions of failure upon encountering larger tests. I can only speculate this
is from past experience, and it would explain their enthusiasm at doing a project in place
of a test.

After the end of the ecology unit, all of the structural elements I had put in place
remained with the exception of the weekly quizzes. I had basically run out of detailed
lesson plans at the end of the first marking period and found myself improvising through
the next unit. I just didn’t have enough time over the summer beforehand to plan out
more than the nine week study period, nor did I know whether or not such planning
would be useful. Having completed this study, I would definitely like to do the same
things for the rest of Practical Biology: plan out varied activities, modified lecture notes,
etc. for the remaining units in the class. My reason for this is the let down of the students
in Practical Biology once the second marking period began. Though the number of
things we did during the first marking period seemed intense, it really kept the students’
interest and they became used to the routine. I actually had students disappointed that the
second marking period was “normal,” without the weekly quizzes. The general
consensus was, and I agree, that they performed better on the shorter topics and
integrated projects than when several things were put together in a unit test. The smaller
number of concepts covered on the quizzes was met with more positive student attitudes;
the lesser amount of questions seemed doable in comparison with a large test.

With all the accommodations necessary for the Special Needs students in

Practical Biology, creating an entirely constructivist classroom would not be appropriate.

47

True constructivism focuses on the students as the cultivators of information, with the
teacher acting as a guide rather than a fountain of facts. This method of acquiring
knowledge is very powerful, but also lends itself to longer activities as students seek to
gain understanding. Unfortunately, many of the students' disabilities make it difficult to
concentrate on one problem for a long period of time, and extended group projects turn
into behavioral issues. My ultimate conclusion is that structural integration of
organizational skills and some constructivist practices such as alternative assessment is
the way to go with At Risk students. Our Qrestion of the Day and the Weekly
Assignment Sheets brought routine to the class for those who needed it. The class
notebook and assignment bin for turning in papers helped keep the students organized.
The adults in the classroom provided more assistance than hoped for in a constructivist
setting, but it was necessary in order to help struggling students. Traditional testing was
kept to a minimum with small weekly quizzes. Instead, group projects, posters,
notebooks, and ultimately a portfolio were used to assess student understanding. There
was, and will continue to be, a wide variety of learning styles in Practical Biology.
Though a few activities need improvement, the overall implementation of this study was
a success. I look forward to adjusting all of the units in Practical Biology to reflect these

methods of learning.

48

APPENDICES

49

Alternative Assessment in Ecology
Parent Consent and Student Assent Form

Purpose: I am currently enrolled as a graduate student in Michigan State University’s Department
of Science and Mathematics Education (DSME). My thesis research is on using alternative
assessment in ecology as a way to help the students in Practical Biology succeed. “Alternative
assessment” simply means I will be using organizational tools, labs, projects, short quizzes, and
finally a portfolio to assess your child’s knowledge rather than the traditional large unit test.

Data Collection: Data for the study will be collected from standard student work generated in the
course of teaching this unit such as pre and post tests, lab activities, notebook checks, quizzes,
and surveys. I am asking for your permission to include your child’s data in my thesis. Your
child’s privacy is a foremost concern. The consent form will be collected by the teacher in the
next room and sealed in an envelope until grades for the marking have been posted. Only then
will I know whose information I may use so that the results of the study and your child’s
evaluations are not biased in any way. Your child’s identity will not be attached to the data in my
thesis paper or in any images used in the thesis presentation. Your child’s privacy will be
protected to the maximum extent allowable by law.

Participation: Participation in the study is voluntary. Students who do not participate in the study
will not be penalized in any way. Students who do not participate in the study will still be
expected to participate in class and complete assignments. Students who participate in the study
will not be given extra work to complete. You may request that your child’s information not be
included in this study at any time and your request will be honored.

Risks/Benefits: There are no known risks associated with participation in this study. Your
participation in this study may contribute to the understanding of the relationships in the
ecosystem around you, and how you interact with that environment. You will also take with you
the skills to organize your schoolwork and keep track of assignments, as well as some valuable
studying and test-taking strategies.

 

If you are willing to allow your child to participate in the study, please complete the attached
form and return it to me by September 12, 2006. If you have any questions about the study,
please contact me by e-mail at tinak@dexter.k12.mi.us or by phone at (734) 424-4240 x7304.
Questions about the study may also be directed to Dr. Merle Heidemann at the DSME by e-mail
at heidema2@msu.edu, by phone at (517) 432-2152, or by mail at 118 North Kedzie, East
Lansing, Michigan 48 824. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s rights as
a study participant, or are dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of this study, you may contact-
anonymously, if you wish- Peter Vasilenko, Ph.D., Director of Human Research Protections by e-
mail at irb@msu.edu, by phone at (517) 355-2180, by fax at (517) 432-4503, or by mail at 202
Olds Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824.

Thank you,
Tina Kopinski

Biology Teacher
Dexter High School

50

I do not wish to have my child’s work used in this thesis project. I acknowledge that
my child’s work will be graded in the same manner regardless of participation in the study.

 

 

 

 

Child’s name:
(print student name)
(Parent/Guardian signature) (Date)
I voluntarily agree to allow to participate in
this study. (print student name)

Please check all that apply.
I give Ms. Kopinski permission to use data generated from my child’s work in
Practical Biology class to be used in the thesis project. All data from my child will
remain confidential.

I-‘fi

law—-

A.
I

I give Ms. Kopinski permission to use pictures of my child during her work on this
- thesis project. My child will not be identified in these pictures.

I do not wish to have my child’s picture used at any time during this thesis project.

 

 

(Parent/Guardian signature) (date)

I voluntarily agree to participate in this thesis project.

 

 

(Student signature) (date)

51

Ecology: Pre-Unit Survey

You are not required to put your name on this assignment

Circle the answer that fits you best.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

Do you plan to continue your education after graduating from Dexter High School?
Yes No Not sure

If you answered yes to the previous question, please indicate where you will continue your

education.

College/University Trade School Military On-the-job training/
Apprenticeship

If you plan to continue your education, will you need to take another biology course?
Yes No Not sure

Do you plan to have a career that is related to science?
Yes No Not sure

If you answered yes to the previous question, please list what career you are considering.

 

My favorite class is
Math Science English Foreign Language
History/Social Studies Other (please list which one)

 

My least favorite class is
Math Science English Foreign Language
History/Social Studies Other (please list which one)

 

My usual grade in science classes is
B C D F

>

When you have trouble in a class, what do you do? Please number your choices with 1 being
the first thing you do and 6 being the last thing you would try.

_ Read the book _ Talk to the teacher

__ Talk to a fiiend who has the class _ Go back through the class notes
_ Ask questions in class

_ Other (please describe)

 

10) When you get ready to study, which of the following do you do? Please number your choices

with 1 being the thing you are most likely to do and 6 being the thing you are least likely to
do.

__ Listen to music _ Turn on the TV for background noise
__ Go to a friend’s house _ Go to the public library

__ Find a room in the house that is quiet

__ Other (please describe)

 

52

11) When you’re actually studying the material for a test/quiz, which of the following do you do?
Check off all that apply.
look up hard vocabulary words to understand meanings

outline main ideas reread chapter summaries
review all illustrations review previous test/quizzes for mistakes
make flashcards apply memory devices

rewrite definitions

12) When you take a test, which of the following do you do? Check off all that apply.
__ maintain a positive attitude

read directions carefully before trying to answer questions

identify and use clue words _ proofread for mistakes
write answers neatly and legibly __ eliminate wrong answers
answer easy questions first, difficult last

make sure you’ve answered every question

13) Which part of science class is most helpful to you?

Lecture/Class discussion In~class work
Homework Labs
Quizzes/Tests Other (please describe):

 

14) Which part of science class is least helpful to you?

Lecture/Class discussion In-class work
Homework Labs
Quizzes/'1‘ ests Other (please describe):

 

15) What is your favorite part of science class?

Lecture/Class discussion In-class work
Homework Labs
Quizzes/Tests Other (please describe):

 

16) What is your least favorite part of science class?

Lecture/Class discussion In-class work
Homework Labs
Quizzes/Tests Other (please describe):

 

16) What kind of assignments do you typically do the best on?

Notes/worksheets in class Posters/projects
Homework problems Labs
Quizzes/'1‘ ests Other (please describe):

 

17) Do you prefer working alone or in groups (please circle)?
Alone Partners/ group of 3 Big groups of 4-6
Why?

 

53

18 Please shade the box that most fits how often you do the following things.

 

Bring my
planner to class

Always

Usually

Sometimes

 

Never

 

Write
assignments
down in my

planner

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Have a writing
utensil for class

Always

Usually

Sometimes

I’lCVCI'

 

Make up absent
work as soon

as possible

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Keep an
organized
notebook

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Bring my
notebook to
class

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Use my
notebook as a
reference to

study from

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Shove notes or
worksheets into

my textbook

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Have missing
assiments

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Forget to do
my homework

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Choose not to
do my
homework

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

 

Forget to take
my planner
home

 

 

Always

 

Usually

 

Sometimes

 

Never

 

54

 

 

Name:

 

Practical Biology Pretest: Ecology Unit

1. What is ecology? (1 pt.)

2. Name three jobs a person might have if they were interested in ecology.(3 pts.)
a.
b.

C.

Multiple Choice. Write the correct answer to the left of each question. 11 pt. Each)
3. Organisms that can make their own food are called:

a. Autotrophs b. heterotrophs c. eutrophs d. none of these
4. A cell that has a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles is a:

a. Prokaryote b. eukaryote c. akaryote d. symkaryote
Short Answer.

 

5. Give the kingdom for each of the following (1 pt. Each):
A. ancient bacteria

 

. multicellular eukaryotes, all autotrophic

 

. filamentous eukaryotes, use absorption

 

. insects, mammals, heterotrophic

 

. “true” unicellular prokaryotes

 

”UNDOL'D

. uni- or multicellular eukaryotes; hetero- or autotrophic

 

6. The following is the classification of the Monarch butterfly.

Kingdom: Animalia Family: Danaidae
Phylum: Arthopoda Genus: Danas
Class: Insecta Species: plexippus

Order: Lepidoptera
Use this information to write the scientific name of the Monarch here (2 pts.):

Vocabulary (1 pt. Each)
Match each word with its definition:
7. population
A. Many species of organisms interacting.

8' community B. Unit of the biosphere in which

 

9. ecosystem living and nonliving things interact
C. organisms that must eat others for food
10. consumer

D. organisms that are the base of the food chain

11. Producer . . .
E. Group of organisms of one specres in an area

55

l2. (4 pts.) Draw a food web below that includes the following organisms: grass, deer,
wolf, rabbit, lettuce plant, mouse, snake, owl

13. (2 pts.) Put the following in order of energy flow: consumers, decomposers,
producers, sun

 

Water Cycle (7 pts.)

Label the following diagram of the water cycle with these words: transpiration,
precipitation, evaporation, collection, infiltration, percolation, and condensation.

 

   
   
       
       

  

2225????
”Maui

 

 

18 soil :IIIIIII .
seen
'lllllllli
Fill in the blanks, 1 pt. each.
2 1. One loop of the carbon cycle works because plants take in and give
off while animals take in and give off .
22. In order to be useful to plants and animals, nitrogen must be by

bacteria in the soil.

56

Fill in #23- 26 with the correct relationship: mutualism, commensalism, predation,

parasitism

23. What type of relationship is there between first and second
level consumers?

24. What type of relationship is there between bats that fly from
plant to plant and eat some of the fruit/ nectar?

25. What type of relationship is there between you and a
mosquito?

26. What type of relationship does a bird have with the tree it
nests in?

 

 

 

 

(1 pt. each) Vocabulary Matching.
Please write the letter of the word that corresponds to the definition, description, or
example in the blank to the left of each question.

27. This occurs on a piece of land that has
been cleared by a glacier.

28. The different array of plants and animals in
an ecosystem. '

29. A species that depends almost solely on one
food source, such as the panda bear that
feeds on bamboo.

30. This can happen as a result of a tornado,
forest fire, or human destruction.

. Primary succession

 

 

a
b. Secondary succession
c

. Estivation

 

d. Hibernation
e

. Biodiversity

 

f. Generalized species

 

 

31. This type of community is one that has g. Pioneer community
reached full maturity and cannot develop h Climax community
any further. '

32. An animal’s rhythm that is dependent on i. Circadian Rhythm
the length of the day.

33. A period of inactivity brought about by 1' Specralrzed SPCCICS

cooler temperatures; the animal does NOT
wake up during this time for anything.

34. A species that has numerous food sources,
such as a great white shark.

35. The type of community that would be the
first to colonize a new area.

36. A period of inactivity in an organism
brought about by high temperatures.

 

 

 

 

Fill in the Blank. (1 point each).
37. The number of organisms an area can support is called its

 

 

38. Bacteria in a Petri dish will grow according to a(n)

 

curve until they run out of space.
39. Disease is a density- factor in a population.

40. You as an owl in the carrying capacity lab were competing with other owls for
rodent food. This is an example of competition.

41. A population of deer out in the wild have a natural carrying capacity, and their
population will grow according to a(n) curve.

57

42. During the owl lab, the green “rodents” were harder to find in the grass; this was
due to a defense known as

 

43. In nature, poison ivy and poison sumac both have red stems (and branches in the
case of sumac) to let others know to stay away from their noxious chemicals. This
is an example of

 

44. The weather is a density- factor in a population.

45. In the African savanna, lions and hyenas often go after the same food source. This
is an example of competition.

46. The availability of food, space, water, and shelter, as well as the incidence of disease
and predation, are all when it comes to
how well a population will grow.

47. Use the following information to plot a Climatogram on the graph provided below. (5
pts.)

 

J F M A M J J ' A S O N D
T 24.6 25.1 26.4 28.5 r 30.6 . 31.9 31.1 30.1 31.1 28.8 26.5 25.1 '
’ P 0.8 0.5 1.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 . 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cm celsius
36 36
34 32
32 28
30 24
28 20
26 16
24 12
22 8
20 4
18 O
16 -4
14 -8
12 -12
10 -16
8 -20
6 -24
4 -28
2 -32
0 -36

 

JFMAMJJASOND

58

Multiple Choice. Write the correct answer to the left of each question.

Use the Climatogram that you drew above to answer the following:

48. Looking at the temperature and rainfall of the Climatogram, which biome does it
best describe?
a. Desert b. tundra c. tropical rainforest d. deciduous forest

49. Which of the following biomes is known to have various types of pine trees?
a. Coniferous forest b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. tundra

50. Which of the following biomes has trees that lose their leaves in the fall?

a. Deciduous forest b. coniferous forest c. tropical rainforest d.
tundra

51. Which of the following biomes would have the most rainfall AND have a very warm
climate?
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. tundra d.
Chaparral

~ 52. Which of the following biomes would be the most likely to have all four seasons?
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. tundra d.
desert

53. Which of the following biomes would have the least rainfall AND have a hot, dry
climate?
a. Tundra b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. desert

54. Which of the following biomes would have the least rainfall AND have a cold, dry
climate?
a. Tundra b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. desert

Short Answer: Please answer the following in complete sentences.

55. (4 pts.) Pick two of the alien species in the Great Lakes area and describe why they
are “bad.”

59

Ecology: Post-Unit Survey

You are not required to put your name on this assignment

1. Please shade the box that most fits how you feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxonomy- 1 could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
the ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
classification to i: in detail a picture with but I couldn’t the key t ic before
of living thing P labels explain them words °P
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
Dichotomous ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
Keys to i: in detail a picture with but I couldn’t the key to ic before
p labels explain them words 1)
Food Chains/ I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
Food Webs/ ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
Energy .p . . a picture with but I couldn’t the key .
. topic in detail . topic before
PEamld labels explarn them words
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
Symbiotic ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
Relationships to i: in detail a picture with but I couldn’t the key t ic before
p labels explain them words op
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
. main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of
Water Cycle explaln the . . , heard of that
topic in detail a plcture wrth but I couldn t the key topic before
labels explaln them words
Carbon] I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
oxygen and ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
Nitrogen t if: in detail a picture with but I couldn’t the key t ic before
Cycles 0p labels explain them words op
I could I could explain the I lmow some of I lmow I’ve never
Population ex lain the main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of heard of that
Growth to i]; in detail a picture with but I couldn’t the key to lo before
P labels explain them words P
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
. main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of
Succession explain the . . , th k heard of that
topic in detail a picture wrth but I couldn t e ey topic before
labels explaln them words
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
. . main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of
Climatograms explarn the . 'th b ldn’ th k heard of that
topic in detail a PM“ W‘ “t 1 9°“ ’ C ”Y topic before
labels explaln them words
I could I could explain the I know some of I know I’ve never
. . main ideas/ draw the main ideas, some of
Biomes explaln the . . , heard of that
topic in detail a picture wrth but I couldn t the key topic before
labels explaln them words

 

 

2. How did you like the portfolio? Would you rather have had a test at the end of the
unit? Do you think the portfolio allowed you to truly show what you had learned about
ecology this marking period? Explain.

60

 

3. Rate the activities from this unit by shading the box that best fits how you feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecology Concept Map Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Bottle Biology Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Levels of Classification Chart Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Tree Leaves Dichotomous Key Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Sharks Dichotomous Key Very Helpful Somewhat Helpfill Not Helpful

Community Studies: FOOd Web Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful
Posters

Identifying Symbiosis in a movie Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Nutrient Cycle Diagrams Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Water Cycle Game Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

OH DEER! Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Tree Tops Valley Story Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Alien Species PowerPoint Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Population Density Laboratory Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Owl Carrying Capacity Lab Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Traveling to the Biomes Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

Making Climatograms Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful

 

Consider the above list when answering the next set of questions.
4. Which activity was the most helpfill to you in learning and remembering the

information? Why?

5. Which activity was the least helpful to you in learning and remembering the

information? Why?

6. What activity was your favorite? Why?

61

 

7. What activity was your least favorite? Why?

8. Which activity did you do the best on? Why do you think that is?

Have your habits changed?
9. When you have trouble in this class, what do you do? Please number your

choices with 1 being the first thing you do and 6 being the last thing you would

__ Read the book _ Talk to the teacher

__ Talk to a fiiend who has the class _ Go back through the class notes
__ Ask questions in class

__ Other (please describe)

 

10. When you get ready to study, which of the following do you do? Please number
your choices with 1 being the thing you are most likely to do and 6 being the
thing you are least likely to do.

_ Listen to music __ Turn on the TV for background noise
_ Go to a fiiend’s house _ Go to the public library

__ Find a room in the house that is quiet

__ Other (please describe)

 

11. When you’re actually studying the material for a test/quiz, which of the following
do you do? Check off all that apply.
look up hard vocabulary words to understand meanings

_ outline main ideas _ reread chapter summaries
__ review all illustrations _ make flashcards

__ review previous test/quizzes for mistakes

__ apply memory devices _ rewrite definitions

12. When you take a test, which of the following do you do? Check off all that apply.

maintain a positive attitude eliminate wrong answers
read directions carefully before trying to answer questions
identify and use clue words proofread for mistakes

write answers neatly and legibly
answer easy questions first, difficult last
make sure you’ve answered every question

62

“Please shade the box that most fits how ofterLyou do the following things. **

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring my planner to class Always Usually Sometimes Never

Write assrgnments down m my Always Usually Sometimes Never
lanner

Have a writing utensil for class Always Usually Sometimes Never

Keep an organized notebook Always Usually Sometimes Never

Make up absent work as soon as Always Usually Sometimes Never
ossrble

Bring my notebook to class Always Usually Sometimes Never

Use my notebook as a reference to Always Usually Sometimes Never

study from

Shove notes or worksheets into my Always Usually Sometimes Never

textbook

Have missingassigments Always Usually Sometimes Never

Forget to do my homework Always Usually Sometimes Never

Choose not to do my homework Always Usually Sometimes Never

Forget to take my planner home Always Usually Sometimes Never

 

63

 

Name:

 

Practical Biology Quiz #2: Life and Introduction to Ecology
(15 points)

1. What is ecology? (1 pt.)

2. Name three jobs a person might have if they were interested in ecology.(3 pts.)
a.

b.
c.

3. Name one major problem humans could fix/avoid if they knew or cared a little more
about ecology. (1 pt.)

4. Write a letter to R2D2 explaining to him that he cannot be a Jedi because he is not a
living being. Give him at least 5 reasons and explain them; he is, after all, only a robot.

(10 pts.)

Dear R2D2,

Name:

 

Practical Biology Quiz #3: Taxonomy

Multiple Choice. Write the correct answer to the left of each question. (1 pt. Each)

 

 

1. Which characteristic(s) best describes the kingdom Plantae?

a. Multi-cellular 0. includes bacteria

b. Unicellular (1. none of these e. both a and b
2. Which organism best fits in the Fungi Kingdom?

a. Cat c. AIDS virus

b. butterfly d. mushroom e. none of these
3. Organisms that can make their own food are called:

a. Autotrophs b. heterotrophs c. eutrophs (1. none of these
4. A cell that has a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles is a:

a. Prokaryote b. eukaryote c. akaryote d. symkaryote
5. Linnaeus’ classification system was based on:

a. Common names c. Common ancestors

b. Genetic differences d. Structural similarities

Short Answer.

 

6. Give the kingdom for each of the following (1 pt. Each):
A. ancient bacteria

B. multicellular eukaryotes, all autotrophic

C. filamentous eukaryotes, use absorption

 

 

 

D. insects, mammals, heterotrophic

 

E. “true” unicellular prokaryotes

 

F. uni- or multicellular eukaryotes; hetero- or autotrophic

 

7. Give one example of an organism that would fit into the Kingdom Protista (1 pt.).

8. The following is the classification of the Monarch butterfly.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Danaidae
Genus: Danas
Species: plexippus
Use this information to write the scientific name of the Monarch here (2 pts.):

9. True or False? (1 pt.) The greater the number of taxa two organisms have in
common, the more closely related they are.

65

Practical Biology Quiz #4: Symbiotic Relationships and Food Webs

Leftover from last week-) (5 pts.) Dichotmous Key! KeLout the 5 following
“organisms.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 2. 3
4. 5.

1a. Has no sharp edges .......... Cornelius

1b. Has sharp edges ............... go to 2.

2a. Has four sides ................... go to 3.

2b. Has sides that number something other than four ....... go to 4.

3a. All sides are equal in length .......... Bob

3b. Sides unequal in length ............... Francesca
4a. Having 3 sides ............... Leo
4b. Having 5 sides ............... Gertrude

Vocabulag (1 pt. Each)

Match each word with its definition:

____1. autotroph A. Many species of organisms interacting.

_2. heterotroph B. Organism that must consume others for energy

___3. population C. Unit of the biosphere in which living and nonliving
things interact

__4. community D. An organism that can make organic compounds using
sun energy

_5. ecosystem E. Group of organisms of one species in an area

____6. herbivore F. heterotrophs that eat plants and animals

__7. carnivOre G. organisms that must eat others for food

__8. omnivore H. heterotrophs that feed on plants

_9. consumer I. heterotrophs that feed on animals

___10. producer J. organisms that are the base of the food chain

66

11. (4 pts.) Draw a food web below that includes the following organisms: grass,

deer, wolf, rabbit, lettuce plant, mouse, snake, owl

12. (2 pts.) Put the following in order of energy flow: consumers, decomposers,
producers, sun

 

Fill in #13-16 with the correct relationship:
mutualism, commensalism, predation, parasitism

 

13. What type of relationship is there between first and
second level consumers?

14. What type of relationship is there between bats
that fly from plant to plant and eat some of the
fruit/ nectar.

 

15. What type of relationship is there between you and
a mosquito?

 

16. What type of relationship does a bird have with the
tree it nests in?

 

17. Give an explanation that would justify the following statement: “The most
efficient way to feed the world population is to promote the eating of plants or
plant products.” (5 pts.)

67

Name:

 

Practical Biology Quiz #5: Nutrient Cycles
(26 points)

Water Cycle (7 21322
Label the following diagram of the water cycle with these words: transpiration. precipitation.
evaporation. collection, infiltration, percolation, and condensation.

 

  

 

   

3
/ Into th

/ "I'lfil'l‘l'li
lake
6

5

 
  
 

' ’ ”’
555451”:
'i’I’I’Ili
'i’liililq
"”””I4
"I’llllit
'I’I’Iiil4
was”
'lllllllli

 
     
   

  
 

 

     

Carbon Cycle (6 98.2
(2 pts.) What are two sources of C02 for the carbon cycle?
8.

9.

Fill in the blanks, 4 pts.
10. One loop of the carbon cycle works because plants take in and give off

while animals take in and give off

Nitrogen Cycle, (3 QUIZ
Fill in the blank, I pf. each
H. In order to be useful to plants and animals. nitrogen must be by bacteria in

the soil.

12. The nitrogen from dead organisms or animal waste gets back into the atmosphere because
bacteria turn it back into N2.

13. (I pt.) What is a major industrial or chemical use of nitrogen in the U.S.?

 

*Note: There was an additional diagram that encompassed the water. nitrogen. and carbon cycle

all at once. but it was drawn by hand and not in good condition to reproduce for this thesis.

68

(25 points)

LT pt. each) Vocabulary Matching.
Please write the letter of the word that corresponds to the definition, description, or
example in the blank to the left of each question.

1.

2.
3.
4

>090

10.

This occurs on a piece of land that has

been cleared by a glacier.
The birth rate of a population.

The death rate of a population.
The different array of plants and animals in

an ecosystem.

A species that depends almost solely on
one food source, such as the panda
bear that feeds on bamboo.

An animal that is active primarily during the

day.

This can happen as a result of a tornado,

forest fire, or human destruction.
An animal that is active primarily at night.
This type of community is one that has
reached full maturity and cannot
develop any further.

An animal's rhythm that is dependent on

the length of the day.

l l. A period of inactivity brought about by

12.

l3.
l4.

l5.

16.

17.

 

cooler temperatures; the animal does
NOT wake up during this time for
anything.

A species that has numerous food sources.
such as a great white shark.

The movement of organisms into an area.

The movement of organisms out of a
population.

The type of community that would be the
first to colonize a new area.

Using one organism to try and get rid of

another.
A period of inactivity in an organism

brought about by high temperatures.

Short Answer: Please answer the following in complete sentences.

(4 pts.) Pick two of the alien species in the Great Lakes area and describe why
they are “bad."
(4 pts.) Explain what happens during migration and why it is considered a type of
periodicity.

l.

2.

69

Practical Biology Quiz #6: Succession and Alien Species

. Primary succession

. Secondary succession
. Natality

. Mortality

. Immigration

. Emigration

. Estivation

. Hibernation

Biodiversity

Diurnal

. Nocturnal

. Generalized species
. Pioneer community
. Climax community

. Circadian Rhythm

. Biological control

. Specialized Species

Name:

 

Practical Biology Quiz #7: Population
(18 points)

Fill in the Blank. (1 point each).
1. The number of organisms an area can support is called its

 

2. Bacteria in a Petri dish will grow according to a(n)
curve until they run out of space.

 

3. Disease is a density- factor in a population.

4. You as an owl in the carrying capacity lab were competing with other owls for rodent
food. This is an example of competition.

5. A population of deer out in the wild have a natural carrying capacity, and their population
will grow according to a(n) curve.

6. During the owl lab, the green ”rodents” were harder to find in the grass; this was due to a
defense known as

 

7. In nature, poison ivy and poison sumac both have red stems (and branches in the case of

sumac) to let others know to stay away from their noxious chemicals. This is an example
of

 

8. There are some bright red berries in the forest that are perfectly edible, but most people
avoid them because there are others that are bright red and poisonous. The ”fakers” are
using mimicry to fool us.

9. The weather is a density- factor in a population.

10. In the African savanna, lions and hyenas often go after the same food source. This is an
example of competition.

11. A honeybee is a mimic of the wasp (and vice-versa), since both share
similar appearance and coloring, and both are capable of stinging.

12. The availability of food, space, water, and shelter, as well as the incidence of disease and
predation, are all when it comes to how
well a population will grow.

Essay: Answer the following question in complete sentences on the back of the quiz. (6pts. 1
Discuss two things from the ”Carrying Capacity Lab: Owls as Predators” activity we did 111
class that made it difficult to get ”rodents. ” What does each difficulty represent in the wild?
How might it affect a real owl population? Make sure you answer ALL parts of the question
for full creditil

7O

{Tainan-nu”

1.

Name:

 

Practical Biology Quiz #8: Biomes!

Use the following information to plot a Climatogram on the graph provided below. (5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMAM

71

 

pts.)
J F M A M J J A S O t N D
24.6 25.1 26.4 28.5 30.6 31.9 31.1 30.1 31.1 28.8 26.5 25.1
0.8 0.5 1.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
cm celsius
36 36
34 32
32 28
30 24
28 20
26 16
24 12
22 8
20 4
18 O
16 -4
14 -8
12 -12
10 -16
8 -20
6 -24
4 -28
2 -32
0 -36

 

Multiple Choice. Write the correct answer to the left of each question.
Use the Climatogram that you drew above to answer the following:

2.

10.

ll.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Looking at the temperature and rainfall of the Climatogram, which biome does it
best describe?

a. Desert b. tundra c. tropical rainforest d. deciduous forest
In which biome would you most likely see a polar bear or an arctic fox?
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. savanna d. tundra

Which of the following biomes is known to have various types of pine trees?
a. Coniferous forest b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. tundra

Which of the following biomes has trees that lose their leaves in the fall?
a. Deciduous forest b. coniferous forest c. tropical rainforest d. tundra

Which of the following biomes would you most likely see elephants, tigers,
giraffes, and zebras?
a. Deciduous forest b. trapical rainforest c. savanna d. tundra

Which of the following biomes would have the most rainfall AND have a very
warm climate? .
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. tundra d. Chaparral

Which of the following biomes would be the most likely to have all four seasons?
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. tundra d. desert

Which of the following biomes has many types of grasses and flowers, but has few
trees?
a. Deciduous forest b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. desert

Which of the following biomes would be located in Africa where you could go on
safari?
a. Deciduous forest b. coniferous forest 0. savanna d. tundra

Which of the following biomes has many cacti?
a. Tundra b. prairie c. desert d. savanna

Which of the following biomes would have the least rainfall AND have a hot, dry
climate?
a. Tundra b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. desert

Which of the following biomes would have the least rainfall AND have a cold, dry
climate?
a. Tundra b. tropical rainforest c. prairie d. desert

Which of the following biomes has the largest biodiversity in the world?
a. Coniferous forest b. scrub forest 0. deciduous forest d. tropical rainforest

In which of the biomes would you most likely see rabbits, chipmunks, snakes and

lizards all at the same time?

a. Tundra b. Chaparral c. desert d. savanna

72

 

Ecslsgy Partfslis: A Final Assessment

This Portfolio will be used as an alternative to the traditional unit test that students would
normally take at the end of a unit. Instead, you will pick out a collection of assignments,
quizzes, projects, etc. that you think BEST represents what you have learned about
ecology. You will be asked to give a brief description of each assignment you choose,
reflect on why you chose each piece, list the key words or phrases that you learned about
the topic by doing the assignment, and give some tasks that you were able to do as a
result of completing the assignment.

To make it a little easier for you, all possible assignments that could be included in the
Ecology Portfolio will be listed, and you can pick from those. There will also be a
standard format that you can follow to write up each piece so that they all look the same.
We will be taking digital pictures of big projects and things done in groups so that they,
too, may be included in your portfolio.

It is important to do your best (as you always should ©) throughout the entire unit on
these assignments so that you don’t have to rewrite things. You don’t want to put sloppy
pieces into your portfolio, so do them right the first time!!

You will be producing a final product that you can be proud of- it will allow me to see
what you’ve learned about ecology this year and showcase your best work at the same
time. Therefore, you should make sure that you’re using in-class time wisely throughout
the unit to write up rough drafts, and then all you’ll have to do is type up the final copies
during our last week.

Your final draft of the Ecology Portfolio is due NOVEMBER 3, 2006.
It will be the final grade of the 1St Marking Period, worth 175 points!

Picking Portfolio Pieces:
Your EcologyLPortfolio must contain 10 total focus pieces-9
1. Pick 2 from each of the following major topics:
a. Taxonomy
b. Ecological Relationships
c. Nutrient Cycles
(1. Populations
2. Pick 1 from each of these topics:
a. Introduction to Ecology

b. Biomes
3. Of the ten that you choose:
a. 2 must be Quizzes (underlined): and

 

 

b. 2 must be Homework (HW) or In-class worksheet (Wksht) assignments:
and

1 must be one of our major projects (denoted by a *):

5 others of your own choosing

 

 

 

9'9

73

Putting it all together:
Use the following as a checklist for when the final copy of each requirement is done!
Overall Document
'___. 1. Cover page:
a. Title
b. Name and Teacher’s Name
c. Subject and Hour
(1. Date
e. Illustration
— 2. Table of Contents
10 total Portfolio Pieces:
1. Pick 2 from each of the following major topics (circle the ones you choose):
a. Taxonomy
i. HW: p. 212 vocabulary and review questions
ii. HW: Levels of Classification
iii. Quiz #3: Taxonomy
iv. HW: Shark Dichotomous Key
b. Ecological Relationships
i. *Community Studies: Food Web Poster*
ii. Wksht: Ecology Trophic Levels and Energy Flow
iii. Wksht: Study Skills Worksheet 46-1
iv. Quiz #4: Symbiotic Relationships and Food Webs
0. Nutrient Cycles
1. Wksht: Water Cycle notes and diagram
ii. Water Cycle Game
iii. Wksht: Carbon, Oxygen, and Nitrogen Cycles
iv. Quiz #5: Nutrient Cycles
(1. Populations
i. HW: Chapter 50 and 51.1 Vocabulary
ii. OH DEER!
iii. Tree Tops Valley
iv. Quiz #6: Succession and Alien Species
v. Population Density Lab
vi. Owl Carrying Capacity Lab
vii. Wksht: Critical Thinking Diagram Worksheet 47-1
viii. Quiz #7: Populations
2. Pick 1 from each of these topics (circle the ones you choose):
a. Introduction to Ecology
i. Ecology Concept Map
ii. *Bottle Biology*
iii. Quiz #2: Life and Introduction to Ecology
b. Biomes
i. *Traveling to the Biomes“
ii. Wksht: Climatograms
iii. Quiz #8: Biomes!

 

 

 

 

 

74

Portfolio Piece Write-Up

1. Title of Assignment should be at the top of the paper

2. Give a brief (2-3 sentences maximum) description of what you were supposed to
do for the assignment.

3. Tell the reader your reason for picking this piece. This part should be 3-5
sentences.

a. Example starters might be: “I chose this piece because...” or “I included
this project because...”

4. What are some of the strengths of the piece- what did you do well? What are
some things you would redo or could do better of you were to do the assignment
over? (“Get a higher score/ grade” or “Get more right” doesn’t count!)

5. Ligt as many key terms learned or used during this assignment. EVERY
assignment has at least 5, and you should try to get 5-10 (especially for larger
projects) for each piece.

6. L_is_t 3-5 major objectives you accomplished as a result of completing this

assignment.
a. Example:
Objectives

As a result of this assignment, I can:
- Distinguish between biogenesis and spontaneous generation
- Explain how Pasteur disproved Spontaneous Generation
- Understand and describe the emergency routes for Room 304
b. Words to use when writing objectives:

- classify — analyze - compare - design

- explain - describe - understand - distinguish
- calculate - identify - demonstrate - label

- interpret - contrast - predict - discuss

- apply - illustrate

The following is a sample write-up. Follow the format, but you may NOT copy it!
Quiz #1: Introduction to Practical Biology

The purpose of this assignment was to assess my knowledge on things taught in
the first week of class. Topics covered were: emergency routes, safety procedures, test-
taking skills, spontaneous generation, and biogenesis.

I decided to include this quiz because I got an A on it. I studied really hard and
made sure I paid attention in class when the teacher was telling us about the safety
procedures. I completed the homework assignment on spontaneous generation and
biogenesis, and those helped as well.

Some of the things I did really well on the test were the multiple choice and the
short answer question where you had to list the steps of cleaning up broken glass. 1 was
able to eliminate wrong answers pretty well on the multiple choice and ended up getting
most of them right. I didn’t do so well on the explanation of Pasteur’s experiment '
because I didn’t use complete sentences. Next time I will be sure to read the directions
more carefully.

75

Key Terms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biogenesis spontaneous generation safety procedures Safety equipment
emergency route Redi Spallanzani Pasteur Latin
M
As a result of this assignment, I can:
- Distinguish between biogenesis and spontaneous generation
- Explain how Pasteur disproved Spontaneous Generation
— Use my Language of Science Packet to define new words
. - Understand and describe the emergency routes for Room 304
Ecology Portfolio Grading Rubric:
Overall: >10 errors 9—10 errors 6-8 errors 3-5 errors 0-2 errors
Spelling 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Overall: Not Typed Some parts not All typed
Typed 0 1 2
In paper .
Overall: Not covered folder, flimsy In bmgezézjheet
Presentation cover p
1
Cover Page: Don’t have it Have it Large print
Title 1 2
Cover Page: , . .
Name lteach Don t have it Haxlle 1t
er
Cover Page: , . .
Subject/Hon Don tgiave 1t Hail/e 1t
r
Cover Page: Don’t have it Have it
Date 1
Cover Page: Don’t have it Have it Desctrépive 0f
Illustration 1 P
Table of Don’t have it Incomplete Complete list Complete 11“
w1th page #5
Contents 1 2 3
Piece 1: Don’t have it Have it
Title 0 1
Piece 1: Don’t have it 1 sentence 2-3 sentences
Description »
Piece 1: Don’t have it 1-3 sentences 3—5 sentences
Reason
Piece 1: , . .. , , Only strength OR Both
Strengths/ Don t have 1t aren t any’ weakness descriptions
Weaknesses
Piece 1: Don’t have it l-3 terms 3-5 terms >5 terms
Key Terms 1 2 3
Piece 1: Don’t have it 1-2 objectives 1'2 with 3-5 objectives 3'5 W1
. . descriptors descriptors
Objectwes 4

 

76

 

Class Notebook Table of Contents

 

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77

 

Weekly Assignment Sheet

“These will be collected every Monday for the week before. **

Directions: As soon as you come to class each day, copy down the day’s objectives, the
Question of the Day, and the homework assignment. All homework is due the next day
unless otherwise indicated. For the Question of the Day, you must write down the
QUESTION AND ANSWER Test and quiz questions can come from the Q of D, and if
you only have an answer, you won’t know what to study!

 

 

Week of:
Date:
M Objectives:
n Question of the Day:
a ’ Homework:
T Date:
Objectives:
e Question of the Day:
a Homework:

 

 

 

 

78

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

e Objectives:
n Question of the Day:
e
S
a
y Homework:
Date:
I Objectives:
U Question of the Day:
I" '
S
a
y Homework:
Date:
I Objectives:
i Question of the Day:
y Homework:

 

79

 

How Can I Do Better In Science Class?

1. BE ORGANIZED- Set up a science assignment book, notebook, and folder for
keeping papers.

2. USE YOUR TEXTBOOK- Read the objectives at the front of each chapter; read
the questions and problems at the end of the chapter- be sure that you really
understand these and can answer them completely. Now you know what thw
author wants you to learn.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO CONTENT OF ASSIGNMENTS- What does the
teacher want you to take away from the assignment? What terms are in bold?
What were the major ideas?

4. TAKE GOOD NOTES- If the teacher writes it down, you are expected to know
something about it; write down examples that are given- they will often help you
remember concepts. When you get home THAT DAY... read through your notes
and fill in parts that are not complete, you will not remember all of the details if
you wait until test day.

5. Review each night— study vocabulary daily. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE
NIGHT BEFORE TO CRAM FOR TESTS. Doing this only uses your short term
memory, and you will not be able to demonstrate a true understanding of the
material.

6. Review with a partner— read your notes to them to be sure they are
understandable. Make flashcards for vocabulary. Quiz each other, practice
explaining concepts to each other; you have truly mastered the material when you
can explain it to someone else.

7. Become an Active member of the class- Follow the lesson. ASK QUESTIONS
if you do not understand. Use class time to start homework. Come to class
prepared to discuss reading from the night before.

8. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF EACH LAB- Labs
are used to reinforce or demonstrate concepts we are studying... be sure you
understand what we are trying to do. You are expected to know what happened in
labs.

9. Use your study sheets- If the teacher gives you a study sheet, fill it in before we
go over it in class. Be sure to correct all answers. STUDY those correct answers.
Just because the sheet is filled out does not mean you are finished. Use your
work!

10. STUDY FOR TESTS— Study noted, study sheets, labs, and homework, Go to the
front of the chapter and answer objectives. Go to the end of the chapter and
answer questions.

** USE YOUR RESOURCES- Ask friends to study with you...use
the classroom resources...ask the teacher to clear up confusions...
seek extra help before/after school...**

80

Checklist of Study Habits and Test-Taking Skills
While studying for a test, do you: Yes No

- set up a quiet, comfortable area conducive to studying?

- gather and organize all study materials before beginning the study process?
- find out exactly what will be covered on the test?

- find out what kind of test it will be (essay, multiple choice, etc.)?

- develop a study plan, deciding objectives for each projected study session?
- look up hard vocabulary words to understand meanings?

- skim chapter headings to recall the overall ideas in each chapter?

- reread chapter summaries?

- review all visual illustrations when studying?

- space studying over an extended period of time rather than cramming?

- review previous tests and quizzes to determine test-taking errors?

- apply memory strategies (pneumonic devices, keywords)?

During tests, do you:

- maintain a positive attitude?

- understand directions before answering questions?

- identify and carefully use clue words?

- use strategies such as eliminating wrong answers, etc.?
- answer easy questions first, difficult last?

- write answers neatly and legibly?

- carefully record answers?

- proofread answers, checking for errors?

 

 

 

STUDYING .

If, after completing this checklist, you realize you have more “no” answers than Wes,” you may
need to change your studying habits. Use the checklist as a set of guidelines for changing your
study behaviors in order to be well prepared for your next test or quiz.

81

TEST TAKING

Knowing the material and understanding the topics is only half the battle. Some of the brightest
students struggle when it comes to taking tests, simply because they’ve never learned how. Fifty
questions in a short amount of time can be quite overwhelming if you’re not sure where to begin!!
The following page has some strategies for attacking different types of test questions head on-)
use them as guides and good luck!

How to Take a Test!

Overall Test-Taking Strategies

1. Read directions and underline key phrases and words; then do the same as you read each
question.
Answer questions that you are sure of first.
Place a check by questions that you are unsure of and skip these.
Review a test and check answers after finished.
Place an “X” on pages that you have reviewed so you do not waste time.
Find out the following before test day:
What is on the test?
What was on the previous test?
Set up and follow study procedures.
Know the test terms
Develop a positive mental attitude

9‘5”!“9’5"

sue-99‘!»

Different Kinds of Questions on a Test
Multiple Choice
1. Formulate an answer after reading the questions and before reading the answers.
2. Read each answer as though it were true or false.
3. Draw a line through inappropriate answers.
4 Know the rules of grammar, such as when to use
will begin with a vowel or consonant sound.
5. Use other questions in the test as clues.
Matching
1. Begin with the first term in the column and scan the other colurrm for the answer.
2. Write the answer in the blank and cross off that choice in your answer column.
3. Skip terms or items that you are unsure of and return to them after all questions are
answered.
True or False
1. Become familiar with the vocabulary of these questions: all, some, never, always, every,
none, sometimes.
2. Look at all parts of the questions; all parts must be accurate to be true.
3. Use other questions on the test as cues to possible answers.

6‘ a”

and“ ”to determine if the answer

1. Develop a rough outline and verbalize thoughts while studying.
2. Develop a key-points outline, put main ideas in order, and then fill in the facts.
3. Answer an opinion questions with the way you feel about the questions.

82

Name:
Date: Pg:

 

 

 

What is Life?

How do you determine if something is living, dead, or never alive? All living things tend
to share the same or similar fundamental characteristics. These characteristics of life are
used to determine if something is living or not living.

Think about characteristics that are common to all living things. Answer the following
questions before beginning the lab.
1. List as many processes as you can that occur while an organism is alive but stop
when it is dead.

 

2. Two groups of living organisms are called plants and animals. List a few ways in
which life activities differ between plants and animals.

3. How does an organism’s growth compare to the grth of an icicle?

Procedure:

In a certain area outside pick out ten specimens to observe. Of the specimens that you
choose, try to find things that for all the life categories (living, dead, and never alive). As
you look at each specimen, ask yourself if it has some or all of the characteristics of a
living organism.

Record any characteristics you observe that would classify each specimen as living or no-

living 1n the data table on the back of this sheet. Also indicate which category of life you
would classify the object.

83

LIFE CATEGORIES: LIVING

DEAD BUT ONCE ALIVE
NEVER ALIVE/NON-LIVING

 

Smecimen

Life Category

Characteristics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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85

Name:

 

Bottle Biology: An Ecosystem in a Bottle.

"Allzdeas bonmradfiodetleBzdom SMEaLter, dezdcpailytbqunmmrtquWParhdog);

 

Umwszzyq‘W/zsmmMadson Formezdeas, gotomuohxtlebidogzorg"

Purpose:
1. To observe changes in an ecosystem contained in the classroom.

2. To practice comparing variables in a scientific setting.
3. To use everyday materials in constructing a smaller version of a large ecosystem

Materials:
This really depends on what type of bottle you decide to build, but everyone will need some
of the following things from the classroom: clear book-binding tape, Bunsen burner,

probe, scissors, razor blade, heavy cotton string or felt, fillers for your column. Once
you have decided on a project, list the additional materials you will need below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Procedure:

1.

In groups of two or three, decide what type of Biobottle you would like to make.
(Each individual needs to fill out a handout, though.) You may choose one from the
packets of directions the teacher has, or you can just use them as guidelines and
come up with your own.

Get together with, another group that wants to do the same kind of bottle and figure
out an experiment you could do together. Example: Try 2 Terraqua columns, one
with store bought materials and one with outside materials. See which one does
better over the course of the unit.

Once you have decided what you will compare, make your own individual hypothesis
and write it here (remember not to say “I think”).

Hypothesis:

Compleme read through ALL the directions for constructing your Biobottle.
Decide who will be responsible for each thing that you need, and then put that
person’s initials next to it on your list of materials? don’t forget to bring in your
own bottles!

Once you have collected your materials, follow the directions given to you by the
teacher for your particular column. Pay attention to any notes written in on the
directions by the teacher, because she’s done all of these before!

After construction and filling of your Biobottle is complete, set it up in the back of
the classroom to be observed for the remainder of the ecology unit. Be sure that

 

86

your bottle is secure and won’t tip over, they tend to get top—heavy. Take a “before”
picture of your Biobottle when it’s ready to go.

7. Make an observation chart for yourself to keep track of your Biobottle’s progress.

Make sure you write something down for every daywe have class until the end of the
ecology unit. If your bottle needs to be watered, be sure that you do that- don’t let
yourself be the reason your Biobottle “didn’t work.” It might be a good idea to take
a picture of you column once a week to document your progress as well.

8. At the conclusion of the unit, several things need to happen:

a. Take an “after” picture of your Biobottle.

b. Make a final observation and determine if your hypothesis was correct.

c. Decide whether or not you want to keep your column going and make
arrangements for that.

9. Clean up!! ©

Safem.

1. Be careful when using razor blades. Only use them to make an initial cut into the

bottle and then use scissors for the rest.

2. Tie back long hair and roll up long sleeves when using the Bunsen burner.
3. Try to make all your holes at once so you can turn the burner off when you’re done.

Melting plastic doesn’t smell good- open a window or make your holes in a fume
hood so you don’t inhale noxious odors.

Obseryations/Dgga;
Use a separate piece of paper for you day-to-day observations. Be sure to attach
photographs of your Biobottle as it progresses!

Conclusion:

Write a short paragraph here that summarizes your experiment. Be sure to include whether
or not your hypothesis was correct along with any reasoning you may have for that. Also, if
anything went wrong during the course of the experiment, this rs the place to explain that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

87

Taxonomy: The Classification of Living Things

Aristotle- Greek philosopher, over ago, developed a classification for

 

plants and animals. Split plants into three groups: herbs with soft stems, shrubs with
several woody stems, and trees with a single woody stern. He divided animals into

dwellers, dwellers, and dwellers.

 

 

 

Carolus Linnaeus- 18th century Swedish botanist who set up a classification system based

on structural similarity.

Human Classification

Kingdom— highest level:

 

Phylum (Division in plants)-
Class-
Order-

Familv-

 

Genus (plural genera)-

 

Species (plural species)-

Binomial Nomenclature- System of naming organisms; first name= genus, second name:

 

species. This is written in italics, with the genus name capitalized. If it is handwritten,
the genus I still capitalized, and the whole name is underlined.

Ex. Homo sapiens or (handwritten):

 

 

Vocabulary:
Eukaryote- a cell that has a and other membrane- bound

like chloroplasts and mitochondria (we’ll learn about these later ©).
Prokaryote- a cell that has or other membrane-bound organelles-

 

all the “stuff” in the cell is just randomly throughout.
Autotroph- an organism that

 

Heterotropg an organism that gets its food fi'om

 

Unicellular— made up of cell

 

Multicellular- made up of cells

 

Terrestrial-

88

Aquatic-

Sexual Reproduction- males and females must mate, and

 

unite for reproduction to take place.

Asexual Reproduction— reproduction is possible ; the

 

organism can reproduce on its own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingdoms
BACTERIA: ALL bacteria are . They are unicellular and obtain
their nutrients mainly through . They live in terrestrial and
aquatic habitats, and are divided into two kingdoms->
Archaebacteria: bacteria that live in conditions like
deep-sea vents, J and hot springs.
Eubacteria: most bacteria are in this kingdom; bacteria living virtually
everywhere!
PM made up of organisms that can be unicellular,

J or multicellular. They lack specialized systems and
obtain their food by absorption, ingestion, or . They reproduce

 

sexually or asexually.

Fungi: made up of unicellular and multicellular

 

 

organisms. Fungi absorb their nutrients rather than ingesting them. Most species are

terrestrial, and they reproduce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plantar; make up of eukaryotic

organisms, most of which are . They can reproduce sexually or
asexually.

Animalia: made up of multicellular heterotrophic organisms
that obtain nutrients by food. They are terrestrial and aquatic, and
most reproduce (though they are some that can reproduce
asexually).

89

Food Webs and Symbiotic Relationships

food chain: the transfer of the sun’s through many organisms

 

food web: a system of existing within an

herbivores: heterotrophs that feed on

 

carnivores: that feed on other (meat)

 

: organisms that eat both plants and animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scavengers: an animal that feeds on organisms; eats

decomposers/ saprobes: an organism that helps dead t:-
organisms and their nutrients I
symbiotic relationship: a relationship that exists between two ‘ , 1
typically between two species.

parasitism: a relationship in which one organism ( ) obtains its

nutrients at the expense of another ( ), but usually doesn’t __ it (+/ —)

Example: flea on a dog; tick on a deer

mutualism: a relationship between two species in which both

 

from living together (+/ +)
Example: barnacles on a whale, shark and remora

commensalism: a relationship where one organism and the

 

other is (+ / 0)
Example: bird nesting in a tree; algae riding on a turtle’s back

: the use of or defense of a resource by one individual that

 

reduces the availability of the resource to the other individual

Example: two owls fighting over who gets a mouse for dinner
Predation (predator / prethhe type of interaction in which one animal
( ) seizes another animal ( ) and it is for food.

Example: lion killing and eating a zebra

9O

Community Studies

Make a poster of a food web-) choose from the following organisms, and show them in
the correct producer/consumer relationships. Cut out pictures from magazines if
possible, and draw something in if you can’t find it.

Rules:

- You must have at least 5 food chains within the web.

- You must have at least two 4-creature food chains.

- You must have a scavenger and a decomposer.

- Label each organism as a producer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger,

or decomposer.

green algae frog mold raccoon
bacteria grass mountain lion rose
black bear hawk mushrooms turkey vulture
cardinal human opossum snake
coyote grasshopper owl sparrow
deer maple tree petunia wolf
fox mice rabbits woodchuck

Don’t forget to take a picture of your food web for your portfolioll ©

Check out the back of this worksheet for the grading rubric. Make sure you make a nice,
neat, legible poster that meets all the requirements for a good gradell

91

 

 

Making a Poster: Community Studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher Name: Ms. Kopinski
Student Name:
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Title Title can be read Title can be read Title can be read The title is too
from 6ft. away from 6ft. away from 4ft. away small and/or
and is quite and describes and describes does not
creative content well. content well describe the
content of the
poster well.
Label Clarity All items of Almost all items Several items of Labels are too
and Size importance on of importance on importance on small to view
the poster are the poster are the poster are OR no important
clearly labeled clearly labeled clearly labeled items were
with labels that with labels that with labels that labeled.
can be read can be read can be read
from at least 3ft. from at least 3ft. from at least 3ft.
away away awaL
Labels- All the Most of the Some of the Less than half of
accurate organisms are organisms are organisms are the organisms
’ labeled correctly labeled correctly labeled correctly are labeled
and in the right and in the right and in the right correctly or in
spot on the food spot on the food spot on the food the right spot on
web; arrows web; OR arrows web; arrows the food web;
going the right going the wrong might be going arrows going the
direction. direction. the right right or wrong
direction. direction.
Number of Has five (or Has four food Has three food ’ Has one or two
Food Chains more) food chains. chains. food chains
chains
Type of Food Has two food Has one food Has no 4-
Chains chains with 4 chain with 4 organism food
flanisms. l organisms. chains.
Scavenger] Has a Has a Has neither.
Decomposer scavenger AND scavenger OR a
a decomposer decomposer
Attractiveness The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is
exceptionally attractive in acceptably distractingly
attractive in terms of design, L attractive though messy or very
terms of design, layout, and it may be a bit poorly designed.
layout, and neatness. messy. It is not
neatness. attractive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date Created: Jun 30, 2006 12:37 pm (CDT)

 

Copyright © 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 Advanced Learning Technologies in Education Consortia ALTEC

 

92

 

Ecology Trophic Levels and Energy Flow
producers: organisms that make their own food
mimary consumers: 1st level is an herbivore
secondary consumers: 2"“ level is a carnivore

tertiary consumers: 3'“ level consumers, typically “top carnivores” with no
natural predators

Biomass: the amount of matter that is living
Productivity: the amount of energy that is accumulated in an ecosystem

Law of Conservation of Energy (and Matter): Energy (Matter) cannot be
created nor destroyed; 'it can only be changed.

ENERGY

The SUN is the ultimate source of energy for almost all organisms on
Earth.

Ex.

Plants and green algae convert solar energy to chemical energy (stored in
SUGARS) during PHOTOSYNTHESIS

This makes them AUTOTROPHS/PRODUCERS because they are able to
capture and change their own energy.

HETEROTROPHSICONSUMERS have to eat other organisms because they
cannot capture energy in this way.

93

ENERGY FLOWS FROM THE SUN TO PRODUCERS TO CONSUMERS TO
DECOMPOSERS AND BACK TO PRODUCERS

 

PYRAMID MODEL OF ENERGY FLOW:

ENERGY is LOST at each step of a food chain (trophic level), most is lost
as heat during RESPIRATlON (breakdown of food inside organisms)
*p. 730 in your book

94

Water Cycle Vocabulary

- the area of land that guides water through small

 

streams toward a major stream or river.

- release of water vapor through stomata in plants

- molecules at the surface of the water have enough

 

energy to escape the liquid and turn to vapor.

- water vapor loses energy and turns to liquid

 

- rain, sleet, hail, snow-) forms of water falling
from the sky

- slow movement of water downward through rock

 

- slow downward movement of water through layers

of soil

- exchange of gases in the lungs, gills, etc., which

includes exhaling water vapor

- getting rid of waste!

95

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96

Chapter 50 and 51.1 Vocabulary: Introduction to Population Growth

“Those with a star are not in your book— we will define them in classM

Biotic community-
Habitat-

Niche-

*Specialized species-
*Generalized species-
Diurnal- i
Noctumal-
Periodicity-
Rhythmic type-
Circadian rhythm-
Tidal rhythm-
Annual rhythm-

Hibemation (give conditions too)-

 

if *—

Torpor-

Estivation-
Migration-
*Natality-
*Mortality-
*Immigration-
*Emigration-
Succession-
Primary succession-
*Secondary succession-
Pioneer (species)-
*Climax (species)-

*C1imax community-

97

 

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103

RESOURCES AND CARRYING CAPACITY LAB:
OWLS AS PREDATORS

INTRODUCTION

All organisms require certain things for their existence. Food, water, cover, and living
space are necessary for animals to live. The environment in which the animal is living, that is, its
habitat, must supply these resources. Because of limited supplies of resources, a habitat can only
support a certain number of animals. This number is called the environment's carrying capacity.

Fortunately, different species of animals are able to take advantage of different kinds of
food, thus the environment is able to support a much greater number of animals than if they all
ate the same food. For example, in a forest you may find birds that eat seeds and benies, birds
that eat worms and grubs, birds eating insects, birds that eat meat and so on. In each of these
cases, the birds have different roles in the ecosystem food web; this role is known as the animal's
niche.

The owl is a woodland predator that feeds on small animals. The number of owls an
ecosystem can support is determined by the amount of food available for the owls to eat. Thus,
the carrying capacity of the habitat for owls is directly related to the availability of small animals
for food.

To demonstrate this principle, each class member will become part of an owl family, and
will be responsible for feeding the family members.

PROCEDURE:

1. Each class member will be assigned a family group. Each cup represents a member of
the family. Some families will have two parents and offspring, while others will have
only one parent to feed the offspring. Additional factors may come into play and the
teacher will explain these. (Some owls may be missing a foot or some talons.)

2. The food you will gather is rodents, represented by M&Ms candy. Class
members will gather the M&Ms using forks, which represent the owl's claws. A
minimum number of rodents are necessary to prevent starvation, but this number
will be revealed only after the hunt is over. In addition, the rodents must be
evenly distributed among family members. When hunting, you may carry only
one M&M at a time on the fork. If you drop the M&M, you must get another.

3. After the hunt is over, data must be collected and recorded in Table I (one per family).
Information to be written down includes the total amount of rodents eaten by each family
member, as well as the colors eaten by each.

4. Data from all the different families is next collected and entered into Tables 11 and III.
From this information, you will be able to compute the survival rates for the owl
population. To determine the rate of survival, divide the number of surviving owls by the
original number of owls in each family.

DATA ANALYSIS:
Using the data collected on Tables I, II and III, answer the following questions.
Rodent Population:

1. How many rodents did the owls eat?

2. How many rodents survived predation?

104

Owl Population:
1. How large was the initial owl population?

 

2. How many owls were killed by starvation?

 

3. How many owls were killed by contamination?

4. How many owls survived?

 

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS:
1. Did the number of adults in the family influence the number of fledglings that survived? What

evidence do you have to support your answer?

2. Did the owl with the broken claw provide for its family as well as the owls without this
condition? What is the evidence to support your conclusion?

3. Did the number of fledglings in each family influence the survival rate in the family? What
evidence would support this answer?

4. If we had played his game with only 100 rodents, would this have influenced the outcome?
Explain your answer.

5. In the natural environment, the number of rodents and owls in a given area stays relatively the
same from generation to generation instead of "dying out." Explain why this happens.

6. How do humans and their activities influence the populations of owls?

‘7. A beetle enters the forest where the owls are nesting. The beetle carries a firngus that destroys
the trees where the owls build their nests. Predict how this event may influence the populations
of the owls and rodents in this area.

105

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106

Traveling to the Biomes

You are travel agents that are trying to sell your vacations. Your job is to create a
poster in the format of a travel brochure for an adventuresome trip to a
particular biome! For example, you can search for bears and moose in the cold
tundra or go on safari in the savanna! Remember you are trying to persuade
your audience that these are the places they have to go for a good time, so be
colorful and creative! ‘

 

You will be assigned one of the following biomes (circle yours):

Tundra Coniferous Forest (Taiga)
Deciduous Forest Tropical Rainforest
Desert Savanna

Prairie (Temperate Grassland) Chaparral (Scrub Forest)

Your poster must include the following:

1. Pictures that clearly show what the biome looks like.

2. Description of the climate and give recommendations on what to pack on their
trip.

3. Provide a Climatogram for the biome (on a separate sheet of graph, attached to
the poster).

4. Based on the Climatogram, recommend the best time of the year for your
customer to go and explain.

5. Name a National Park that the customer can go to so that they can explore the
biome. Give the location of the national park and provide a map so that they
can see its location.

6. Provide a list and brief description of at least 5 different activities offered at the
national park.

7. Name at least 5 unique animals they might see in the biome.

8. Name at least 5 kinds of vegetation they might get to see while traveling in the
biome.

9. Provide any other information that a traveler should know when they are
going to this particular region. (language difference, potential dangers, etc.)

10. A title for the biome vacation and clearly marked sections of the brochure.

”Check each thing of when you have completed each task for the poster. **

Ms. K., where can I find all this information??? Excellent question...

1. Basic information on each biome: textbook pp. 710-722, Biome coloring sheet,
and this excellent website -> http:/ /www.mbgnet.net/

2. Pictures of my biome and its animals / vegetation: you may print pictures off
the intemet, cut them out of magazines (ask first!), use clip art, or draw them
and then paste them on if you are artistically inclined! ©

107

 

3. Descriptions of the climate and what to pack: online is probably the quickest-
try the DNR and National Parks Services

4. For all your National Parks needs: try this website with A LOT of information
about US. National Parks-)
http: / / gorp.away.com / gorp / resource / us_national_park / main.htm, or try
Googling ”National Parks” if your biome is not in the United States

5. To get the data for your Climatogram: go to this link-9
httpz//www.worldc1imate.com/, and type in a city within your biome. Click
on ”Average rainfall” for the precipitation and ”24-hour Average
Temperature” for that part of your graph.

When is all this due? ,

1. The posters are due within the first ten minutes of class on Friday, October 27, i
2006. You will be working on them with your small group all week and
NOTHING leaves the classroom so that all the posters will be turned in on
time, finished or not! (I’m hoping for finished ©.) .

2. Posters/ brochures will be set up at each lab station where students can browse
them and take notes on important information. ALL students are responsible
for the major things on your ”Biome Project Notes Sheet” for the quiz on
Monday over ALL the biomes, so do a good job taking notes!!

 

Grading...

Overall Poster Worthiness 9

Neatness and Legibility (large print) .................................. 5 pts.

Logic (makes sense, information is relevant to audience) ...... 5 pts.

Creativity (use of color, nice pictures, definite effort) ............ 5 pts.
Spelling and Grammar ................................................... 5 pts.
Total Poster Worthiness ................................................. 20 pts.
Required Con tent 9

Picture of biome ........................................................... 5 pts.

Description and recommendations for packing .................. 5 pts.
Climatogram and recommended time for visit .................. 10 pts.
National Park location, map, and activities ........................ 10 pts.
Five unique animals and five possible types of vegetation .....5 pts.
Title for vacation and easy to find / marked sections ............ 5 pts.

Extra information, pictures, etc ....................................... 5 pts.

Total Content ............................................................. 45 pts.

GRAND TOTAL ...... 65 points

108

Biome Project Notes Sheet

 

1. Tundra

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

2. Coniferous Forest (Taiga)

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Descn'ption

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

3. Deciduous Forest

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

4. Tropical Rainforest

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

 

National Park
and its location

 

 

109

 

 

 

5. Desert

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

6.Savanna

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

7. Prairie

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

National Park
and its location

 

8. Chaparral

 

General
Location

 

Climate
Description

 

Animals

 

Plants

 

 

National Park
and its location

 

 

110

 

Climatogram!

1. Use the following information to plot a climatogram on the graph provided below.

 

J F M A M J J A S O N D

 

T ,25.6 25.6 24.4 25.0 24.4 23.3 :23.3 24.4 24.4 25.0 25.6 25.6

 

 

P 25.82 24.9 31.0 16.5 25.4 18.8 16.8 11.7 22.1 18.3 21.31292

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cm celsius
36 36
34 32
32 28
30 24
28 20
26 16
24 12
22 8
20 4
18 0
16 .4
14 -8
12 -12
10 -16
8 -20
6 -24
4 -28
2 ~32
0 -36

 

JFMAMJJASOND

* *Now that you know how, find climate data for your biome and
construct a climatogram for your project! it: *

111

 

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113

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