Blog Archives

March 26 - 30, 2017

3/25/2017

Housekeeping: You have a test this week over Sections 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3. Be sure to review the Penguin Nation activity so that you can correctly apply the terminology to different scenarios. Do not forget that you have your G4 project to complete, and after Spring Break, you will have exactly three weeks to complete it. I still have not received a schedule from Fish & Tuleen.

Content Review:
Links: Ecosystems Energy Flow Biogeochemical Cycles SeaSlugForum
Workbook Lessons: Section 4.1: Section 4.2:
Section 4.3: #128. Section 4.4: #129, #130, #131 and #132.

Mission 4.3: Carbon Cycling
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Describe the role of carbon in an ecosystem.
2. Sketch and annotate the carbon cycle.
3. Explain the role of autotrophs in the carbon cycle.
4. What is the significance of using oil and gas as fossil fuels as they relate to the carbon cycle?
5. Analyze the graph on page 212. What trends do you notice?

How do we go from living to non-living? There are several cycles that you should become familiar with: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and water, but make sure you understand in detail the steps of the carbon cycle.

Here is a lovely little interactive that you should complete. When you have finished the
interactive, screen shot your quiz score and show it to me. Below is a short video over the carbon cycle.

In your notes, sketch a diagram of the carbon cycle. Use the below image as a guide. Annotate the sketch so that you know what happens at each location.

You will complete Workbook Lesson #128 in class today, but you should complete Lessons #125-127 for homework.

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Ecology Activity: Penguin Nation

3/15/2017

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We are going to watch a series of clips from the Happy Feet movies. Watch carefully because you are going to have to (1) describe three communities, (2) determine some the biotic and abiotic factors of each community, (3) list all of the populations you see, (4) determine and describe the levels of organization, (5) describe one habitat and one niche, (6) describe the community interactions in terms of competition and predation and (7) describe the ecosystem.

You must also describe at least three separate food chains.

Some info to help you: Penguins live in Antartica. The tall penguins are Emperor penguins who live on the ice. The short ones are Adelie penguins who live on the mountains and near the coast. Elephant seals live on the southern coast far from the Adelies. Leopard seals live in the water. Skuas are the brown Antarctic birds. In Happy Feet, there was a fish shortage and the events of the movie revolves around an Emperor penguin named Mumble who can dance instead of sing. In Happy Feet 2, the Emperor homeland becomes blocked when a glacier crashes into their home. The Emperor penguins are trapped and Mumble goes for help. With HF2, we get an understanding of organism interconnectivity, starting with the plankton-munching krill.

Clip 1: Introducing the Emperor penguins.
Clip 2: Mumble encounters a leopard seal.
Clip 3: Meet the Amigos.
Clip 4: Fish fight.
Clip 5: Baby Mumble meets a skua.
Clip 6: The Krill.
Clip 7: Elephant seal rumble & opera guilt.
Clip 8: Under Pressure.

GO HERE.

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March 5 - 23, 2017

3/5/2017

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Housekeeping: So we are now in Chapter 4: Ecology. You guys are making excellent progress. As a result, we need to start discussion and planning of your G4 project. It has three phases: planning, action and evaluation. You have to agree upon a topic of your choice. The project takes 10 hours and is an integral part of the IB DP program...so it is NOT optional. This link to Biology for Life is a nice overview of expectations. I would like for you to have the G4 completed by April 30, 2017.

Content Review:
Links: Ecosystems Energy Flow Biogeochemical Cycles SeaSlugForum
Workbook Lessons: Section 4.1: Section 4.2:
Section 4.3: #128. Section 4.4: #129, #130, #131 and #132.

Ecology is the study of relationships among organisms and their interactions with their environments. The biosphere is the part of Earth that contains life. It includes the atmosphere, landmasses, bodies of water, and all locations below the surface that support life. The living factors in an environment are called biotic factors. Abiotic factors are nonliving factors. Examples include temperature, air or water currents, sunlight, soil, rainfall or available nutrients.

Mission 4.1: Species & Communities
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Define in your own words "species" and provide an example.
2. Compare and contrast methods of nutrition and list examples.
3. Define and explain the term "population."
4. Explain the term "trophic level," then draw and annotate an example of a trophic level.
5. Differentiate between biotic factors and abiotic factors.
6. Analyze the concept of nutrient cycling. What does it mean and provide an example.
7. How can an ecosystem be sustained? What has to happen?

The video below, courtesy of Beverly Biology, discusses ecological levels of organization within the biosphere. Task: You should create a T-chart to compare each level. A summary of the information can be found on page 37, but this video is far more comprehensive and detailed, and provides explanations and consequences of human effects. I strongly recommend watching it.

Interactions between organisms are important in an ecosystem. Such relationships increase the chances of survival by using the available resources in different ways. A habitat is an area where an organism lives, such as a tree. It could be one tree, or many trees, if the organism moves from tree to tree. Organisms also have niches. A niche is the role or position that an organism plays in its environment. It is how the organism meets is needs for food, shelter and reproduction. A niche is usually described in terms of living conditions. For example, an oak tree is a habitat, and a squirrel's niche could be as a primary consumer.

Links: PhysicalGeography BioNinja SlideShare

Mission 4.2: Where The Power Lies. Energy in an ecosystem.
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Explain why sunlight is so important and the role of photosynthesis in an ecosystem.
2. Compare and contrast food chains and food webs.
3. How does a trophic level indicate the direction of energy flow?
4. Explain the role of cellular respiration in an ecosystem.
5. Describe the direction of heat flow and loss. How is heat lost in an ecosystem? What happens to the energy?

It starts with photosynthesis, which you are familiar with. There is a lot of vocabulary in this section (4.2), and it is vocabulary you must know. I will ask you to describe and explain the energy flow of particular ecosystems. Practice drawing energy pyramids. You may be asked to construct one.

Let's go here and summarize what we know about species, communities, and energy flow. Links: Biology Discussion Ecological Pyramid

Question: Why is so much energy lost as we move up a trophic level?
Here is an interactive that models an ecosystem. Play around with it and describe your results. You should also be able to define and explain the difference between food webs and food chains.

To prepare for your quiz, I would start with the following: Textbook, page 227: #1 - 3, 5 & 6.

Mission 4.3: Carbon Cycling
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Describe the role of carbon in an ecosystem.
2. Sketch and annotate the carbon cycle.
3. Explain the role of autotrophs in the carbon cycle.
4. What is the significance of using oil and gas as fossil fuels as they relate to the carbon cycle?
5. Analyze the graph on page 212. What trends do you notice?

How do we go from living to non-living? There are several cycles that you should become familiar with: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and water, so make sure you understand all of them.

Bozeman Science has a lovely video over biogeochemical cycles. He begins with an explanation of the elements necessary for life: CHONPS. Be sure you know the role of each and every element.

How do we go from living to non-living? There are several cycles that you should become familiar with: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and water. You will be asked to do a short presentation on one of these cycles (I will choose), so make sure you understand all of them.

Links: The Carbon Cycle

This is a link to VisionLearning. It goes into depth about carbon cycling and distinguishes between the geological and biological carbon cycling.

What you should be able to produce after learning the first three sections: A chart, poster, webpage or some other visual aid that shows the interconnectivity of communities within an ecosystem, including energy cycles, food chains and food webs. I do not want a powerpoint that regurgitates information from the textbook. In addition to the carbon cycle, you will want to include the water cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the oxygen cycle. There is a lot of vocabulary that you need to understand before you produce your visual aid. The expectation is that you can place each type of organism and each community in its appropriate place and given role within the ecosystem. There are ways that you can make this interactive or digital.

Mission 4.4: Climate Change
You should be able to:
1. Define "greenhouse effect."
2. Describe and explain the roles of carbon dioxide production and water vapor in the greenhouse effect.
3. Explain how different gases have different impacts on the greenhouse effect. List the gases.
4. How do greenhouse gases affect atmospheric heating?
5. What is climate change? How do greenhouse gases affect it?
6. What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on Earth's atmosphere?
7. What are the threats to coral reefs?

Links: Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases

What you should be able to produce after this section: In the US, there is a huge "debate" on whether climate change actually exists. I would like for you to create an argument for both sides of the "debate." Why are the pro-climate changers so adamant about climate change happening and what is the evidence that they have to back up their argument? Why do the anti-climate changers believe so strongly that climate change does not exist and what evidence do they have to back it up?

I would like for you to partner up (TWO PEOPLE) and make a short 8-10 minute presentation and present both sides of the argument and include documentation of the evidence. Evaluate the evidence. Is it good, is it bad, is it strong, is it weak? Do you think it is convincing? Why or why not? Then you will provide your own opinion on climate change and back up your claim with your own evidence derived from the research.

You will do your presentations _______________________. **If you would rather make a short video of your presentation (your face does not have to be shown) instead of presenting live, that's fine. Create the video in QuickTime and send it to me by the scheduled due date.

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G11 SL IB Biology

March 26 - 30, 2017

Ecology Activity: Penguin Nation

March 5 - 23, 2017

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