Unit 4 - Organization of Life -- populations communities ecosystems and biomes)

In the last unit we looked has how life on earth is classified or grouped by similarities and structure and function from the simplest organisms to the most complex. In this unit we will take a close look at relationships between the organisms of the various groups and how they are further organized into populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.

SB4a. Investigate the relationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.

Assignment 1: View the video below on "Environment, Ecosystems,and Habitat" with your class. Participate in class discussion and complete the definitions of the vocabulary terms on Environment and Ecology worksheet on the as you go. Click here to view worksheet.
(Note: below you can view the video again on your own if you need to)


Watch the following video to obtain the definitions of the terms"Biotic and Abiotic."


Assignment 2: Populations -- mini-lecture. Take notes and continue to define the vocabulary words on the worksheet.

Click here to view a video version of the lecture.

Finally, watch the following video entitled "Populations - Biotic Potential."


Assignment 3: Relationships between Populations in a Community --power point lesson. View lesson together as a class. Participate in class discussion. Complete applicable sections of the Environment and Ecology worksheet as you go. Click here to see power point lesson.

Assignment 3: Ecological Succession -- power point. Take notes and participate in class discussion afterwards. Complete the Ecological Succession worksheet as you go. (Click here to view worksheet) (Click here to begin power point)

Watch this video to review the difference between Primary vs. Secondary Succession.




Assignment 4: View the two videos below entitled "Biomes - introduction" and "Biomes." Learn about the major terrestrial biomes. Fill in the appropriate information in the Biome worksheet as you go. Click here to see worksheet.





Assignment 5: Mini-lecture on the Aquatic Biomes. Take notes and fill-in new vocabulary on your Environment and Ecology Worksheet.

Watch the following video entitled "Aquatic Ecosystems" to recap what you have learned about aquatic biomes.



To help review what you have learned about biomes, click here to see a photo quiz on biomes. Your goal is to be able to identify the biome pictured on each slide by the animals, plants and climate you observe in the photograph. Be prepared to match biomes with their corresponding climate, animals, and plants in a practice exercise later in the week. Use the worksheet and photo quiz as a study guide.



Quiz: Quiz will cover what we learned about the interactions between the populations, communities, and environment within ecosystems, biomes and during ecological succession.