| Middle School
- "Organisms of one species form a population.
Populations of different organisms interact and form
communities. Living communities and nonliving factors
that interact with them form ecosystems."
- Biodiversity
911This is a site that talks about how ecosystems
effect everything.
- Birds
of Prey
This lesson will help students further understand
the predator/prey relationship by researching
specific examples of birds (predators) and what
they eat to survive (prey)
- Blue
Planet Biomes
Good site that covers each of the Earth's biomes.
Supplies facts about our planet, its complex patterns
of biomes, plants, and animals, and how climates
ultimately determine the biomes of our Earth.
Easy to use and understand, good for all grade
levels. .
- "Two types of organisms may interact with one
another in several ways: They may be in a producer/
consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship.
Some organisms may scavenge or decompose another.
Relationships may be competitive or mutually beneficial.
Some species have become so adapted to each other
that neither could survive without the other."
- Biodiversity
Hotspots
Outstanding!
Interactive world map of "Biodiversity Hotspots"
- 25 biological reservoirs which are threatened
such as the: Atlantic Forests, Brazilian Cerrado,
California Floristic Province, and Madagascar
and Indian Ocean Islands. Click on the map to
access general information and pictures of life
forms and geological features. Students can also
select "more information" which displays
a: (1) map and geological description, (2) "Vital
Signs" and, (3) "Ecosystem" and
"Hotspot in Depth" which provide PDF:
(a) maps, (b) lists of threatened endemic terrestrial
vertebrate species, (c) further reading, (d) glossary
and, (e) related links.
- EcoKids
Play and Learn About Wildlife
Students can select games and/or activities for:
(1) amphibians, (2) birds, (3) Eco-Field Guides,
(4) invertebrates, (5) mammals, (6) plants and,
(7) underwater creatures. Additional topics include
science and nature and energy and environmental
issues.
- Food
Chains and Food Webs
Outstanding!
This web site contains background information
and graphics regarding food chains and food webs.
Students can construct a possible food web on-line
which is printable. The "chain reaction activity"
is interactive also. Once students have placed
the objects in order the food chain becomes animated.
Finally, students are asked to remove the frog
to see how the population in a food chain affects
other populations (animated).
- Journey
North
Field observation "citizen science"
project for students. World wide study of seasonal
change and wildlife migration: (1) Caribou, (2)
Hummingbirds, (3) Manatee, (4) Monarch, (5) Robin,
(6) Whooping Crane, (7) Gray Whale and, (8) Signs
of Spring including "Tulip Garden".
Other projects include: (1) Phenology Data Exchange,
(2) "Unpave the Way for Wildlife", (3)
Weather and Migration and, (4) Symolic Migration.
Students can access current data which include
movies, calendars, maps, and can report their
sightings or ask a scientist questions.
- Population
Ecology
This site talks about the basics of symbiosis,
competition, mutualism, predator-prey relationships.
It gives examples and pictures in some of the
links.
- Teach
the Great Lakes - Non-Native Invasive Species
in the Great Lakes
Interactive site which provides maps, pictures,
and textual information on the Great Lake's ecosystem's
structure and the ecological impacts of nonindigenous
species: (1) Zebra Mussels, (2) Sea Lamprey, (3)
Spiny Water Flea, (4) Round Goby, (5) Ruffe, (6)
Rusty Crayfish, (7) purple loosestrife, (8) ballast
transport, (9) aquaculture accidental and intentional
releases and, 10) how to prevent their spread.
More information and references are also provided.
- The
Flow of Energy Through Plants and Animals
Students can investigate how energy flows
through living organisms. A description
of food chains is given and examples are visually
illustrated through hand drawn charts. A
variety of links are available on food chains,
energy flow, and photosynthesis. Unfamiliar
vocabulary words are defined at the click of a
button.
- The
Wild Habitat
This site visits four habitats (polar and
mountain regions, savanna and grasslands, tropical
rainforest, and woodland areas) and lists animals
from each. Students can learn about the
characteristics of each from physical attributes
to hunting practices. Quizzes are available
on each group of animals and illustrations of
each animal are available.
- What's
it like where you Live?
Outstanding:
This site is very user frendly. It contains the
different biomes of the world, freshwater resources,
and marine ecosystems. It also has great resources
and links to other related sites.
- "The number of organisms and populations an ecosystem
can support depends on the biotic (living) resources
available and abiotic (nonliving) factors, such as
quality of light and water, range of temperatures
and soil composition.."
- CDIAC
Global Change Data
Database of information on global atmospheric
changes. Examples of the databases include carbon
cycle, carbon monoxide, aerosols, methane, greenhouse
gases, etc.
- Energy
Flow in Ecosystems
The site has websites and activities for teacher
to use. It is a unit on Energy Through Our Lives.
- Energy
Pyramid, Phytoplankton, and Food Chain
Show how phytoplankton flow through the food chain
as a energy source. The site also has other links
for this benchmark.
- Owls:
Top of a Food Chain
This site features a lesson plan for teachers
on dissecting owl pellets, owl pictures and their
sounds. The focus of the lesson is on relationships
among food chains and energy transfer through
different levels of the food chains. Students
are reminded that energy initially comes from
the sun. Included in the lesson are worksheets,
assessment ideas, and links leading to other "bird
topics."
- Understanding
the Global Carbon Cycle
The site has information and diagrams of the carbon
cycle plus several links on carbon and land usage,
plus much more. The site is from the Woods Hole
Research Center.
- "All organisms (including humans) cause changes
in the environment where they live. Some of the changes
are harmful to the organism or other organisms, whereas
others are helpful."
- A
Forest Forever
This is an interactive webquest integrating
science, social studies and language arts. Students
will work in collaborative teams of four to decide
the fate of a newly designated national forest.
Each student will assume a different role and
write a persuasive essay for their role. Students
then as a team decide the best course of action
and create a PowerPoint slide show presentation.
Rubrics are included for evaluation of essay and
slide shows. Students are given general information
about forest ecosystems, forest products and human
impact on forests, tree rings, photosysthesis
and endangered species.
- Ecological
Succession
This site has an interactive component that
allows the reader to slide the mouse over a timeline
to see the succession graphics change over time.
- Natural
Resources, the Environment, and Ecosystems
Six topics relate to how people change
ecosystems. First, students will study effects
of climate on ecosystems using 3 activities which
consist of growing tomato plants, growing grass,
and research. The second topic is wildlife.
Students will research an animal's needs of an
ecosystem and look at the needs of local wildlife.
The third topic, integrated pest management, uses
math by providing students with a table in which
they will analyze crop yield. The fourth
topic compares soils; the fifth topic introduces
sustainable agriculture with a poster presentation
activity. The last topic is titled web of
life and provides 5 activities to show interdependence
within an ecosystem. Most activities have
discussion questions or writing prompts.
- Rainforest
Network
Colorful site that has a Kids Corner and various
other links. Describes why the rainforest is important
to the earth's environment. Good information on
the effects of pollution, hunting, etc. Includes
a quiz and updates on environmental issues worldwide.
This site is good, but not interactive.
- Sea
Grant Nonindiginous Species Site
This site can serve as a good supplement to
teacher lesson. Student can conduct a search here
or click on "Species" There they can choose from
Plant, Mollusk, Fish or Crustacean, where they
will get a picture and description of the species
and their effects on the rest of the lake ecosystem
food web. 3D movies are included on some of the
links. Teachers may use this as an example of
species that are introduced to an ecosystem (e.g.
spiny water flea) and their effects on other populations.
The fish cannot eat the spiny water flea, but
can eat regular water fleas, therefore students
can predict that the spiny water flea populations
will take over the other water fleas and thereby
decrease the predator fish population.
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