Unit 3: Ecosystem Interactions
Essential Question
                     How and why do organisms interact with their environment and what
The “big picture”    are the effects of these interactions?
Driving Question     How can we support the local wildlife species in our area??
                      I can define a population of organisms.
Knowledge Targets     I can identify the biotic and abiotic factors that affect growth of an
                       organism and its population.
  What I need to      I can define an ecosystem.
     know             I can identify and describe examples of competition for resources
                       within an ecosystem.
                      I can identify and describe examples of predator/prey relationships
                       within an ecosystem.
                      I can identify and describe examples of special relationships among
                       organisms such as mutualism, symbiosis, and parasitism.
                      I can predict changes in organisms and populations based on
                       resource availability.
Reasoning Targets     I can describe how availability of resources affects all parts of an
                       ecosystem.
What I can do with    I can describe the similar patterns of interactions among organisms
  what I know          and populations across ecosystems.
                      I can describe how energy and matter are transferred within an
                       ecosystem.
                      I can classify organisms as producers, consumers and/or
   Skill Targets       decomposers.
                      I can analyze and interpret data to provide evidence of changes in
   What I can          organisms and populations based on resource availability.
   demonstrate
 Product Targets      I can construct an explanation that demonstrates patterns of
What I can make to     interactions among organisms and populations across multiple
show my learning       ecosystems.
                      I can develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of
                       energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
                      I can construct an argument that defends my action plan to support
                       the population of a native species.