Ecology & Plants Test

Today and tomorrow, students will take their test on ecology & plants. As the test is quite large and the final exam is looming, this material will NOT be on the final exam.

Population Dynamics Simulator

Today in class students completed a webquest examining populations dynamics in several countries. Click on the picture below to access the simulation.


An important point to remember for this activity is: The demographic transition is complete when the birthrate falls to meet the death rate and population growth stops.

Below are the directions for this activity:
1. Download the data table.
2. Under "Lessons" click "The demographic transition."
3. Read the background information and the questions, so you know what to answer at the end of this section.
4. Open the simulator (click the icon on the top right).

We will go over all of the aspects of the simulator as a class before you begin experimenting with these tools.

Homework: Study for your test on Wednesday/Thursday! Please bring your computer to class on Tuesday so we can continue to work with the simulator.

Random Sampling

Last night, students read section 5-1 on population growth. Before scientists can measure the growth of a population over an extended period of time, they need to establish a baseline. This can be done by random sampling. Today students did a dry lab to practice random sampling.

They used data (below) on a population of sunflowers.

Homework: read sections 5.2 and 5.3. We will be doing a lab where we examine human population data, not having a lecture on these sections. We will have time at the beginning of class if you have questions on anything in the readings.

If you are able to, please bring a computer to class.

Finishing Chapter 4

Today (yesterday for G period), we will wrap up chapter 4. Please note that section 4-4 has been removed from your test next week and understanding the climate diagrams in section 4-3 has been added.

To help recap chapters 3 and 4 we played a combination review jeopardy and learning jeopardy where new material was introduced.

Below is a climate diagram for Meppen, Germany. The red line indicated temperature and the blue bars represent the amount of precipitation each month.



The months are in Roman numerals at the bottom of the diagram. I = January and XII = December.

Where's Meppen? Check out the map below (it's about an eight hour drive north of Lugano).



At the end of the day, I will email the jeopardy review to all the classes. For homework, please read section 5-1. You will not have a reading quiz, but if you are someone who benefits from taking notes, then absolutely take notes!

Section 4-2

Today we review section 4-1 on climate and moved onto section 4-2. F period was the only class to finish all the way through marine succession. Your homework, if you are not in F period is to finish reading section 4.2. Click on the linked vocab words to see the videos we didn't get to watch in class.

Biotic Factor

Ecological Succession

Abiotic Factor

Primary Succession

Habitat

Pioneer Species

Niche

Secondary Succession

Resource

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Predation

Symbiosis

Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Article Sharing & Climate Change

Today students shared their article summaries from the post below. After the articles we shared, we talked about the link between the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and temperature increase. We also learned about some of the effects of an increase in global temperature.

Click here for the climate change bathtub simulation.

Homework: Read section 4.1 and take notes for a reading quiz.

Carbon & Nitrogen Cycles

Today we recapped the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Here's your homework for Monday:

Click on your name below. Read that specific web page. Write a summary of what you read, include the title of the article. Your summary can be either in paragraph form or bullet points. If there are graphs on your webpage, be sure to look at them and read the captions!

D period:
Natalia
Alberto
Faye
Victoria
Heidi
Bogdan
Alfredo
Claudia
Nabila

F period:
Viktor
Phil
Rodrigo
Karl
Caro
Carla
Asela
Georgy
Njani

G period:
Edis
Fernanda
Anderson
Margarita
Lucianna
Otto
Vincent
Nick
Andrea
Layla