Teacher Corner | interdependence

Enduring Understandings:

Organisms survive in environments where their needs are met.
All living organisms and ecosystems on Earth have interconnections and are interdependent.
Symbiotic relationships exist among organismsin an ecosystem.
The continuing diversity of living things on Earth (biodiversity) is dependent on the nature of the environmental condition of the planet.
The uninterrupted flow of matter and energy through the physical environment is necessary to support the diversity of life.
Human beings have both positive and negative effects on environmental conditions.
Changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful.

Essential Question(s):

What is the nature of diversity in living things?
How do organisms “fit” together in an ecosystem?
How do the organisms in any ecosystem interact with each other?
How do human activities impact the diversity of life?
How do changes in the environmental conditions affect the survival of organisms?
How is the function of any system dependent on each of its parts?
How do organisms depend on each other?
What do organisms need to be successful?
How do decomposers influence the flow of energy?

Standards:

NGSS

MS-LS1-7. Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

CCSS

ELA/Literacy

RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
RI.8.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline content.
WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Mathematics

MP.4 Model with mathematics.
6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems.
6.SP.B.5 Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context.
6.EE.C.9 Use variables to represent two quantities in a real-world problem that change in relationship to one another; write an equation to express one quantity, thought of as the dependent variable, in terms of the other quantity, thought of as the independent variable. Analyze the relationship between the dependent and independent variables using graphs and tables, and relate these to the equation.