Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Stage 1 Identify Desired Results

Established Goals:
3.6

The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems support a diversity of plants
and animals that share limited resources. Key concepts include
a) aquatic ecosystems;
b) terrestrial ecosystems;
c) populations and communities; and
d) the human role in conserving limited resources.

What essential questions will be considered? Still strong EQs

How can the idea of interdependence of populations, communities and ecosystems be
applied to the larger world? (Application)
Why is it important to learn about ecosystems? (Explanation)

What understandings are desired? Still fine

Students will understand that
1. The students will understand that the interdependence of populations, communities and
ecosystems is not limited in just the natural environment but it transcends into our
everyday lives.
2. The students will understand that not every location in the world is the same as where
we live and that the people and animals of these different areas will have to form their
own adaptations to survive in these areas.

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this

Students willStudents
be able to
will know
Forunit,
your what
unit, what
behaviors
will ideas,
your students
For your
are thinking
the specific
facts,
vocab,do?
etc.?
(Think thinking skills, not activities.)
Ecosystem: the living and nonliving things in an environment and all their interactions
Compare
and contrast
3 of
different
(biomes).
Habitat:
the home
a livingecosystems
thing
Explain
the different
typesinof
that
live in
the different ecosystems and how t
Climate:
the pattern
of weather
a animals
place over
a long
time
adaptations
are needed plant
for plants,
animals,
and humans to survive
Soil: is made of bits of Describe
rocks andthe
humus
(humus that
is broken-down
and animal
material)
Explain
interdependence
and
why
it
is
necessary.
Desert: is an ecosystem that has a dry climate
Describe
necessary
a specific
Forest: isadaptations
an ecosystem
that hasfor
many
trees ecosystem.
Examine
a specific
ecosystem
and
defend
plants
and animals of this ecosys
Population: is a group
of the same
animals
or plants
that
live inwhy
the the
same
environment
Community: is all the living things in a certain environment
Food chain: shows how energy passes from one organism to another in an ecosystem
Producer: an organism that makes its own food
Consumer: an organism that eats other organisms
Decomposer: an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material
Food web: the connection of food chains; how all the food chains in an ecosystem are connected

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Adaptation: is a structure or behavior that helps an organismDefine

survivekey
in its
behavior
terms.
Camouflage: an adaptation that allows an organism to blend Plan
into its
surroundings
a new
ecosystem and the plants and animal
Nocturnal: an adaptation in which an animal is active during the
night interdependence
and asleep duringinthe
day
Examine
their
personal lives.
Mimicry: an adaptation in which one kind of organism looks like another kind in color or shape
Hibernate: to rest or go into a deep sleep through the cold winter
Migrate: to move from one place to another
Biome: one of Earths large ecosystems with its own kind of climate, soil, plants, and animals
Grassland: is a biome where the main kind of plant is grasses
Deciduous forest: a forest biome with many kinds of trees that lose their leaves each autumn
Tropical rain forest: these biomes are along and near the Earths equator and are hot and damp with plenty o
Desert: is a barren biome with very little rainfall
Taiga: is a cool forest biome in the upper regions of the north
Tundra: is a cold, dry biome without trees
Competition: is the struggle between organisms for food, water and other needs
Accommodation: an individual organisms response to changes in its ecosystem
Extinct: when the last of a species dies

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Ecosystem
May be a pond, a swamp, or a field
May be as small as a puddle or as big as an ocean
There are many different kinds of ecosystems on Earth; some are dry and sandy with almost no living things a
Each land ecosystem has a certain kind of climate
Some land environments have a warm and wet climate, others cold and dry; some are dry at some times and
Different ecosystems have different types of soil
Humus is broken-down plant and animal material; it contains nutrients and soaks up rainwater
Soil rich in humus holds plenty of water and nutrients for plants to use
Also differ in the types of plants and animals that they have
Grasslands are covered in grass while forests are filled with trees
Deserts
Fewer than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain fall in a desert each year
Several centimeters of rain may fall within a few days then there could be no rain at all
Temperatures vary widely between day and night
During the day heat from the Sun warms the land and air

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

After the sun sets, the temperature drops quickly

The soil is mostly sand
There is little humus to soak up rainwater
Rainwater trickles down through the sand; it goes deeper than most plants roots can reach
Few plants and animals can survive in deserts
Soil has little water and nutrients for many plants
Desert plants that do survive usually grow far apart
Most desert animals find shady spots to rest from the warm Sun
Animals hunt at night when temperatures are cooler
Jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, and cactus wrens are some common desert animals
Desert plants and animals can live with little water ex. Cactus plants store water in their thick stems and have
Often hard to find food in a desert ex. Kangaroo rat stores food in its burrow to eat later
Worlds largest is the Sahara in Africa
In the daytime, hot deserts can pass 100F and at night the air cools to around 25F
Few organisms can live in such an extreme environment
Desert plants, like the cactus and yucca are able to survive long periods with no rain
Desert animals can go for long periods with little water

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Africa
Other desert plants such as the mesquite survive by growing very long roots that reach moisture deep underg
Only a few animals can survive the heat of the day; include lizards, and other reptiles that need the Suns hea
Most animals are active at night; kangaroo rats come out when the Sun goes down and when the Sun rises ag
Small mammals include rodents, gerbils and mice
Larger ones include antelopes, gazelles and camels
Tropical Rain Forest
is hot and damp
climate helps many living things grow
has more kinds of living things than any other land environment
brightly colored birds live in trees along with mammals, insects, and reptiles
warm all year long
get twice as much rain as Hawaii and Louisiana, which are the rainiest places in the United States
soil is not very rich in nutrients
plants absorb any nutrients in the soil
supports more organisms than any other place on Earth
Scarlet macaws eat fruits and seeds that they find in trees

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Ocelots hunt at night; they eat lizards, frogs, and other small animals
Trees are so tall and leafy that almost no light reaches the ground
4 parts to a rain forest: emergent layer, canopy, understory, and the floor
Emergent layer: the highest layer and is made of the upper parts of large trees
Canopy: spreads over the forest like a huge umbrella
Understory: the layer under the canopy that is a dense layer of leaves that makes it very damp; plants such a
Floor: is the lowest part of the forest
It is so dark on the floor that few kinds of plants can grow
Forest floor is home to many insects, frogs, and mice
The understory is made of tree trunks, shrubs, and vines, leopards, jaguars, and other large mammals are fou
The canopy is thick with plant life, monkeys, bats, toucans, tree frogs, snakes, and insects
Many birds nest in the emergent layer
Impossible to travel far without crossing one of the many streams or rives that slice through it
Temperate Forests
--Deciduous Forest
found in North America, Europe, and Asia

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

bears, deer, foxes, and many other animals find homes in these forests
have different weather during different seasons
winters are cold and dry and summers are warm and wet
get enough rain for large trees to grow
get less than half as much rain as tropical rain forests
soil is rich in humus, full of nutrients and soaks up plenty of water
made up of trees that drop their leaves in winter
common trees include oaks, maples, beech, and hickory
trees have broad leaves that keep much of the Suns light from reaching the ground
when the leaves falls to the ground, they quickly decay, makes the soil very rich
the ground may be covered with flowers, ferns, and small shrubs
--Coniferous Forest
made up of pines and other conifer trees; do not drop their leaves
Grasslands
areas of flat land covered with mostly grasses
few trees grow on grasslands
animals such as bison live there
prairie dogs also live there and eat grass and live underground
foxes and snakes hunt the prairie dogs
get some but not much rainfall
a prairie is a kind of grassland that has a mild climate

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

during hot, dry summers the grasses often burn

the burning give prairies a rich soil that is good for farming
example: Great Plains
a savanna is a grassland with shrubs and few trees
it is warm all year round
savannas like the ones in Africa get more rain than prairies
savannas have less fertile soils
filled with animal life: insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, butterflies, and moths live among the wildflowe
low in the grass live toads, worms, insects, spiders, mice, prairie dogs, snakes, and other small organisms
Tundra
cold, dry biome without trees
ground is frozen all year
winters are long and icy cold
summers are short and cool
very little rain falls
plants in the tundra grow close to the ground; have shallow roots that help them get water from melting snow
plants include wildflowers, mosses, and grasses; different kinds of lichen grow on rocks
tundra animals can be large mammals such as caribou and musk oxen have an extra layer of fat
The fat keeps them warm
Many animals hibernate or go into a deep sleep for the winter
Some birds fly south to find warmer temperatures

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

The layer of permafrost, or

permanently frozen soil prevents
trees from growing
During the 6-to-9 months of
winter most tundra locations get
very little sunlight
Temperatures can drop to -94F
In the short summer it stays light
almost all day and temperatures
rise to above freezing
Because of permafrost, poor
soil and short summers, tundra
plants have shallow roots and
short growing seasons
Mosses. Lichens and some
grasses and shrubs are common
Very few animals have adapted
to living in the tundra
Caribou, polar bears, musk ok
and arctic hares and foxes make
their homes in the tundra
Relationships in Ecosystems
Life in an ecosystem is a
constant struggle; food, water
and other resources are restricted
Organisms struggle to get their
share of each resource; this fight
for limited resources is called
competition
Organisms within a population
compete with each other; ex. A
fox must compete with other
foxes to catch rabbits
Populations also compete with
each other; ex. Foxes and hawks
both eat rabbits
The survival of populations
come down to resources.
Explain the interdependence
between the plants and animals
in each of the ecosystems and
also the interdependence of
things in our everyday lives.
Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Examples: students depend on

their teachers and parents to
make sure that they are doing
what they need to do; parents
depend on the teachers to make
sure that they are teaching their
children the necessary
information and teachers depend
on the students to do what needs
to be done and the parents to
make sure that the students are
getting the necessary help and
care at home.
People depend on farmers to
grow foods for us and truck
drivers to transport these foods
to different stores.
We depend on police officers to
protect us and they depend on us
to follow the laws.

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15
References

Allaby, M. (1999). Biomes of the World: Deserts. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational.

Allaby, M. (1999). Biomes of the World: Polar Regions. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational.

Allaby, M. (1999). Biomes of the World: Temperate Forests. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational.

Allaby, M. (1999). Biomes of the World: Tropical Forests. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational.

Bell, R., Butler, M. B., Duke, N. K., Lederman, J., Moore, D. W., & Trundle, K C. (2011). Life
Science. Menasha, WI. National Geographic.

Cheshire, G. (2001). The Tropical Rainforest: Explore the natural world of the rainforest
swamplands and the interior. New York, NY. Crabtree Publishing Company.

Greenwood, E. (2001). Rain Forest: Open your eyes to a world of discovery. New York, NY, DK
Publishing.

Macmillian/McGraw-Hill. (2011). Science: A Closer Look. Columbus, OH. School Education

Group. (Grade 3)

Macmillian/McGraw-Hill. (2011). Science: A Closer Look. Columbus, OH. School Education

Group. (Grade 4)
Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name

Katie Miller

Date 5/31/15

Macmillian/McGraw-Hill. (2011). Science: A Closer Look. Columbus, OH. School Education

Group. (Grade 5)

Rothschild, D.D. (2008). Earth Matters: An Encyclopedia of Ecology. New York, NY. DK
Publishing.

Adapted from Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd.ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.