| ENVIRONMENTS MODULE MATRIX |
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CONCEPTS |
READING AND WRITING |
ASSESSMENT |
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1. |
TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS |
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• An environment is everything that surrounds
and influences an organism.
• An environmental factor is one part of an
environment. It can be living or nonliving.
• A relationship exists between environmental
factors and how well organisms grow.
• Environments change over time. |
• Setting Up a Terrarium
• Two Terrestrial Environments
• Summary: Terrestrial Environments
• Science Notebook: Students make a
terrarium map and record changes in
living and nonliving factors in a terrarium
environment over time.
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Pretest
Embedded Assessment
• Teacher observation
• Response sheet
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2. |
ISOPODS AND BEETLES |
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• Every organism has a set of preferred
environmental conditions.
• Isopods prefer moist environments; beetles
prefer dry environments.
• Isopods and beetles prefer dark environments.
• Flowering plants produce seeds to make new
plants.
• Pollination and seed dispersal are examples of
how plants depend on animals.
• Animals depend on plants for food and
shelter. |
• Isopods and Beetles
• Amazon Rain Forest Journal
• How Organisms Depend on One Another
• Summary: Isopods and Beetles
• Science Notebook: Students record initial
observations of organisms and describe
investigation designs and conclusions.
They respond to review questions on
interdependence.
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Embedded Assessment
• Response sheet
• Science Notebook sheets
• Teacher observation
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 2
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3. |
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS |
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• Aquatic environments include living and
nonliving factors.
• The interaction of organisms with one another
and with the nonliving environment is an
ecosystem.
• Organisms interact in feeding relationships
in ecosystems. Producers (plants) make their
own food; consumers eat plants and animals.
Decomposers eat dead plants and animals and
recycle the raw materials.
• Organisms may compete for resources. |
• Freshwater Environments
• What Is an Ecosystem?
• Food Chains and Food Webs
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Summary: Aquatic Environments
• Science Notebook: Students record aquarium
observations and list living and nonliving
environmental components. They describe
food chains and food webs.
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Embedded Assessment
• Teacher observation
• Response sheet
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 3
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4. |
BRINE SHRIMP HATCHING |
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• Brine shrimp eggs can hatch in a range
of salt concentrations, but more hatch
in environments with optimum salt
concentration.
• Organisms interact in feeding relationships
in ecosystems. Producers (plants) make their
own food; consumers eat plants and animals.
Decomposers eat dead plants and animals
and recycle the raw materials.
• Most microorganisms do not cause disease,
and many are beneficial. |
• Brine Shrimp
• The Mono Lake Story
• Microorganisms
• Summary: Brine Shrimp Hatching
• Science Notebook: Students write
predictions about what will happen in
each of the experimental brine shrimp
hatcheries. They graph and interpret
results of hatching experiments. They
describe food chains and food webs. |
Embedded Assessment
• Teacher observation
• Science Notebook sheet
• Response sheet
• Performance assessment
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 4
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5. |
RANGE OF TOLERANCE |
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• Every organism has a range of tolerance for
each factor in its environment.
• Organisms have specific requirements
for successful growth, development, and
reproduction.
• Optimum conditions are those most
favorable to an organism. |
• Water Pollution: The Lake Erie Story
• What Happens When Ecosystems Change?
• Edward Osbourne Wilson; Rachel Carson;
Tyrone B. Hayes; Wangari Muta Maathai
• Summary: Range of Tolerance
• Science Notebook: Students keep records
of two plant experiments. At the end they
graph and interpret the results.
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Embedded Assessment
• Teacher observation
• Science Notebook sheet
• Response sheet
• Performance assessment
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 5
Posttest
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| page 5 of 8 |
