August 22 + 23 

Independent Station Expectations 

You are to work ​silently​ and ​independently​ for the duration of the rotation. If you have a 
question, raise your hand so Ms. Chavez can assist you. ​Do not ask your neighbors​. 
 
If Ms. Chavez cannot promptly assist you, move on to another part of the assignment, 
leaving room for what is confusing. 
 
Use this ​Google Timer​ to time yourself for each section.​ ​Make sure to turn the sound off. 
 
Whatever work you do not get done today will become homework.  
 

Part 1 - Finish Work​ ​(15 min) 

Finish your work from last class the instruction sheet from last class 8/20 + 8/21. This 
includes:  
● Keystone species video and questions  
● Biomes reading and quiz - when you are done with your annotations raise your 
hand and have Ms. Chavez check them so you can receive credit. ​ ​SPOT CHECK 

Part 2 - Deforestation in the Amazon​ ​(20 min) 

1. On the ​right side​ of your notebook, write “​VOCABULARY​.” Write down the 
vocabulary word and definition below in ​black pen​.  
a. Deforestation​: the action of clearing a wide area of trees 
2. On the ​right side​ of your notebook, 
write “​DEFORESTATION DATA​.” Paste 
the image to the right (Figure 1) into the 
right side of your notebook, then create 
an “​I see, It means​” chart like we made 
last class (in​ blue ink​). Perform an “I see, 
It means” analysis, like we went over 
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last class, in ​black pen​. You should have ​at least 5 observations​ on the “I see” side 
of your t-chart.  
3. Paste Figures 2 + 3​ into the ​right side​ of your notebook as well. (Figure two is 
showing the amount of tree cover in the Amazon) 
4. Make a second “I see, It means” t-chart in ​blue ink​. Use the chart to analyze Figures 
2 + 3, fill out the chart using ​black pen​. You 
should have ​at least 3 observations​ (​total​, 
not 3 for each figure)​ on the “I see” (left) side 
of your t-chart. 
5. On the​ left side​ of your notebook, write 
“​DEFORESTATION REFLECTIONS​.”  
6. Under this title, copy the following prompt 
in ​blue pen​. ​Describe what is happening in 
the Amazonian tropical rainforest.  
7. Respond to the prompt in​ black pen​. Here 
are some sentence starters you can use if you would like: 
a. The Amazon rainforest is… 
b. Figure _____ shows…  
c. This is happening because… 
 

Part 3 - Finish “Farming on Mars?”​ ​(10 min) 

When you are done with the other assignments for today, finish the “Farming on Mars?” 
article assignment from last week. 
 

Part 4 - If you are done early​ (​ 10 min) 

Read the article by CNN “​A scientific breakthrough at the Florida Aquarium could save 
America's 'Great Barrier Reef​.” The article is from August 21, 2019 (this Wednesday) and 
discusses how scientists are trying to counter the loss of coral. A printed copy is available 
in the center of your desk, but you can also just read the article below. 
 
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After reading, respond to the prompts that follow in your notebook.  

 
A scientific breakthrough at the Florida Aquarium could save America's 'Great 
Barrier Reef 
By Lauren M. Johnson, CNN 
Updated 10:40 AM ET, Wed August 21, 2019 
 
The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida, says they've made scientific history as a group of 
coral has successfully reproduced two days in a row for the first time in a lab setting. 
 
The milestone could have broad implications for "America's Barrier Reef," which is the 
third largest coral reef in the world and is found just off the coast of the Florida Keys. 
The successful result is part of what the aquarium calls "Project Coral" -- a program 
designed in part with the goal of ultimately repopulating the Florida Reef Tract. The 
project works in partnership with London's Horniman Museum and Gardens to create 
coral spawn, or large egg deposits, in a lab. 
 
"It's pure excitement to be the first to achieve a breakthrough in the world," CEO of the 
Florida Aquarium Roger Germann told CNN. "Our team of experts cracked the code...that 
gives hope to coral in the Florida Reef Tract and to coral in the Caribbean and Atlantic 
Oceans." 
 
Generating a spawn has never been done for corals native to the Atlantic, so the system 
was set up to see if it could work. According to Germann, many coral experts even 
doubted that the aquarium's efforts would produce successful results. 
 
The team started working on the research which initially began in 2014 with the Staghorn 
coral, but then the focus shifted to pillar coral because of a disease that has been 
devastating to the Florida Reef Tract. Pillar coral are now classified as almost extinct since 
the remaining male and female clusters are too far apart to reproduce. 
 
"It's quite possible that we just had our last wild spawning of pillar coral this year due to 
the Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease," the aquarium's coral expert Keri O'Neill said. "But 
with the success of this project, as a scientist, I now know that every year for the 
foreseeable future we can spawn Florida pillar corals in the laboratory and continue our 
work trying to rebuild the population." 
 
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According to the aquarium, the coral greenhouses use advanced LED technology and 
computer-control systems to mimic the natural environment of the coral to subtly signal 
the corals to reproduce. 
 
The spawning now shows that genetic diversity and resilience are possible, and it will help 
keep the ecosystems, as well as Florida's tourist economy, in tact. 
 
"Now there really is hope ... I think we can save it," Germann added. 
 
The next steps are to continue the project and build more greenhouses so the aquarium 
and scientists on the project can work to build a better ecosystem for all wildlife. 
 
"We're going to ramp it up. We aren't going to rest. We want to see a diverse coral reef," 
Germann said. 
 
Prompts 
On the ​left side​ of your notebook, write “​CORAL ARTICLE​.” The copy the prompts below 
in ​blue ink​ and write your responses in ​black ink​. 
1. What is the main idea of the article? 
Your response 
2. Why is this breakthrough necessary? 
Your response 
3. What is one question that you had while reading the article? 
Your response 
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