FALL 2023 Griffioen

Science 7 - Interactions & Ecosystems

Unit Assessment Plan

Subject: Science Topic: Interactions and Ecosystems
Grade: 7 Length: Approx. 6 weeks + 1 day
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals (GLEs):
Students will be able to…
● Investigate and describe relationships between humans and their environments, and
identify related issues and scientific questions
● Trace and interpret the flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem

● Monitor a local environment, and assess the impacts of environmental factors on the
growth, health and reproduction of organisms in that environment
● Describe the relationships among knowledge, decisions and actions in maintaining life-
supporting environments
Key Concepts: Essential Questions:
● interactions and interdependencies ● How do human activities affect
ecosystems?
● environmental monitoring
● What methods can we use to observe and
● environmental impacts
monitor changes in ecosystems, and
● producers, consumers, decomposers assess the impacts of our actions?

● nutrient cycles and energy flow

● species distribution

● succession

● endangered species

● extinction

● environmental management
Specific Learning Goals (SLEs):
Students will be able to…
● illustrate how life-supporting environments meet the needs of living things for nutrients,
energy sources, moisture, suitable habitat, and exchange of gases
● describe examples of interaction and interdependence within an ecosystem

● identify examples of human impacts on ecosystems, and investigate and analyze the link
between these impacts and the human wants and needs that give rise to them
● analyze personal and public decisions that involve consideration of environmental impacts,
and identify needs for scientific knowledge that can inform those decisions

● analyze an ecosystem to identify biotic and abiotic components, and describe interactions
among these components
● analyze ecosystems to identify producers, consumers and decomposers; and describe how
energy is supplied to and flows through a food web, by:
o describing and giving examples of energy and nutrient storage in plants and
animals
o describing how matter is recycled in an ecosystem through interactions among
plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms
o interpreting food webs, and predicting the effects of changes to any part of a web
● describe the process of cycling carbon and water through an ecosystem • identify
mechanisms by which pollutants enter and move through the environment, and can
become concentrated in some organisms

● investigate a variety of habitats, and describe and interpret distribution patterns of living
things found in those habitats
● investigate and interpret evidence of interaction and change

● identify signs of ecological succession in local ecosystems

● identify intended and unintended consequences of human activities within local and global
environments
● describe and interpret examples of scientific investigations that serve to inform
environmental decision making
● illustrate, through examples, the limits of scientific and technological knowledge in
making decisions about life-supporting environments
● analyze a local environmental issue or problem based on evidence from a variety of
sources, and identify possible actions and consequences
Prior understandings… Where does this lead?
● Basic ecological concepts (ecosystems, ● high-school biology
population, habitat, etc.)
● environmental science/policy
● Food chains and food webs
● conservation/wildlife management
● Energy Flow

● Adaptations

2
● Biodiversity

● Human impact on ecosystems

● Scientific inquiry
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Pre-Assessment(s)
● class brainstorm word cloud (mentimeter)
Formative Assessment
● basic needs activity

● ecosystem sorting activity

● meal footprint activity

● topic review

● symbiotic discovery

● meal footprint

● cycle jigsaw

● ph testing

● species investigation

● jeopardy

● ecosystem data comparison

Summative Assessment
● Unit exam

● definitions

● human impact project

● graphing

● topic review

● unit review

● indicator species charts

Other Evidence
● work samples

3
● discussion/dialogue

● observations

● group activities

4
 Griffioen/2022

Unit Topic Plan

Unit Topic: Interactions & Ecosystems Grade Level: 7 Strand: Science

GLEs:
● Investigate and describe relationships between humans and their environments, and identify related issues and scientific questions

● Trace and interpret the flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem

● Monitor a local environment, and assess the impacts of environmental factors on the growth, health and reproduction of organisms
in that environment
● Describe the relationships among knowledge, decisions and actions in maintaining life-supporting environments
SLEs:
1. illustrate how life-supporting environments meet the needs of living things for nutrients, energy sources, moisture, suitable
habitat, and exchange of gases
2. describe examples of interaction and interdependence within an ecosystem
3. identify examples of human impacts on ecosystems, and investigate and analyze the link between these impacts and the human
wants and needs that give rise to them
4. analyze personal and public decisions that involve consideration of environmental impacts, and identify needs for scientific
knowledge that can inform those decisions

5. analyze an ecosystem to identify biotic and abiotic components, and describe interactions among these components
6. analyze ecosystems to identify producers, consumers and decomposers; and describe how energy is supplied to and flows
through a food web, by:
a. describing and giving examples of energy and nutrient storage in plants and animals
b. describing how matter is recycled in an ecosystem through interactions among plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other
microorganisms
c. interpreting food webs, and predicting the effects of changes to any part of a web
7. describe the process of cycling carbon and water through an ecosystem • identify mechanisms by which pollutants enter and
move through the environment, and can become concentrated in some organisms

8. investigate a variety of habitats, and describe and interpret distribution patterns of living things found in those habitats
9. investigate and interpret evidence of interaction and change
10. identify signs of ecological succession in local ecosystems
 Griffioen/2022

11. identify intended and unintended consequences of human activities within local and global environments
12. describe and interpret examples of scientific investigations that serve to inform environmental decision making
13. illustrate, through examples, the limits of scientific and technological knowledge in making decisions about life-supporting
environments
14. analyze a local environmental issue or problem based on evidence from a variety of sources, and identify possible actions and
consequences
Materials:
● ScienceFocus 7 textbook
● worksheets
● writing utensils
● definitions worksheet
● string
● graphing paper
● poster paper
● whiteboard
● projector/smart board

Lesson Plan Ideas

Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
1 Objectives Methods/Activities/Resources Evaluation
1, 2, 5 ● Basic needs activity
● Topic 1: Interactions within ● Basic needs of living things discovery
(FA)
ecosystem activity ● definitions (SA)
● Hide the butterfly adaptation project ● ecosystem/sorting
activity (FA)
● definitions worksheet

● slideshows

● sorting adaptations

● Parts of an ecosystem

● 3 types of ecosystem interactions

Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
 Griffioen/2022

2 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation

3, 4 ● human impact
● Topic 2: Human impacts on ● Indigenous connections to land
project (SA)
ecosystems ● meal footprint
● reducing human impact partner
● Topic 3: Environmental activity (FA)
project
choices
● meal ecological footprint activity
Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
3 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
5, 6, 8, 9 ● topic review (FA)
● Topic 3 con’t ● topic review
● symbiotic discovery
● Topic 4: How organisms ● symbiotic relationship outdoor (FA)
● graphing (SA)
interact discovery ● food web posters
● graphing niche relationships (FA)

● food web/chain posters

● class food web activity

Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
4 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
7, 8, 9, 10 ● Topic 5: Cycles in the ● cycle
● cycle jigsaw
environment jigsaw/diagrams
● cycle diagrams (FA)
● Topic 6: Succession and
change in the environment ● pyramid of numbers/ biomass
Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
5 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
11, 12, 13, 14 ● ph testing (FA)
● Topic 6 con’t ● ph levels testing activity
● species investigation
● Topic 7: Environmental ● bioaccumulation (FA)
● indicator species
Monitoring
● Species investigation charts (SA)

● interpreting indicator species charts

 Griffioen/2022

● identifying species
Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
6 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
11, 12, 13, 14 ● Topic 7 con’t ● Jeopardy (FA)
● comparing ecosystem data
● Review ● comparing
● Jeopardy game ecosystem data (SA)

● Unit review worksheet

Week SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
7 Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
● exam (SA)
● Unit exam ● on paper or digital

Classroom Management and Behavior Plans

● Tips and strategies outlined in “Teaching with Love and Logic” by Jim Fay & David Funk
● Preventative teaching over intervention/defensive teaching
● Class decides on rules together

My non-negotiables
● No talking while someone else is talking
● Respect the teacher and your classmates
● Use technology appropriately
● Use equipment appropriately
● Ask questions, be curious

Team-building
● Prioritize small opportunities for students to interact with one another (daily games, group activities, sectional work)
● Create a safe space for students to explore, ask questions, and engage in lively discussion