FRESHWATER

BIOMES
WEEK OF MARCH 26TH – 30TH
7TH GRADE 
 MONDAY MARCH 26
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION WORK SESSION
 How are food  GPB Videos of Georgia
chains and food freshwater ecosystems
webs related?  Start graphic organizer
on Georgia’s freshwater
ecosystems
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 What are the physical  3-2-1
features of Georgia?
GPB- TOUR
OF
GEORGIA’S
FRESHWAT
ER
ECOSYSTE
MS
 LENTIC: SLOW MOVING
WATER
LAKES
Allatoona

Lanier
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LENTIC ECOSYSTEMS

• A BODY OF STANDING WATER (EXAMPLE: PONDS,

SEASONAL POOLS, MARSHES, AND LAKES.)
• DEEPER WATERS, SUCH AS LAKES, MAY HAVE
LAYERS OF ECOSYSTEMS, INFLUENCED BY LIGHT
• PONDS HAVE MORE LIGHT PENETRATION AND
CAN SUPPORT MORE PLANT LIFE
 LOTIC: FASTER MOVING WATER
STREAMS AND RIVERS
Savannah

hattahoochee
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LOTIC ECOSYSTEMS
• A LOTIC ECOSYSTEM CAN BE ANY KIND OF MOVING WATER (EX:
CREEK, BROOK, RIVER, SPRING, CHANNEL OR STREAM.)
• THE WATER IN A LOTIC ECOSYSTEM, FROM SOURCE (WHERE THE
WATER COMES FROM) TO MOUTH, MUST HAVE:
• ATMOSPHERIC GASES (OXYGEN)
• TURBIDITY
• GRADUAL TEMPERATURE CHANGERS
• MATERIAL DISSOLVED IN IT

• LOTIC ECOSYSTEMS HAVE TWO MAIN ZONES:

• RAPIDS: WHERE THE WATER IS FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BOTTOM CLEAR
OF MATERIALS
• POOLS: DEEPER AREAS OF WATER WHERE THE CURRENTS ARE SLOWER AND
SILT BUILDS UP.
WETLANDS AND SWAMPS
 CHARACTERISTICS OF WETLANDS
• WETLANDS ARE THE LINK BETWEEN LAND AND WATER
• COMMON NAMES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF WETLANDS ARE SWAMP, MARSH AND BOG
• DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF WETLAND, IT MAY BE FILLED MOSTLY WITH TREES,
GRASSES, SHRUBS OR MOSS
• TO BE CALLED A WETLAND, AN AREA MUST BE FILLED OR SOAKED WITH WATER AT
LEAST PART OF THE YEAR. SOME WETLANDS ARE ACTUALLY DRY AT CERTAIN TIMES OF
THE YEAR!
• WETLANDS HAVE MANY IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS THAT BENEFIT PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE:
• PROVIDE HABITAT FOR A WIDE VARIETY AND NUMBER OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS.
• FILTER, CLEAN AND STORE WATER - IN OTHER WORDS, ACTING LIKE KIDNEYS FOR OTHER ECOSYSTEMS!

• WETLANDS ALSO ACT LIKE SPONGES BY HOLDING FLOOD WATERS AND KEEPING RIVERS AT
NORMAL LEVELS. WETLANDS FILTER AND PURIFY WATER AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE WETLAND
SYSTEM. PLANTS FOUND IN WETLANDS HELP CONTROL WATER EROSION.
 TUESDAY MARCH 27TH
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION WORK SESSION
 How do the  Finish graphic
freshwater organizer
ecosystems vary?  Research biotic
factors in each
freshwater
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 iRespond Questions  Connect Four
LOG IN TO IRESPOND AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
3. WHAT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF
1. WHAT DOES THE TERM WETLANDS?
“LOTIC” MEAN? a. AN AREA THAT MUST BE FILLED
a. STANDING WATER OR SOAKED WITH WATER AT
b. MOVING WATER LEAST PART OF THE YEAR
c. FRESHWATER b. CONTAINS PLANTS AND
ANIMALS
d. SALT WATER
c. HAS A DEPTH OF 4 FEET
2. WHAT DOES THE TERM 4. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE
LENTIC MEAN? d. ONLY WETLAND
LARGEST FOUND IN GEORGIA
IN THE
a. STANDING WATER UNITED STATES?
b. MOVING WATER a. THE EVERGLADES
b. OKEFENOKEE SWAMP
c. FRESHWATER
c. ATCHAFALAYA BASIN
d. SALT WATER
d. THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP
 PLANTS RESEARCH!
• RESEARCH 9 PLANTS THAT CALL
THE FRESHWATERS OF GEORGIA
HOME
• YOU SHOULD HAVE 9 TOTAL- 3
FOR EACH SYSTEM
• INCLUDE NAME AND
DESCRIPTION
• EXAMPLE: CHARA
(MUSKGRASS)- FOUL, MUSTY
ODOR. GREY-GREEN BRANCHED
ALGAE WITH NO FLOWERS
ANIMALS
• RESEARCH 9 ANIMALS THAT CALL
THE FRESHWATERS OF GEORGIA
HOME
• YOU SHOULD HAVE 9 TOTAL- 3
FOR EACH SYSTEM
• INCLUDE NAME AND DESCRIPTION
• EXAMPLE: ATLANTIC STURGEON-
GROW OVER 8 FEET LONG.
BROWN, TAN, OR BLUISH-BLACK
BODY. NO SCALES, BUT 5 ROWS
OF BONY PLATES
 WEDNESDAY MARCH 28
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION WORK SESSION
 How do the  Finish research
freshwater  Map the freshwater
ecosystems vary? ecosystems of
Georgia
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 iRespond Questions  Letter to an absent
student
1. WHICH OF THE
LOG IN TO IRESPOND
FOLLOWING AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
IS A NATIVE 3. WHAT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF
GEORGIA WETLAND A RIVER?
ANIMAL?

2. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING

IS A NATIVE GEORGIA 4. WHAT IS A CHARACTERISTIC
FRESHWATER PLANT? OF A LAKE?
AREAS
OF
GEORGI
A
 RIVERS IN GEORGIA
Chattahoochee

Savannah
LAKE
S IN
GEOR
GIA
 THURSDAY MARCH 29
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION WORK SESSION
 How do freshwater  Tourism brochure
ecosystems vary?

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 What makes something  10 Word Summary
a “tourist
attraction”?
 MAJOR
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS
IN GEORGIA
 • OBJECTIVE: YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO CREATE A TRAVEL BROCHURE
FOR TOURISTS TO HELP DECIDE A FUTURE VISIT TO AN ECOSYSTEM
OF YOUR CHOICE. 
• REQUIREMENTS:
• YOU SHOULD USE AT LEAST AN 8 ½ X 11 INCH SHEET OF PAPER THAT WILL BE
FOLDED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
• YOUR INFORMATION MUST BE ACCURATE AND CURRENT. SO, YOU MUST
RESEARCH YOUR ECOSYSTEM TO FIND OUT WHAT TO PLACE ON YOUR
BROCHURE.
TOURISM• YOUR BROCHURE HAS SIX SECTIONS WHEN FOLDED. BELOW IS WHAT YOU ARE
POSTER- REQUIRED TO HAVE IN EACH SECTION:
• COVER PAGE – TELL US WHAT AREA YOU RESEARCHED.
UIDELINES AND INCLUDE A COLORED MAP
REQUIREMENTS OF WHERE IT IS FOUND
• PLANTS – INCLUDE A SECTION THAT DESCRIBES AT LEAST THREE THE MOST
COMMON PLANTS THAT INHABIT YOUR ECOSYSTEM AND INCLUDE OF PICTURE OF
THE PLANTS THAT YOU CHOSE.
• ANIMALS – INCLUDE A SECTION THAT DESCRIBES AT LEAST THREE OF THE MOST
COMMON ANIMALS THAT INHABIT YOUR ECOSYSTEM AND INCLUDE A PICTURE OF
THE ANIMALS THAT YOU CHOSE.
• ABIOTIC FACTORS – INCLUDE A SECTION THAT DESCRIBES TWO ABIOTIC FACTORS IN
 CONCLUSION QUESTIONS- IN COMPLETE SENTENCES
(PLACE ON THE LAST SECTION OF YOUR BROCHURE)

A. HUMANS HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE WORLD.

DESCRIBE THE
IMPACT HUMANS HAVE ON YOUR FRESHWATER
ECOSYSTEM. THIS MAY BE NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE.
B. HOW DO PLANTS CREATE ENERGY FOR YOUR
ECOSYSTEM? HOW DO PLANTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN YOUR ECOSYSTEM?
C. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE ORGANISM WITHIN
YOUR ECOSYSTEM INCREASED IN POPULATION
(INCREASED IN NUMBER)? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW
FRIDAY MARCH 30
ESSENTIAL WORK
QUESTION SESSION
 How do freshwater  Finish tourism
ecosystems vary? brochure

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