HS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
- Life
Growing up mammal
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article “Here come the (bigger) mammals.”
- Life
Do not disturb
Students will explore the immediate and long-term effects of specific environmental disturbances, including how energy enters or leaves an ecosystem, how the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the ecosystem change and how organisms evolve under the new conditions.
- Life
Stories in rock
In this activity, students will research important fossil sites across the world and synthesize what they find into a story to present to the class.
- Earth
Unbalancing the carbon cycle
This activity covers where carbon is stored in the Earth, how carbon moves through Earth’s various spheres and how humans are impacting that carbon flow.
- Earth
Career share and compare
These discussion prompts encourage students to discuss and compare the work and background of two SN 10 scientists to explore the varied paths to becoming a successful researcher.
- Health & Medicine
Your nose is running
Students will practice making predictions and drawing conclusions. The activity will help students understand how infections spread, especially among organisms living in close proximity.
- Earth
Dissect a scientific argument
These discussion prompts ask students to evaluate a scientific argument using the claim, evidence, reasoning model.
- Agriculture
Step into the shoes of an insect farmer
These discussion prompts ask students to design solutions to problems insect farmers might face and think through the implementation and potential consequences of those solutions.
- Environment
Exploring insect farming
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Down on the (cricket) farm."
- Ecosystems
Web of changes
Students will think through and diagram an Arctic and local food web and will explore how ecosystem disruptions can impact the food webs.
- Environment
Battle the plankton blooms
These discussion prompts ask students to design a strategy for minimizing or mitigating the effects of Arctic phytoplankton blooms for one group of people.
- Climate
Tracking Arctic sea ice
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "The case of the Arctic's missing ice."
