Year 9 Science Course 2 Term 4: Biological Science Text: Oxford Science 9, Helen Silvester Biological Sciences Content Descriptions Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the ; and energy flow through these systems exploring interactions between organisms such as predator/prey, parasites, competitors, pollinators and disease examining factors that affect population sizes such as seasonal changes, destruction of habitats, introduced species considering how energy flows into and out of an ecosystem via the pathways of food webs, and how it must be replaced to maintain the sustainability of the system investigating how ecosystems change as a result of events such as bushfires, drought and flooding Wk Topic Content Activities Experiments and Practicals Assessment and Homework 1 Components of Ecosystems Define ecology, ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, habitat, population and community Define the different levels of organisation of living things Explain the difference between the biosphere and the biome Describe an ecosystem as the interaction between the abiotic conditions and the biotic community Explore interactions between organisms such as predator/prey, parasites, competitors, pollinators and disease Provide examples of biotic factors of various ecosystem Education Perfect: Introduction to Ecosystems Ed Perfect: Components of Ecosystems Abiotic factors worksheet 2.1 Ecosystem worksheet Weblink: Vocabulary list (To be continued throughout the term) Ed Perfect: Ecology Spelling/Definitions Ed Perfect: Predator Prey dynamics (data interpretation) Ed Perfect: Analysing leaf litter prac OS9: Check Your Learning 2.1
2 Energy in Ecosystems: Define competition, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism and parasitism Describe non-symbiotic relationships, including predator prey relationships Provide examples of relationships that exhibit mutualism, commensalism and parasitism Define producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer Relate the structure of the chloroplast with its function Describe the process of photosynthesis Describe the process of respiration Explain that food webs represent the flow of energy in an ecosystem. To explain what trophic levels are. To calculate how much energy moves through trophic levels Ed Perfect: Symbiosis Ed Perfect: Energy In Ecosystems Symbiotic relationships worksheet OS9: 2.2 Relationships between organisms: worksheet Weblink: Animal Action Catalyst video OS9: 2.5 Photosynthesis worksheet OS9: 2.5 Interactive: Weblink: OS9: 2.6 Energy Flow worksheet OS9: 2.6 Interactive: OS9: Weblink: Testing a Leaf for Starch Ed Perfect: Photosynthesis and Starch OS9 Challenge 2.5: Photosynthesis Role play OS9: Check Your Learning 2.2 & 2.3 3 Changes in Ecosystems: To identify what Biodiversity is and why it is important To identify some causes of bushfires To examine the impact of bushfires on and on ecosystems To identify what a drought is To Examine adaptations of organisms to allow survival in drought conditions To identify what flooding is To identify the environmental benefits and hazards of flooding To provide examples of natural disasters and the effects can have on ecosystems and human populations Ed Perfect: Apocalypse Now (Natural disasters of 2017) Ed Perfect: Changes in Ecosystems OS9: 2.7 Effect of Natural Events worksheet OS9 Challenge 2.5: Photosynthesis Role play OS9: Challenge 2.6: Food for thought OS9: Check Your Learning 2.5 & 2.6