Grade 9 - Ecosystem Connections

Overview: We are all interconnected; we breathe in what plants breathe out, we drink water that was once in a rain cloud, we eat food produced from plants converting the sun's energy. The connections between humans, non-humans and Earth's processes are endless. Through a series of outdoor games, activities and hands-on learning projects, students will learn the concepts of ecosystems, interdependence, biodiversity, habitat and how they can support healthy ecosystems. The learning culminates in a hands-on project of one of the following two projects to support biodiversity: building and installing bird nesting boxes or planting and tending to local plant species. 

This lesson plan is based on the longstanding Alberta Science Curriculum.

The Future Leaders program is pleased to provide the relevant course materials and instruction. 

We encourage  teachers to recreate these sessions.

Subject: Science, Unit: A - Biological Diversity

Learning Outcomes: 

• investigate and examine diversity within and among species, the importance of diversity and the various environments in which species live

• identify impacts of human action on species survival and variations within species

Key Concepts

• ecosystem

• biological diversity

• species

• habitat

• Keystone species

LESSON PLAN

Session 1 - Interdependence and Ecosystems

Game [15mins, begin in schoolyard] - Lynx and Hare 

All animals need one another to survive. Even predators and prey! Although it may seem that Snowshoe Hare species could never benefit from being eaten by the predator Lynx species, without the Lynx, the Snowshoe Hare would outstrip their food supply in no time and result in starvation. Additionally, the Lynx and other predators like Wolves and Cougars often eat the old, sick and weak prey. The healthy population is maintained thanks to strong members being able to continue breeding and creating strong populations. Species like the Lynx and Hare co-existing in a habitat are interdependent and have a ‘predator-prey’ relationship. Other interdependencies are commensalism (a bird building a nest in a tree; tree doesn’t mind and bird benefits), mutualism (like the cowbird and the bison, the bison gets free pest control and the cowbird gets nice bug snacks - and a bumpy ride!) and parasitism (like the pine beetle infesting thousands and pine trees and killing forests… only the pine beetle benefits in that relationship until the woodpeckers come along). 

Setting out one less ‘bum pad’ or place marker than there are students, there is a population pressure for survival. One student is ‘Lynx’ and is ‘it’. The other students sit on the ‘hiding places’ or bum pads and are the Snowshoe Hares. The one remaining Hare who didn’t find a hiding spot must run to any hiding place. The student occupying the hiding place must quickly get up and run to the next hiding place, bumping the next student into a run! The Lynx chases the students and if they tag someone, the Hare transforms into the Lynx and the roles reverse. Once the students have the idea of the game, begin removing hiding places or adding students as Lynx to demonstrate how populations fluctuate in response to changing pressures (i.e. increase in Hares decrease the amount of available plant food; increase in Lynx depletes their food resources)

Activity [10mins] - Gratitude Circle: 

We are all connected. We inhale what plants exhale; we eat the converted energy of the sun; the paper we use in our notebooks was once a tree growing in the forest; the calcium that helps us build our health bones was once a mineral inside these limestone mountains made of calcium carbonate; the clothing we wear may also have once been a cotton plant growing towards the sun! 

If you think of what you’ve done in the last 24 hours, what did you eat? What did you drink? Where did you sleep? What did you breathe in? Did the sunset put a smile on your face? Let’s share and celebrate together one way that the natural world helps.

Gathered in a standing circle, we will express gratitude for the natural world that makes life possible. Pass an item around the circle or ‘flying style’ at random, to provide space for each student to share gratitude for how the natural world helps them.

[Move inside]

Activity [20mins]: Web of Life 

Biological diversity is reflected in the variety of life on Earth. Earth and its environments are home to millions of species! For every one species of mammals, there are 214 species of bugs! In the Rocky Mountains alone, there are 55 mammal species and 315 recorded observations of bird species. Imagine how many bugs that would be (55 x 214 = 11,770 species of bugs!!). The connections between the plants, bugs, mammals, birds and fish are what create a strong web; the more connections, the stronger the web. There are 

• Biological diversity refers to the variety of species and ecosystems on Earth. It has three main components: ecosystem diversity, community diversity, and genetic diversity. Biological diversity also refers to the variation among and within species. 

• Different species share limited resources by having different niches. 

• Natural selection is the selection of desirable traits by the environment

Human activity affects biological diversity. 

• Extinction is the loss of a species from the entire planet. Extirpation is the loss of a species from an area of the planet. Both cause reduction of biological diversity. 

• Extinctions and extirpations (introduce Plains Bison, Wood Bison extirpation) are caused by natural events and by human activity. 

• Strategies to maintain biological diversity include restoration of habitat and re-introduction of species, and the use of seed banks and captive breeding programs.

Action Projects:

• Planting native plant species 

• Building bird boxes 

• Attending cultural restoration events such as the International Buffalo Relations Treaty 

Resources: 

Grade 9 Textbook: https://boothmountroyal.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/1/7/111747309/sia_-_unit_1_-_biological_diversity__1-84_.pdf)

Audubon Blue Bird Boxes: Bird Box Template