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Independent and Dependent Variables - identify the independent variable, dependent variable, experimental and control groups in three studies [not interactive]
Develop a visual aid to illustrate the major characteristics of the six kingdoms. 1.1
Use a dichotomous key to identify at least five species found in a local ecosystem. 1.2
Distinguish among primary, secondary and tertiary consumers. 1.3
Distinguish among herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. 1.4
Distinguish between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis and describe organisms that occupy these niches in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. 1.5
Investigate animal behavior by observing common invertebrates: termites, isopods, mealworms or bess beetles. 1.6
Using simple materials create a living display of photo-, hydro- and geo- tropisms. 1.7
Investigate techniques and findings of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories (ATBI) underway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Tennessee State Parks. 1.8
Explore careers in conservation biology and bioinformatics. 1.9
Define population and describe several examples of populations in different ecosystems. 2.1
Identify distribution patterns (random, uniform, clumped with groups random) and populations that exhibit each of these patterns. 2.2
Using a population of yeast, duckweed or other suitable species, design and conduct an experiment to evaluate population growth and carrying capacity. 2.3
Categorize limiting factors as density dependent or density independent, human influenced or non-human influenced, and biotic or abiotic when given scenarios. 2.4
Evaluate populations based on age structure, distribution, and density. 2.5
Draw and/or label population growth curves representing exponential growth, logistic growth and carrying capacity. 2.6
Illustrate the type of survivorship curves created by r-strategists and K-strategists. 2.7
Research case studies (Tasmanian sheep, St. Matthew’s Island reindeer, Isle Royale) to illustrate the consequences of logistic and exponential growth. 2.8
Compare case studies of evolution such as Galapagos finches, peppered moths, and salamanders in the Smoky Mountains. 2.9
Describe the difference between a fundamental niche and a realized niche. 3.1
Create a chart to compare and contrast specialist and generalist species and describe environmental conditions that favor these two approaches. 3.2
Distinguish among the following roles and cite Tennessee examples of each: native species, non-native species, invasive species, indicator species, “keystone” species. 3.3
Discuss how competition and predation regulate population size. 3.4
Summarize the principles of competitive exclusion and resource partitioning. 3.5
Distinguish among the three forms of symbiotic relationships. 3.6
Describe structural and behavioral adaptations for survival used by predators and prey. 3.7
Explain energy pyramids and the “Rule of 10” as they relate to the first and second laws of thermodynamics. 3.8
Create a food web characteristic of a Tennessee ecoregion composed of at least four trophic levels. 3.9
Trace energy flow from the sun through living organisms. 4.1
Illustrate each of the following biogeochemical cycles: water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. 4.2
Distinguish between primary and secondary biological succession. 4.3
Explore a local area and examine the abiotic and biotic factors relating to succession and ecosystem structure. 4.4
Summarize how disturbance contributes to succession and ecosystem stability. 4.5
Identify how nutrient availability affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 4.6
Design an ecosystem in the classroom (terrarium, bottle biology, eco-column, etc.) for making observations, conducting experiments and long-term monitoring. 4.7
Create a concept map relating the events that lead to the parachuting of cats on Borneo by the World Health Organization. 4.8
Illustrate how temperature, precipitation, latitude, and altitude influence terrestrial biomes. 5.1
Research and create a visual to summarize the climate, soil, location, plant adaptations, animal adaptations, and human threats to each of the major terrestrial biomes. 5.2
Research and create a visual to summarize abiotic factors, location, plant adaptations, animal adaptations, and human threats to marine and freshwater biomes. 5.3
Research wetlands in your area and write a persuasive letter to a public official concerning the protection of wetlands. 5.4
Compare two or more ecological equivalents and how they are specifically adapted to their particular biome (black/grizzly bears, Asian/African elephants, snowshoe/cottontail/jack rabbit). 5.5
Differentiate the purposes of State and National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Forests. 6.1
Design a vacation brochure, poster, slide show presentation or commercial advertisement that extols the virtues of a given area (e.g., state or national parks/forests) and ecotourism opportunities that may be found there. 6.2
Research and paraphrase local, national, and international environmental legislation enacted to sustain biodiversity (e.g., The Lacy Act, Endangered Species Act, National Marine Fisheries Act, TWRA Hunting and Fishing Regulations, CITES). 6.3
Develop a timeline that illustrates major local, national and international environmental legislation enacted to sustain biodiversity. 6.4
Find out what watershed your school is located in and how wastewater, municipal solid, and hazardous wastes are handled. 6.5
Research issues surrounding the adoption of environmentally and socially responsible behaviors (e.g., proper waste disposal, using fuel efficient transportation, planting native species, purchasing locally grown food, reducing/eliminating dependence on ‘one use’ products). 6.6
Create a list of the “Five Biggest Threats to the Global Environment.” 6.7
a site for teachers | 
a PowerPoint show | 
Adobe Acrobat document | 
a Word document
sound | 
video format | 
interactive lesson | 
a quiz | 
to print
