Mesocosm Assignment, Due Tuesday, October 4, 2016

One of the 9 practicals required by IB in the syllabus is observations of a mesocosm.  For this assignment, I would like you to write a minimum of 3 solid paragraphs. 

1)  Summarize your observations, using dates, which mesocosm you are referring to, and describing plants, animals, and abiotic conditions.
2)  Suggest reasons for the changes you observed in terms of cycles occurring within the mesocosms.  You may do some minimal research as long as you cite your source(s).  
3)  Do you think the mesocosm has reached a stable state?  Why or why not?  What do you expect to see happen over time?


You'll need to add this class again for turnitin.com, as last year's class has expired. 

New class ID:  13644222
Password:  mesocosm

Here's a link to a video I took of 2 of the mesocosms last week:  Class Mesocosms in action

Turnitin.com information for this school year!

The class ID:  13644222
Password:  mesocosm

You will need this to turn in SPARK lectures and the Mesocosm assignment I will give you next week.  You need to add a new class every year.

Dichotomous Key Assignment due next Wednesday, 9/28.

• Can be done by yourself or with one other person
• Make a dichotomous key to separate out 10 items of your choice
• Clear pictures of each should be provided, either on a sheet of paper or on a single-screen of a laptop
• A clear dichotomous key separating the items should be provided.  Check to make sure that it makes sense and it works.  Questions should be based on visible characteristics, not the student's knowledge of the item.
• Statements should attempt to divide items into categories, not just eliminating one item at a time
• See Fish Key for a complex but good example!
• You need to be able to hand it in, either as a paper copy or digital so I can try it myself.

9/19-9/30

• Tues 9/20:  Observe mesocosms.  Ecology Test.  Start Biodiversity.  Fish dichotomous key.  Read 5.3 if not already.
• Thurs 9/22:  Observe mesocosms. Finish fish dichotomous key.  Make your own dichotomous key for Wednesday.  Binomial naming system.  Classification Systems. 
• Mon 9/26:  Observe mesocosms.  Mesocosm writing assignment.  Due next Tuesday through turnitin.com. Characteristics of animals.  Animal Phyla Lab.   Read 5.4
• Wed 9/28:  Observe mesocosms.  Exchange dichotomous keys and do them.  Notes on animal phyla and Chordate classes.   Animal poster project.
• Fri 9/30:  Observe mesocosms. Natural Classification and biochemical similarities between organisms.  Hand out Animal project and get started!  It is due Monday, October 10.  Remember that your Mesocosm assignment is due on Tuesday through turnitin.com.

What's Going to Be on the Ecology Test (to be taken Tuesday, September 20)

Ecology Test: Tuesday, September 20, 2016

1. 10-15 Multiple Choice Questions
2. 5-6 short-answer questions:  topics could include drawing and labeling an energy pyramid, drawing and labeling a food web, calculating and interpreting a chi-squared test, drawing and labeling a carbon cycle that includes relevant pools and fluxes, explaining how Greenhouse gases cause warming of the Earth, describing the relationship between carbon dioxide levels and rising temperatures, etc.!
3. A data-based question related to this topic
4. A longer question on describing the problem of climate change:  some history, the science, controversy, precautionary principle and what it means, and possible mitigation and adaptation strategies

Some important vocabulary:  species, population, community, ecosystem, abiotic environment, producer, consumer, decomposer, detritivore, saprotroph, autotroph, heterotroph, sustainability, mesocosm, trophic level, energy pyramid, carbon fixation, methanogenesis, peat, combustion, carbon flux, carbon pool, greenhouse gas,

4.4 Group Discussion Questions for Monday, 9/12

1. List the 4 most significant greenhouse gases and their main sources.
2. Describe the 2 factors that determine the impact of a gas on its warming impact.
3. Describe how greenhouse gases warm the Earth (the process).  Draw it!
4. How did scientists go about linking temperature to carbon dioxide levels?  Do you think this method is legitimate?
5. What other factors have an impact on global average temperatures (besides greenhouse gases)?
6. Describe the correlation between rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and industrialization.

Week 3

• Mon 9/12:  Observe mesocosms. Finish checking off 4.1 questions and go over.  Present 4.3 data-based questions to the class.  Video on Climate Change in politics.  Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect.  Carbon dioxide levels and temperature.  Industrialization and climate change.  4.4 data-based questions.
• Wed 9/14:  Observe mesocosms.  Share out 4.4 data-based questions.  AMS climate science websites.  The precautionary principle.  Group discussion on the ethics of climate change.  Ecology Test next Tuesday 9/18.
• Fri 9/16:  Review for Ecology Test to be taken next Tuesday.  

First Weeks of School

• Tues 8/30:  2nd year overview and reminders of class rules.  Group work with ecology concepts and types of nutrition.  Hand out Safety and Academic Honesty contracts to be turned in by next Tuesday.  Read 4.1 in text for Thursday 9/1.
• Thurs 9/1:  Go over group work questions.  In your table groups, create an illustrated food web with at least 10 organisms in it.  It should make sense as much as possible and show the direction of the flow of energy.  You do not need to put decomposers in the diagram.  Start individual bookwork questions listed on this blog.  Try to get at least to #5.  We will have more time on Tuesday for that one.  Read 4.2 in text for Tues 9/6.
• Tues 9/6:  Signed Safety and Academic Honesty contracts are due.  Go over quadrat activity and have some work time to finish the individual assignment.  Mesocosms.  Watch the Ted Talk on Biosphere 2 and make your class mesocosm in a bottle.  Make initial observations.  Energy transformations and energy pyramids.  Do DBQ on p. 216 in your notebook.  Get the work for today checked off.  Read 4.3 for Thursday.
• Thurs 9/8:  Observe the mesocosms (you may observe yours and those of other classes).  Carbon cycling.  Go through the processes involved in the carbon cycle.  At your table group make an illustrated diagram of the carbon cycle.  Make sure that you label all "pools" and all "fluxes".  Assign 4.3 data-based questions to different groups.  Read the questions, discuss at your table, and decide on answers.  Each group will then explain their questions to the larger group of the class.

Questions for Thursday, September 1

Please answer the following questions in your notebook! Each individual does this, although you can discuss some as a group.

1. Define the following terms and give examples of each:  species, population, community
2. Discuss the Galapagos tortoise activity at your table and write down whether you think the tortoises in the 3 situations represent separate species with a brief explanation why.
3. Do the data-based questions on Unexpected diets (p. 204).  Note that the number of points for question 3 is 4!! So explain it.
4. What is a quadrat?  What is it used for?  How is it used?
5. On page 209 do the Chi-squared testing data-based question.  This is done differently than we did it before, but they give an excellent example of how to do it on page 208.
6. What is an ecosystem?  Give examples of 4 different types of ecosystems.
7. What is included in the abiotic environment?  Why is it important?
8. What makes an ecosystem sustainable?
9. What is a mesocosm?  How would you go about making one?

(Data-based questions on p. 216 added on Tuesday 9/6)