Mesocosm Assignment

One of the 7 required practicals for IB Biology is to study a mesocosm in the classroom.  

The write-up will be due in 2-3 weeks (will be finalized after I see how the mesocosms are doing) through turnitin.com and should include:

1. Detailed observations from at least 6 separate days.  Include water clarity, condition and growth of plants, types of animals, behavior of animals, condition of muck and other debris, etc. Make it clear which mesocosm goes with each observation and which day.  You can include details about the classroom conditions (temperature, light, etc) if you think they are relevant.
2. Use vocabulary from the ecology unit to try to explain what you think is happening in the mesocosms.  For example, information about cycles, energy, and types of nutrition would be appropriate.  You don't have to know exactly what is going on or know the names of the organisms, but do your best to give reasonable explanations.  If you use outside information in your explanations, state where or how you got the information.
3. Predict what you think will happen in the mesocosms, giving a reason for your predictions.

I expect that a good job on this assignment will take about 2 pages of writing, although it is the quality and ideas that count, not the quantity.

What is on the Ecology Test (next Thursday 9/27)

1. 10-15 Multiple Choice Questions
2. 4 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:  what is it, 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,

Weeks 3 and 4

• Tues 9/11:  Present carbon cycles to the class.  Start notes on climate change.  Do critter sorting and Simpson Diversity Index part of Biotic Factors worksheet (to prepare for Field Trip next Wed 9/19).  Hand out 2 Field Trip forms to get signed.  Check off 4.3 DBQ's and carbon cycle drawn in notebook.
• Thurs 9/13:  Go outside and practice using quadrats and measuring the height of trees using a measuring tape and a Clinometer.  Come back inside and complete the biotic factors worksheet and get it checked off.  Do DBQ's on pp. 233 and 234.
• Mon 9/17:  Do chemical water testing using the aquarium water in the classroom.  Go over what we will do on the Field Trip and pack and label our equipment.   With the muck that I am bringing in from Whitaker Ponds, each class will make a sealed mesocosm and each individual should make their first observation.  Finish checking off all DBQ's and go over the answers.  There will be an Ecology Test next Thursday 9/27.
• Wed 9/19:  Whitaker Ponds Field Trip!  Students going on the AM Field Trip should come to Room 214 by 8:10 am and we will get our equipment assembled and go out to the bus when we are all ready.  The bus should return to Lincoln by 11:30 am and we will return to the classroom, organize the equipment, empty the dump jars, and leave everything ready for the PM field trip.  PM field trippers should meet in Room 214 by 11:45, get your equipment set, and we will head out to the bus to leave by 12:00 pm.  The PM bus should return by 3:10 or so, and we will have time to get the equipment back to the classroom, dump out the dump jars, and clean up.
• Fri 9/21:  Reflection on the field trip.  Make sure that you have put your data into the class database.  Finish talking about climate change and review what will be on the Ecology Test next Thurs 9/27.