Unit Overview

In Mosa Mack’s Biodiversity unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on factors that affect biodiversity, how to identify biodiversity in an area, and how to evaluate competing design solutions that preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

• Next Generation Science Standards

  MS-LS2-3

  Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on defining the boundaries of the system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.]

  MS-LS2-4

  Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.]

  MS-LS2-5

  Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of ecosystem services could include water purification, nutrient recycling, and prevention of soil erosion. Examples of design solution constraints could include scientific, economic, and social considerations.]

• Inquiry Scale
  • Each lesson in the unit has an Inquiry Scale that provides directions on how to implement the lesson at the level that works best for you and your students.
  • “Level 1” is the most teacher-driven, and recommended for students in 4th-5th grades. “Level 4” is the most student-driven, and recommended for students in 7th-8th grades.
  • For differentiation within the same grade or class, use different inquiry levels for different groups of students who may require additional support or an extra challenge.
• Common Misconceptions
  • Learners may initially think that humans aren’t impacted by an ecosystem’s biodiversity. Emphasize that biodiversity impacts humans because all living things are connected. Our food sources and the health of our environment are two factors that can be impacted by biodiversity.
  • Students may think that predators necessarily reduce the biodiversity in an ecosystem. Emphasize that predators maintain a balance in an ecosystem, which maintains healthy biodiversity.
  • Students may believe that only animals can benefit from ecosystems. Emphasize that humans benefit from many ecosystem services, including water and air purification, erosion control, climate regulation, fuel and food sources, and medicinal benefits.
  • Students may initially think that there is only one solution to a problem. Emphasize to students that solutions often have pros and cons, and competing design solutions need to be examined closely in order to determine the right action for a given situation.
• Vocabulary
  • • Ecosystem
    • Predator
    • Population
    • Biodiversity
    • Endangered species
    • Species
• Content Expert
  • Justin Wright
    Department of Biology Duke University
• Leveled Reading

  * To give our users the most comprehensive science resource, Mosa Mack is piloting a partnership with RocketLit, a provider of leveled science articles.

  • Bringing it Back

    This article gives students an intro to important considerations when looking at human impact. We define renewal, and describe the importance of biodiversity. Students are also introduced to human cause erosion and the importance of water to the health of an ecosystem.

  
  RocketLit serves NGSS aligned reading at 7 reading levels.
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  • Webs Are Not Only For Spiders

    Food webs are much more complicated than a simple food chain, and they show the way that energy is exchanged by organisms. Since there are so many different thing connected in ecosystems, balance of each resource is very important and difficult to maintain.

  
  RocketLit serves NGSS aligned reading at 7 reading levels.
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  • Changing Ecosystems, Changing Populations

    As ecosystems change due to human influences, we're noticing the potent impacts of biuodiversity loss. In this article, we introduce students to both overfishing and the effects of a monoculture

  
  RocketLit serves NGSS aligned reading at 7 reading levels.
  Don't show me this message againGo to RocketLit