What's going on in Mr. Solarz' Class? - Ecosystems

Legends of Learning - "Competition for Resources in Ecosystems"

4/12/2017

BIG IDEA:

In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.

Expedition: Africa:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
What is a habitat? What type of habitat would a zebra thrive in?
Why would an invasive species sometimes thrive better than a native species in a given habitat?

Discussion Questions After Playing:

How and when does competition come into play in a population?
Why was it so important to place the animals in close proximity with their natural resources?
Why would animals in a given population start to compete with each other and how does this put a strain on the gene pool?

Codex - Trial of Entropy:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

What is symbiosis?
How does it relate to how species interact in the environment?
Does competition affect a single species?

Discussion Questions After Playing:

Choose an example of competition that was in the game and explain how competition affects all the species involved.
How can predation affect a population size?
What is the difference between intraspecific competition and interspecific competition?

Rescue Woody:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

Why would a bear fight with another bear?
Why would a bear fight with a wolf?
What resources might animals fight over?

Discussion Questions After Playing:

Based on what you learning in the game, what is the difference between intra and interspecific competition?
What are some of the factors that increase competition in an ecosystem?

A Trapped Animal Photographer:

Do Not Play

Blast Through the Ecosystem:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

What are some examples of resources that living things need to survive?
Name at least two scenarios where organisms must compete for resources.

Discussion Questions After Playing:

What type of competition is it when two individuals of the same species compete for resources?
Name one example of density-dependent competition.
Name one way humans participate in interspecific competition.

Floating Spheres: Competition for Resources:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

In this game, you will answer questions about competition. Why would animals compete in the wild?
You will also answer questions on infraspecific competition. What might be an example of infraspecific competition that they could have in the game?

Discussion Questions After Playing:

In this game, you answered questions about competition. What are three type of competition from the game? Give examples they used.
Explain the difference between the intraspecific competition versus interspecific competition. What examples did they give about them in the game? What is the difference between mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism?

EcoKingdoms: Competition for Resources:

Discussion Questions Before Playing:

Define sustainable and explain why it is important.
In this game the forest is going through a drought. What is a drought and how does it affect plants, animals, and humans?
Is a park an ecosystem? Why or why not?

Discussion Questions After Playing:

Why is it important that humans, plants, and animals coexist?
In this game the lack of money caused the environment to fail. Should environmentalist be more concerned with funding or saving wildlife?
What are three ways to conserve water during a drought that you learned in the game?

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Legends of Learning - "Interactions in Ecosystems"

4/12/2017

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BIG IDEA:

Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.

Deep Sea Adventures:

Trap - Raid on the Quarterdeck:

Before Playing Questions:

What is the definition of a community?
What is an organism's specific role/place within an ecosystem called?
All of the biotic and abiotic factors within an environment is called what?

After Playing Questions:

In the game you played as various animals within an ocean ecosystem. Pick two of the animals and describe their niche within the environment.
As you you competed with other animals for food you may have been eaten by another animal. What is this called?
When two organisms fight over a resource, such as food or territory, what is it called?

Before Playing Questions:

Research biotic factors and then list several biotic factors.
Research abiotic factors and then list several abiotic factors.
What factors could affect the survival of a population?

After Playing Questions:

What is a niche?
What abiotic factors were discussed in the game?
What biotic factors were discussed in the game?

Kitty Kat Ecosystem Knowledge Dive:

This game is off-limits - not related to curriculum.

Ecobalance:

This game is off-limits - not related to curriculum.

Simeco:

Before Playing Questions:

What controls the population of different animals in an ecosystem?
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

After Playing Questions:

What is the makeup of a stable ecosystem?
Why is the ecosystem in the game unstable?

Lake Serenity:

Before Playing Questions:

What are abiotic factors?
What is the difference between a herbivore, carnivore and omnivore?
What do you think a fox eats?

After Playing Questions:

What factors compromised the ecosystem?
How do invasive species disrupt the food supply?
What advantage do omnivores have over herbivores and carnivores?
How was temperature both an advantage and a disadvantage to the fox population?

EcoKingdoms: Interactions

Before Playing Questions:

Which is most important: environment, wildlife, people, or money? Why?
Can there be a balance between these four issues? How?
Predict what will happen to your park if any of the levels (plant, animal, visitors, or monetary funds) get too high or low.

After Playing Questions:

Of the meters in this game, is one more important than the others? Less important? Explain.
In this game, you may have failed as a park manager your first time. Analyze what you did wrong and think about what you would have done differently. If you were successful, why do you think you were?
Real park managers around the country experience the same issues you experienced in this game. Locate a park near you and research some issues they might be experiencing. Make a list of things you can do to help.

Leap Along With Leaf:

Before Playing Questions:

In this game, you will have to answer questions about ecology. What is a living thing in an ecosystem? What is a non-living thing?
Name 3 examples of how organisms in an ecosystem might interact.
How can the extinction of one species affect other species in an ecosystem?

After Playing Questions:

What is an example of direct competition in an ecosystem?
What is the difference between intraspecific and interspecific competition?
Why is it important that humans are careful to not drastically disturb natural ecosystems?

EcoAdventure:

Before Playing Questions:

What is a niche and how is it different from a habitat?
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

After Playing Questions:

Name some biotic factors and abiotic factors you saw in the game.
Explain the different forms of symbiosis.

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Legends of Learning - "Competition for Resources in Ecosystems"

BIG IDEA:

Expedition: Africa:

Codex - Trial of Entropy:

Rescue Woody:

A Trapped Animal Photographer:

Blast Through the Ecosystem:

Floating Spheres: Competition for Resources:

EcoKingdoms: Competition for Resources:

Legends of Learning - "Interactions in Ecosystems"

BIG IDEA:

Deep Sea Adventures:

Trap - Raid on the Quarterdeck:

Kitty Kat Ecosystem Knowledge Dive:

Ecobalance:

Simeco:

Lake Serenity:

EcoKingdoms: Interactions

Leap Along With Leaf:

EcoAdventure:

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