Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Grade Level:

7

Scope & Sequence:

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Goal:

For students to understand their interdependent relationship with their surrounding ecosystems and their roles as care-takers and understanding their impact on the environment.

Objective:

Students will create a relationship model that show interactions of organisms and populations of organisms are interdependent on their environmental interactions both with living factors (biotic) and non-living factors (abiotic).

Background Knowledge / Cultural Concept

  • Observe environment
  • Energy Transfer
  • Food Chain
  • Energy Pyramid
  • Food web
  • Producers
  • Consumers

Spokane Tribal Values

  • Land and environment
  • Respect
  • Relationships
  • Home
  • Community
  • Honor

Vocabulary

  • Interdependence – ntk̓ʷels
  • Energy transfer
  • Matter transfer
  • Photosynthesis
  • Autotrophs
  • Heterotrophs
  • Food web
  • Conservation
  • Energy pyramid
  • Abiotic
  • Biotic
  • Organism
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosystem
  • Biome

Lesson Plan

  • Teacher will model and teach how to make quiet observation at “Benjamin” or “Turtle” and then, in a separate trip observe interactions (60-90 mins).
  • Teacher will provide examples of Spokane and other cultural models of abiotic/biotic relationships.
  • Teacher will explore how a peoples’ culture is shaped by their environment. Ceremonies revolved around salmon; with the dams in place, Spokane’s no longer practice.
  • Teacher will have the students create a project that represents our objective using a menu of different types of models they can select from using different mediums (e.g. picture, videos, songs, clay, models, powerpoint.)

Assessment:

  • Each day – exit ticket. Written reasoning for creation of their project.
  • Day 1: ID biomes for tomorrow.
  • Day 2: Provide a list of organisms (don’t forget plants ☺).
  • Day 3: Select how you are going to represent your model.
  • Day 4: List of materials needed for model.

Enrichment:

Have student write their own “coyote” story about their project. The story must reflect a lesson for different interpretations – DO NOT state the moral/lesson.

Materials Needed:

  • Visit lakes on the reservation
  • Brian Crosley Water Resources
  • Tribal member representation

Activity:

  • Observations
  • Models
  • Project

Lesson PDF Download

Download PDF

Related Videos

Related Images

Community Resources

  • Spokane Tribal Language Representative to accompany class to Benjamin and Turtle – both times.
  • Spokane Tribal Language Representative to discuss the Tribal Values PRIOR to visiting the lake.

Lesson Assigned To:

NGSS

  • LS2.C
  • LS2.A
  • LS2.B
  • LS1.C

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4

Spokane Tribal Standards