About this project

This project is intended for 6-8 Science. Students will gain a better understanding of energy flow in ecosystems by placing a fictional creature into an existing ecosystem. Students will reinforce concepts of predator-prey relationships, food chains vs food webs, producers vs consumers, biotic vs abiotic factors, and the relationships between climate, habitat and niches in an ecosystem. Students will create media to present to class as a story, rap or song, presentation or picture. This is intended to be a project based learning lesson, which is student paced with teacher assessment checks for each part of the project. This project is intended to take 5-7 days and can be used as a whole unit.

Middle School Science Standards Addressed in This Project

Students who demonstrate understanding can:MS-LS1-6.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of matter and flow of energy.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis.]

MS-LS1-7.

Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing that molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is released.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the chemical reactions for photosynthesis or respiration.]

MS-LS2-1.

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.]

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

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Mythic Ecosystems- Teacher Page

Name:____________________ Core:____________

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.]

One thing that sets Homo sapiens apart from other animals is our intelligence. Throughout the ages, we have used this ability to explore the imagination and tell stories, both inspiring and gruesome alike. From these stories had arisen some fascinating creatures that have been dreamt of, pondered on and described so often, some may have believed these beasts existed for real.

But let’s imagine for a moment that they are real. Like, really real. If these mythological beings were true organisms, then the same rules of nature would apply to them.

What are some things that a mythological beast might need to survive? (Think about what we have discussed about food webs and ecosystems to help you with your answer. Hint: abiotic and biotic factors that affect them).

Biotic:__________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

Abiotic:_________________________

_______________________________

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Mythic Ecosystems

The Hydra

Name:____________________ Core:____________

_______________________________

GuidelinesYou are tasked with selecting a mythological creature and then imagine what they would be like if they were part of a real ecosystem. You must follow the guidelines listed here when selecting your beast:

Can be from any mythological group (Roman, Greek, Norse, etc)

Can be from a book, a movie, a TV show, video game, whatever, but no aliens, zombies, super humans or ghosts

When you imagine your creature in the real world, they lose any magical powers they may have such as immortality, spells, etc.

Your creature must be approved by the teacher

When you have selected a creature, review the following terms and definitions. They will help you answer the preliminary questions on the next page.

An ecosystem includes all the living and nonliving things in an area. Living things include plants, animals, and other organisms. Nonliving things include soil, rocks, water, and climate.

An ecosystem also includes climate. Climate is the pattern of weather in an area. Temperature, wind, rainfall, and humidity are part of an area’s climate.

An ecosystem includes different habitats. A habitat is the place where an organism lives. The bushes in a desert are habitats for roadrunners. Rattlesnakes and desert tortoises also live in desert bush habitats.

Within an ecosystem, each type of organism has its own niche. A niche is the job or role of an organism. A niche includes the type of food an organism eats. A niche also includes the organism’s type of shelter, the predators that eat it, and the time of day it is active. For example, a rattlesnake eats rats, lizards, and birds. It lives among the low-lying bushes in a desert bush habitat. It is active at dawn and dusk. Its predator is the roadrunner. These characteristics make up the niche of the rattlesnake. Each type of organism has its own niche in an ecosystem.

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Merfolk

A Centaur

My Creature:________________________

Name:____________________ Core:____________

Answer the following questions to get you started. You must have your answers checked off by the teacher before moving on to the project.

1. What kind of habitat does your creature live in? (See the above definition for habitat to find out what things to include)

□ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the climate like in this habitat? (See the above definition for climate so you know what things to include)

□ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What niche does your creature fill? (See the above definition to find out what kinds of things your creature should do in its niche)

□ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are three different things your beast eats? (these should be real organisms)□ ________________________________________________________

5. Is your creature a predator, prey or both? □ ________________

6. Is your beast the apex predator or does it get eaten by other creatures? (they can be real or mythological predators)

□ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What abiotic factors does your creature need to survive?□ ________________________________________________________

8. Does your creature live and hunt in packs or by themselves?□ ________________________________________________________

9. What type of consumer is your creature? (what do they eat in scientific terms)□ _________________________

10. Why do you think your creature would be important in your ecosystem? □ _________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Part 1- Bringing Your Creature

to the Real World Questionnaire

Name:____________________ Core:____________

Now that you have expanded the realism of your creature, let’s put your beast in the food chain. Place your creature on the food chain below where it belongs, and any predators and/or prey along the way to your creature. REMEMBER: Producers always come first in any food chain.

_________ ____________ ___________ ___________ _________

Next, in the space below, take the food chain you made above and construct a food web from it. Do this by thinking of what other organisms can eat or be eaten by the organisms in your food chain. You already came up with 3 things your mythical creature can eat in Question 4, so you should use those organisms in your food web. This needs to include a minimum of 12 organisms.

(Helpful hint: Think about a hawk. It eats a snake, which eats a rat, which eats grass. But snakes also eat frogs, which eat grasshoppers, which also eat grass. Hawks can also eat rats)

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Mythic Food Web

Part 2- Bringing Your Creature to the Ecosystem

Name:____________________ Core:____________

Now that you have created a realistic backstory for your creature, it is now time to present your creature to the class and show us what you came up with. All presentations must describe all of the following vocab words as they relate to your creature:

□ Biotic and Abioitic□ Ecosystem□ Habitat □ Niche□ Climate□ Type of consumer (one or more of the “–vore” words)□ Predator/ prey□ Food□ Energy□ Food Web

In your presentation, you should cover all of the questions you answered in Part 1 so that we, the audience, can better understand how you imagined your creature to interact in your ecosystem. Your presentation method is your choice from one of the following options:

PowerPoint/ Prezi

You can make a PowerPoint presentation or Prezi to show off your creature. The class may not know about your mythic creature, so you should include lots of pictures and limited amounts of text. Your audience wants to hear you talk not read from the board! If you choose to do the presentation, you must follow these guidelines:

o Must be 3-5 minutes no more or lesso You must describe what your creature is and show what they look

like so we can imagine it for ourselveso Number of slides should be enough to cover the preliminary

questions you answered in Part 1 and the next two bulletso Must show the food web you made in Part 2

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Part 3- Bringing Your Creature to the Classroom

Name:____________________ Core:____________

o You must talk about what would happen if your creature was removed from you ecosystem. Discuss the effects on the other organisms in the food web from Part 2

Rap/ Song

You can create a rap or a song about your creature. Song and rap have been effective means of storytelling throughout history. Use your song to explain the unique things about your creature in the ecosystem

o Must be 3-5 minutes no more or lesso You must describe what your creature is and show what they look

like so we can imagine it for ourselveso Number of lines should be enough to cover the preliminary

questions you answered in Part 1 and the next 2 bulletso Must sing about the food web you made in Part 2o You must sing about what would happen if your creature was

removed from your ecosystem. Discuss the effects on the other organisms in the food web from Part 2

Story

You can create a story about your creature. Remember that all good stories should have a beginning, middle and end. Your story will describe the various points of research about your creature while you tell its story. If you decide to write a story, you must follow the following guidelines:

o Must be 2-3 pages no more or lesso You must describe what your creature is and show what they look

like so we can imagine it for ourselveso Number of pages should be enough to cover the preliminary

questions you answered in Part 1 and the next 2 bulletso Must write about the food web you made in Part 2

o You must write about what would happen if your creature was removed from you ecosystem. Discuss the effects on the other organisms in the food web from Part 2

Picture

You can draw, sketch or paint a scene that depicts your creature in its natural habitat. If you chose to do a picture, you must follow these guidelines:

o You must show what your creature is and show what they look like so we can imagine it for ourselves

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Name:____________________ Core:____________

o Your scene must show the various answers to your questions in part 1

o Must show the food chain you made in Part 2, so you have to include other organisms in your picture

o You must also write a brief explanation about what would happen if your creature was removed from your ecosystem. Discuss the effects on the other organisms in the food web from Part 2.

Brainstorm your ideas for your project here:

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Name:____________________ Core:____________

Mythic Ecosystems Rubric

Part 1 and 2 Rubric

3- All complete and correct2 – Somewhat complete or there were some incorrect facts1 – Less than half completed0 – Not at all completed

Part 1 All questions are answered in complete sentences. 3 2 10

Part 2 Food chain and food web (with 12 organisms) are complete. 3 2 10

Part 3 Rubric (Presentation, song, story, or picture)

2 – Included with explanation1 – Included with little explanation0 – not included

Biotic and Abioitic 2 1 0

Ecosystem 2 1 0

Habitat 2 1 0

Niche 2 1 0

Climate 2 1 0

Type of consumer 2 1 0

Predator/ prey 2 1 0

Food 2 1 0

Energy 2 1 0

Food Web 2 1 0

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