6th Grade Science Guide

6.4: Ecosystems 3 Dimensions & Progressions

Unit 5

sheet protectors to use each year.

● Have students use the comparing ecosystems

worksheet to determine the abiotic & biotic factors in each ecosystem as well as the producers and consumers in the ecosystems.

Activity: Gizmo - Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Describe the feeding relationships between 10 important organisms in a simplifed model of a Caribbean reef ecosystem. ● Model the effects of changing ocean conditions on a Caribbean reef, including increased storms, elevated temperatures, and decreased pH. ● Model the effects of land use on a Caribbean reef, including

● Explore the abiotic factors that affect Caribbean coral reefs. Many factors can be manipulated in this simplifed reef model, including ocean temperature and pH, storm severity, and input of excess sediments and nutrients from logging, sewage, and agriculture. Click "Advance year" to see how the reef responds to these changes.

● Gizmo Link

logging, emission of raw sewage, and agriculture.

Activity: Gizmo - Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Explore the impacts of fshing intensity on a Caribbean reef ecosystem. ● Explore the impacts of coral and urchin diseases on a Caribbean reef ecosystem. ● Explore the impacts of invasive species on a Caribbean reef ecosystem.

● In this followup to the Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors activity, investigate the impacts of fshing, disease, and invasive species on a model Caribbean coral reef.

● Gizmo Link

Many variables can be manipulated, included

intensity of fshing, presence of black band and white band disease, and the presence of