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Mesocosm Assignment: Due Friday, October 2 through turnitin.com

One of the 9 practicals required by IB in the new syllabus is observations of a mesocosm.  For this assignment, I would like you to write a minimum of 2 solid paragraphs.

1)  Summarize your observations, using dates, which mesocosm you are referring to, and describing plants, animals, and abiotic conditions.
2)  Suggest reasons for the changes you observed in terms of cycles occurring within the mesocosms.  You may do some minimal research as long as you cite your source(s).  Do you think the mesocosm has reached a stable state?  Why or why not?


You'll need to add this class again for turnitin.com, as last year's class has expired.

New class ID:  10803960
Password:  mesocosm

Dichotomous Key Assignment: Due Wed 9/30

• To be done by yourself or with one other person
• Write your own dichotomous key to classify at least 10 items
• Provide pictures (either downloaded and printed or drawn) for the user
• The key should be based on visible traits
• The key should make sense
• Be creative, but make it logical

The Weeks of 9/21-10/2

• Tues 9/22:  Questions?  Take Ecology Test.  Do Fish Dichotomous Key in pairs. Observe mesocosms.
• Thurs 9/24:  Finish Fish Dichotomous Key.  Make your own dichotomous key separating at least 10 items of your choice for Wed 9/30.  Classification Hierarchy.  Observe mesocosms.
• Mon 9/28:   Main categories of animals and plants. Finish mesocosm observations.  Summarize for Friday 10/2.  
• Wed 9/30:  Exchange dichotomous keys and do them.  Animal Phyla Classification Lab.  Introduce cladograms.
• Fri 10/2:  Notes on cladistics and cladograms.  Hand out Animal Poster Project.  Work time to finish animal classification lab and start animal poster project.  Mesocosm write-up due by 11:59 tonight through turnitin.com

The Week of 9/14

• Mon 9/14:  Make a class mesocosm and take preliminary data.  Watch a video on  Bog Bodies.  Complete Carbon Cycle posters and display in the room.  Work time on 4.3 and 4.4 questions (due Wed, but turn in today if finished).  PhET Greenhouse Effect simulation.
• Wed 9/16:  More work on 4.3 and 4.4 questions and get them checked off.  What Katharine Hayhoe video on Climate Change.  Climate Change ethical questions.  Jeopardy Review for Ecology Test on Friday. Mesocosm observations.
• Fri 9/18:  Jeopardy Review (Ecology Test postponed until next Tuesday 9/22) and go over Data-Based Questions. Fish dichotomous key.  Mesocosm observations.

First Couple Weeks of School!

• Fri 8/28:  Hand out Topic Sequence for this year and a book assignment for 4.1 (the first section of ecology).  Do the work on your own sheet of paper to be turned in next Tuesday.  Hand out Safety and Academic Honesty contracts to be signed and turned in by next Thursday 9/4.
• Tues 9/1:  Go over what we will be covering this year and review class expectations.  Go over ecology definitions and how to calculate the chi-squared.  Finish 4.1 worksheet and turn in.  Watch Jane Poynter video on Biosphere 2.  If time, do trials on the Sustainability Game.
• Thurs 9/3:  Turn in signed contracts if not already.  In your notes, record results for 4-5 trials of the Sustainability Game.  Do data-based questions on pages 214, 216, and 219 of IB text in your notes.  To be checked off on Tuesday 9/8.
• Tues 9/8:  Finish data-based questions in notes and get both the Sustainability game results and the data-based questions checked off.  Review energy transformations and trophic levels.  At your tables, make an illustrated food web poster that includes at least 10 organisms, one chain of at least 4 links, and using species names.  Start Carbon Cycle.  
• Thurs 9/10:  Exchange Food Web Posters to determine trophic levels and offer feedback.  Make illustrated posters of the Carbon Cycle including important pools of carbon and fluxes (transformations).  Use the Carbon Cycle links on this website and the IB syllabus in the class books to guide what you include.  Start Carbon Cycling and Climate Change Worksheet using IB books.  Due Wednesday, 9/16.