Mesocosm Write-Up

One of the 7 required practicals for IB Biology is to study a mesocosm in the classroom.  This year we made 4 mesocosms.  The first 2 were made on Monday 9/11 using water, plants, and critters from Commonwealth Lake in Beaverton.  The other 2 were made on Wednesday 9/13 using water, plants, muck, and critters from Whitaker Ponds in Northeast Portland.  Your job is to make consistent observations from at least 2 of them, although you can use observations from all 4 in your write-up.

The write-up is due Friday 9/29 through turnitin.com and should include:

1. Detailed observations from at least 6 separate days.  Include water clarity, condition and growth of plants, types of animals, behavior of animals, condition of muck and other debris, etc. Make it clear which mesocosm goes with each observation and which day.  You can include details about the classroom conditions (temperature, light, etc) if you think they are relevant.
2. Use vocabulary from the ecology unit to try to explain what you think is happening in the mesocosms.  For example, information about cycles, energy, and types of nutrition would be appropriate.  You don't have to know exactly what is going on or know the names of the organisms, but do your best to give reasonable explanations.  If you use outside information in your explanations, state where or how you got the information.
3. Predict what you think will happen in the mesocosms, giving a reason for your predictions.

I expect that a good job on this assignment will take about 2 pages of writing, although it is the quality and ideas that count, not the quantity.

Turnitin.com Info

Every year we get a new class ID for turnitin.com.  Turnitin.com is used for turning in most written assignments in this class, including labs, SPARK lectures, mesocosm write-up, etc.

This year's Class ID:  16346172
Password:  mesocosm

Ecology Test next Thursday, September 21

1. 10-15 Multiple Choice Questions
2. 4 short-answer questions:  topics could include drawing and labeling an energy pyramid, drawing and labeling a food web, calculating and interpreting a chi-squared test, drawing and labeling a carbon cycle that includes relevant pools and fluxes, explaining how Greenhouse gases cause warming of the Earth, describing the relationship between carbon dioxide levels and rising temperatures, etc.!
3. A data-based question related to this topic
4. A longer question on describing the problem of climate change:  what is it, the science, controversy, precautionary principle and what it means, and possible mitigation and adaptation strategies

Some important vocabulary:  species, population, community, ecosystem, abiotic environment, producer, consumer, decomposer, detritivore, saprotroph, autotroph, heterotroph, sustainability, mesocosm, trophic level, energy pyramid, carbon fixation, methanogenesis, peat, combustion, carbon flux, carbon pool, greenhouse gas,

Week 2.5!

• Mon 9/11:  Make 2 mesocosms from pond water.  Make your first observations.  Look for variety of critters, clarity of water, condition of the plants, and anything else you notice.  Also, look for differences between the 2 mesocosms.  We will be making observations for the next 2-3 weeks and then you will summarize your observations and surmise what is going on within these two sealed ecosystems.  Check off DBQ's and go over them.  Notes on Energy Pyramids and the Carbon Cycle.  At your table, make an illustrated carbon cycle that includes 6 main carbon sinks and the labeled transformations between these sinks.  Please read 4.3 in your text.
• Wed 9/13:  Finish Carbon Cycle Diagrams and make mesocosm observations.  Finish notes on the Carbon Cycle and talk about Greenhouse Gases and the Greenhouse Effect.  Work on DBQ's in 4.3 and 4.4 (p. 222, 227, 234, 236, and 237).  Finally watch Jane Poynter video!  Read 4.4 for homework.
• Fri 9/15:  Evidence for Climate Change.  Uncertainty.  The precautionary principle.  More work on DBQ's.  Check off when complete.  Observe mesocosms.

Beginning of the Year

• Thurs 8/31:  Kahoot "review" of last year's biology and some random summer news.  Overview of this coming year's material.  Brainstorm ecology topics.  Start working on 4.1 definitions (see post below).  Hand out Safety and Academic Honesty Contracts to get signed by next Thurs 9/7.
• Tues 9/5:  Get our textbooks.  Finish the 4.1 group work.  Read about chi-squared test and quadrat data (pp. 207-208).  Do data-based question on p. 209.  Read 4.1 and finish DBQ for homework.  Remember that signed Safety and Academic Honesty contracts are due Thursday.
• Thurs 9/7:  Turn in signed contracts if not already.  Discuss 4.1 and go over mesocosms.  Food chains and food webs.  With your table group, make an original food web with 10 organisms showing interactions.  Share with another group.  Do DBQ's on p. 214 and p. 216.  Get all 3 DBQ's checked off if you are done.  Otherwise finish for homework!  Read 4.2.

Group Work for Thursday 8/31: edited! I added 7*

1.  What do you think “ecology” means?

2.  What topics do you think fit under the ecology umbrella?

3.  When people say that a person is “ecologically-minded”, what do they mean?

4.   Who are some famous ecologists?

Stop Here.  You can use 4.1 in the text for the rest

5.  What are     a)  producers?     b)  primary consumers?    c)  secondary consumers?     

d)  detritivores?    e)  saprotrophs?       If possible, include an example of each of the above.

6.  What are   a)  autotrophs?    b)  heterotrophs?   Examples?

 7*.  Define:  a)  species    b)  population    c)  community

8. What is an ecosystem?  Give 3 examples.

9.  How does an ecosystem remain sustainable?

Welcome to the 2017-2018 School Year!

I hope that you all had a rejuvenating summer.  For most of you, this is your Senior Year!!  It will be great, but it will also be very busy and maybe stressful at times.  Try to give yourself time to get your work done, don't overbook yourself, and talk to people to get a reality check if you get too stressed.  We have a lot to learn this year.  Fortunately, the material is very interesting and you have amazing classmates to learn it with.  Work hard, savor the process, and have fun.  I can't wait to start this 2nd year of IB Biology with all of you!  Topics for this year:

First Semester

Ecology: Chapter 4

Biodiversity:  5.3 and 5.4

Evolution:  5.1, 5.2, 10.3, and 1.5

Digestion:  6.1

Circulation:  6.2

Respiration:  6.4

Cadaver Lab Field Trip

Immunology:  6.3 and 11.1

Perform Internal Assessment

Second Semester

Finish Writing Internal Assessment

Group IV Project (for science testers who didn't do it last year)

Muscles and Movement:  11.2

The Kidney:  11.3

Hormones, Homeostasis, and Human Reproduction:  6.6 and 11.4

Neurobiology and Behavior:  6.5 and Option A

Review for IB Exam and Take Practice Exams

IB Testing

End of Year Projects