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Benchmark #: SC.7.L.17.3

Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.

Information

General Information

Subject Area: Science
Grade: 7
Body of Knowledge: Life Science
Idea: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning
Big Idea: Interdependence -

A. Plants and animals, including humans, interact with and depend upon each other and their environment to satisfy their basic needs.

B. Both human activities and natural events can have major impacts on the environment.

C. Energy flows from the sun through producers to consumers.
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Assessed: Yes
  • SC.7.L.17.In.3 Recognize that living things compete with each other to get the things they need to live in their local environment.
  • SC.7.L.17.Su.3 Identify how a lack of food, water, or shelter affects plants and animals in their habitats.
  • SC.7.L.17.Pa.3 Recognize what happens when animals don’t get food and water.

3D Modeling

  • Wind Farm Design Challenge In this engineering design challenge, students are asked to create the most efficient wind turbine while balancing cost constraints. Students will apply their knowledge of surface area and graphing while testing 3D-printed wind farm blades. In the end, students are challenged to design and test their own wind farm blades, using Tinkercad to model a 3D-printable blade.

Educational Game

Lesson Plans

  • Protecting Florida Forever- Part 3 Students will create an awareness poster, speech, or letter addressed to their elected officials to advocate for continued protection of a natural area for the next 10 years. Students will apply knowledge of biodiversity, ecological interactions, and limiting factors in emphasizing why these lands should continue to be protected.
  • Protecting Florida Forever- Part 2 Students will explore and research populations living within a Florida ecosystem. Students will identify limiting factors that may pose a threat to native populations. Students will examine the goals of the Florida Forever Act, recognizing the government’s role in protecting lands, and relating the goals to limiting factors affecting wildlife populations in this integrated lesson plan.
  • Protecting Florida Forever- Part 1 Students will explore the importance and use of state-owned lands, and human influence on native habitats. Appropriate Florida government agencies will be identified to address environmental concerns. Students will analyze Florida ecosystems and native wildlife populations, as well as their environmental needs, in this integrated lesson plan.
  • Limiting Factors in Florida Students will jigsaw two reading passages about the Sherman’s Fox Squirrel. Students will make a list of limiting factors and what impacts them. After analyzing the text in expert groups they will partner up and determine what government agency is responsible for helping the Sherman’s Fox Squirrel, and rationalize their answers using evidence from the text.
  • Limiting Factors in Local Populations Students are given a list of Florida animals to research on the Florida State Parks website. Students identify the limiting factors of the population and the government agency responsible for helping this population. Students create a call-to-action social media post including the animal, it’s limiting factors, and the government agency.
  • Limiting Factors and Government Impact After being presented with a definition students will brainstorm limiting factors within ecosystems. Teacher will present students with a list of government agencies that can impact ecosystems and limiting factors. Students sort brainstormed limiting factors into a provided chart of government agencies and their roles in this integrated lesson plan.
  • Predation on Trial In this lesson plan, students will apply knowledge of roles and relationships in an ecosystem to develop a defense strategy in an imaginary trial where a panther is being prosecuted for predation of deer. They will explore the roles of various consumers in an ecosystem, their places in a food web, and the impact of limiting factors on populations (and vice-versa). Along the way, students will compare the rule of nature to the rule of law that people live by and consider the importance of the 6th Amendment in protecting the rights of citizens in the United States.
  • Gr. 7 Lesson 3-Groundwater Pollution Students will be able to explain how aquifers can become polluted on the land surface and identify human impacts.
  • Remember the Axolotl Explore the axolotl, a Mexican salamander struggling to survive in a harsh environment filled with non-native species and abiotic factors that threaten its very existence! What does the future hold for these unique creatures? How are the limiting factors of their ecosystem actually limiting their chance for survival?
  • Egg-Cellent Transport This lesson addresses the topic of limiting factors looking specifically at maintaining wildlife populations. There is an engineering design challenge included in which students will have to take on the role of a wildlife conservation officer and create a container for the egg of an endangered species that will protect it in the field until he/she can get it back to the lab.
  • Water, Water Everywhere - Natural Disaster Water Filtration Students will be tasked with an engineering challenge to design an effective and efficient portable water filtration system. The designs will take dirty water and make it clear so it can be boiled for safe drinking. This lesson aligns to both math and science content standards.
  • Medium Needed In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), groups of students will evaluate the media for growing plants hydroponically in order to help restore some native species of the Everglades. Students will learn about hydroponics as an alternative agricultural practice, the rock cycle, types of landforms in Florida, and will use different methods to analyze data and arrive to conclusions, as well as present them in a detailed description of procedures and conclusions, including justification and evidence for each decision. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Wolves of Yellowstone - Ecology & Human Impact In this MEA, students will decide how many wolves to introduce into Yellowstone National Park's ecosystem. The number of wolves could influence many factors, from the tourism industry to local farming businesses, as well as the populations of other species in the area. Students must choose to introduce the number of wolves they feel will be most beneficial to the preservation of Yellowstone National Park as determined by the mission statement of Yellowstone and the National Park Service. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Fish Kribs In this lesson, students create a fish tank for a fish supply company for a future sales campaign. They will use scale drawings and proportions to design the perfect fish tank.
    • First, students have to complete a ranking activity of items that will be included in their scale drawing along with three types of fish.
    • Next, students will conduct a pH lab activity to gain knowledge about how pH levels will affect population and the ecosystem within the tank.
    • Finally, students will adjust their item selection and re-engineer their tank drawing to support their findings and additional information provided by the client. Students must determine what objects would be beneficial to the living things that the students chose in relation to available space and pH balance.
    Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Designing an Ecofriendly City In this STEM design project, students will design and build a 3D model of an ecofriendly community in an existing ecosystem, taking into account the organisms that live there and applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the needs of the organisms living in it to preserve the biodiversity there. Students will build a 3D model using their understanding of scale and size, create an electronic presentation, and write a summary of their findings.
  • The Ups and Downs of Populations
    Students will analyze population graphs, collect data to generate their own population graph, and experience limiting factors and their impact on carrying capacity in a small deer population. Students will be able to identify, explain, and evaluate the impact that different limiting factors have on the population of organisms including food, water, shelter, predation, human interference, changes in birth and death rate, changes in immigration and emigration, disease, and reproduction.
  • Fiddler Factors: How Limiting Factors affect Fiddler Crab Populations Fiddler Factors is a lesson on limiting factors using fiddler crabs as the focus species. The lesson is designed for two class periods.
    • Day One is focused on introducing the concept of limiting factors. The lesson focuses on fiddler crabs, their needs, and the limiting factors that affect their populations. During this first class, students will brainstorm what factors could affect fiddler populations by brainstorming and working in small groups. This part of the lesson relies on a strategy called Think-Pair- Share to build a classroom list of factors that may limit fiddler populations.
    • Day Two is focused on student research either online or in texts as they try and discover what fiddler crabs need to survive and what limits their populations. This class period is divided roughly in half to allow student groups time to research a set of fiddler crab questions during the first half and then share information to build a classroom wide knowledge base on the topic.
  • Slithering At Your Feet While You're Out Shopping In this lesson, students will explore why a rather large eastern diamondback rattlesnake decided to slither its way into a St. Augustine, FL neighborhood and right near a busy shopping outlet. Students will investigate how human impact can negatively affect the resources available to a native population and what may happen as a result. Students will make a logical hypothesis, make observations, analyze data, and draw factual conclusions.
  • Florida Scrub Jays Learn about Florida scrub jay!
  • Schoolyard Microhabitat This lesson is a physical survey of our school's microhabitat. Students will make quantitative and qualitative observations of the flora and fauna, as well as making notes on the biotic and abiotic elements within the area they are examining. Through the collection and organization of data, students will make assumptions as to the relationships between all components comprising the microhabitat, including limiting factors.
  • “Wanted: Dead or Delicious”-The food chain of the Lion Fish This lesson is designed to get students to understand how a food chain works using an invasive species like the Lionfish. It is timely and students here on the Gulf Coast can relate to the problem.
  • Limiting Factors: Give me my space! Through a hands on investigation, students will collect data to determine the impact of space as a limiting factor. Students will be introduced to another method for lab reports, Patty Squares.
  • Biotic, abiotic. Alive or not? The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the concept of biotic & abiotic factors, the elements that define an ecosystems, and how these become limiting factors in an ecosystem. The teacher will have a variety of teaching strategies to review the students' prior knowledge of their understanding of the organizational patterns and relationships that are found in any ecosystem. In addition, the teacher will combine different teaching methods (technology/multimedia/internet, art, laboratory experiment, note writing strategy, self formative assessment) to introduce and deliver the main topic of this lesson.
  • Pizza Box Ecosystems A long-term project in which students create a labeled ecosystem diorama out of a recycled pizza box as they complete an introductory ecology unit.
  • Exploring the World Outdoors This lesson is designed for hands-on learning about how organisms are interdependent. Students will go exploring in their school yard identifying living and nonliving things. Students will be guided with a list of things to find, where they can take pictures or collect them to take back to the classroom for further exploration. Students will then research and organize their findings identifying organisms based on terms learned in class. They will create an iMovie, PowerPoint or poster and will then be present to the class.
  • Pythons in the Everglades MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will investigate the introduction of a non-native, i.e. invasive, species to the Florida Everglades: the Burmese Python. Students will investigate the complex predator-prey relationship and learn why this could damage the ecosystem permanently. Students will analyze a set of data to determine which method of eradication would be best and most effective, considering factors such as cost, the amount of man-power necessary to implement it, the effect it would have on the python population, and its impact on other species. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Zoo Animal Diets MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will examine the diets of a group of animals being kept in captivity at a local zoo. Something in the diets is causing some of the animals to become ill, while other animals remain completely healthy. Students will analyze the data to determine what is making the animals sick. Additionally, students will explore the idea of diet as a limiting factor. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Levee Construction Company MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will analyze a set of data to determine what type of construction material would be best to construct a levee out of. Students will consider not only cost, but also ecological impact and disturbances to the local community.

    Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx

  • Town Mosquito Eradication MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will analyze a set of data to determine the best eradication technique for a town experiencing a mosquito infestation. Students will need to consider cost, impact on the environment, and effectiveness of the methods presented to them. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Investigating Factors of Impact on Populations within Ecosystems This is one lesson within a 7th grade unit on interdependence, and could extend up to 2-3 days if extension activities are included. This lesson focuses on learning about limiting factors, understanding the basics regarding the three types of ecosystems in Florida, and how the introduction of non-native species can impact an ecosystem. Students will gain knowledge to help them learn to be proactive in conserving the resources of land, fresh water and marine ecosystems.

    As a prelude to later sequential learning, predator and prey graphical representations will be created and analyzed (this will also address common misconceptions) and lay a foundation to introduce density independent and density dependent factors, which are explored further at higher grade levels.
  • Learning Interdependence Through Florida's Ecosystems Students are assigned one of Florida's ecosystems and are guided through a series of lessons that cover SC.7.L.17.1, SC.7.L.17.2, SC.7.L.17.3, culminating in a project.
  • How Competitive Are You? During this 3 day lesson, students will review a Powerpoint presentation, watch a short video, have discussions in groups, and enjoy competing as predators for their prey in an engaging activity. Students will gain a better understanding of adaptations, and what an animal needs to do to survive.
  • The Human Population Growth Rate Just how quickly is the world's human population growing? In the US and other developed countries, the current growth rate is slow compared to some developing countries where it is speeding up. There are factors that slowed down this growth rate and there are similar factors that actually speed it up. Discussing and explaining the factors that determine the fluctuation in growth rate.

    The US population growth between 1950 - 2000 is 7.5 times slower than that of India. In 1950 the US had a population of 80 million which increased every ten years with 1 million.Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Tomato Propagation/Cloning In this lesson, students will learn how to take a clipping from a mother tomato plant and make an exact duplicate copy for mass-reproduction that will produce a harvest quickly. This will engage students as they discover this can be done without seeds, and they can grow a plant about 2 feet in height!
  • Ecology Lesson Part 4 of 4 - Jeopardy Review This review game is designed to be part 4 of a 4 part series covering Interdependence. The first two lessons are Powerpoints that go over the information in the game. The third lesson is a biomes lab activity. This can be used as a stand alone activity, however - just make sure that you preview the questions and have covered this material with your students before presenting it to the class.
  • Survival Journal Part Three: Planting Tomatoes This is a detailed lesson based on the germination of seeds, science vocabulary of plants, diseases, and insect infestations with tomato plants. Tomatoes grow nutrients that the human body needs to survive. It is a companion lesson to: Survival Journal Parts 1 and 2 available on CPALMS.
  • Survival Journal Part Two: Outdoor Gardening In this lesson, students will design two outdoor gardens, 1) a raised garden bed and 2) a ground level garden (traditional). Students will, with help of the teacher, till the ground with removal of ground cover, build border for garden, add soil, attach poles with string to create a life size graph all so they can grow tomatoes and plot the data easily in their survival journals.This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Project on Survival.
  • Ecology Lesson Part 1 of 4 This lesson is intended as the first part of a 4 part series. Part 1 is a powerpoint discussing terminology in Ecology including abiotic/biotic factors; symbiotic relationships [descriptions and examples of all 3]; producer/consumers; predator/prey; food chain;food web. Part 2 is a powerpoint that covers the biomes of the world and incorporates the terminology from part 1. Part 3 is a biomes lab activity, and Part 4 is a jeopardy review activity.
  • Ecology Lesson Part 2 of 4 - Biomes Review This lesson is intended as part 2 of a 4 part lesson series. It is a PowerPoint that covers Biomes of the World, including their characteristics and different producers and consumers. It can be used as a stand alone lesson as well.
  • Ecology Lesson Part 3 of 4 Animal Cracker - Biomes Lab Activity This is a fun lab activity to be used as part 3 of a 4 part series on Interdependence. It can also be used as a stand alone activity. Animal crackers are used - they can be eaten at the end of the activity- so double check with your students about any food allergies (ie gluten).
  • Survival Journal Part One: Surviving the Epidemic In this lesson, each student will explain and document in a science journal how they will over come a natural disaster/plague for 15 days. They will continue with part two of this lesson "Outdoor Gardening."
  • Turkey Trouble Limiting factors are things that can limit the size of a population such as food, water, shelter, disease, nesting sites, predation, and parasitism. In this activity students will play a game to simulate changes in a turkey population and will learn about limiting factors.
  • Survival of the Fittest This is a five day lesson integrating Science, Reading and Writing. It is developed on a Reading lesson plan format using Shared Reading, Core Reading, Guided Reading and centers but can easily be transferred on to a Science 5E lesson format. The versatility of the lesson and the integration between subjects lends itself to it being widely used among teachers for different reasons; whether the teacher's need be in Science, Reading or Writing the lesson provides opportunities for all areas to be addressed. Most importantly, it offers the busy teacher an opportunity to implement one lesson to cover three subjects.

Original Student Tutorials

  • Limiting Factors in an Ecosystem Investigate various limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on native populations as you complete this interactive tutorial.
  • Limits to Population Growth Explore biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the growth of populations of organisms in this interactive tutorial.
  • Where Have All the Scrub-Jays Gone? Investigate the limiting factors of a Florida ecosystem and describe how these limiting factors affect one native population-the Florida Scrub-Jay-with this interactive tutorial.

Perspectives Video: Experts

Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiasts

Perspectives Video: Teaching Ideas

Teaching Ideas

  • Survival Factors - SeaWorld Classroom Activity In this activity, students will act as a life-form in a coral reef. Students will listen to the teacher read every day events and then decide whether the event will make it difficult or impossible for the species to survive. Students will analyze the impact of humans on the coral reef ecosystem.
  • Write Proposed Legislation-SeaWorld Classroom Activity Students create a fictional threatened species and consider environmental factors that put it at risk, such as habitat loss, predation, and human impacts. Using their knowledge of how a bill becomes a law, they propose legislative solutions to mitigate these limiting factors and protect the species, connecting science content to real-world decision-making.
  • Hot Polar Debate-SeaWorld Classroom Activity Students will research available literature for factual information and logically argue a point of view regarding environmental issues in an arctic climate. They will demonstrate real-life decision making processes and evaluate outcomes.
  • Fur Seal Survey-SeaWorld Classroom Activity Students will collaborate in small groups to gather, organize, analyze, and present data when given an environmental situation about Antarctic fur seals. As a culminating activity, the class will write a report to summarize the suggestions given during the "meeting of the minds."
  • A Chance of Success-SeaWorld Classroom Activity Students will learn about the physical factors that limit where coral reefs develop.

Text Resources

  • Food Web Woes This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The article describes two studies that show how the decline of large sharks has adverse effects on other organisms in their food web. The article explains that without apex predators like sharks, other large fish and rays tend to thrive and prey too heavily on shellfish populations.
  • Native 'Snot' This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The article describes how an algae species previously thought to be invasive is actually a "hidden" native species that blooms when environmental conditions change. It describes those conditions as well as the algae's ecological impact on other populations. The article concludes by connecting that human impact—climate change—is causing algae blooms to become more and more common.
  • When a Species Can't Stand the Heat This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This article discusses how global warming could leave New Zealand's tuatara (a reptile species) dangerously short on females. When the temperature rises as little as one degree, far more males than females are born. One island habitat is now 75% males, with fewer, frailer females. Without intervention, the tuatara could become extinct. The article offers some possible solutions, including having the colonies relocated to cooler islands.
  • Why Are Bees Vanishing? This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Not many people will say they like bees, but they are a very necessary part of our environment. Scientists are struggling to find an answer—and, hopefully, a solution—as to why so many bee colonies are vanishing. They believe there are several environmental factors that are killing these insects.
  • Arctic Thaw is Spreading Wildlife Diseases This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The article describes the effect of melting ice in the Arctic Ocean on the spreading of parasitic diseases. The author explains how grey seals and ringed seals have contracted one particular disease due to the Arctic thaw and goes on to explain how Beluga whales north of Alaska have contracted a second disease, which can be spread to humans.
  • Virginia Acts to Reduce Population of Wild Pigs, the ‘Most Invasive Animal’ in U.S. This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The article describes the extreme population growth and range expansion of wild pigs, as well as how this invasive animal is damaging local ecosystems.
  • Changing Seas This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This text explains how carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is changing the oceans. The text describes ocean acidification and ocean warming. The text gives examples of ecosystems that are changing as a result.

Collections

STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

  • Fish Kribs In this lesson, students create a fish tank for a fish supply company for a future sales campaign. They will use scale drawings and proportions to design the perfect fish tank.
    • First, students have to complete a ranking activity of items that will be included in their scale drawing along with three types of fish.
    • Next, students will conduct a pH lab activity to gain knowledge about how pH levels will affect population and the ecosystem within the tank.
    • Finally, students will adjust their item selection and re-engineer their tank drawing to support their findings and additional information provided by the client. Students must determine what objects would be beneficial to the living things that the students chose in relation to available space and pH balance.
    Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Levee Construction Company MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will analyze a set of data to determine what type of construction material would be best to construct a levee out of. Students will consider not only cost, but also ecological impact and disturbances to the local community.

    Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx

  • Medium Needed In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), groups of students will evaluate the media for growing plants hydroponically in order to help restore some native species of the Everglades. Students will learn about hydroponics as an alternative agricultural practice, the rock cycle, types of landforms in Florida, and will use different methods to analyze data and arrive to conclusions, as well as present them in a detailed description of procedures and conclusions, including justification and evidence for each decision. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Pythons in the Everglades MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will investigate the introduction of a non-native, i.e. invasive, species to the Florida Everglades: the Burmese Python. Students will investigate the complex predator-prey relationship and learn why this could damage the ecosystem permanently. Students will analyze a set of data to determine which method of eradication would be best and most effective, considering factors such as cost, the amount of man-power necessary to implement it, the effect it would have on the python population, and its impact on other species. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • The Human Population Growth Rate Just how quickly is the world's human population growing? In the US and other developed countries, the current growth rate is slow compared to some developing countries where it is speeding up. There are factors that slowed down this growth rate and there are similar factors that actually speed it up. Discussing and explaining the factors that determine the fluctuation in growth rate.

    The US population growth between 1950 - 2000 is 7.5 times slower than that of India. In 1950 the US had a population of 80 million which increased every ten years with 1 million.Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Town Mosquito Eradication MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will analyze a set of data to determine the best eradication technique for a town experiencing a mosquito infestation. Students will need to consider cost, impact on the environment, and effectiveness of the methods presented to them. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx
  • Wolves of Yellowstone - Ecology & Human Impact In this MEA, students will decide how many wolves to introduce into Yellowstone National Park's ecosystem. The number of wolves could influence many factors, from the tourism industry to local farming businesses, as well as the populations of other species in the area. Students must choose to introduce the number of wolves they feel will be most beneficial to the preservation of Yellowstone National Park as determined by the mission statement of Yellowstone and the National Park Service. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
  • Zoo Animal Diets MEA In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will examine the diets of a group of animals being kept in captivity at a local zoo. Something in the diets is causing some of the animals to become ill, while other animals remain completely healthy. Students will analyze the data to determine what is making the animals sick. Additionally, students will explore the idea of diet as a limiting factor. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/resource/mea.aspx

Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8

  • Limiting Factors in an Ecosystem Investigate various limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on native populations as you complete this interactive tutorial.
  • Limits to Population Growth Explore biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the growth of populations of organisms in this interactive tutorial.
  • Where Have All the Scrub-Jays Gone? Investigate the limiting factors of a Florida ecosystem and describe how these limiting factors affect one native population-the Florida Scrub-Jay-with this interactive tutorial.
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