Forest Ecology
The Wonders and Mystery of Forests
By exploring healthy forests students learn that there is much more to a forest than just trees. They will learn how a tree works, why certain species grow where they do and why humans and animals need trees. Students also discuss forests as a system of plants, animals, and decomposers. Key concepts/vocabulary: succession, dichotomous key, habitat, erosion, photosynthesis, decomposers, deciduous/evergreen, xylem, phloem, seed dispersal, and succession.
- 3 hours
- Ideal for 3rd-8th graders
- Has been adapted successfully for older students
From the South Carolina Standard Course of Study
Go back to SC class list.
| 4th Grade | TOP |
Science
II. Life Science
Unit of Study: Organisms and Their Environment
A. Characteristics of Organisms
1. Organisms have basic needs and can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. The world has many different environments, and distinct environments support the life of different types of organisms.
a. Identify the characteristics of different environments, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and in polar, temperate, and tropical regions.
b. Describe the diversity of life forms (vertebrate and invertebrate animals and plants) supported by each environment.
c. Investigate the relationships between the basic needs of different organisms and whether or not a particular environment meets those needs.
2. Organisms have senses that help them detect internal and external cues.
b. Analyze specific behaviors influenced by external cues in the environment (e. g., temperature, light, and precipitation).
3. Many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents of the organism, but other characteristics result from an individual's interactions with the environment.
a. Identify and describe characteristics and behaviors that are inherited (e.g., color of flowers and animal instincts).
b. Identify and describe characteristics and learned behaviors that enable organisms to survive in their environment (e.g., bear learning to fish).
c. Distinguish major groups of organisms based on significant characteristics (e.g., body covering, number of legs, body parts, type of skeleton).
English
4-C1.4
Demonstrate the ability to participate in and contribute to conversations and discussions by responding appropriately.
4-C1.11
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
4-C1.15
Begin expressing and explaining ideas
orally with fluency and confidence.4-C1.14
Continue making appropriate statements to communicate agreement or disagreement with others' ideas.
4-C2.1
Demonstrate the ability to follow multistep oral directions.
4-C2.2
Demonstrate the ability to listen for meaning in conversations and discussions.
4-C2.3
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
4-C2.5
Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, comparing and contrasting information and ideas, and making inferences with regard to what he or she has heard.
| 5th Grade | TOP |
Science
II. Life Science
Units of Study:Cells and Systems: Ecosystems (Aquatic/Terrestrial)
B. Populations and Ecosystems
4. The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available.
a. Identify and investigate the abiotic factors in an ecosystem such as quantity of light, air, and water; range of temperature; salinity, water pressure; and soil composition.
b. Identify and investigate the biotic factors in an ecosystem.
c. Describe the effect of limiting factors such as food, water, space, and shelter, on a population.
d. Evaluate the impact of the environment on populations of organisms.
English
5-C1.4
Demonstrate the ability to participate in and contribute to conversations and discussions by responding appropriately.
5-C1.11
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
5-C1.15
Demonstrate the ability to express and explain ideas orally with fluency and confidence.
5-C1.15
Demonstrate the ability to make appropriate statements to communicate agreement or disagreement with others' ideas.
5-C2.1
Demonstrate the ability to listen for meaning in conversations and discussions.
5-C2.2
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
5-C2.4
Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, to compare and contrast information and ideas, and to make inferences with regard to what he or she has heard.
| 6th Grade | TOP |
Science
- Life Science
Unit of Study: Fungi and Plants
A. Structure and Function in Fungi and Plant Systems
1. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells and whole organisms. All organisms are composed of cells - the fundamental unit of life.
c. Describe the basic characteristics of two of the kingdoms of organisms--fungi and plants.
d. Compare and contrast three forms of fungi (mushrooms, yeasts and molds).
e. Compare and contrast vascular and nonvascular plants, flowering and non-flowering plants and deciduous and coniferous trees.
2. Some diseases are the result of damage by infection by other organisms.
a. Describe the helpful and harmful effects of some fungi on other organisms (e.g., athlete's foot and ringworm in humans, rust in plants, penicillin).
C. Regulation and Behavior
1. All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.
a. Describe the most effective conditions for the growth of fungi and their adaptations to those conditions.
b. Describe how green plants absorb energy from the sun and transform it into stored chemical energy using the terms photosynthesis, chlorophyll, water, carbon dioxide, oxygen and sugar.
c. Describe how plants break down sugar to release stored chemical energy through respiration.
d. Explain the importance of green plants to the survival of other organisms in the environment.
e. Relate the structures of roots, stems and leaves to their functions in plants.
f. Observe, draw, and analyze the structure and function of xylem and phloem tissues in roots and stems of vascular plants.
g. Identify guard cells and explain their function in the operation of stomata (transpiration).
h. Examine why stomata in most plants are closed at night and open during the day.
3. An organism's behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment.
a. Explain the importance of fungi as decomposers and their adaptations to that role.
b. Compare and contrast the major characteristics of land biomes (e.g., Tropical rainforests, Temperate rainforests, deserts, tundra, coniferous forests/taiga, and deciduous forests).
c. Distinguish adaptations of various plants to survive and reproduce in different biomes.
English
6-C1.4
Demonstrate the ability to express and explain ideas orally with fluency and confidence.
6-C1.5
Demonstrate the ability to participate in conversations and discussions by responding appropriately.
6-C1.13
Demonstrate the ability to make appropriate statements to communicate agreement or disagreement with others' ideas.
6-C1.17
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
6-C2.1
Demonstrate the ability to listen for meaning in conversations and discussions.
6-C2.2
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
6-C2.3
Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, to compare and contrast information and ideas, and to make inferences with regard to what he or she has heard.
| 7th Grade | TOP |
Science
II. Life Science
Unit of Study: Organization and Classification of Living Things
A. Structure and Function in Living Systems3. Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems. Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has a distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.
e. Classify living organisms according to similarities in structure using a dichotomous key (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species).
B. Regulation and Behavior
1. All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.
a. Analyze the basic characteristics and needs of living things.
b. Compare and contrast how organisms use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions (homeostasis).
III. Earth Science
Unit of Study: Ecology - The Abiotic Environment
A. Structure of the Earth System
6. For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis. That energy then passes from organism to organism in food webs.
a. Describe how sunlight, through photosynthesis, is transferred by producers into chemical energy.
b. Trace the path of solar energy through a simple food chain and through food webs that include humans.
c. Examine how energy is transferred through an ecosystem.
English
7-C1.3
Demonstrate the ability to express and explain ideas orally with fluency and confidence.
7-C1.4
Demonstrate the ability to participate in conversations and discussions by responding appropriately.
7-C1.13
Demonstrate the ability to make appropriate statements to communicate agreement or disagreement with others' ideas.
7-C1.6
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
7-C2.1
Demonstrate the ability to listen for meaning in conversations and discussions.
7-C2.2
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
7-C2.3
Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, to compare and contrast information and ideas, and to make inferences with regard to what he or she has heard.
| 8th Grade | TOP |
Science
II. Life Science
Unit of Study: Classification, Diversity, and Adaptations of Organisms Over Time
A. Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms
1. Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes and the evidence of common ancestry.
a. Observe, describe, and examine the diversity of organisms over time including differences and similarities based on kingdoms, phyla, classes (e.g., structure, body temperature, size, and shape). *[This concept has been taught at a previous grade level]
2. Biological change accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Biological adaptations, which involve the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations, enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger is based in the species' evolutionary history.
a. Suggest evidence of how species have adapted to changes in their habitats.
b. Analyze how an adaptation can increase an organism's chances to survive and reproduce in a particular habitat (e.g., cacti needles/ leaves, fur/scales). *[This concept has been taught at a previous grade level]
c. Examine how natural selection increases the variations within populations.
English
8-C1.2
Demonstrate the ability to express and explain ideas orally with fluency and confidence.
8-C1.3
Demonstrate the ability to participate in conversations and discussions by responding appropriately.
8-C1.11
Demonstrate the ability to make appropriate statements to communicate agreement or disagreement with others' ideas.
8-C1.14
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
8-C2.1
Demonstrate the ability to listen for meaning in conversations and discussions.
8-C2.2
Demonstrate the ability to summarize conversations and discussions.
8-C2.3
Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, to compare and contrast information and ideas, and to make inferences with regard to what he or she has heard.
Go back to SC class list.
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