THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL OUTDOOR SCHOOL

Bog Study

Mountain Bog

Students will explore the Kanuga Mountain Bog and investigate the unique and adaptive features of the flora and fauna that live there. Key concepts/vocabulary: endangered, threatened, migration, wetland

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.

B. Organisms and Their Environments

2. All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live.

a. Describe how organisms may benefit their environment (e.g., earthworms improve the quality of soil, birds disperse seeds).

b. Describe how organisms may harm their environment (e.g., locusts destroy crops, red tides reduce oxygen levels in the ocean).

3. Humans change environments in ways that can be either beneficial or detrimental for themselves and other organisms.

a. Describe changes in the environment caused by humans.

b. Infer the impact of agricultural technology (e.g., air/land/ water pollution and improved crop yield) on society and the environment.

c. Infer the impact of industrial technologies (e.g., air/land/water pollution and improved standard of living) on society and the environment.

d. Relate how human population growth changes the environment.

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 System: Ecosystems (Aquatic/Terrestrial)

B. Populations and Ecosystems

1. A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations live together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem.

b. Investigate and understand how plants and animals in aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems interact with one another and with the nonliving environment.

3. For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is used by producers through photosynthesis.

a. Recognize that energy passes from organism to organism in food webs.

b. Diagram how energy flows through food webs.

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.

e. Draw conclusions about the influence of human activity on ecosystems.

g. Discuss ways to minimize the negative impact of technology/industralization on ecosystems and to maximize the positive impact.

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

II. Life Science

Unit of Study: Fungi and Plants

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.

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.

d. Explain the importance of green plants to the survival of other organisms in the environment.

3. An organism's behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment.

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.

III. Earth Science

Unit of Study: Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere

A. Structure of the Earth System

2. Water is a solvent. As it passes through the water cycle, it dissolves minerals and gases and carries them to the oceans.

a. Describe how minerals (and salts) accumulate in lakes and oceans. [Concept has been taught at a previous grade level]

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

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

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]

3. Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival.

a. Determine the factors that contribute to an organism becoming extinct.

b. Explain some of the natural and human-made pressures that can cause extinction.

c. Examine ways to prevent the extinction of an organism.

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.