Tuesday, June 10, 2014

This year's Science Final Exam will be given on June 11. We have spent 3 days in class reviewing for the final.

Homework for tonight is to finish answering your Review Sheet and study the information on your Review Sheet.

Answers for the Ecology portion of the District's Review Sheet are shown below:

Grade 6 Honors Science Final Review 2014


Ecology (final section - all others have been worked on and reviewed in class)
Key Vocabulary
o Invasive Speciesspecies outside of its normal range.
o Photosynthesischloroplasts in plant cells use sun’s energy to break down       water & CO2, make O2 and sugar (their own food).         
o Consumer - Organism that must eat other organisms to obtain energy
o Producer–make their own food through photosynthesis. Ex: phytoplankton
o Decomposerbreak down dead organisms and waste into nutrients.  Without decomposers, those nutrients don't get recycled.
o Classificationorganize living things based on physical structures & origin (genetic similarities).
o Ecosystem - INTERACTION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF LIVING THINGS AND THE NONLIVING ENVIRONMENT

Analysis questions:
o What are the differences between consumers, producers, and 
    decomposers?
·        Producers make (produce) their own food with photosynthesis; ex: grass, phytoplankton, pear trees; carrots; palm trees.
·        Consumers eat other organisms to get energy; ex: wolves, tigers; and
·        Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste. Ex: mushrooms, fungi, bacteria, worms.
o What are the effects of an introduced species in a new area?
Introduced species:
  • can cause harm and/or good in new habitat, such as:
  • often have no predators in a new area, so 
  • they out-compete existing organisms for food & resources (sunlight, water); 
  • drive other species into extinction;  
  • grow bodies or population more quickly than native species;
  • mess up the habitat indirectly, ex: Nile Perch caused Algal blooms and dead zones in Lake Victoria.   
  • but also can provide food & shelter or other resources (shade, etc.). 


o Give examples of Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers in an aquatic food web.        P= phytoplankton, sea weed; C= zooplankton, fish, seals, whales.   D= crabs, shrimp, worms, bacteria, some fish (ex: catfish).
o What are the major differences between plant and animals?
Plants are producers with the power of photosynthesis; Animals are consumers, sometimes decomposers.  Most animals move freely and breathe in oxygen; plants do not move and breathe in CO2.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

   Ecology Unit Test is tomorrow.  Finish your study guide tonight and read it over.   Be sure to bring it with you tomorrow for credit.  Answers shown below include many questions we did not cover in class.

     Ecology Study Guide 
1.What is an introduced species? Define and give an example:

       Species now found outside of their normal range. 
Ex: zebra Musselmussel


2. Are introduced species bad? Why or why not? Consider 
what could happen  if you released the following animals into 
the wild:

  a. your house cat


         BAD: could wipe other species from their habitat 
(disease, competition, hunt and kill), cruelty – could die 
from hunger or predators or disease or accident.


         GOOD:  easy way out (LAZY); could be food for 
consumers in the habitat


b. your Burmese Python


            Same, much more effective at killing all other 
animals


3. What factors influence the survival of any introduced 
species? Name at least 3:


     Adequate prey (food), water, climate, (temperature),  
shelter , competitors, predators in new habitat.


4. James, a boy from Kenya, spoke about the Nile Perch & 
results/ consequences (both intended & unintended) of 
introducing the species. Describe:

  a. Three advantages of introducing Nile Perch into Lake 
Victoria:

        More jobs, money, and fish (food)


  b. Three disadvantages of introducing Nile Perch into Lake 
Victoria:


     Loss of independent small businesses, wiped out 
smaller fish species (Cichlids), perch overpopulated, 
more competition, fewer kinds of fish, and wrecked the 
food chain, allowed algal blooms.


  c. Knowing what we know now, if you had had the choice, 
would you have introduced the Nile Perch into Lake 
Victoria?  Write about a trade-off (compare at least one 
advantage and at least one disadvantage to make that 
choice

5. What is Ecology?

    Study of relationships between living organisms &  the physical environment.


6. What does classification show and what factors is classification base on? See p. E-19

Grouping organisms based on relationships between similar organisms, based on genetic makeup and similar physical structures.


 7. What  is an Invertebrate?  Animal without a spinal cord or backbone


8. Classification Levels:   A. ex: domains contain 5 Kingdoms;                   

                                            B. Kingdoms contain 35 phyla

                                            C.  Phyla contain many classes

                                            D. classes contain many Genuses

                                            E. Genuses contain many species

9. What is a species? Define & give an example:

        Species - level of biological classification made up of organisms or populations capable of interbreeding. Ex: homo sapiens; brown snake.


10. Explain photosynthesis, including: 

a.Who does it? (role)

      Producers

b.Who does it? (which kingdom)?

           Plants

c.What are the starting materials (inputs or reactants)?

             CO2 + H2O + sunlight

d. What are the ending materials (outputs or products)?

             food (sugar) + O2

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Field Day was great! 

Please complete your Ecology Study guide for homework tonight.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Please complete the first half of your Ecology Study guide for homework tonight.