Disruptions in
ecosystems
Grade 7 Science – Week 7
Assessment Standard: MS-LS 2.4
Analyze data to provide evidence that disruptions (natural or
human-made) to any physical or biological component of an
ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
Choose any one of the following case studies and
answer the questions:
1. Australia wildfires
1. [Link]
2. Lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean
1. [Link]
3. Pythons in the Florida Everglades
1. [Link]
2. [Link]
46b8-9fb0-27ab30ad57f1#!articleTab:content/
1. (This will need to be copied & pasted into word, edited, a photo added, saved as a pdf, and put into
files for student access. All of which I can easily do. It is a really good article!)
4. Overfishing in the UAE
3. [Link]
-life-in-arabian-gulf-study-finds-1.856746
4. [Link]
iped-out-uae-study-finds-1.818543
Section A:
Define the term ecosystem and upload an image related to the case
study that was chosen.
Section B:
1. Describe the change to the ecosystem.
2. Mention 3 components that were affected by the change.
1. Population – Which population(s) were affected? How did the change affect
them?
2. Other biological/Biotic components (e.g. mating, food)
3. Physical/Abiotic components (e.g. shelter, water, air)
Section C:
Design a strategy* to support the ecosystem in recovery.
Before your After your
strategy strategy
*Strategy – a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term goal.
Australia wildfires
What is
ecosystem?
❖ An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other
organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a
bubble of life.
Change in the ecosystem
• Half a billion animals stand affected by the fires, including birds, reptiles,
insects, and mammals.
• Wildfires produce harmful smoke which can cause fatalities. It produce air
pollution, which is directly threatens human health.
• The fire has wiped out huge numbers of region-specific species that live in
more niche environments having lower populations.
Populations that were affected
• 143 million mammals • After the wildfire, a lot of animals
died while others got injured.
• 2.46 billion reptiles
Animals lost their habitat and
• 180 million birds family. Most of animals were taken
• 51 million frogs to medical centers and others
migrated to other countries.
Were impacted by the fire
Biotic components that were
affected
Plants Animals
Abiotic components that were
affected
Climate Soil Temperature
STRATEGY
• Spread awareness and collect charity money
• Clean the area from the disaster
• Employ farmers to plant allover again
• Cleanness the air
• Recover animals from injuries
Before After
Assessment
Rubric
3 2 1
Section A Accurate definition of Accurate definition of One or more of
ecosystem. ecosystem . components of section A is
Image directly relates to Image is vaguely related incorrect or missing.
the case study chosen. to the case study chosen.
Section B Accurate mention and Accurate mention and Accurate mention and
description of 3 biological description of 2 biological description of 1 biological
and/or and/or physical or physical component that
physical components that components that affected affected the ecosystem is
affected the ecosystem. the ecosystem is mentioned.
mentioned.
Section C The strategy is creative A suitable strategy is The strategy mentioned is
and suitable for supporting mentioned that might not suitable for the
the ecosystem in recovery. support the recovery of the recovery of the
ecosystem. ecosystem.
Organization Presentation of information Presentation of information Presentation is messy and
is well-organized and is overlapping in some of not very neat.
different sections are easily the sections.
identifiable.
Creativity Uses different methods of Some evidence of creative Basic outlay of information.
presenting information. use in presenting
information.