Key Concepts in Science THE BIOSPHERE TEACHER GUIDE Sally Ride Science

Transcription

1 Key Concepts in Science THE BIOSPHERE TEACHER GUIDE 2015 Sally Ride Science

2 THE BIOSPHERE: CONTENTS Student handouts are at the back of the Teacher Guide. Correlation to Standards Sally Ride Science Teacher Guides... 5 The Biosphere: About the Book... 6 Getting Started: In Your World...7 Preview The Biosphere, read the introduction, and discuss the introduction s key concepts. Chapter 1: The Biosphere Model note-taking, read Chapter 1, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter. Students: Chapter 1 handout Chapter 2: Ecosystems Model summarizing by drawing diagrams, read Chapter 2, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter. Students: Chapter 2 handout Create a Science Diagram...12 Create a diagram showing the levels from the biosphere to an individual organism. Students: Create a Science Diagram handout Read Chapter 3: Ecosystem Interactions...13 Model asking questions while reading, read Chapter 3, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter. Students: Chapter 3 handout Thinking Like a Scientist Complete Thinking Like a Scientist...14 Read Thinking Like a Scientist, answer the questions, and elaborate on the key concepts. Students: Thinking Like a Scientist handout How Do We Know? > Read How Do We Know?...15 Read How Do We Know?, about ecologist Stephanie Hampton, and answer the questions. Students: How Do We Know? handout > Math Connection...16 Answer the Math Connection questions. Students: Math Connection handout > Write Interview Questions for a Scientist Write questions to ask ecologist Stephanie Hampton in an interview Students: Interview Questions for a Scientist handout Study Guide: Hey, I Know That!...18 Complete study guide questions. Students: Hey, I Know That! handout 2015 Sally Ride Science 2

3 CORRELATION TO STANDARDS Correlation to Science Standards For information on alignment to state science standards and NGSS, visit Correlation to Common Core Sally Ride Science s Key Concepts and Cool Careers book series provide students with authentic literacy experiences aligned to Common Core in the areas of Reading (informational text), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language as outlined in Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. The Biosphere: Earth s Life Zone and the accompanying activities align to the following standards: Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5 (RI) Grades 3-5 Key Ideas and Details 1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. Grade 3 Refer to details and examples in a text when explain what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Grade 4 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Grade 5 2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. Grade 3 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. Grade 4 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text. Grade 5 Craft and Structure 4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade appropriate topic or subject area. Grades 3-5 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Grade 3 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. Grade 4 Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts. Grades 3-5 Writing Standards K-5 (W) Grades 3-5 Text Types and Purposes 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Grade 3 a.-d., Grade 4 a.-e., Grade 5 a.-e Sally Ride Science 3

4 CORRELATION TO STANDARDS Production and Distribution of Writing 4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. Grade 3 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Grades 4 and 5 Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. Grade 3 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Grade 4 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Grade 5 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research. Grade 4 b., Grade 5 b. Range of Writing 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Grades 3-5 Speaking and Listening Standards K-5 (SL) Grades 3-5 Comprehension and Collaboration 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade appropriate topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. Grades 3-5 a.-d. 2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 3 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 4 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 5 Language Standards K-5 (L) Grades 3-5 Knowledge of Language 3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Grade 3 a.-b., Grade 4 a.-c., Grade 5 a.-b. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade appropriate reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Grade 3 a.-d., Grade 4 a.-c., Grade 5 a.-c. 6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that: > signal spatial and temporal relationships. Grade 3 > signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation. Grade 4 > signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition). Grade Sally Ride Science 4

5 SALLY RIDE SCIENCE TEACHER GUIDES The Sally Ride Science Key Concepts in Science and Cool Careers book series are available as print books and ebooks.* A Teacher Guide accompanies each of the 36 Key Concepts books and 12 Cool Careers books. More information: sallyridescience.com/learning-products *Book pages pictured in the Teacher Guides are from ebook editions. Some pages in the print books have different images or layouts. Cool Careers Cool Careers in Biotechnology Cool Careers in Earth Sciences Cool Careers in Engineering (Upper Elementary) Cool Careers in Engineering (Middle School) Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Upper Elementary) Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Middle School) Cool Careers in Green Chemistry Cool Careers in Information Sciences Cool Careers in Math Cool Careers in Medical Sciences Cool Careers in Physics Cool Careers in Space Sciences Key Concepts in Science Adaptations Biodiversity The Biosphere Cells Earth s Air Earth s Climate Earth s Energy Earth s Natural Resources Earth s Water Elements and Compounds Energy Basics Energy Transformations Flowering Plants Food Webs Forces Genetics Geologic Time Gravity Heat Life Cycles Light Motion Organic Molecules Photosynthesis and Respiration Physical Properties of Matter Plant and Animal Systems Plate Tectonics The Rock Cycle Solids, Liquids, and Gases Sound Space Exploration Sun, Earth, and Moon Units of Measurement Vertebrates The Water Cycle Weathering and Erosion Sally Ride Science provides professional development and classroom tools to build students passion for STEM fields and careers. Founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America s first woman in space, the company brings science to life for upper-elementary and middle school students. Visit us at SALLYRIDESCIENCE.COM for more information Sally Ride Science 5

6 THE BIOSPHERE: Earth s Life Zone About the Book The Biosphere: Earth s Life Zone introduces students to the thin realm of air, water, and land on our planet s surface in which organisms live. Students learn that Earth s surface is a patchwork of biomes deserts, forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, oceans that vary with latitude and elevation and are characterized by the major vegetation of ecosystems within their boundaries. By examining a variety of land and water biomes, students come to understand the hierarchy of organization within the biosphere. They learn that living things interact with each other and with their nonliving environment. They learn that the parts of Earth the air, water, land, and living things are connected through global cycles of water, oxygen, and carbon and the one-way passage of energy through food webs. At the end of each two-page spread, a brief statement called The Bottom Line reinforces students understanding by summing up the key ideas about the biosphere covered in those pages. In Your World awakens students senses by sketching natural environments, such as a coral reef or a pine forest, and guiding students to explore the many life forms both great and small that live there. Students learn what the biosphere is, and by considering an analogy, imagine the size of the biosphere in relation to the rest of Earth. The brief scenario introduces students to the key concept that every living thing interacts with the living and nonliving world around it. Chapter 1 introduces students to the variety of biomes on Earth. The chapter explains that the shape of our planet and its tilt on its axis make it so that some areas of Earth receive more energy from the Sun, and so these areas support more life than others. Students learn that, for biomes on land, the conditions of temperature and precipitation (climate) determine the kind of biome that exists on that part of Earth. These conditions influence the types of plants and animals that can survive in that biome. Students also learn that biomes in water are defined by the conditions of the water, such as temperature, salinity, and whether the water is still or moving. Chapter 2 uses illustrations and photos to broaden students perception of what an ecosystem is. Through intriguing examples, students learn that they can find ecosystems just about anywhere even their classroom can be considered an ecosystem. A clear diagram explains the levels of organization within the biosphere, from the biosphere itself to smaller and smaller components biomes, ecosystems, communities, populations, and individuals. Chapter 3 explores how organisms within an ecosystem are connected through food webs. By considering the real-life example of a tide-pool food web, students learn how energy moves through an ecosystem. They learn how organisms are connected and interact through the cycling of water, oxygen, and carbon as well as the one-way passage of energy through food webs in ecosystems. Thinking Like a Scientist introduces students to the world of hydrothermal vents, strange ecosystems found deep below the ocean s surface. The feature describes how, in the absence of light, microbes use the process of chemosynthesis to make sugars that are the base of the food chains in these ecosystems. Students learn how scientists collect and analyze temperature data to find hydrothermal vents more than 2 kilometers below the surface. Students analyze data from a graph to determine the location of some of these deep-sea vents. How Do We Know? introduces students to Stephanie Hampton, a biologist who studies how temperature changes are affecting life in Lake Baikal in Russia. Students learn that as the temperature of the lake water has increased over the past 60 years, the numbers and types of plankton and other organisms in the lake have changed, too. In Math Connection, students calculate the volume of water in Lake Baikal. Hey, I Know That! allows students to assess their own learning through a variety of assessment tasks relating to the key concepts covered in The Biosphere Sally Ride Science 6

7 THE BIOSPHERE: GETTING STARTED In Your World Preview the book Ask students to browse through The Biosphere. Have them look at the table of contents and the chapter titles. Encourage them to read the headings at the top of each page and to look at each of the photos and diagrams and their captions. Draw their attention to the special features. Explain that paying attention to all of these features will clue them in to what the text is about and help them understand it better as they read. Read In Your World (pages 4 and 5) Tell students to read In Your World. Then have students study the photos as you ask these questions: What kinds of things would you see living on or near a coral reef? [Sample answer: I would see different types of coral, fish, crabs, shrimp, sea turtles, sea stars, and sponges.] What kinds of living things would you see in a pine forest? [Sample answer: I would see pine trees, a few other types of trees, different kinds of flowers, ferns, mosses, mushrooms, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and maybe deer, foxes, and bears.] What types of living things would you see in a grassy field? [Sample answer: I would see different kinds of grasses and flowers; bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, and other insects; and maybe birds, frogs, groundhogs, and snakes.] Call on two or three students to share their ideas with the class. After reading: Explore key concepts Have students work in pairs to develop a definition of the word biosphere based on what they ve learned. Suggest that they use only the text from In Your World and not look up the glossary definition yet. Call on two or three pairs to share their definitions with the class. Then ask a student to read aloud the definition in the glossary, and another student to write this definition on the board. Tell students to compare the definition in the book with their own definition. Then, as a class, come up with an easy-to-remember definition of biosphere, and have students write it in their science notebooks. [Sample definition: The biosphere is the part of Earth where life exists.] Show students photos or illustrations of various places on Earth, including land and water ecosystems (such as a forest and a stream), clouds in the sky, snowy mountain peaks with no visible life, sand dunes with no visible life, and a cross-section of Earth s structure showing the mantle and core. For each image, ask, Is this part of the biosphere? Why or why not? [Sample answers: The forest and stream are parts of the biosphere because these places include many living things such as different kinds of plants and animals. The air is where birds, insects, and bacteria can be found, so the sky and clouds are part of the biosphere. The mountaintop and desert sands are also parts of the biosphere. The pictures don t show any life, but some bacteria and other microorganisms probably live there. Insects, snakes, and lizards probably live in the sand. Earth s mantle and core are not part of the biosphere because no forms of life exist in these places.] 2015 Sally Ride Science 7

8 THE BIOSPHERE: CHAPTER 1 The Biosphere Read Chapter 1: The Biosphere Before reading: Model note-taking Before students read Chapter 1, explain that taking notes while reading will help them understand what they read. Model one way to take notes. Start by making a two-column chart on the board that students can copy in their science notebooks. Label the left column Key Words or Ideas and the right column Definitions or Details. Read the first paragraph on page 6 aloud. Then say, The first paragraph has one key idea and some details that help explain that idea. What is the key idea that we can write in the left column of our note-taking table? What are some details about the key idea we can write in the right column of our table? If necessary, guide students to the key idea: Earth s biosphere is loaded with life. Write the key idea on the board in the left column. Help students search out the details that support the key idea. These include: Life is not spread evenly throughout the biosphere; a rainforest is crowded with life. Write the details in the right column next to the key idea. Then say, An important word in this paragraph is species. What is its definition? Write species below the key idea in the left column of the table. Record the definition that students supply for example, different kinds of living things in the right column of the table next to the term. Tell students that after reading several paragraphs, they should stop and think about what they just read. Then they should write down the key words and ideas, along with definitions and details. Read Chapter 1: The Biosphere (pages 6 13) Ask students to read Chapter 1: The Biosphere. Give students The Biosphere handout and tell them to take notes on the handout as they read. After reading: Discuss key concepts Direct students attention to the biome maps on pages 8 and 13. Begin a discussion about the maps and biomes with these questions: In which biome do we live? What other places have the same biome as we do? ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS What kind of climate comes to mind when you think of the equator? [Students probably think of a hot, humid climate at the equator. Some students may think that biomes and ecosystems are the same thing. Use the maps in Chapter 1 to guide students to a deeper understanding of the relationship between biomes and ecosystems. The land surface of Earth can be seen as divided into a number of geographic regions distinguished by their dominant plants. Each major continent except Antarctica has, for example, desert, grassland, and forest biomes. Similarly, the waters of Earth may be divided into distinctive types characterized by fresh running waters, fresh standing waters, different depths of the oceans, and rocky, sandy, and muddy seashores. It is important for students to understand that when scientists speak of a particular biome for example, a tropical forest biome they are not speaking about a particular geographic region, but rather of all the tropical forests on our planet. In contrast, when a scientist talks about a particular tropical forest, say the Amazon rainforest, she or he is talking about a particular ecosystem (that is, a particular community of living organisms and the nonliving environment with which they interact) within the world s tropical forest biome Sally Ride Science 8

9 THE BIOSPHERE: CHAPTER 1 The Biosphere Hot and humid makes sense. But some places at the equator have a cold and snowy climate. How can that be? [These places are in the high-mountain ice biome. It is cold on mountaintops, even at the equator.] Let s take a trip around the world. Start on the west coast of South America and travel east along the 30 degrees south line of latitude. Which land biomes would you pass through? [You would pass through, in order, savanna, coniferous forest, high-mountain ice, coniferous forest, temperate grassland, savanna, desert, savanna, desert, and temperate deciduous forest.] Do you think that as you move from one biome to the next, the distinction between the biomes is as distinct as shown on the map? Why or why not? [The change is not as distinct as it is on the map. In nature, the biomes gradually change from one to another.] Look at an area of temperate deciduous forest on the land biomes map. Do you think every place in that area is a temperate deciduous forest? Why or why not? [Sample answer: Not every place in that area is a temperature deciduous forest. People change the land to make cities, towns, fields for crops, parks, roads, and highways. Even places that have never been developed will include some water biomes such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands.] For each question, call on one or two students to share their answers with the class Sally Ride Science 9

10 THE BIOSPHERE: CHAPTER 2 Ecosystems 101 Read Chapter 2: Ecosystems 101 Before reading: Model summarizing by making a diagram Tell students they can improve their understanding when they read by creating a diagram of key ideas. Model how to start a diagram for Chapter 2: Ecosystems 101. Tell students to look at the diagram on page 17. Draw a wedge with six levels on the board. In the top level, write biosphere and add a short definition. Ask, What should I write in the next level, under biosphere? [The next row should be biome.] Label the second row biome and ask students for a brief definition. Add the definition to your diagram. Then ask, What is the row under biome? [The next row is ecosystem.] Give students copies of the Chapter 2 handout. Have them copy the diagram on their handouts. Then tell them to complete the rest of the diagram as they read the chapter. Read Chapter 2: Ecosystems 101 (pages 14 17) Ask students to read Chapter 2: Ecosystems 101, taking notes and finishing the diagram as they read the chapter. After reading: Review key concepts Direct students attention to the pond ecosystem shown on pages 14 and 15. Read the caption on page 14: What living and nonliving things do you see in this pond ecosystem? Call on several students to share their answers with the class. [Nonliving things include gases (including oxygen and carbon dioxide), water, light, and rocks. Living things include ducks, a kingfisher, frogs, two kinds of fish, a dragonfly, a flowering plant, a tree, and cattails.] Then call on several other students to answer this question: How do these living and nonliving things interact with one another? [Sample answers: The fish swim in the water. The ducks, frogs, bird, and dragonfly take in oxygen from the air. The cattails take in carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen into the air. The bird perches on the tree branch. The frogs lay eggs among the rocks in the pond. The frogs may eat the dragonfly.] Make sure students understand how their classroom can be considered an ecosystem. Ask, What are the nonliving parts of our classroom? [Sample answer: Nonliving parts include the air, light, desks, chairs, a clock, a whiteboard or chalkboard, markers, and chalk.] 2015 Sally Ride Science 10

11 THE BIOSPHERE: CHAPTER 2 Ecosystems 101 What are the living parts of our classroom? [Sample answer: Living parts include the students and teacher, any plants or other animals in the room, and bacteria and other microorganisms that are in the air, on surfaces, and in and on our bodies.] How do the nonliving and living parts of our classroom interact? [Sample answers: The people and other animals breathe in oxygen from the air and breathe out carbon dioxide. The plants use light and take in carbon dioxide from the air. They also add oxygen to air. We sit in the chairs at our desks. We use the chalk (or markers) to write on the board. We feed and care for any animals in the classroom. We talk to each other, work together, and learn from each other.] For each question, call on one or two students to share their answers with the class. SCIENCE BACKGROUND People generally think of ecosystems as large regions, like biomes. However, an ecosystem can be almost any size. The size is determined by the observer and what is being observed. For example, an ecologist might study wolves and moose in the coniferous forest of northern Minnesota. The wolves and moose interact with their environment and with each other as predator and prey throughout the entire forest. So the entire forest is the ecosystem. That forest ecosystem includes many lakes. Another ecologist might study walleye fish in one of those lakes. The walleye interact with other fish, algae, and insects, as well as the water, sunlight, and rocks in that lake, so the lake is its own ecosystem. During her study, the ecologist might collect a jar of water from the lake to find out what microorganisms are present. Those microorganisms interact with one another, with the oxygen and nutrients in the water, and with the sunlight streaming into the jar to live. So even this jar of water is an ecosystem. In this way, an organism can be part of many overlapping ecosystems. Ecosystems aren t limited to natural places, either. Cities, towns, villages, and even your school can be considered ecosystems Sally Ride Science 11

12 THE BIOSPHERE Create a Science Diagram After students read Chapter 2 of The Biosphere, give them the Create a Science Diagram THE BIOSPHERE Create a Science Diagram handout. Have students work in pairs to choose a biome other than a desert and make a science diagram similar to the one on page 17. Create a Science Diagram Students should research the biome, a particular ecosystem that is part of the biome, and the communities, populations, and individuals that live there. They should illustrate each Look at the Sonoran Desert diagram on page 17 of The Biosphere. The diagram shows levels from the biosphere down level of to an their individual diagrams tortoise. and Choose write captions a place other to explain than a desert each level, and make from your the own biosphere diagram to showing an the levels from the individual biosphere organism. to individual plant or animal. Illustrate each level of your diagram and write a caption describing each level. Title: Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Individual Captions Biosphere _ Biome Ecosystem _ Community Population _ Individual 2015 Sally Ride Science 2015 Sally Ride Science 12

13 THE BIOSPHERE: CHAPTER 3 Ecosystem Interactions Read Chapter 3: Ecosystem Interactions Before reading: Model asking questions while reading Tell students that asking questions while reading is a good way to improve their understanding. Use Chapter 3 of The Biosphere to model asking questions while reading. Have students turn to page 18. Read aloud the title and subtitle of the chapter: Chapter 3: Ecosystem Interactions Everything s Connected. Say, I wonder what that title means: Ecosystem Interactions. Who is interacting with what in an ecosystem? Write on the board, What are the interactions in an ecosystem? Then say, Good readers ask questions while they read. They look for answers to their questions in the text or in other resources. Let s look for the answer to my question. Have a student read the first paragraph of page 18 aloud. Say, It says creatures in an ecosystem interact with the air, water, soil, and other creatures. That answers one of my questions. But how do creatures interact with all those things? That s another question. Explain to students that asking themselves questions as they read will help focus their attention on important points of the reading. The questions and the answers might come from images or text. Read Chapter 3: Ecosystem Interactions (pages 18 23) Have students read Chapter 3: Ecosystem Interactions. Provide them with a copy of the Ecosystem Interactions handout. Explain that they should use the handout to record any questions and ideas that occur to them as they are reading. Suggest that they pause after each page, think about what they have read, and jot down any questions the text raises. After reading: Discuss key concepts Direct students attention to the food web diagram on page 19. Ask, What do the arrows represent? [They represent how energy, in the form of food, flows through an ecosystem.] What are two food chains in this food web? Name the organisms from producer to consumer. [Sample answers: sea lettuce crab sea otter; sea lettuce sea urchin sea otter; sea lettuce crab black oystercatcher] Reread the two last paragraphs on page 23 aloud to students. Ask, How are you interacting with your ecosystem right now? [Sample answer: I am breathing in oxygen from the air and breathing out carbon dioxide.] How else will you interact with your ecosystem today? [Sample answers: I might kick some twigs or stones on my way home from school. I ll play in the park before dinner. I ll fill our bird feeder with birdseed. I ll eat food that was grown in our garden. I ll drink and brush my teeth with water that comes from underground.] SCIENCE BACKGROUND Tide pools are pools of seawater that form along rocky coastlines. The amount of water in a tide pool changes as the tide comes in (high tide) and goes out (low tide). Tide pools provide homes for many organisms, including sea stars, sea urchins, snails, oysters, barnacles, and juvenile fish. Seaweed and other algae also grow in tide pools. Organisms that live in tide pools have adaptations that allow them to survive in this ever-changing ecosystem. For example, the owl limpet is a shelled creature that remains clamped shut during low tide so that it doesn t dry out. Mussels have threads that cling to rocks tightly as tidal currents move into and out of the pool Sally Ride Science 13

14 THE BIOSPHERE: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST Deep-sea ecosystems Read Thinking Like a Scientist and answer the questions (pages 24 25) Ask students to read Thinking Like a Scientist and then answer the questions on page 25 on their Thinking Like a Scientist handouts. Have students work in pairs to discuss the questions and come to agreement on the answers. Then discuss the questions and answers together as a class. ANSWER KEY 1. What happened to the temperature of the water below the ship as it sailed along? [The temperature changed from the normal 2.0 C to 3.0 C at Site 4 and to 2.5 C at Site 7.] 2. How many hydrothermal vents do you think the ship passed over? [The ship may have passed over two hydrothermal vents.] 3. Based on the data, at what site(s) would you send down the submersible? Why? [I would send the submersible down at Site 4 and Site 7 because these two sites showed an increase in temperature compared to the normal water temperature at that depth.] 4. If scientists had taken more than eight measurements along the same line, might they have found more vents? Why or why not? [They might have found more vents because there may have been more cracks in the seafloor along that same line. There may have been areas of increased temperature that are between the sites where temperature measurements were taken.] SCIENCE BACKGROUND In 1977, scientists studying the ocean floor near the Galapagos Islands discovered a new ecosystem a hydrothermal vent. Since then many other hydrothermal vents have been found on the ocean floor for example, in the South Pacific, the Gulf of California, and the Atlantic. Both bacteria and archaebacteria are the producers in a food web that includes tube worms, crustaceans, clams, and fishes. Instead of the sunlight used to power photosynthesis, the microbes use chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide, in the water that gushes from the vents as a source of energy. The microbes grow in mats near, on, and inside the vents. Some also form symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationships with the tubeworms, clams, mussels, and other animals that live in the vent community. For example, some bacteria live within the tissues of the tubeworms. The bacteria benefit by staying safe from predators. The tubeworms benefit by absorbing some of the sugar produced by the bacteria. Other organisms that live at or near hydrothermal vents include certain kinds of shrimp, crabs, octopus, and fish. All of these organisms are adapted to live under conditions of high pressure and no light Sally Ride Science 14

15 THE BIOSPHERE: HOW DO WE KNOW? Meet ecologist Stephanie Hampton Read How Do We Know? (pages 26 29) Ask students to read How Do We Know? Give them the How Do We Know? handout. After they read The Issue section (p. 26), have them complete that section of the handout. Have them complete the rest of the sections (The Expert, p. 27; In the Field, p. 28; Technology, p. 29) in the same way. Tell students to share their answers in pairs. Then go over each question as a class. Call on two or three students to share their answers to each question. ANSWER KEY 1. What details did the science writer include to help you visualize Lake Baikal and the organisms that live in this ecosystem? [Sample answer: The writer told us the location and depth of the lake, and described the organisms that live there using adjectives like bright green and tiny. The writer said that the lake has clear water and that the surface water freezes in the winter.] 2. How has the warming of the water affected the lake ecosystem? [There are more warm-water plankton in the lake than before. Also, there are fewer of the microscopic plants and animals that prefer cooler temperatures than in the past.] 3. Why is Stephanie interested in looking at samples of Lake Baikal water under the microscope? [The lake water is filled with plankton, which form the base of the lake s food web. She learns a lot about the lake and how it is changing by looking at the plankton.] 4. Why do you think it is important that people have been collecting data on the lake s water temperature for over 60 years? [Sample answer: The 60 years of temperature data allows scientists to see a pattern of change over a long period of time. If the data were only from the last few years, it might not be enough to see a definite pattern.] 5. What do the containers called samplers collect? What other technology is used to learn more about what the samplers contain? [The samplers collect water from the lake, which contain plankton. Scientists use filters to separate the plankton from the water. Then the scientists use microscopes to view the plankton.] 2015 Sally Ride Science 15

16 THE BIOSPHERE: MATH CONNECTION Pump Up the Volume Give students the Math Connection handout and ask them to answer the question about the volume of water in the Great Lakes. Math Connection: Pump Up the Volume Lake Baikal holds about as much water as all five Great Lakes combined. Add up their volumes to learn just how much. > Lake Erie: 484 cubic kilometers (116 cubic miles) > Lake Huron: 3,540 cubic kilometers (850 cubic miles) > Lake Michigan: 4,920 cubic kilometers (1,180 cubic miles) > Lake Ontario: 1,640 cubic kilometers (393 cubic miles) > Lake Superior: 12,100 cubic kilometers (2,900 cubic miles) ANSWER KEY Lake Baikal holds about as much water as all five Great Lakes combined. Add up their volumes to learn just how much. [Students should add up the volumes of the five Great Lakes. 484 km 3 + 3,540 km 3 + 4,920 km 3 + 1,640 km ,100 km 3 = 22,684 km 3 Lake Baikal holds about 22,684 km 3 of water. 116 mi mi 3 + 1,180 mi mi 3 + 2,900 mi 3 = 5,439 mi 3 Lake Baikal holds about 5,439 mi 3 of water.] 2015 Sally Ride Science 16

17 THE BIOSPHERE: HOW DO WE KNOW? Write Interview Questions for a Scientist After students read the How Do We Know? section of The Biosphere, tell them to imagine that Stephanie Hampton is going to visit their classroom for 30 minutes. Give them the Interview Questions for a Scientist handout. Have students work in small groups to come up with six questions they would like to ask Stephanie during her visit. Questions can be related to the Lake Baikal ecosystem, how and why it is changing, her fieldwork, and how she became interested in science. Tell students that good journalists use the 5 W s and H What, Who, Why, Where, When, and How to gather information. Pool all of the questions together and, as a class, decide on the best six questions to ask. SCIENCE BACKGROUND Lake Baikal is home to approximately 3,500 animal and plant species, with more being discovered every year. One of these unique species is the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica), the world s only freshwater seal. In early spring, pregnant female seals give birth to a single pup within an ice den. The females build the ice dens on the surface of the frozen lake. Scientists are concerned about the health of the seals. They have been found to have high levels of pollutants, including PCBs, DDT, and dioxins, in their tissues, most likely from the industrial plants near the shores of the lake Sally Ride Science 17

18 THE BIOSPHERE: HEY, I KNOW THAT! Study Guide Ask students to use the Hey, I Know That! handout to answer the questions on page 30 of The Biosphere. Have pairs of students discuss their answers. Ask several students to read their answers aloud, and encourage others in the class to comment and expand on the answers. ANSWER KEY 1. Where on Earth is the biosphere? (page 5) [The biosphere stretches from high in the air to the ooze on the ocean floor. It is where life on Earth exists.] 2. Why do you find similar land biomes at similar latitudes north and south of the equator? (page 12) [Similar land biomes are found at similar latitudes because their positions on Earth mean that they often have similar climates.] 3. How is everything in an ecosystem connected? (pages 14, 22 23) [Everything is connected because the living things depend on each other and the nonliving things in the ecosystem to survive. Everything is connected through food webs and other cycles through which oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water pass.] 4. Draw a food web using these living things grass, grasshopper, sparrow, rabbit, hawk, and fox (page 19). [Sample answer: Students should draw a food web that includes arrows linking organisms to each other. Grass is the producer, which is eaten by grasshoppers and rabbits. The sparrow feeds on grasshoppers. The fox preys on the rabbit. The hawk may prey on the sparrow or the rabbit.] Caption: The diagram shows the biosphere and a grassland biome. Draw and label an ecosystem, community, population, and individual that would complete the diagram. (pages 11, 17) [Sample answer: A grassland ecosystem might consist of living things, such as prairie dogs, skunks, snakes, hawks, big blue stem grass, sweet coneflowers, and nonliving things such as air, water, and soil. A community would consist of all of the populations of species living in this place, such as prairie dogs, big bluestem grass, and skunks. A population might consist of all the prairie dogs living in this area. An individual would be a single prairie dog.] Individual Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere 2015 Sally Ride Science 18

19 Key Concepts in Science THE BIOSPHERE STUDENT HANDOUTS 2015 Sally Ride Science 19

20 THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 1 The Biosphere: Notes for Chapter 1 As you read, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading. LIFE! IT S EVERYWHERE SOLAR-POWERED PLANET HOME, HOME ON THE BIOME BIOMES ON LAND WHAT A TREK! SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR 2015 Sally Ride Science 1

21 BIOMES IN WATER PICTURE THIS THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 1 Review your notes for Chapter 1. Make a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts land biomes and water biomes. Your Venn diagram should consist of two large circles that overlap. Label one circle Land Biomes and the other circle Water Biomes, and fill in the circles with characteristics of land and water biomes. Label the overlapping area Both, and fill in the area with characteristics of both land and water biomes. PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Use your notes and Venn diagram to help you identify and list the most important ideas the key concepts in Chapter Sally Ride Science 2

22 THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 2 Ecosystems 101: Notes for Chapter 2 As you read, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading. NATURE S HOME ADDRESS COMMUNITY CENTRAL SAME TIME, SAME PLACE 2015 Sally Ride Science 1

23 PICTURE THIS THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 2 Review your notes for Chapter 2. Summarize your notes by drawing a wedge-shaped diagram with six levels. Write Biosphere in the top level and add a definition of biosphere. Write Biome in the second level and so on down to Individual, adding a definition for each level. PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Use your notes and diagram to help you identify and list the most important ideas the key concepts in Chapter Sally Ride Science 2

24 THE BIOSPHERE Create a Science Diagram Create a Science Diagram Look at the Sonoran Desert diagram on page 17 of The Biosphere. The diagram shows levels from the biosphere down to an individual tortoise. Choose a place other than a desert and make your own diagram showing the levels from the biosphere to an individual plant or animal. Illustrate each level of your diagram and write a caption describing each level. Title: Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Individual Captions Biosphere _ Biome Ecosystem _ Community Population _ Individual 2015 Sally Ride Science

25 THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 3 Ecosystem Interactions: Notes for Chapter 3 As you read Chapter 3, write down the most important information you come across. Write down any questions that occur to you, along with any answers to your questions that you find in the chapter. EVERYTHING S CONNECTED FOOD FACTORIES INTO THE TIDE POOL MOVING IN, MOVING OUT CIRCLE OF LIFE 2015 Sally Ride Science 1

26 PICTURE THIS THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 3 Review your notes for Chapter 2. Summarize your notes by drawing a sequence chart. Show the sequence of things that happen in the tide pool described in the chapter. PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Use your notes and sequence chart to help you identify and list the most important ideas the key concepts in Chapter Sally Ride Science 2

27 THE BIOSPHERE Thinking Like a Scientist Thinking Like a Scientist Read Thinking Like a Scientist on pages of The Biosphere. Then use the graph to answer the questions on this sheet. 1. What happened to the temperature of the water below the ship as it sailed along? 2. How many hydrothermal vents do you think the ship passed over? 3. Based on the data, at what site(s) would you send down the submersible? Why? 4. If scientists had taken more than eight measurements along the same line, might they have found more vents? Why or why not? 2015 Sally Ride Science

28 Review the questions below for each section of How Do We Know? Then read each section in the book and answer the questions. THE ISSUE 1. What details did the science writer include to help you visualize Lake Baikal and the organisms that live in this ecosystem? 2. How has the warming of the water affected the lake ecosystem? THE EXPERT 3. Why is Stephanie interested in looking at samples of Lake Baikal water under the microscope? IN THE FIELD 4. Why do you think it is important that people have been collecting data on the lake s water temperature for over 60 years? TECHNOLOGY THE BIOSPHERE How Do We Know? How Do We Know? Change Comes to an Ancient Lake 5. What do the containers called samplers collect? What other technology is used to learn more about what the samplers contain? 2015 Sally Ride Science

29 THE BIOSPHERE Math Connection Math Connection: Pump Up the Volume Lake Baikal holds about as much water as all five Great Lakes combined. Add up their volumes to learn just how much. > Lake Erie: 484 cubic kilometers (116 cubic miles) > Lake Huron: 3,540 cubic kilometers (850 cubic miles) > Lake Michigan: 4,920 cubic kilometers (1,180 cubic miles) > Lake Ontario: 1,640 cubic kilometers (393 cubic miles) > Lake Superior: 12,100 cubic kilometers (2,900 cubic miles) About how much water does Lake Baikal hold? Show your work Sally Ride Science

30 THE BIOSPHERE Interview Questions for a Scientist How Do We Know? Interview Questions for a Scientist Imagine that Stephanie Hampton is going to visit your classroom for 30 minutes. Come up with six questions they would like to ask her during her visit. Questions can be related to the Lake Baikal ecosystem, how and why it is changing, Stephanies fieldwork, and how she became interested in science. Good journalists use the 5 W s and H What, Who, Why, Where, When, and How to gather information. Questions for Stephanie Hampton Sally Ride Science

31 THE BIOSPHERE Hey, I Know That! Hey, I Know That! Study Guide Use this sheet to answer the Hey, I Know That! questions on page 30 of The Biosphere. 1. Where on Earth is the biosphere? (page 5) 2. Why do you find similar land biomes at similar latitudes north and south of the equator? (page 12) 3. How is everything in an ecosystem connected? (pages 14, 22 23) 4. Draw a food web using these living things grass, grasshopper, sparrow, rabbit, hawk, and fox (page 19). Caption: The diagram shows the biosphere and a grassland biome. Draw and label an ecosystem, community, population, and individual that would complete the diagram. (pages 11, 17)) Biome Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Individual 2015 Sally Ride Science