Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

• Understand an organism using a systems perspective
• Compare and contrast how a variety organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment
• Use systems thinking to understand the interconnectedness of all living things
• Connect to place and understand their role and responsibility as stewards of the environment
• Develop a plan of action to address a selected problem or issue

UNIT UNDERSTANDINGS:

Students will understand that…

• A living organism is made up of many interdependent body systems that interact to sustain life.
• All organisms require food, water, and shelter for survival.
• All organisms also need energy, which can be traced back through food chains to plants and sun.
• All organisms have predictable life cycles.
• Organisms reproduce in a variety of ways including: sexual and asexual reproduction.
• Organisms have adaptations to help them survive in particular habitats.
• Adaptations can be visible, invisible (physiological), or behavioural.
• Organisms interact with each other in a variety of ways including: competition, predator-prey, symbiotic, and parasitic relationships.
• Organisms also interact with the surrounding environment (abiotic factors) including: energy, water, air and soil.
• All organisms are connected, including us.
• My actions (both positive and negative) impact the organism’s ability to survive.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

Students will keep considering…

• What is a living organism?
• What do all organisms need for survival?
• What adaptations help the organism survive in its environment?
• What interactions do you observe –between organisms, and between the organism and environment?
• How am I connected to the organism(s) I’ve experienced during field studies?
• What does it mean to be a steward of the environment?
• What is a system?
• What does it mean to think using a systems approach?
• How have I experienced ‘Systems’ at ODS? (e.g. in what ways is a pond a living system?)
• How am I connected to ‘Systems’ in my everyday life?

> Click here to learn more about Essential Questions

CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

Students will be skilled at…

• Demonstrate curiosity about a scientific  topic or problem (Science 6)

• Make observations in familiar and unfamiliar contexts (Science 6)

• Identify questions to answer or problems to solve through scientific inquiry (Science 6)

• Observe, measure, and record data, using appropriate tools (Science 6)

• Experience and interpret the local environment (Science 6)

• Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence (Science 6)

• Identify some of the social, ethical, and environmental implications of their findings (Science 6)

• Express and reflect on personal, shared, others’ experience of place (Science 6)

CONTENT

Students will know…

• Sunlight provides energy for pond plants to grow. The plants provide food for many organisms. Many insects live near the surface of the pond. Small insects and fish provide food for larger creatures. Nearby mammals and birds depend on pond life (food chain).

• Aquatic organisms reproduce in a variety of ways (amphibians: sexual, external), invertebrate: complete vs. incomplete metamorphosis).

• Living and non-living factors affect aquatic organisms’ ability to survive.

• Aquatic organisms have adaptations to help them survive in their habitat.

• Aquatic organisms fill many ecological niches. Some are predators, others are omnivores, and others are herbivores.

• Aquatic organisms are susceptible to a range of predators, including fish, birds, larger insects, and mammals.

• Aquatic organisms are susceptible to a variety of human threats.

• Aquatic organisms have different levels of pollution tolerance, and the presence of specific organisms can be used to indicate water quality.

• They are personally connected to (& rely on) water systems, and wetlands.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Which Core Competencies will be integrated into the unit? 

Positive Personal & Cultural Identity

• Students will explore human impacts, and how they can contribute to caring for wetlands (water system)

Communication

• Students will use scientific language to exchange ideas with peers

Critical Thinking

• Students will use observation and reasoning to make explanations regarding water quality. Students will ask & answer questions through observation.

The unit will make connections with:

How does the field study reflect Cheakamus Centre Principles (Place, Community, Inquiry, Personal Connections, and First Peoples’ Perspectives)?

Place: Students will explore and make observations in & of organisms within the pond ecosystem.

Inquiry: Students will ask questions that can be answered through observation.

Community: Students participate in citizen science by sharing data with other field study groups.