- "I can DESCRIBE the levels of organization and interactions within an ecosystem.”
- “I can PREDICT likely consequences of a change in an ecosystem.”
- “I can ILLUSTRATE and EXPLAIN the transfer of energy within an ecosystem.”
Students next investigated how changes to one population within an ecosystem can affect all other organisms within the food web [Link]. We compared the relative numbers of organisms within each Trophic Level, and noticed a decrease in population as you progress higher up the food chain.
We then explored this idea further by completing a data table drawn from this Online Lab Investigation. We calculated the ratio of energy between each Trophic Level, and found those ratios to be about 10%, on average.
We afterwards read a brief article that introduced the Energy Pyramid, a model which conveniently illustrates these observation, and we were formally introduced to The 10% Rule, which we had just derived on our own.
Next, we constructed our own, tangible Energy Pyramids from paper, being sure to label each Trophic Level with appropriate terminology.
Lastly, in most classes, we were able to review the day's lesson with a BrainPop Summary video and a 10-question Check-for-Understanding Quiz.