7th Grade - Unit 3: Ecosystems

7th Grade Unit 3: Ecosystems Roadmap

This page hosts Unit 3: Ecosystems, and a roadmap of the 3 subunits that will be covered.

Subunit 1: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

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🟦 Subunit Assessment Opportunities

🟦 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit 1: Assessment Opportunities

Subunit 1 Assessment Opportunites

View and download (by making a copy)- Subunit 1 Assessments

What should my students know and be able to do?
What should I prioritize?

Note: The materials below are personal recommendations from teachers in the field.
Feel free to consider your context when deciding whether to follow these suggestions.

Instructional Sequence	Assessment Types at This Stage	Assessment Description	Learning Target
Engage	Observations: Students’ background knowledge about ecosystems is assessed. Students explore the idea that food webs display what organisms eat and that this represents how organisms obtain their energy.	Students explain that organisms must expend energy to obtain food and that the food in an ecosystem food web can represent energy.	Students should be able to Explain why some energy is expended as organisms interact with one another in an ecosystem. State that the food in a food web may represent energy.
Explore	Observations, Predictions, and Data Analysis: Students create and test predictions about where plants get their mass. Students also collect and analyze their own data.	Students create and test predictions about where plants get their mass. Students also formulate initial predictions based on historical datasets and their own collected data regarding whether a plant’s mass comes primarily from CO₂ in the air.	Students should be able to Identify the sun as the primary source of energy for plants and the basis for all life in an ecosystem. Explain how matter cycles differently through plants and animals. Make and test predictions regarding whether plants potentially get their mass from the air.
Explain	Reading, Group Discussion, and Written Responses: Students read an article and work with partners and Listening Triads. Students answer Reflection Questions in small groups and discuss responses as a class.	Students have an opportunity to connect their observations from the Explore lesson (van Helmont’s experiment) to the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Students have an opportunity to design their own experiment, make predictions, and collect and analyze their own data regarding the rates of photosynthesis under varying conditions.	Students should be able to Explain how matter cycles differently through plants and animals. Describe the role that photosynthesis and cellular respiration play in the flow of energy and cycling of matter. Develop a model for the flow of energy throughout an ecosystem, from source to sink. Design and carry out an investigation.
Elaborate	Extending Understanding: Students apply their understanding of how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem to consider the role that decomposers play in ecosystem health.	Students revisit their Chaparral Ecosystem Food Webs (Engage lesson) to place decomposers in that food web and to discuss the implications on the chaparral ecosystem if decomposers were removed.	Students should be able to Explain the role that decomposers play in carbon cycling in an ecosystem.
Evaluate	Evaluating, Communicating Information, Written Responses: Students demonstrate their understanding and evaluate their knowledge of ecosystems by explaining the role of plants in an ecosystem. Students develop a Driving Question Board to explain concepts closely related to the Culminating Project. Students work on their Group Culminating Project and Individual Culminating Project: Written Proposal to the San Francisco City Planning Commission.	Students collaborate to develop their initial “What is an Ecosystem?” Driving Question Board.	Students should be able to Describe the role that photosynthesis and cellular respiration play in the flow of energy and cycling of matter. Develop a model for the flow of energy throughout an ecosystem, from source to sink.

View and download (by making a copy)- Subunit 1 Assessments

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Subunit 1: 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit Description

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In this subunit, students explore food webs as a way to visualize how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem. Students learn that the sun is the primary source of energy for an ecosystem because plants use photosynthesis to bring the sun’s energy into an ecosystem. Animals use cellular respiration to create energy from the food obtained in an ecosystem. Decomposers play an integral role and ensure that matter from dead organisms is made available to the ecosystem once again. Students apply what they learn to develop a model for how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem.

Lesson	Lesson Name	Teacher Document	Student Handout
1	Engage	7.3 SU1 1Engage Teacher	7.3 SU1 1Engage Student 7.3 SU1 1Engage Graphic Organizer
2	Explore	7.3 SU1 2Explore Teacher	7.3 SU1 2Explore Student 7.3 SU1 2Explore Data Table HO
3	Explain	7.3 SU1 3Explain Teacher	7.3 SU1 3Explain Student 7.3 SU1 3Explain Graphic Organizer HO 7.3 SU1 3Explain Data Table HO
4	Elaborate	7.3 SU1 4Elaborate Teacher	7.3 SU1 4Elaborate Student
5	Evaluate	7.3 SU1 5Evaluate Teacher	7.3 SU1 5Evaluate Student 7.3 SU1 5Evaluate Organisms Cards

📂 Download ALL lessons at one time for Unit 3: Subunit 1 from this folder. 📂

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Subunit 2: Ecosystem Interactions

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🟦 Subunit Assessment Opportunities

🟦 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit 2: Assessment Opportunities

Subunit 2 Assessment Opportunites

View and download (by making a copy)- Subunit 2 Assessments

What should my students know and be able to do?
What should I prioritize?

Note: The materials below are personal recommendations from teachers in the field.
Feel free to consider your context when deciding whether to follow these suggestions.

Instructional Sequence	Assessment Types at This Stage	Assessment Description	Learning Target
Engage	Observations: Students’ background knowledge about organism interactions can be assessed.	Students classify species interactions according to visible cues and consider the types of ecosystem factors (biotic and abiotic) that influence the organisms shown, as well as the greater population of organisms that share the same ecosystem.	Students should be able to Identify and distinguish between living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. Identify and describe five main types of species interactions.
Explore	Observations and Inferences: Students explore a simulated ecosystem to collect and analyze data regarding population trends as organisms are removed from or introduced into an ecosystem.	Students engage in a computer simulation depicting how organisms manage resources for survival and how competition (intraspecies) and predation affect species survival.	Students should be able to Visualize how some resources are considered limiting in an ecosystem. Predict some possible effects of adding or removing organisms from an ecosystem.
Explain	Reading, Group Discussion: Students read an article with partners and Listening Triads. Students answer Reflection Questions in small groups and discuss responses as a class. Students finally revisit their initial ideas regarding organism interactions in an ecosystem.	Students will apply information from a reading to analyze their initial ideas around organism interactions and how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem.	Students should be able to Explain how the availability of resources affects organisms in an ecosystem. Explain why some resources are considered limiting in an ecosystem.
Elaborate	Extending Understanding: Students apply their understanding of how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem to consider the role that decomposers play in regulating organism interactions.	Students will revisit prior work (Ecosystem Food Web poster) and add decomposers to the system. Students will then construct explanations for how decomposers affect organism interactions.	Students should be able to Explain the role that decomposers play in terms of carbon cycling and organism interactions in an ecosystem.
Evaluate	Evaluating and Revising a Model: Students demonstrate their understanding and evaluate their own knowledge of ecosystems. Students will revise their concept map to better understand the concepts closely related to the Culminating Project.	Students revisit their model explaining how organism interactions are affected by resource availability in an ecosystem. This new model will serve as a foundational model to be used later as part of their Culminating Project.	Students should be able to Construct a model (concept map) for the cycling of matter and energy in an ecosystem. Use a model to predict patterns of organism interactions in an ecosystem.

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Subunit 2: 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit Description

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In this subunit, students explore organism interactions within an ecosystem. Students learn that ecosystems are composed of both biotic and abiotic factors and that changes in these factors may impact populations of organisms within an ecosystem. The availability of resources affects organisms in an ecosystem and the interactions between these organisms. Decomposers play a role in regulating some organism interactions as they help ensure that matter is made available in an ecosystem. Students apply what they learn to construct a model explaining how the organism interactions in an ecosystem are impacted by the availability of resources.

Lesson	Lesson Name	Teacher Document	Student Handout
1	Engage	7.3 SU2 1Engage Teacher	7.3 SU2 1Engage Student 7.3 SU2 1Engage Data Table HO
2	Explore	7.3 SU2 2Explore Teacher	7.3 SU2 2Explore Student 7.3 SU2 2Explore Data Table HO
3	Explain	7.3 SU2 3Explain Teacher	7.3 SU2 3Explain Student
4	Elaborate	7.3 SU2 4Elaborate Teacher	7.3 SU2 4Elaborate Student
5	Evaluate	7.3 SU2 5Evaluate Teacher	7.3 SU2 5Evaluate Student

📂 Download ALL lessons at one time for Unit 3: Subunit 2 from this folder. 📂

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Subunit 3: Changes to Ecosystems

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🟦 Subunit Assessment Opportunities

🟦 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit 3: Assessment Opportunities

Subunit 3 Assessment Opportunites

View and download (by making a copy)- Subunit 3 Assessments

What should my students know and be able to do?
What should I prioritize?

Note: The materials below are personal recommendations from teachers in the field.
Feel free to consider your context when deciding whether to follow these suggestions.

Instructional Sequence	Assessment Types at This Stage	Assessment Description	Learning Target
Engage	Observations: Students’ background knowledge about ecosystem changes can be assessed.	Students recall their prior knowledge regarding ecosystems and consider what may happen when one part of an ecosystem changes.	It is okay if students are not sure why changes in an ecosystem may have widespread effects.
Explore	Observations, Drawing Models, Written Responses: Students record written observations and draw models based on presented scenarios depicting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem disturbances.	Students make initial predictions of what happens to an ecosystem when one component (organism) is removed.	Students should be able to Predict the possible effects of the removal/addition of biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Explain	Reading, Group Discussion: Students read four datasets with partners and Listening Triads. Students answer Reflection Questions and make predictions in small groups and discuss responses as a class.	Students will apply information from multiple datasets to predict the possible effects on various populations in an ecosystem due to specified events.	Students should be able to Explain why changes in an ecosystem may have widespread effects. Evaluate the relative effects of various ecosystem disturbances on the population of one organism. Use a model to predict shifts in organism interactions when an ecosystem is disturbed.
Elaborate	Extending Understanding and Applying Learning to a New Context: Students apply their understanding of ecosystems to four new scenarios depicting natural and human-caused disturbances.	By analyzing data, students respond to questions and develop models to explain how pollution, climate change, and animal reintroduction may affect ecosystems.	Students should be able to Explain why changes in an ecosystem may have widespread effects. Predict the possible effects of the removal/addition of biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Evaluate the relative effects of various ecosystem disturbances on the population of one organism. Use a model to predict shifts in organism interactions when an ecosystem is disturbed.
Evaluate	Evaluating, Communicating Information, Drawing Models, Written Responses: Students demonstrate their understanding and evaluate their own knowledge of how ecosystems are affected by abiotic and biotic disturbances. Students will revise their concept map to better understand the concepts closely related to the Culminating Project. Students will work on their Group Culminating Project and Individual Culminating Project.	Students revisit their model explaining how ecosystems are impacted by abiotic and biotic disturbances. This new model will serve as a foundational model to be used later as part of their Culminating Project. Students will work on their Culminating Project by constructing models that depict how organisms interact within a chosen ecosystem and explain how matter cycles and energy flows in that ecosystem. Students will then complete their Individual Culminating Project report	Students should be able to Use a model to predict shifts in organism interactions when an ecosystem is disturbed. Apply understanding of energy flow and carbon cycling to ecosystems that are experiencing change due to human activity.

View and download (by making a copy)- Subunit 3 Assessments

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Subunit 1: 5E Lesson Sequence

Subunit Description

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In this subunit, students explore the concept that both abiotic and biotic changes can lead to ecosystem disturbances. Students learn that there are multiple types of ecosystems (e.g., aquatic and terrestrial), and that ecosystem changes can result from changes to either abiotic or biotic factors. Often, ecosystem changes are either natural or human caused, and they may affect a wide array of organisms within an ecosystem. Students apply what they learn to explain how human-caused changes in a specific ecosystem (tidal marsh or coastal scrub) may impact the organisms that live in that ecosystem.

Lesson	Lesson Name	Teacher Document	Student Handout
1	Engage	7.3 SU3 1Engage Teacher	7.3 SU3 1Engage Student
2	Explore	7.3 SU3 2Explore Teacher	7.3 SU3 2Explore Student
3	Explain	7.3 SU3 3Explain Teacher	7.3 SU3 3Explain Student
4	Elaborate	7.3 SU3 4Elaborate Teacher	7.3 SU3 4Elaborate Student 7.3 SU3 4Elaborate Graphic Organizer HO
5	Evaluate	7.3 SU3 5Evaluate Teacher	7.3 SU3 5Evaluate Student

📂 Download ALL lessons at one time for Unit 3: Subunit 3 from this folder. 📂

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Unit 3: Ecosystems Documents

Below you will view and download: Unit Plan, Standards, Culminating Project Assessments and Rubrics, Common Misconceptions, Materials, Unit 0: Lift-Off Lessons and Resources.

7.3 Ecosystems: Overview

Overview

In this unit, students use what they learn about the flow of energy and cycling of matter to understand the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in organisms and in populations in an ecosystem. Students also examine how the availability of resources affects organism interactions and populations of organisms. Students use the Science and Engineering Practices of Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Developing and Using Models, and Analyzing and Interpreting Data to show how ecosystems are interconnected. Students use the focal Science and Engineering Practice of Engaging in Argument From Evidence to show how abiotic or biotic components of an ecosystem affect the whole. The Crosscutting Concepts of Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and Effect, and Stability and Change help students tie together the concepts they learned from Earth’s systems and chemical reactions.

For the Group Culminating Project, students work together to construct a model that explains how matter cycles and energy flows in a specific ecosystem found in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the Individual Culminating Project, each student writes a short report explaining how further destruction of a specific ecosystem due to construction may impact one specific organism from the ecosystem.

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7.3 Ecosystems: Unit Plan

Unit 3: Ecosystems - Unit Plan

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Desired Results

Overview

In this unit, students use what they learn about the flow of energy and cycling of matter to understand the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in organisms and in populations in an ecosystem. Students also examine how the availability of resources affects organism interactions and populations of organisms. Students use the Science and Engineering Practices of Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Developing and Using Models, and Analyzing and Interpreting Data to show how ecosystems are interconnected. Students use the focal Science and Engineering Practice of Engaging in Argument From Evidence to show how abiotic or biotic components of an ecosystem affect the whole. The Crosscutting Concepts of Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and Effect, and Stability and Change help students tie together the concepts they learned from Earth’s systems and chemical reactions.

Project Tasks

Connections to Culminating Project Lift-Off: Learn about species living in tidal marsh and coastal scrub ecosystems.

Connections to Culminating Project Subunit 1: Describe the flow of energy and matter in their ecosystem.

Connections to Culminating Project Subunit 2: Describe interactions between species and the impact of changes to resources in the ecosystem on different species.

Connections to Culminating Project Subunit 3: Describe potential changes of biotic and abiotic nature that could impact their ecosystem.

Estimated length of project: 370 minutes

ESTABLISHED GOALS

MS-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of matter and flow of energy.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis.]

MS-LS1-7. Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing that molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is released.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the chemical reactions for photosynthesis or respiration.]

MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.]

MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on predicting consistent patterns of interactions in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of ecosystems. Examples of types of interactions could include competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial.]

MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on defining the boundaries of the system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.]

MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.]

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What effects does a change to an ecosystem have on the organisms that live there?

Students will be able to independently use their learning to

Apply their understanding of the cycling of energy and matter in an ecosystem to create a model of a specific San Francisco ecosystem.
Apply their understanding of how disturbances to biotic and abiotic elements in an ecosystem can impact the health of species in that ecosystem.

Students will know

The role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

How food is rearranged through chemical reactions to form new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as it moves through an organism.
How resource availability impacts organisms and their populations in an ecosystem.
How patterns in interactions between organisms and abiotic factors in ecosystems can be identified.
How to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
That disturbances in an ecosystem have an impact on the organisms living there.

Evidence

Assessment Evidence

PERFORMANCE TASK: Constructing a model of an ecosystem. At the end of this unit, groups build a model of a San Francisco tidal marsh or coastal scrub ecosystem that they present to their class. The model includes species present in the ecosystem and at least three abiotic factors of the ecosystem. The model includes a food web showing relationships between the different factors in the ecosystem and uses evidence from the unit lessons to describe how carbon cycles through the ecosystem.

Individual Culminating Project: Written Proposal to the San Francisco City Planning Commission

In addition to the Group Culminating Project, students work on an Individual Culminating Project. They choose one organism from their group project and write a short report. The report must explain what will happen to the selected ecosystem if new development or construction is allowed to happen there. Students must address interactions between organisms, the flow of energy and cycling of matter (such as carbon) throughout the selected ecosystem. Students must explain what will happen to the population of one of the organisms that lives in the selected ecosystem if this development were to occur.

Learning Plan

Subunit 1

Throughout the course of this subunit, students explore food webs as a way to visualize how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem. Students learn that the sun is the primary source of energy for an ecosystem as plants use photosynthesis to bring the sun’s energy into an ecosystem. Animals use cellular respiration to create energy from the food obtained in an ecosystem. Decomposers play an integral role and ensure that matter from dead organisms is made available to the ecosystem once again. Students apply what they learn to develop a model for how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem.

Subunit 2

Throughout the course of this subunit, students explore organism interactions within an ecosystem. Students learn that ecosystems are composed of both biotic and abiotic factors and that changes in these factors may impact populations of organisms within an ecosystem. The availability of resources affects organisms in an ecosystem and the interactions between these organisms. Decomposers play a role in regulating some organism interactions as they help ensure that matter is made available in an ecosystem. Students apply what they learn to construct a model explaining how the organism interactions in an ecosystem are impacted by the availability of resources.

Subunit 3

This subunit is designed to help students explore the concept that both abiotic and biotic changes can lead to ecosystem disturbances. Students learn that there are multiple types of ecosystems (e.g., aquatic and terrestrial), and that ecosystem changes can result from changes to either abiotic or biotic factors. Often, ecosystem changes are either natural or human caused, and they may affect a wide array of organisms within an ecosystem.

Unit Map

Ecosystems

Essential Question: What effects does a change to an ecosystem have on the organisms that live there?

Lift-Off and Introduction to the Culminating Project

Subunit 1: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

How does matter cycle and energy flow through an ecosystem?

Engage • Explore • Explain • Elaborate • Evaluate

Subunit 2: Ecosystem Interactions

How are organism interactions impacted by resource availability in an ecosystem?

Engage • Explore • Explain • Elaborate • Evaluate

Subunit 3: Changes to Ecosystems

How is an ecosystem impacted by disturbances?

Engage • Explore • Explain • Elaborate • Evaluate

Group Culminating Project

Model an Ecosystem

Individual Culminating Project

Written Proposal to City Commission

Course Crosscutting Concepts + Foundational Crosscutting Concepts: These concepts are foundational to the understanding of middle school science. They are present throughout the course. Students are expected to continue to apply their knowledge of the concepts to subsequent relevant projects. * Focal Crosscutting Concept: This concept is called out consistently in the Teacher Edition and once per subunit in the Student Book. Students will consider the unit project through the lens of this Crosscutting Concept.
Crosscutting Concept	Unit 1: Chemical Reactions	Unit 2: Geoscience Processes and Earth’s Surface	Unit 3: Ecosystems	Unit 4: Earth’s Natural Resources
Patterns	+	+	+
Cause and Effect		+	+	*
Cause and Effect		+	+	*
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity	*	+



Systems and Systems Models
Energy and Matter	+		*
Structure and Function				+
Stability and Change		*	+	+

Science and Engineering Practices + Foundational Science and Engineering Practices: These practices “carry forward” through the course. Students focus on one of them per unit and are then expected to continue to apply that knowledge to subsequent relevant projects. * Focal Science and Engineering Practice: This practice is called out consistently in the Teacher Edition and once per subunit in the Student Book. Students will use this practice to complete the unit project.
Science and Engineering Practices	Unit 1: Chemical Reactions	Unit 2: Geoscience Processes and Earth’s Surface	Unit 3: Ecosystems	Unit 4: Earth’s Natural Resources
Asking Questions and Defining Problems		+
Developing and Using Models	+	*	+	+
Developing and Using Models	+	*	+	+
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations



Analyzing and Interpreting Data	*
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions	+	+	+	+
Engaging in Argument from Evidence			*	+
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information				*

“Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts” are reproduced verbatim from A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/13165. National Research Council; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Board on Science Education; Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. National Academies Press, Washington, DC. This material may be reproduced for noncommercial purposes and used by other parties with this attribution. If the original material is altered in any way, the attribution must state that the material is adapted from the original. All other rights reserved.

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7.3 Ecosystems: Standards

Ecosystems

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Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations

MS-LS1-6	Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of matter and flow of energy.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis.]
MS-LS1-7	Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing that molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is released.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the chemical reactions for photosynthesis or respiration.]
MS-LS2-1	Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.]
MS-LS2-2	Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on predicting consistent patterns of interactions in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of ecosystems. Examples of types of interactions could include competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial.]
MS-LS2-3	Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on defining the boundaries of the system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.]
MS-LS2-4	Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.]

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy.

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.
Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
Similarly, predatory interactions may reduce the number of organisms or eliminate whole populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial interactions, in contrast, may become so interdependent that each organism requires the other for survival. Although the species involved in these competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial interactions vary across ecosystems, the patterns of interactions of organisms with their environments, both living and nonliving, are shared.

LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems

Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.

PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life

The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen.
Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials.

Science and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Construct an explanation that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables that predict phenomena.

*Engaging in Argument from Evidence (Focal Practice)

Engaging in argument from evidence in 6–8 builds from K–5 experiences and progresses to constructing a convincing argument that supports or refutes claims for either explanations or solutions about the natural and designed world.

Construct an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem.

Developing and Using Models

Modeling in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to developing, using, and revising models to describe, test, and predict more abstract phenomena and design systems.

Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms.
Develop a model to describe phenomena.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Analyzing data in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to extending quantitative analysis to investigations, distinguishing between correlation and causation, and basic statistical techniques of data and error analysis.

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts

*Energy and Matter (Focal Crosscutting Concept)

Within a natural system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.
Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes.
The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system.

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural systems or designed systems.

Patterns

Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.

Stability and Change

Small changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part.

Connections to the Nature of Science

Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence

Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations.
Science disciplines share common rules of obtaining and evaluating empirical evidence.

Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems

Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Link to Connect the 7^th Grade Ecosystems Unit with Prior Knowledge doc.

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7.3 Ecosystems: Culminating Project Assessments and Rubrics

Culminating Project Assessments and Rubrics

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Culminating Project File Docs
7.3 Main–Culminating Projects
7.3 Oral Presentation Rubric
7.3 Science and Engineering Content Rubric
7.3 Science and Engineering Practices Rubric

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7.3 Ecosystems: Common Misconceptions

Common Misconceptions

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Lift-Off

What effects does a change to an ecosystem have on the organisms that live there?

Misconception	Accurate Concept
Ecosystems are not a functioning whole but simply a collection of organisms.	Ecosystems include not just the organisms but also the interactions between organisms and between the organisms and their physical environment.

Subunit 1: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
How does matter cycle and energy flow through an ecosystem?

Misconception	Accurate Concept
Organisms higher in a food web eat everything that is lower in the food web (Griffiths & Grant 1985). From American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/IE/173/IEM006)	Changes in a population may affect populations that are not directly connected by a feeding relationship even if they are several steps away and not within the same chain in a food web.
Varying the size of a population of organisms will affect only those populations of organisms that are directly connected to it in a feeding relationship, not organisms that are one or more steps removed/away from it (Griffiths & Grant, 1985; Webb & Boltt, 1990) From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/173#/2)	Changes in a population may affect populations that are not directly connected by a feeding relationship even if they are several steps away and not within the same chain in a food web.
Competition between organisms always involves direct, aggressive interaction. Exploitative competition (e.g., getting to the resource before other organisms) is not competition (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.). From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/176#/2) and http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/IE/176/IEM053	Competition between animals does not always involve direct confrontation.
Water is food for plants (Horizon, n.d.; Lee & Diong, 1999; Vaz et al., 1997, Wandersee, 1983). Minerals are food for plants. From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/ME/79#/2)	Water is not a source of food for plants and animals because food must contain molecules that have carbon atoms linked to other carbon atoms, and water molecules do not have carbon atoms linked to other carbon atoms. A plant's food are the sugars that it makes—not minerals, water, or carbon dioxide.
Substances in soil are food for plants (Kuech et al., 2003; Leach et al., 1992; Simpson & Arnold, 1982; Stavy et al., 1987; Tamir, 1989, Wandersee, 1983). From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/ME/80#/2) and http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/ME/80/MEM123	Plants use sugars that they make as food.
Food enters a plant through the roots (Anderson et al., 1990; Roth & Anderson, 1987; Simpson & Arnold, 1982; Vaz et al., 1997; Wandersee, 1983). From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/ME/80#/2) and http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/ME/80/MEM013	A plant makes its food from carbon dioxide and water.
Food is a source of energy but not a source of building materials (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.). Food is a source of building materials but not a source of energy (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.). From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/ME/79#/2) and http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/ME/79/MEM103 and http://assessment.aaas.org/misconceptions/1/ME/79/MEM102	Animals and plants need food as a source of energy and as a source of material for building mass, such as muscles in animals and leaves in plants.
Decomposers release some energy that is cycled back to plants.	Decomposers break down dead organisms, returning nutrients to the soil so they can be used by plants. Some decomposers are eaten by carnivores.
Species coexist in ecosystems because of their compatible needs and behaviors; they need to get along.	Within an ecosystem, species compete for resources and feed on one another. Species live in the same ecosystem because of similar adaptations and environmental needs.

Subunit 2: Ecosystem Interactions
How are organism interactions impacted by resource availability in an ecosystem?

Misconception

Accurate Concept

A change in the size of a prey population has no effect on its predator population.

From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/173#/2)

Changes in a population in a food web can affect the populations of both its predator and its prey (no specific organisms identified).

Plants do not compete for resources.

Plants do not compete for light.

From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/176#/2)

Both plants and animals compete for resources when they are limited.

Plants compete for water, space, and light when those resources are limited.

Organisms of the same species do not compete with each other for resources.

Different kinds of organisms (species) do not compete for resources.

From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/176#/2)

Organisms of the same species and of different species compete for resources.

Populations exist in states of either constant growth or decline.

From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/178#/2)

The size of a population of organisms can increase when its predators are removed from an area because the organisms live longer and have more offspring that also live longer (includes a food web diagram).

Populations increase when the number of births is greater than the number of deaths.

Populations decrease when the number of births is fewer than the number of deaths.

Subunit 3: Changes to Ecosystems
How is an ecosystem impacted by abiotic and biotic disturbances?

Misconception	Accurate Concept
If a population in a food web is disturbed, there will be little or no effect on populations that are not within the linear sequence in the food web. From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/173#/2)	Changes in a population may affect populations that are not directly connected by a feeding relationship even if they are several steps away in a food web.
Changes in a population in a food web do not affect the populations of any other organism in the food web. From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/173#/2)	Changes in a population may affect populations that are not directly connected by a feeding relationship even if they are several steps away in a food web.
If a population in a food web is disturbed, there will be little or no effect on populations below it in the food web. From AAAS Misconceptions (http://assessment.aaas.org/topics/1/IE/173#/2)	Changes in a population may affect populations that are not directly connected by a feeding relationship even if they are several steps away in a food web.

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7.3 Ecosystems: Materials

Materials

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The Unit 3: Ecosystems Materials table includes all of the items needed to teach five sections of this unit in a classroom of 32 students (eight groups of four). A detailed breakdown of how these items are used throughout the unit can be found in your Teacher Background Section at the subunit level and in each individual lesson in your Teacher Guide.

Permanent materials have already been provided to all middle schools in the district and are expected to be reused from year to year.
Consumable materials are replenished on an as-needed basis from year to year.
Teacher-provided materials must be supplied by teachers each year.

Unit 3: Ecosystems Materials

Permanent	Consumable	Teacher Provided
25 mL graduated cylinder (8) Test tube (80) Test tube rack (40)** Heat lamp (8)*	0.04% BTB solution (240 mL) 2-3 inch sprig of elodea (80) Drinking straw (80) Snails (40)	Piece of chart paper (6) Large 5"x7" sticky notes (144) Small sticky notes (144) Marker (32) Distilled water (2 L) Cardboard containers to create dark space (or cabinets) Aluminum foil or plastic wrap (120 pieces to cover test tubes) Masking tape (~70 ft)

*or sunny location in classroom

**quantity may vary by student experiment designs

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7.3 Ecosystems: Subunit 0: Lift-Off Lessons

Subunit 0: Lift-Off

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Lessons

Lift-Off Lesson Documents
7.3 SU0 General Groupwork Slide
7.3 SU0 Liftoff Slides
7.3 SU0 Liftoff Teacher
7.3 SU0 Liftoff Student

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7.3 Ecosystems: Do you want to learn more about this unit?

Do you want to learn more about this unit?

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Resources

Here are some resources for Unit 7.3 Ecosystems:

Ecosystems

CK-12: Ecology Overview

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/ecology-overview/.

CK-12: Ecological Organization
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/ecological-organization/.

CK-12: Ecosystems

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/ecosystems/.

Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP): A Chesapeake Bay Food Web

“Populations in Balance.” Chesapeake Bay Food Web [L1.3] SciGen SERP. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://serpmedia.org/scigen/l1.3.html.

CK-12: Habitat and Niche
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/habitat-and-niche/.

CK-12: Terrestrial Ecosystems
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/terrestrial/.

CK-12: Aquatic Ecosystems
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/aquatic/.

PBS LearningMedia California: Ecosystem Challenge

Plum Landing. “Ecosystem Challenge!” PBS LearningMedia. Plum Landing, October 3, 2019. https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/plum14.sci.life.lpecochal/ecosystem-challenge/#.WzCH4BJKjUI.

Organism Interactions

CK-12: Competition

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/competition/.

CK-12: Predation

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/predation/.

CK-12: Symbiosis

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/symbiosis/.

SERP: A Chesapeake Bay Food Web

“Populations in Balance.” Chesapeake Bay Food Web [L1.3] SciGen SERP. Accessed November 4, 2019.

https://serpmedia.org/scigen/l1.3.html

Energy in an Ecosystem

CK-12: Producer

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/producer/.

CK-12: Consumers and Decomposers

CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/consumers-and-decomposers/.

PBS LearningMedia California: Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

WGBH. “Producers, Consumers, Decomposers.” PBS LearningMedia. WGBH, October 25, 2019.

https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.oate.lp_energyweb/producers-consumers-decomposers/#.Wy4LQBJKjUI.

CK-12: Food Chain
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/food-chain/.

CK-12: Energy Flow
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/energy-flow/.

Matter in an Ecosystem

CK-12: Carbon Cycle
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/carbon-cycle/.

Pollution
CK-12: Air Pollution
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/air-pollution/.

CK-12: Water Pollution
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/water-pollution/.

CK-12: Soil and Water Management
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/soil-and-water/.

Habitats

CK-12: Habitat Destruction
CK-12 Foundation. “12 Foundation.” CK. CK-12 Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/habitat-destruction/.

SERP: Ecological Disturbances
“Populations in Balance.” Ecological Disturbances [L1.2] SciGen SERP. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://serpmedia.org/scigen/l1.2.html.

SERP: Invasive Species
“Populations in Balance.” Snake Invaders • Scene [L1.1] SciGen SERP. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://serpmedia.org/scigen/l1.1.html.

SERP: Barnyard Backfire
“Populations in Balance.” Comic "Barnyard Backfire" • Reading [L1.4] SciGen SERP. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://serpmedia.org/scigen/l1.4.html.

PBS LearningMedia California: Arctic Ecosystem
WGBH Educational Foundation. “Arctic Ecosystem.” PBS LearningMedia. WGBH Educational Foundation, October 24, 2019. https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ipy07.sci.life.eco.arcticecosys/arctic-ecosystem/#.WzCHsBJKjUI

Assessment Practice Items

Stanford University: Stanford NGSS Assessment Project, Short-Response Items
“Short-Response Items.” Short-response items | Stanford NGSS Assessment Project. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://snapgse.stanford.edu/snap-assessments/short-response-items.

Other Resources Used in 7.3 Ecosystems

"Classification And Types Of Wetlands | US EPA". US EPA, 2019. https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/classification-and-types-wetlands#tidal.

“Coastal Scrub.” Coastal Scrub |. Accessed November 5, 2019. https://sustain.sfsu.edu/content/coastal-scrub.

Departmental, Webcast-legacy. “Donut.” YouTube. YouTube, August 15, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLNv-cBKr-M&feature=youtu.be.

“Ecology Lab: The Habitable Planet.” Ecology Lab | The Habitable Planet. Accessed February 3, 2020. https://www.learner.org/wp-content/interactive/envsci/ecology/ecology.html.

Foundation, CK-12. “12 Foundation.” CK. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/#/?_k=fe7p05.

Foundation, CK-12. “12 Foundation.” CK. Accessed, Nov 4, 2019 . https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/photosynthesis/lesson/Photosynthesis-MS-LS/?referrer=concept_details.

Foundation, CK-12. “12 Foundation.” CK. Accessed November 5, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Life-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/section/12.18/.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, n.d. https://www.iucnredlist.org/.

http://vhmsscience.weebly.com/. Retrieved from http://vhmsscience.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/7/6/12762866/ecology_part_3_reading.pdf

Harwood, Jessica, Douglas Wilkin, Doris Kraus, Niamh Gray-Wilson, Jean Brainard, Sarah Johnson, Jane Willan, and Corliss Karasov. “Cellular Respiration.” CK. CK-12 Foundation, July 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/biology/cellular-respiration/lesson/Cellular-Respiration-MS-LS/?referrer=concept_details.

Harwood, Jessica, Douglas Wilkin, Doris Kraus, Niamh Gray-Wilson, Jean Brainard, Sarah Johnson, Jane Willan, and Corliss Karasov. “Leaves and Photosynthesis.” CK. CK-12 Foundation, July 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/life-science/photosynthesis/lesson/Photosynthesis-MS-LS/?referrer=concept_details.

“Home: Earth Day Every Day Challenge: SFUSD Sustainability.” earthdayeverydaysf. Accessed November 4, 2019. https://www.earthdayeverydaysf.com/.

Morton, Jennifer. "Balancing Act: Otters, Urchins And Kelp". QUEST, 2019. https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2014/02/25/balancing-act-otters-urchins-and-kelp/.

“NOVA: Decomposers.” PBS LearningMedia. NOVA, October 11, 2019. https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.oate.decompose/decomposers/#.WywPOhJKjUJ.

“Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed November 5, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/rlc/pacificcoast/index.htm.

"Saving Tidal Marshes In The San Francisco Bay | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit". Toolkit.Climate.Gov, 2019. https://toolkit.climate.gov/case-studies/saving-tidal-marshes-san-francisco-bay.

Presser, Theresa S., and Samuel N. Luoma. “Ecosystem-Scale Selenium Model for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Regional Ecosystem Restoration Implementation Plan.” San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 11, no. 1 (2013). https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2013v11iss1art2.

sfenvironment.org.
Retrieved from https://sfenvironment.org/article/ecosystems/coastal-scrub

Veronica Davison, Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office. "Tidal Marsh Ecosystem Recovery | Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office". Sacramento Fish And Wildlife, 2019. https://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es/Recovery-Planning/Tidal-Marsh/.

"Wetland And Aquatic Research Center". Usgs.Gov, 2019. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-research-center-warc.

Wilkin, Douglas, and Jean Brainard. “Carbon Cycle.” CK. CK-12 Foundation, July 4, 2019. https://www.ck12.org/c/biology/carbon-cycle/lesson/Carbon-Cycle-BIO/?referrer=concept_details.

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