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Taking Inventory and
Pondering Change
The EcoColumn that you’ve designed includes a variety of aquatic
and terrestrial organisms. In a study system like this, it’s important
to describe the living things that you stock it with before you introduce
them into their habitats. “Taking Inventory” will assist
you in doing this, and “Pondering Change” will help you predict
changes that you think will occur as your EcoColumn develops over time.
Materials Needed
Instructions
Taking Inventory
- Assemble the aquatic and terrestrial (including compost)
organisms to be introduced into your EcoColumn.
- Observe each item and
identify with a common and/or scientific name.
- Using your Taking Inventory
Data Sheet, describe identifying and interesting characteristics
for each organism.
- Take and record measurements of each organism.
- Make a sketch of each
organism, including scale.
- Make a graphic inventory of your EcoColumn,
showing where each organism is to be placed.
Pondering Change
- Use your Pondering Change Data Sheet to make
predictions about change in your EcoColumn
over time.
- Decide the length of a study period for
your EcoColumn.
- At regular intervals during
your study period, observe your EcoColumn and record
changes that
occur.
- At the end of your study period,
make another graphic inventory.
Activity Questions
At the start of your study period
- What organisms will you introduce
into the aquatic habitat
of your EcoColumn?
- What organisms will you introduce
into your terrestrial habitat?
- What organisms will you introduce into your compost
habitat?
- Which of these are
producers? Consumers? Decomposers?
- How will the energy needs
of these organisms
be provided for?
- What do you expect
to happen in your
aquatic habitat over
time? Your
terrestrial
habitat?
Your compost
habitat?
- How do you
expect the components of each
habitat
to affect the
other habitats?
At
the end of your study period
- What types of
changes occurred
in your aquatic
habitat?
Your terrestrial habitat?
Your compost
habitat?
- What
do you think caused
these changes?
- How would you describe
energy
flow
in your EcoColumn?
- How would you describe
material
cycling
in your EcoColumn?
- What
evidence,
if
any, indicated
that
the
components of different
habitats
were
affecting each
other?
- How would
you change the design
of your EcoColumn
for future studies
of energy
flow and
material cycling?
SHARE YOUR RESULTS: Taking Inventory and Pondering Change
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