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Science · Grade 7

Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Change

Learners model how energy flows one way through an ecosystem while matter cycles, and use energy pyramids and the approximately 10% rule to calculate the energy available at each level. They describe biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, use data and a predator–prey simulation to argue how disruptions ripple through populations, and evaluate competing solutions for protecting biodiversity against criteria, constraints and evidence.

  • 5 lessons
  • About 120 minutes
  • Ecosystems, biodiversity and change check: 11 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, type a number, put in order and sort into groups
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What learners will discover

  • Model the flow of energy and the cycling of matter among producers, consumers, decomposers and the non-living environment, explaining why matter cycles but energy does not.
  • Use an energy pyramid and the approximately 10% rule to calculate the energy passed between trophic levels, and explain why food chains are short and top predators few.
  • Describe biodiversity and the ecosystem services it supports, and explain why more diverse ecosystems tend to recover better from disturbance.
  • Use data to argue how changes to physical or biological parts of an ecosystem affect its populations.
  • Evaluate competing solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services using criteria, constraints and evidence.

Lessons

  1. Energy flows, matter cycles 9 steps5 practiceabout 22 min
  2. Energy pyramids and the 10% rule 9 steps6 practiceabout 24 min
  3. Biodiversity and ecosystem services 8 steps5 practiceabout 22 min
  4. Disruptions ripple through populations 8 steps4 practiceabout 26 min
  5. Evaluating solutions to protect biodiversity 8 steps5 practiceabout 22 min
  6. Ecosystems, biodiversity and change check 11 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Bridge LabBuild a bridge from beams, brace it with triangles, and stay on budget.
  • Circuit Workshop 3DWire up batteries, bulbs and switches on a 3D workbench.
  • River MysterySomething changed the river. Sample sites with a limited budget, follow the evidence and find where the change begins.

More 7th grade science

Guide for grown-ups