What's so key about a keystone species?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g35/seasshark.html
A lesson plan for grades 4–5 Science
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In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore keystone species of animals, which are species that have a major influence on the structure of an ecosystem.
Students will:
- use the Internet to view pictures of animals that live in the Shark Bay ecosystem of Australia and sketch these animals;
- draw food chains that include tiger sharks;
- discuss what might happen if tiger sharks were removed from the food chain or if their populations diminished;
- do a simulation to see the relationships between members of the Shark Bay ecosystem;
- discuss the tiger shark as a keystone species;
- discuss how scientists would go about trying to determine whether other shark species are keystone species; and
- write paragraphs describing the relationships between species shown by the food chain and explaining why the tiger shark is a keystone species in this ecosystem.
Xpeditions provides detailed instructions for implementing this lesson plan, as well as links to necessary web resources, and suggestions for assessment and extension activities.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 4
- Goal 1: The learner will make observations and conduct investigations to build an understanding of animal behavior and adaptation.
- Objective 1.01: Observe and describe how all living and nonliving things affect the life of a particular animal including:
- Other animals.
- Plants.
- Weather.
- Climate.
- Objective 1.03: Observe and discuss how behaviors and body structures help animals survive in a particular habitat.
- Objective 1.01: Observe and describe how all living and nonliving things affect the life of a particular animal including:
Grade 5
- Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.
- Objective 1.01: Describe and compare several common ecosystems (communities of organisms and their interaction with the environment).
- Objective 1.02: Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem:
- Producers.
- Consumers.
- Decomposers.
- Objective 1.03: Explain why an ecosystem can support a variety of organisms.
- Objective 1.05: Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem.
