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| | * [[Populations/Teacher Notes|Teacher Notes in WikiText format]] |
| * [[File:K507 1 mod4 chap6.pdf]] | | * [[File:K507 1 mod4 chap6.pdf]] |
| * http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=426185§ion=1.2.4 | | * http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=426185§ion=1.2.4 |
| }} | | }} |
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| [[File:Populations1.png|border|340x340px| | Preview snapshot of Chapter 6]] | | [[File:Populations1.png|border|340x340px| | Preview snapshot of Chapter 6]] |
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| =Teacher's Notes=
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| Science Book: living environment page 56
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| Topic: Animal populations and ecosystems
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| ==Introductory Activity - BRAINSTORM - whole class==
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| Q. What factors affect animal population numbers in the wild?
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| Probe – positive and negative factors
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| Responses – food availability, pollution, weather conditions, water levels, disease, predators, etc
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| Encourage pupils to build on what others have said and to say whether they agree with peer comments (building dialogue skills).
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| ==Introductory Activity - LOOKING AT GRAPHS - pairs/groups==
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| Project or print the two graphs in figures 19 & 20. Teacher note: see text between and after the graphs.
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| Look at the graphs of human and great tit populations and discuss:
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| Q. Tell the story of the graphs; what do they show?
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| Q. What factors might explain the changes in numbers over time?
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| Brief plenary.
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| ==Activity 3 - CASE STUDY==
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| Case study of rabbits grazing on the North and South Downs of England (whole class teaching and discussion). Teacher note: see text p. 58-61
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| Show Fig. 22 Colonising chalk downlands and talk through it using Q&A. E.g.
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| Why might ground be completely bare? (clearing for agriculture, over-grazing, fire, volcano, quarrying)
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| What happens over time?
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| Introduce succession as a predictable sequence of change. Point to grassland, shrubland, woodland. Chalk grassland would become woodland if left… why hasn’t that happened in the Downs?
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| What is the role of the rabbit (or sheep)? Grazing prevents trees developing…
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| Why do farmers and vegetable growers install rabbit-proof fences?
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| Why do certain plants increase and others decrease in number when rabbits are present?
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| Human intervention: tell the story of myxomatosis and its devastating effect on the rabbit population. (Play the song “Bright Eyes” if you want!) Explain that it ultimately died out.
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| What other animals might have been negatively affected by the virus? Why?
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| - predators of rabbits, grassland dwelling birds, rabbit hole inhabitants
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| What animals might have been positively affected by the virus?
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| - competitors
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| What happens when there are no animals grazing?
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| Discuss the positive effects of grazing – biodiversity.
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| The above Qs can be discussed in groups to get pupils thinking.
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| ==Activity 4 - CONCEPT MAP - Whole class ==
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| see Fig. 24 mapping interrelationships between rabbits and other organisms on downland
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| This could be done on the IWB as it exploits the interactive nature of the technology. Provide each organism as a labelled object on the board. Ask pupils to suggest links. You may want them to work on this in groups at tables first (using paper or min-whiteboards), with one group then demonstrating their representation on the IWB, for constructive critique and extension by others.
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| Introduce the notion of natural selection after this. Teacher note 1 – p.62.
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| Q. What other examples of natural selection can you think of?
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| Managing the downlands - Teacher note 2 – p.62.
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| Conclusion: change in ecosystems upsets the whole balance… fragility and instability
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| How much interference should humans make to protect one species or habitat?
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| [[Category:Secondary]][[Category:Science]][[Category:External Resource]][[Category:Ecosystems]] | | [[Category:Secondary]][[Category:Science]][[Category:External Resource]][[Category:Ecosystems]] |
