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BW 5: Students should be able to conduct a habitat study; research and investigate the adaptation, competition and interdependence of organisms within specific habitats and communities.

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Nature of Science

NoS 2, NoS 3, NoS 4, NoS 5, NoS 7

Links to other strands

P1, P2, P3, C8

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Action Verbs - Definitions + Related Learning Outcomes

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Action Verbs - Definitions + Related Learning Outcomes

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This video contains keywords and definitions that are related to this learning outcome. It is a very useful and helpful resource that gives students the opportunity to see and hear the keyword represented with an illustration.

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Key Ecology Terms | Ecology and Environment | Biology | FuseSchool

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Adaptation and Adaptedness of Organisms to Urban Environments

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Adaptation and Adaptedness of Organisms to Urban Environments | Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (annualreviews.org)

This article discusses the adaptation and adaptedness of organisms to urban environments. This peer reviewed paper links to the learning outcome BW 5 as it relates to the adaptation of organisms to their different habitats. This article may be relevant to students lives especially if they live in more urban areas like towns and cities.

This article contains data like a table (table 1) showing the examples of the types of responses recorded for organisms in urban environments. The data in this article can be further analysed and discussed in a lesson.

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This article discusses the global impacts of habitat destruction. In this article it outlines what habitat destruction is, the causes of habitat destruction, and how protecting habitats would allow different species to thrive.

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The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction

Despite the habitat loss that has occurred globally to date, there is still hope. Studies reveal that by protecting 50 percent of the land and ocean around the world, plant and animal species could thrive.

About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on , and .

Habitat destruction is one of the biggest threats facing plants and animal species throughout the world. The loss of habitat has far-reaching impacts on the planet's ability to sustain life, but even with the challenges, there is hope for the future.

Habitat destruction, defined as the elimination or alteration of the conditions necessary for animals and plants to survive, not only impacts individual species but the health of the global ecosystem.

Habitat loss is primarily, though not always, human-caused. The clearing of land for farming, grazing, mining, drilling, and urbanization impact the 80 percent of global species who call the forest home. Approximately 15 billion trees are cut down each year. According to a study about tree density published in , the number of trees worldwide has decreased by 46 percent since the start of civilization. In addition to the loss of habitat, deforestation reduces the ability of forests to provide the critical benefit of absorbing carbon, which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The situation is even worse in waterways, coastal areas, and the ocean. Coastal estuaries and marshes provide breeding grounds for the majority of marine species. As they, along with inland wetlands, are dredged and filled, species are less able to birth and support their young. Pollution and effluents from the land travel easily through streams and rivers to the ocean, where they impact the health of fish, birds, and marine plants. Deforestation far from shore can cause erosion that enters the water and deposits silt into the shallow marine waters, blocking the sunlight that coral reefs need to survive.

Despite the habitat loss that has occurred globally to date, there is still hope. Studies reveal that by protecting 50 percent of the land and ocean around the world, plant and animal species could thrive. Today, only 15 percent of the land and 7 percent of the ocean is protected, leaving us with a challenging yet attainable goal.

The Campaign for Nature calls upon world leaders to take action in helping to protect 30 percent of the Earth's land and ocean by 2030, on the way to 50 percent of the planet in a natural state by 2050. This commitment represents our best opportunity to preserve the ecosystems necessary for our survival.

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The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction

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Despite the habitat loss that has occurred globally to date, there is still hope. Studies reveal that by protecting 50 percent of the land and ocean around the world, plant and animal species could thrive.

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This is an article published by National Geographic about habitats. It contains relevant information to this learning outcome including what a habitat is, what makes a good habitat for plants and what makes a good habitat for animals.

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A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home.

Subjects

Biology, Geography, Physical Geography

A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home. A habitat meets all the environmental conditions an organism needs to survive. For an animal, that means everything it needs to find and gather food, select a mate, and successfully reproduce.

For a plant, a good habitat must provide the right combination of light, air, water, and soil. For example, the prickly pear cactus, which is adapted for sandy soil, dry climates, and bright sunlight, grows well in desert areas like the Sonoran Desert in northwest Mexico. It would not thrive in wet, cool areas with a large amount of overcast (shady) weather, like the U.S. states of Oregon or Washington.

The main components of a habitat are shelter, water, food, and space. A habitat is said to have a suitable arrangement when it has the correct amount of all of these. Sometimes, a habitat can meet some components of a suitable arrangement, but not all.

For example, a habitat for a puma could have the right amount of food (deer, porcupine, rabbits, and rodents), water (a lake, river, or spring), and shelter (trees or dens on the forest floor). The puma habitat would not have a suitable arrangement, however, if it lacks enough space for this large predator to establish its own territory. An animal might lose this component of habitat-space-when humans start building homes and businesses, pushing an animal into an area too small for it to survive.

Space

The amount of space an organism needs to thrive varies widely from species to species. For example, the common carpenter ant needs only a few square inches for an entire colony to develop tunnels, find food, and complete all the activities it needs to survive. In contrast, cougars are very solitary, territorial animals that need a large amount of space. Cougars can cover 455 square kilometers (175 square miles) of land to hunt and find a mate. A cougar could not survive in the same amount of space that a carpenter ant needs.

Plants need space, too. Coast redwood trees, like the ones in Redwood National Park in the U.S. state of California, can reach more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) in diameter and 106 meters (350 feet) in height. A tree that massive would not have enough space to grow and thrive in a typical community park or yard.

Space is not the same as range; the range of an animal is the part of the world it inhabits. Grassland, for example, is the habitat of the giraffe, but the animal's range is central, eastern, and southern Africa.

Food

The availability of food is a crucial part of a habitat's suitable arrangement. For example, in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota, black bears eat mostly plants, like clover, dandelions, and blueberries. If there were a drought, plants would become scarce. Even though the habitat would still have space (large forest), shelter (caves, forest floor), water (streams and lakes), and some food, it wouldn't have enough to eat. It would no longer be a suitable arrangement.

Too much food can also disrupt a habitat. Algae is a microscopic aquatic organism that makes its own food through the process of photosynthesis. Nutrients like phosphorous contribute to the spread of algae. When a freshwater habitat has a sharp increase in phosphorous, algae "blooms," or reproduces quickly. Algae also dies very quickly, and the decaying algae produces an algal bloom. The algal bloom can discolor the water, turning it green, red, or brown. Algal blooms can also absorb oxygen from the water, destroying the habitat of organisms like fish and plants. Excess nutrients for algae can destroy the habitat's food chain.

Water

Water is essential to all forms of life. Every habitat must have some form of a water supply. Some organisms need a lot of water, while others need very little. For example, dromedary camels are known for their ability to carry goods and people for long distances without needing much water. Dromedary camels, which have one hump, can travel 161 kilometers (100 miles) without a drink of water. Even with very little access to water in a hot, dry climate, dromedary camels have a suitable arrangement in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Cattails, on the other hand, are plants that grow best in wet areas, like marshes and swamps. Dense colonies of these tall, spiky plants grow directly in the mud beneath lakes, stream banks, and even neighborhood ponds. A cattail habitat's suitable arrangement depends on water. Imagine a pond at the bottom of a dirt-covered cliff. If enough loose dirt slid down into the pond, it could fill up the pond and absorb the water, not leaving enough for the cattails to grow.

Shelter

An organism's shelter protects it from predators and weather. Shelter also provides a space for eating, sleeping, hunting, and raising a family. Shelters come in many forms. A single tree, for example, can provide sheltered habitats for many different organisms. For a caterpillar, shelter might be the underside of a leaf. For a mushroom fungus, shelter might be the cool, damp area near tree roots. For a bald eagle, shelter may be a high perch to make a nest and watch for food.

Fast Fact

Red-Eyed Tree Frog
The red-eyed tree frogs habitat is in tropical areas from southern Mexico to northern South America. Although they are not endangered, their habitat is growing smaller. If their rainforest home continues to shrink, the red-eyed tree frog will not have the space it needs to survive.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Illustrators

Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society

Editors

Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing, Emdash Editing

Producer

National Geographic Society

other

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home.

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This is a collection of articles about different types of habitats published by National Geographic, including polar and grassland habitats as well as desert, freshwater and temperate rainforest habitats.

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Learn about the different natural environments of plants and animals.

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This is a collection of articles by National Geographic that explore biodiversity. This article explains what biodiversity is and why it is important. It contains different articles relating to different aspects of biodiversity including global biodiversity, hedges of biodiversity and conserving Earth. it also contains an encyclopedic entry discussing why 'Not all Deserts are Sandy' which students may find interesting as it may contradict their understanding of what a desert is.

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms found in a particular habitat. It is important to maintain biodiversity because we rely on it for ecosystem services, which fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The earth provides these to us for free and they are critical to achieving a planet in balance.

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms found in a particular habitat. It is important to maintain biodiversity because we rely on it for ecosystem services, which fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The earth provides these to us for free and they are critical to achieving a planet in balance.

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This is an ecology Quizlet that contains the keywords that are related to this learning outcome. Students can engage with this Quizlet in many different ways. For example, this Quizlet can be used by students as flashcards to revise keywords or as a quiz to test their knowledge.

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This article discusses the symbiotic relationship that exists between anemones and clownfish. It explains what symbiosis is and contains a vocabulary sections for students to use when reading the article.

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Planet Earth is inhabited by millions of species-at least! Because different species often inhabit the same spaces and share-or compete for-the same resources, they interact in a variety of ways, known collectively as . There are four main symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition.

To explore these relationships, let's consider a natural ecosystem such as the ocean. Oceanic environments are known for their species diversity. Imagine you are on a diving expedition to explore the worlds beneath the waves. If we were in the warm waters of the Pacific or Indian Oceans, we'd likely spot an excellent example of mutualism: the relationship between clownfish and sea anemones. In a mutualistic relationship, both species benefit. Sea anemones live attached to the surface of coral reefs. They trap their prey with stinging cells called nematocysts, which are located on their tentacles. Nematocysts release toxins when a small animal contacts an anemone's tentacle. This paralyzes the stung animal, allowing the anemone to easily bring the animal into its mouth for ingestion.

While other fish succumb to these toxic stings, clownfish secrete a substance in the mucus covering their bodies that suppresses the firing of nematocysts. This allows the clownfish to swim comfortably between the tentacles of anemones, creating a protected environment in which potential predators are killed off by anemone stings. This clearly benefits the clownfish, but how about the sea anemones? The brightly colored clownfish attract other fish looking for a meal. These unsuspecting would-be predators are then caught and eaten by the anemones.

As we continue in our imaginary deep-sea voyage, we may observe the commensalistic relationship that exists between barnacles and humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae). Commensalism happens when one species lives with, on, or in another species, known as the host. The host species neither benefits nor is harmed from the relationship. In our imagined example, various species of barnacles attach themselves to the skin of whales. Scientists have not discovered the exact mechanism by which barnacles are able to do this, but it does not appear to bother the whales. How do the barnacles benefit from this unlikely relationship? The huge whales transport the tiny barnacles to plankton-rich waters, where both species feast upon the abundant microorganisms that live there.

Of course, some symbiotic relationships do cause harm. In parasitism, one species (the parasite) lives with, on, or in a host species, at the expense of the host species. Unlike in predation, the host is not immediately killed by the parasite, though it may sicken and die over time. Examples of common parasites found in the ocean include nematodes, leeches, and barnacles. That's right-though barnacles exist commensally with whales, they are parasites for swimming crabs. A barnacle may root itself within a crab's reproductive system. While the crab does not die from this interaction, its reproductive capabilities are greatly diminished.

The last example of symbiosis we will explore on our imaginary dive is competition-the struggle among organisms for the same limited resources in an ecosystem. Competition can happen between members of the same species (intraspecific competition) and between different species (interspecific competition). An example of interspecific competition in the ocean is the relationship between corals and sponges. Sponges are very abundant in coral reefs. If they become too successful, however, they take needed food and other resources from the corals that make up the reef. Sponges may outcompete corals for resources in the short term, but if too many corals die, the reef itself becomes damaged. This is bad for the sponges, which may themselves begin to die off until the reef is balanced again.

Symbiotic relationships can be useful measures of an ecosystem's health. For example, large tracts of coral reefs are severely damaged or dead because of recent increases in ocean temperature due to climate change. The temperature increase induces coral to expel the algae that live mutualistically within them. Without their algae, the coral turn white and die. This loss of symbiosis is an early sign of declining coral health and speaks to the importance not only of studying symbiosis within marine environments, but also of examining the negative impacts that humans can have on these interactions. In the words of National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle: "We need to respect the oceans and take care of them as if our lives depend on it. Because they do."

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Symbiosis is a term describing any relationship or interaction between two dissimilar organisms. The specific kind of symbiosis depends on whether either or both organisms benefit from the relationship.

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This article discusses the different types of species living in polar habitats. It contains pictures of the species living there with fun facts that the students may find interesting and engaing. It contains information about this type of habitat including the temperature, seasons

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It's cold at the poles. In the Arctic, the average winter temperature is about around minus 22°F. At the South Pole, it is even colder. The lowest temperature ever recorded-minus 129°F-was in Antarctica.

Even though it's chilly in polar regions, they do have seasons-well, two seasons: summer and winter. In the summer, the sun shines 24 hours a day, but it never gets high enough above the horizon to warm things up, so even summers are pretty cold. It's dark all winter at the poles, because the sun doesn't rise during those months of the year. Fierce continuous winds make it feel even colder.

You'll see plenty of snow at the poles, but little rain. Antarctica and parts of the Arctic are actually considered deserts because of the lack of rainfall.

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This articles discusses grassland habitats. it contains pictures of different species that live in this habitat and different facts about them that students may find interesting and engaging. It discuss the adaptations of different animals to the habitat.

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Between the Forest and the Desert

Grassland habitats are places that receive more rain than deserts but less precipitation than forests. Most of the plants here are grasses, which don't need as much water as forest vegetation.

Every continent except Antarctica has grasslands, but they have different names in different places: In Africa, they're called savannas and veldts; pampas in South America; steppes in in Europe and Asia; prairies or grasslands in North America; and rangelands in Australia. One-fourth of the planet is covered by grasslands.

Grasslands are usually found in the dry interior of continents, between the mountains and deserts. Many grasslands were formed tens of thousands of years ago after the last ice age, when the Earth began to warm up and the climate became drier.

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This is a selection of National Geographic articles that I have chosen as they relate to this learning outcome. I would create a Jigsaw groupwork activity using these articles where each students reads a different article and summarises the key findings before sharing their finding with the group. This activity links to different Junior Cycle Key Skills including communication, managing information and thinking and being literate. This activity can also be differentiated as there are some articles that contain more text and other articles that contain more images with key facts written underneath. This activity also links to the Nature of Science learning outcome 6: Students should be able to conduct research relevant to a scientific issue, evaluate different sources of information including secondary data, understanding that a source may lack detail or show bias. students can discuss the reliability of National Geographic as a source.

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What is Argumentation? Peer Reviewed Paper 2

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What is Argumentation? Peer Reviewed Paper 2

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Enhancing the quality of argumentation in school science - Osborne - 2004 - Journal of Research in Science Teaching - Wiley Online Library

This paper focuses on the design and evaluation of learning environments that support the teaching and learning of argumentation in a scientific context.

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Argumentation allows students to use evidence and reasoning to support their claim. Students develop the skills necessary to question other’s evidence and detect flaws in their reasoning. Students learn through argumentation by engaging in discussions and defending their point.

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Argumentation is a central aspect of scientific inquiry and implementing argumentation into science education provides many benefits for students. Argumentation integration in the classroom helps to develop students' critical thinking skills, promotes communication skills and enhances understanding of different topics. This is very important as scientific knowledge and understanding is continuously growing and changing.

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This is a graph that shows the relationship between the prey population and the predator population. This can be used to open up a discussion in class about the predator/prey relationships. I can ask students higher order cognitive questions relating to this graph. For example:

1. When the predator number drops, what happens to the number of prey?

2. When the prey number drops, what happens to the number of predators?

3. Is there any point in time where the predator population and the prey population are the same?

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I would implement argumentation into this lesson by engaging students in a debate about habitat loss. I would present students with different articles that talk about habitat loss and destruction. Students would have to research and develop an opinion on the best way that we can best protect habitats though sustainable land use, conservation and preservation or habitat restoration and debate against classmates with opposing views. Alternatively, students could engage in a debate about the positives and negatives of habitat preservation. For example one argument could be about the importance of protecting ecosystems and biodiversity and the counter argument could be human needs more space to grow food and live as the population continues to grow.

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This is a video that talks about different types of habitats around the world and the adaptations of the organisms to these habitats.

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This is a useful video that demonstrates how to use a pooter.

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Go Wild Forest School: How to use a pooter

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Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science

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Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science

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This book encompasses many different aspects of scientific inquiry and nature of science in the classroom. It encompasses how differentiation can be achieved in the context of inquiry and nature of science, understanding of scientific inquiry in secondary school students and what secondary school teachers can do to implement inquiry into their lessons, as well as the value of students understanding of science as inquiry.

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Dr. Lawrence B. Flick is chair of Science and Mathematics Education at Oregon State University. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, an MAT from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Science and Environmental Education from Indiana University. He worked in the communications industry before entering the teaching profession where he taught middle school science in both public and private schools.

His research is in the area of student conceptual development and the application of social cognition theory to classroom teaching practices. His work has investigated strategies for developing strategic thinking skills that support student understanding of science as inquiry.

He has been president of the Association for the Education of Teachers of Science and is currently co-editor, with Norm Lederman, of School Science and Mathematics. Dr. Flick has served on the board of directors of NSTA, AETS, Council for Elementary Science International, and the School Science and Mathematics Association. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal for Research in Science Teaching, the Journal of Science Teacher Education, and School Science and Mathematics. He has been a national consultant for numerous educational projects such as WGBH Teaching High School Science, PBS SCIENCELINE, Westinghouse Hanford Company, Environmental Education, and the AT&T Distance Learning Network.

Dr. Norman G. Lederman is Chair and Professor of Mathematics and Science Education at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Lederman received his Ph.D. in Science Education and he possesses MS degrees in both Biology and
Secondary Education. Prior to his 20 + years in science teacher education, Dr.
Lederman was a high school teacher of biology and chemistry for 10 years.

He received the Illinois Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (1979), the Burlington
Resources Foundation Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching and
Research (1992), and the AETS Outstanding Mentor Award (2000).

Dr. Lederman is internationally known for his research and scholarship on the development of students' and teachers' conceptions of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. He has been author or editor of 10 books, written 15 book chapters, published over 150 articles in professional journals, and made over 500
presentations at professional conferences around the world.

Dr. Lederman is a former President of the National Association for Research in
Science Teaching (NARST) and the Association for the Education of Teachers in
Science (AETS). He has also served as Director of Teacher Education for the National
Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and has served on the Board of Directors of
NSTA, AETS, NARST, and the School Science and Mathematics Association.

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Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science

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This book synthesizes current literature and research on scientific inquiry and the nature of science in K-12 instruction. Its presentation of the distinctions and overlaps of inquiry and nature of science as instructional outcomes are unique in contemporary literature.

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Higher Order Cognitive Questions to ask Students about Competition:

1. What is the purpose of competition?

2. What may these stags be in competition for?

3. Can competition occur between members of different species?

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Higher Order Cognitive Questions to ask Students about Interdependence:

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Higher Order Cognitive Questions to ask Students about Interdependence:

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1. What is the benefit for the bee?

2. What is the benefit for the flower?

3. Can you think of another example of interdependence between organisms?

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This video discusses adaptations of different organisms to their habitat.

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What Is Adaptation? | Ecology & Environment | Biology | FuseSchool

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Student inquiry is imperative in science pedagogy as it promotes scientific literacy. Inquiry helps to promote scientific literacy as it requires students to think critically about scientific principles and concepts in order to apply them in unfamiliar contexts. Inquiry requires that students have a deep understanding of the scientific process as one feature of inquiry based learning is that it gives students the opportunity to design and conduct their own experiment. This requires students to have an understanding of scientific principles and concepts as they use this knowledge to design and conduct their investigation. Memorisation and rote learning is insufficient to successfully complete this. I will implement inquiry by giving students the opportunity to design their own method sing the 5E Instructional Model that they will then use to conduct their investigation of a habitat using their prior knowledge and understanding from the lessons relating to BW 5.