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A visitor of Carlsbad Caverns left behind a bag of Cheetos, which, softened by the cave’s humidity, triggered mold growth on the cavern floor and nearby formations. This small disruption significantly impacted the cave's delicate ecosystem, as cave crickets, mites, spiders, and flies fed on and spread the contamination. Rangers removed the litter, using special tools to clean the mold and fungi, highlighting the fragile balance of cave environments and the need for visitors to respect them.

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By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

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By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

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Analyze how a tiny human action, such as littering, can disrupt an ecosystem by triggering unintended biological processes like mold growth.

NGSS: MS-LS2-4 (Ecosystem dynamics, functioning, and resilience)

Explain the roles of different organisms, including decomposers and consumers, in spreading contaminants through an ecosystem.

NGSS: MS-LS2-3 (Energy flow and matter cycling in ecosystems)

Using the Carlsbad Caverns incident as a case study, develop a model to describe the impact of foreign substances (like food waste) on a fragile ecosystem.

NGSS: MS-LS2-5 (Evaluate solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services)

Evaluate human behaviors contributing to ecosystem disruption and propose strategies for minimizing human impact in protected natural environments.

NGSS: MS-ESS3-3 (Design solutions for reducing human impacts on Earth's systems)

Investigate how non-biodegradable waste affects the food web in ecosystems such as caves, leading to changes in organism populations and overall ecosystem health.

NGSS: MS-LS2-1 (Interdependent relationships in ecosystems)

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National Park calls out ‘world changing’ impact of dropped Cheetos bag | CNN

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A recent park visitor to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico dropped a bag full of Cheetos that created a “huge impact” on the cave’s ecosystem, rangers said.

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According to ChatGPT4.0, this article is at a 10th-grade reading level.

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A bag of Cheetos created a huge impact on a national park ecosystem

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It’s pretty simple — leave no trace. But at least one person didn’t get the message and left behind a bag of Cheetos at Carlsbad Caverns National Park during a visit earlier this summer.

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This is the AP News article rewritten at a 7th-grade reading. It includes audio of the text.

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Cavernas de Carlsbad y una bolsa de cheetos

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Cavernas de Carlsbad y una bolsa de cheetos

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This is the AP News article rewritten at a 7th-grade reading level and then translated into Spanish. It includes audio of the text.

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Explore how organisms with different traits survive various selection agents within the environment.

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Word Search

Word Scramble

Matching

Crossword

BINGO

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The Environment and a Bag of Chips: Vocabulary Worksheets by DrBScience

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Project-based choice board aligned with NGSS MS-ESS3-3

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Explore Human Impact on the Environment with our versatile choice board - an NGSS MS-ESS3-3 resource. Apply scientific principles to design methods for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment. This choice board offers flexibility for in-class activities, homework, independent study, and assessment. Elevate your teaching, delving into the complexities of our relationship with Earth. NGSS-aligned for seamless integration. Rubric included for easy assessment.

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Human Impact on the Environment: Choice Board (MS-ESS3-3)

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Explore Human Impact on the Environment with our versatile choice board - an NGSS MS-ESS3-3 resource. Apply scientific principles to design methods for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment. This choice board offers flexibility for in-class activities, homework, independent study...

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Project-based choice board aligned with NGSS MS-LS2-4

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Differentiate your middle school science class using this Middle School Life Science Choice Board Bundle. These 21 engaging choice boards cover all middle school standards for Life Sciences. Useful for project-based learning (PBL), as assessments, as homework or independent study, and as work for ea

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Changes Affecting Populations: Choice Board (MS-LS2-4)

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Enhance your science curriculum with "Changes Affecting Populations: Choice Board" - a dynamic Project-Based Learning (PBL) resource tailored to NGSS standard MS-LS2-4. Cultivate student engagement and differentiation as they explore the biological and chemical changes that affect ecosystem populati...

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Search and discover new sets from a large collection created by users.