Students will conduct a field investigation to learn about the environment. They will observe biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem. Students can use the CBL 2 and a temperature probe to collect data and a graphing calculator to...

A paper from the Population Connection that outlines the consequences to the environment if humans continue on the path of overpopulation.

Learn what happens to different populations of organisms as their ecosystem changes. Design your own experiment and make your own guesses with what the result will be with this virtual ecosystem. Also experiment with producer/consumer...

Find a large collection of internet resources organized around ecosystems. Links to places to go, people to see, things to do, teacher resources, and bibliographies.

This unit on ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity begins with students reading headlines that claim that the future of orangutans is in peril and that the purchasing of chocolate may be the cause. Students launch a scientific...

In this lesson, students will learn about the different levels in the hierarchy of ecology and explain the relationships: organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere. They will also discover why different regions...

Students learn about population density within environments and ecosystems. They determine the density of a population and think about why population density and distribution information is useful to engineers for city planning and...

Students learn about Abiotic and Biotic Factors and how they affect the ecosystem in which an animal might live in.

In this instructional activity, students compare various types of relationships among organisms (i.e., biotic interactions). Students will: explain the roles of producers and consumers, and predators and prey in an ecosystem. Explain the...

Review the relationship between populations and ecosystems.

Students explore the effects that ecosystem disruptions can have on animal populations. They learn about the disruptions that have driven three species-the Madagascar fish eagle, the Iberian lynx, and the rowi kiwi, to the brink of...

In this lesson learners analyze videos to make observations about species, populations, and communities of organisms and discuss their symbiotic relationships. Then they create a hypothetical marine ecosystem and describe the adaptive,...

Did you ever want to be a hawk? In this virtual ecosystem, students will take on the role of a hawk and try to catch rabbits on a snowy field. Students will see which rabbits have adaptations that allow them to blend into the environment...

After learning about the diversity of wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, students focus on birds and their patterns of behavior. They then how an oil spill might affect migrating birds, and possible ways to help them in the event of an oil...

A unit for students to look at the economic opportunities associated with a river. Students will explore the Grand River Revitalization & Restoration Project. In this unit, they will also learn about two species impacted by the...

Population in areas is most often determined by environmental factors. This video and the test will help ensure understanding of the trends of population growth with scientific evidence.

What happens to a population when the environment changes? Students remove a dam that divides an ecosystem to illustrate the effects of environmental changes. Students observe and collect data as the grass and then the rabbit populations...

This short video explains how warmer temperatures in the Arctic are transforming the ecosystem and affecting the Athabaskan people, threatening their way of life. [2:59]

Learn about the effects of alien species on native environments and explore biologists' use of capture/recapture statistics and analysis of sampling techniques by estimating the population size of a tagged species.

Explore biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the growth of populations of organisms in this interactive tutorial.

Read and understand the concept of ecological population counts and sizes. Hover the mouse over questions to reveal the answers as you sharpen your skills.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences offers this article by Niles Eldredge, evolutionary theorist and curator at the American Museum of Natural History. Eldredge begins with Darwin's theories and summarizes subsequent thought,...

This is a biology or environmental science lesson that incorporates technology. This project-based plan is designed to be used as students study the factors that affect the dynamic equilibrium of populations and ecosystems. This lesson...

Learn why people live in places with lots of people.