It's About Time
Factors Affecting Population Size
How do we predict future population growth? Young researchers investigate various factors affecting the size of our population. As they calculate and interpret graphs to determine factors that could potentially affect increases and...
Curated OER
Population Biology - Biology Teaching Thesis
Learners explore the effects of different density-dependent and density-independent factors on population growth. They explore how the interactions of organisms can affect population growth. Students explore the pattern of population...
Science 4 Inquiry
The Ups and Downs of Populations
Life has its ups and downs ... especially if you're an animal! Biology scholars engage in a population study through an inquiry-based lesson. Pupils work together to explore the factors that affect deer populations, then examine the...
Curated OER
biology - 9th Grade
The clear cartoon style slides in this presentation contain details that affect population growth. Natural disasters and other external factors are listed as density independent factors, and density dependent factors, such as competition...
LABScI
Population Dynamics: The Predator-Prey Lab
Wolves eat better when the bunny population increases, but how long does that last? A series of 12 biology lessons uses the sixth installment to explore the predator-prey relationship between bunny and wolf populations. Young scientists...
Curated OER
Population Growth
High schoolers grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive...
Curated OER
Predator-Prey Relationships
Students explore the interrelatedness of predators and prey in four different activities. They simulate an aquatic insect, fish, and osprey food chain during a poker chip game, play an M&M game to simulate the relationship between...
Curated OER
Populations and Ecosystems
Sixth graders define terms prey, predator, and scavenger, describe predator-prey relationship, discuss effects of a lack of predators in an environment, and separate the role of the scavenger from that of the predator.
Curated OER
Predators and Prey
Students explain how the food chain works. They contrast predators with prey and describe their function in nature. Students discuss how the food chain aids in keeping nature balanced. In small groups, they play a game that simulates the...
Curated OER
Populations- The Survival of the Fittest
Students examine the ways that populations become diverse and how mutation changes the diversity of a population. In this exploratory lesson students study natural selection by completing a lab activity and discussing what they learned.Â
Curated OER
Populations and Ecosystems
Sixth graders examine the factors that influence the stability of ecosystems. They construct a miniature ecosystem in a jar that includes plants, small fish, and snails, record the population changes over a period of four weeks, and...
Curated OER
How Many Birds Would It Take To Keep A Jackal Alive?
Young scholars examine the role of large families in some animal populations. They work together to complete an activity related to food supply. They discover the relationship between preys and predators.
Curated OER
Peppered Moth Simulation
Students investigate the process of natural selection in peppered moths. In this natural selection lesson plan, students simulate peppered moths in environments similar to those during the industrial revolution. Students use white paper...
Curated OER
Etosha: Poppin' Out at You
Tenth graders research an African animal of their choice and relate the concepts of population, climate and biodiversity to their animal. They examine how population interacts in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Population Dynamics of Growth of Drosophila
Students investigate population dynamics such as variation in density of females, composition of food sources an environmental factors such as light and temperature on Drosophila. They then relate their findings to human populations and...
Curated OER
Predator-Prey Relationships
Students understand ecological systems. They provide experiences to assist citizens to increase their sensitivity and stewardship for the environment.
Curated OER
It's (Not) Just a Bug: Simulating Invasive Insect Predation on a Plant Population
Learners reflect on challenges that face farmers in cultivating crops, including insects. They then simulate how crops are affected by native and non-native insect populations and the options farmers have to protect their crops. Finally,...
Curated OER
Who's Coming to Dinner?
Learners identify the role predators/prey play in food chains, differentiate between food chains and webs, identify factors that affect the balance in food webs, and propose solutions to protect endangered species' environments and...
Curated OER
Ecology: Factors Influencing Animal Populations
Students assess the factors affecting animal populations. Working in groups they define specific vocabulary terms and complete several activities from "Project Wild."
Virginia Department of Education
A Salt Marsh Ecosystem
What a web we weave. Pupils use yarn as the primary resource to create a web depicting the intricacies of a salt marsh ecosystem. They participate in a question and answer session, which leads to an in-depth facilitated discussion about...
Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
Michigan Sea Grant
Survival Game
Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson plan on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this...
Curated OER
Interactions Among Living Things
Students role play predators and prey, classify organisms as predator or prey, and describe factors that affect population growth and size.
Curated OER
Population Dynamics of Growth of Drosophila
Young scholars experiment with Drosophila to determine if density of female flies, food sources, temperature and light affect the population dynamics of growth. Students graph their data and compare their results to the number of human...