Middle School
Ecosystem Connections
Populations, resources, interactions, biodiversity, and ecosystem changes.
MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5
2 lessons
4 quiz questions
Lesson 1: Populations and Resources
Explain how resources affect populations.
Learning goals
- Identify limiting resources.
- Describe population changes.
- Use data to explain ecosystem patterns.
Resource availability
Food, water, shelter, space, and mates can limit population size. Changes in resources can cause populations to increase or decrease.
Patterns in data
Population graphs can show patterns over time and help explain cause-and-effect relationships in ecosystems.
Lesson 2: Interactions and Biodiversity
Study competition, predation, symbiosis, and ecosystem stability.
Learning goals
- Compare ecosystem interactions.
- Explain biodiversity.
- Evaluate solutions that protect ecosystems.
Interactions
Organisms interact through competition, predation, and symbiosis. These interactions affect survival and reproduction.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem. Greater biodiversity can make ecosystems more resilient to change.