BIOLOGY LEVEL II
Two semesters/One credit each semester
This course investigates four major areas of biology in greater depth. It is designed to cover Ecology and Physiology which are formally absent from the West Lafayette Biology I and Health curricula and to produce more in-depth, lab intensive study of Bacteriology. As a means of applying learning, the students will interact instruct an elementary class in field ecology, interpreting what they have learned. One last area of biology, of the students choice, is studied in detail by the literary research, followed by experimental design, execution and analysis. The student will be made aware and given the option to present this research in various local, state and national forums. The project is in-depth and reaches completion the 3rd nine weeks. As a result it is important that students take both semesters of the courses. If space is available, students requesting the course for one semester will be considered.
TEXTBOOK: Biology Life on Earth
Audesirk and Audesirk 1999
Prentice Hall
Laboratory Anatomy of the Fetal Pig
T.O. Odlang
W. C. Brown Publishers
COURSE OUTLINE
UNIT I. ECOLOGY (15 weeks) Approximate Time
Topic A - Aquatic biomes 20 days
Topic B - Terrestrial Biology 25 days
- Group presentation (one biome) 10-15 days
- Grade school instruction 5 days
Topic C - Populations 10 days
Topic D - Spring Flowers 3 days
UNIT II. PROJECT (4 weeks, taken during first three 9 weeks)
Students will select one of the three general project areas:
Area A - Experimental research
Area B - Journal and Science News library research
Area C - Planimal research
UNIT III. BACTERIOLOGY (4 weeks)
UNIT IV. ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY(14 weeks)
Topic A - History and tissues 5 days
Topic B - Joints 10 days
Topic C - Bones 15 days
Topic D - Muscles 15 days
Topic E - Internal systems 20 days
Topic F - Independent research (one organ or system) 5 days
UNIT I. ECOLOGY - Overview
During this unit the concepts and knowledge from Biology I will be reviewed and reorganized around an ecological framework. Principles of ecology and investigations of ecological relationships will be applied.
Students will be required to do outside reading to provide background and find information for lab reports.
Extensive, referenced lab reports will be required.
Resources: Audesirk and Audesirk 1999 Biology Life on Earth Prentice Hall 892pp.
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS: made available on closed reserve such as the following
Arms and Camp, 1987,1991 Biology, Saunders, 1142.
Campbell,N.A., 1993, Biology, Benjamin/Cummings, 1190pp.
Cole,G.,1988, Textbook of Limnology, Waveland, 401pp.
Gammon, J. 1995 The Wabash River Ecosystem II Eli Lilly/PSI 235 pp.
Horne,A & Goldman,C. 1994, Limnology, McGraw-Hill, 576 pp.
Odum, E., 1962, Fundamentals of Ecology, Saunders, 546pp.
Smith, R.,1986, Elements of Ecology, Harper & Row, 677pp.
Smith, R., 1966, Ecology and Field Biology Harper & Row, 686pp.
Assorted journal articles such as:
Goodnight, C. 1973 The Use of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Stream Pollution.
Trans Am Micr. Soc. 92:1 pp1-13
Wielgolaski, F.E. 1975 Biological Indicators on Pollution UrbanEcology, 1, pp63-79.
Gammon, J, C. Gammon, and C. Tucker 1991. The Fish Communities of Sugar Creek.
Proc. Ind. Aca. Sci. 99:141-155.
INTERNET SEARCH: Evaluation of quality sites will be instructed
IDENTIFICATION RESOURCES: such as:
Pennak, R. 1998 Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States Ronald Corp.
How To Know Series Wm C. Brown Inc.
Media: Ecology: Wabash Valley Education Center (WVEC)
Topics:
Topic A - Aquatic biomes/succession
Topic B - Terrestrial biomes (with group presentation -one biome and Grade school instruction)
Topic C - Populations
Topic D - Spring Wildflowers
Lab Reports: Extensive written lab reports will be integral to the course.
The report will contain these sections
1. Introduction
2. Material and Method
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Literature Citation
The writing will emphasize referencing, integration of outside sources, lab data and conclusions. The reports will be prepared in the format of a primary journal article.
UNIT I. ECOLOGY
TOPIC A - Aquatic Biomes
Purpose:
This section will identify and investigate the plants and animals of four aquatic biomes. Where possible the biomes will be illustrated by field trips, films or outside speakers.
Time: 20 days
Reference: Text and additional sources
Lecture Topics:
1. Define Ecosystem
2. Components of Ecosystems Lotic streams and rivers (systematics background)
abiotic and biotic factors
3. Lentic Ponds, lakes, swamp
4. Aquatic Ecosystems: diversity
mineral cycles (phosphate/nitrate/temperature/pH)
5. Food webs and pyramids
6. Productivity
7. Species Diversity
Laboratories:
Activities will be selected from the following:
1. Wabash river (concentration: Benthic macroinvertebrate identification)
2. Marsh Macrophyte and macroinvertebrate collection and identification.
3. Nitrate and Phosphate tests (Graphing Calculator, CBL and colorimeter)
4. Dissolved Oxygen tests (Graphing Calculator, CBL and DO probe)
5. pH tests (Graphing Calculator, CBL and pH probe)
5. Zooplankton collection and identification
Media Resources:
Videodisk:
Optical Data Bio Video Disk reference numbers:
a. Intertidal 57882 4(m)
b. Shark 415604 (m)
c. Whale 9794
e. List of aquatic species from side 2 and 3
f. Nutrient cycles water cycle 2514,
Films: Selection from these and other more current films will be made.
a. The World of the Diving Spider (Wabash Valley Education Center #81441)
b. The Beaver (WVEC #81797)
c. Pond Life Food Web (WVEC #60151)
d. The Marsh Communities (WVEC #80284)
e. The World in a Marsh (WVEC #80227)
f. Plankton: Pastures of the Ocean (WVEC #40293)
g. Life Between the Tides (WVEC #81860)
h. Still Waters (NOVA)
i. The Salt Marsh (NOVA)
j. Succession: From Forest to Sand Dune (WVEC #80331a)
CD: BioScope: Ecology
Objectives:
From the study of this chapter the student should be able to:
1. Identify major stream organisms, their characteristics and relate those to the stream.
2. Identify major marsh organisms, their characteristics and relate these to the marsh.
3. Identify major plankton organisms and relate their characteristics to the environment.
4. List three different types of littoral habitat and the types of organisms found in each.
5. Describe the nature of the Wabash ecosystem
6. Describe the interactions and chemical species of pH/buffering system, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and sulfur.
7. Discuss in detail a mineral cycle and describe the probes and procedure for testing.
8. Relate abiotic and biotic factors in the aquatic community
9. Describe simplified nutrient cycles for carbon, nitrogen, and a nonatmospheric element such as phosphorus, and point out the important differences between them.
10. Describe the structure of a lake ecosystem, and explain how thermal and nutrient pollution hasten eutrophication.
TOPIC B - Terrestrial Biomes
Purpose:
This section will identify and investigate the plants and animals of seven terrestrial biomes where possible the biomes will be illustrated by field trips, films, slides. Students will reinforce their learning by selecting a biome and preparing an in-depth report as a virtual field trip. In addition the students will teach a field unit to a local elementary class.
Time: 25 days
References: Text and additional sources
Lecture Topics:
1. Introduction to the sciences of Ecology
2. Climate, vegetation and Ecoclines
3. Tropical Biomes (rain forest, jungle, Savannah)
4. Temperate deciduous forest (woodland)
5. Temperate grasslands
6. Temperate/Tropical deserts
7. Taiga
8. Tundra
9. Succession
Laboratories:
Exercises will be selected from the following:
1. Introductory trip to Happy Hollow: observation lists
2. Happy Hollow Field Station: species lists, data collection and analysis
3. Lead an elementary class on a field project.
Media Resources:
Videodisk
Optical Data Bio Video Disk reference numbers:
a. Terrestrial Oak 713
b. Cacti 7214
c. Additional terrestrial references
Films: Selection from these and other more current films will be made.
a. Ecological Biology (WVEC #81873)
b. What is Ecology (2nd ed) (WVEC #80361)
c. The Indiana Dunes (WVEC #81942)
d. Life in the Woodlot (WVEC #80238)
e. Life in the Grasslands (2nd ed) (WVEC #81350)
f. A Desert Place (WVEC #120873)
g. The Northwest: Mountains to the Sea (WVEC #120867)
h. Other films: The Tropical Rain Forest (National Geographic Society)
i. Taiga (Personal slides)
j. The Cactus: Adaptation for Survival (WVEC #81398)
k. Cave Ecology (WVEC #60140)
l. Nature's Food Chain (WVEC #60194)
Objectives:
From study of this chapter the student should be able to:
1. Describe the major patterns of air movement in the lower atmosphere, and explain how they affect precipitation at different latitudes.
2. List the three main factors that determine the distribution of biomes.
3. Describe why gradients of vegetation are similar with increasing altitude and increasing latitude.
4. State the conditions under which you would expect to find each of the following biomes, and list the types(s) of plants characteristic of each: tropical rain forest, desert, temperate forest, temperate woodland, temperate grassland, taiga, and tundra.
5. Identify typical plant/animal associations for each of the seven biomes.
6. Identify the conditions for the terrestrial woodland as shown by Happy Hollow Park.
7. Define the following: community, climax community, fugitive species.
8. Distinguish between primary and secondary succession, outline an example of each, and explain why succession occurs; comment on the extent to which succession leads to a single type of climax community in a given biome.
9. List three examples of major community types that are maintained by fire. Account for the survival of plants in communities where fires occur frequently.
10. Define the following words and use them in context: ecosystem, community, producer, (Primary and secondary) consumer, herbivore, carnivore, decomposer, autotroph, heterotroph, food chain, food web, tropic level, biomass, productivity, eutrophication, oligotrophic.
11. Outline energy flow through an ecosystem and give rough estimates of the energy loss between adjacent tropic levels.
12. Define gross and net primary productivity, and discuss factors that affect them.
13. Describe what is meant by community structure, and give some examples of changes in community structure in space and time.
14. Explain how the species diversity of a community is affected by interspecific competition, predation, and the number and types of habitats it contains.
15. Define species turnover, and explain how species diversity may be affected by a community's area (size) and degree of isolation from similar communities.
Projects applying knowledge:
Objectives: Through independent research and application of knowledge gained, the students in teams will complete 2 projects to extend their understanding of terrestrial ecology during this unit.
Virtual Field Trip: Students in teams will:
· select a biome which is not being explored by another class team,
· study the biome or ecosystem and
ü abiotic factors
ü biotic factors
ü interactions between living things
ü propose a reasonable experiment
· prepare a one class hour presentation utilizing
ü handouts(data, names and some images),
ü lecture (visually heavy),
ü visual (video, internet, overheads and or PowerPoint images),
ü data: Collect descriptive data in table and graphical form.
ü Include the scientific and common names of important organisms.
ü consider a brief lab activity.
ü Submit a bibliography documenting all material
Time: 10 - 15 days during this unit
Grade School Instructions: Students in teams will:
· Write two letters to Mr. Fultz’s grade school class introducing themselves and respond to letters from the elementary students, who will be in pairs, and matched by the teachers.
· Prepare material to instruct the students involving the Happy Hollow or Cumberland woods including
ü abiotic factors(including probes
ü names of organisms
ü interactions between living things
ü specific data to collect
· Complete 2 field trips to the woods with the elementary students, teaching about the topics and collecting data.
· Complete a third class with the students at either the high school or the elementary school where
ü The data will be evaluated and
ü An M&M/Skittles map of the area will be constructed.
· Follow up letters will be mailed to the elementary students
· Evaluation will be made on the successful and cooperative completion of the activity.
Time: 5 days during this unit
TOPIC C - Populations
Purpose:
This section will investigate the dynamics of population growth and decline. The interactions will be investigated through lab and computer simulations. Applications to human populations will be made.
Time: 10 days
References: Text and additional sources
Lecture Topics:
1. Definitions
2. Habitat and Niche
3. Population Growth
4. Factors effecting growth: Regulation of Population Size.
5. Human populations.
Laboratories:
Activities will be selected from these:
1. Bacterial Growth Curve
2. "Pop Gro" Computer Simulation models I, II & III
Media Resources:
Videodisk
Optical Data Bio Video Disk reference numbers:
a. Predator prey vultures on buffalo 1437
b. Competition 4(m) ghost crab & land crab 34994,
c. 4(m) hermit crab, worm and anemone 31833
d. 4(m) elephants feeding 7861
Films: Selection from these and other more current films will be made.
a. Seasons of the Elk (WVEC #81944)
b. Sea Turtles (WVEC #60162)
c. Insect Life Cycle: The Periodical Cicada (WVEC #81168)
d. Following the Tundra Wolf (WVEC #160054)
e. John Muir's High Sierra (WVEC #120847)
Objectives:
From the study of this chapter the student should be able to:
1. Define population, habitat, niche, exponential growth, innate capacity for increase (biotic potential, rm) actual rate of increase (r), logistic growth, carrying capacity (K), competition, and predation.
2. Explain what a life table is and why it is useful.
3. Distinguish between a stable and a stationary population.
4. Distinguish between densitydependent and densityindependent mortality factors; give an example of each.
5. Describe the competitive exclusion principle, and diskuss its validity.
6. Describe an example of successful biological control of a pest species.
7. Contrast the effects of specialized predation and generalized predation on population sizes of prey species, citing evidence to support the argument.
8. Write a paragraph summarizing your understanding of the factors that limit the sizes of populations and your assessment of their relative importance.