3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

Last updated about 3 hours ago

14 questions

Required

HS-LS2-6

Required

HS-LS2-1

Required

HS-LS2-6

Required

HS-LS2-6

3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

Last updated about 3 hours ago

14 questions

Before you can complete this assignment, you need to click here log in to Gizmos.
Use ISWAewiner as the username.
Select Biology B T3 as the class.
Select your name from the student list.
Select Gizmos.
Enter your password.
Your password is the first letter of first name, full last name, grade number
Example: KMartin12
Include hypens, spaces, Jr, etc, if you have multiple parts in your last name.  Examples: KDuncan-Martin12, K Martin Duncan, Kmartin Duncan III12
Still need help?  E-mail ewiner@k12insightwa.org
In order to complete this assignment, you will need to use the Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo.  Click the link to open the Gizmo in a new tab.

A prairie is a flat or gently rolling grassland with few trees and can be found in parts of central united states and canada. 

Common organisms in a prairie include prairie dogs, swift foxes, black footed ferrets, and various species of grasses. 

In a prairie, the producers are the grasses, the primary consumer is the prairie dog.

The prairie dog is preyed upon by both the black-footed ferret and the swift fox.

Required

HS-LS2-6

Required

What are the starting populations in the gizmo?

Grass: _______ tons
Prairie Dogs: _______ 
Ferrets: _______ 
Foxes: _______ 

Required

Click Advance year 10 times. 
On the DATA tab, look at the Bar graph and the Line graph. 
Select the correct response: 
The populations of all species __________. 

Required

Part 1: 
Observe: 
Remove ALL animals from the prairie by clicking the minus (–) button next to each animal many times. Click Advance year 20 times. 

Grass __________ by itself.

Before Europeans settled the Great Plains and upper Midwest, vast prairies and savannas once covered over 110 million acres, and these grasslands burned on a regular basis.

Some fires were caused by lightning strikes, while many more were started by Native Americans who burned to clear the land for agriculture, improve grazing and forage for game species, direct game migration and clear brush to ease travel or prevent hostile forces from approaching unnoticed.

Required

Predict: 
If we were to remove half of the grass from the prairie due to a fire, then the prairie dog population would __________, the  ferret population would __________, and the fox population would __________

Experiment: 
Remove half of the grass by clicking the minus – button. 
There should now be 2,000 tons of grass. 

Click Advance year twice, and look at the Bar graph or the Line graph under the Data tab. 

What happened to each population?

Grass: __________ 
Prairie Dog: __________ 
Ferret: __________ 
Fox: __________ 

Predict: 

Complete this hypothesis with what you think will happen. 

If half of the grass is removed from the prairie ecosystem, then the grass population will __________, the prairie dog population will __________, the ferret population will __________, and the fox population will __________ after 20 years. 

Experiment: Test your prediction by clicking Advance year until 20 years have passed.

Use the data to answer the following questions: 

Results: 
At the end of the experiment, what were the population numbers?

Grass: _______ tons
Prairie Dogs: _______ 
Ferrets: _______ 
Foxes: _______ 

My hypothesis (prediction) was __________

Explain:

Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

HS-LS2-1

The Story of the Black-Footed Ferret: 
Long ago, the black-footed ferret was a common sight on the prairie in the central united states. Due to habitat loss, disease, and a decline in the prairie dog populations (which are the ferret's primary prey), the black-footed ferret was placed on the endangered species list in 1967. In 1974, the black-footed ferret was thought to be extinct. A small population was found in Wyoming in 1981. In 1986, there were only 18 black-footed ferrets alive. 

Required

Part 2: 
Create a hypothesis (prediction): 
What do you think will happen if the black-footed ferret did become extinct in 1974? 
If the black-footed ferret were to become extinct, then the grass population would__________, the prairie dog population would__________, and the fox population would__________. 

Required

Explain:
Why do you think your prediction is correct?

HS-LS2-6

Required

Experiment: Click Reset, and remove all the ferrets from the prairie dog town. 

Click Advance year for 12 years. 

Record your data. 

Grass Population: _______ tons
Prairie Dog Population: _______ 
Fox Population: _______ 

Reflect:

Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)?

What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

HS-LS2-6

3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

Part 1:

Experiment: Test your prediction by clicking Advance year until 20 years have passed.

Explain:

Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Part 2:

Explain:
Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect:

Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)?

What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

Warm-up

Consider all of the living and non-living things in the prairie dog town. Categorize each item as biotic or abiotic.

Warm-up

Part 1:

Experiment: Test your prediction by clicking Advance year until 20 years have passed.

Explain:

Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Part 2:

Explain:
Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect:

Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)?

What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

Warm-up

3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

3.10 Unit 3 Assessment: Prairie Ecosystem Gizmo

Part 1:

Experiment: Test your prediction by clicking Advance year until 20 years have passed.

Explain:Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Part 2:

Explain: Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect: Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)? What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

Warm-upConsider all of the living and non-living things in the prairie dog town. Categorize each item as biotic or abiotic.

Warm-up

Part 1:

Experiment: Test your prediction by clicking Advance year until 20 years have passed.

Explain:Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Part 2:

Explain: Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect: Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)? What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

Warm-up

Explain:

Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Explain:
Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect:

Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)?

What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?

Warm-up

Consider all of the living and non-living things in the prairie dog town. Categorize each item as biotic or abiotic.

Explain:

Was the ecosystem able to recover? How do you know? Give 2 specific pieces of evidence.

Explain:
Why do you think your prediction is correct?

Reflect:

Why did the grass survive when all of the animals were removed from the prairie ecosystem (part 1) , but the grass did not survive when only ferrets were removed from the ecosystem (part 2)?

What were the ferrets providing for the ecosystem?