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Tuesday 4/8 - ER 3.3

Last updated 14 days ago
13 questions
ER 3.3: Differences In Soil
Objective: KWBAT gather and analyze evidence from the simulation for how decomposers affect the soil.
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that float in the ocean. They take in sunlight to make their own food.

1

Are phytoplankton considered to be producers or consumers?

1

Explain why phytoplankton are considered to be producers or consumers.

Simulating Different Soils
You will use the Simulation to investigate what happens to the soil and the organisms in an ecosystem when the nutrients are removed.

Our Investigation Question:
Why is the matter that makes up soil different in different places?

Directions: Investigating Soil in the Simulation
  • Login to the Sim by clicking the link below
  • https://learning.amplify.com/ecosystemrestoration/#/
  • Use the Simulation to investigate why the matter that makes up soil can be different when something changes in the ecosystem.
  • Try making different changes to the soil. Observe what happens to the soil and to the other organisms in the ecosystem.
  • Use the results of your investigation to answer the questions below.
1

There are two ways that you can change the soil. What happens if you remove the water from the soil (click the soil to remove the water)?

Sentence starter: If you remove the water from the soil, then _____________________

1

What happens if you remove the decomposers from the ecosystem (click the mushrooms to remove the decomposers)?

Sentence starter: If you remove the decomposers from the ecosystem, then _____________________

1

Based on what you observed in the Simulation, what do you think could make the soil different in one part of the rain forest than in another part?

Sentence starter: Soil can be different in parts of the rain forest because _____________________

1

Based on what we learned, do you have any new ideas about why the cecropia trees are not growing and thriving in the restoration project site?

Sentence starter: The cecropia trees are not growing and thriving in the restoration project site because _____________________

Synthesizing Ideas About Differences in Soil
You will synthesize the information you have gathered to come to new understandings about how soil can be different in different places.

Question: Why is the matter that makes up soil different in different places?
Source: Walk in the Woods

1

Re-read the text from Walk in the Woods. What makes some soil “rich”? Why is it important?

Source: Soil Observations


0

What did we notice about soil with decomposers (Soil A) in it compared to soil without decomposers (Soil B)?

We observed that soil with decomposers is _____________________ and soil without decomposers is _____________________.

Source: Ecosystem Restoration Simulation

1

When we removed decomposers from the simulation, what happened to the soil?

When we removed decomposers from the simulation, __________________

0

Check For Understanding

New Understanding About Soil: Write a one sentence summary of what we’ve learned from these sources to answer our question:

Why is the matter that makes up soil different in different places? Why does some soil have more nutrients?

Some soil have more nutrients because __________________

0

Based on the evidence you have gathered, why do you think there are more nutrients in soil with decomposers?

Investigating How Decomposers Get Food Molecules
In the Simulation gif below, observe the energy flow between organisms in the Simulation and focus on the decomposers.

0

Check For Understanding

Based on what you observed, what do you think decomposers do with the matter that they break down?

0

Question: Why do you think the soil in the project area is different from the soil in the healthy rain forest ecosystem?