Change Topics Unit Part 6: Ecological Succession Lesson Bundle

Ecological Succession Unit Overview

This unit includes 8 lessons (50 minutes each) and a 19-page work bundle designed to follow the interactive slideshows step by step. Students fill in notes, answer questions, complete hands-on activities, watch videos, and participate in quizzes and review games. All materials can be uploaded to Google Classroom, and the slideshows are highly engaging and interactive.

Lessons and Activities

Ecological Succession: Students brainstorm what happens to a city over time if people disappear.

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• Explore succession with visuals of urban decay (e.g., Chernobyl) and the gradual replacement of one community by another.

Primary and Secondary Succession:

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• Learn differences between primary (no previous life) and secondary (previously inhabited but disturbed) succession.

• Students create a Venn diagram and sketch stages of plant succession with visuals.

Fire Ecology:

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• Explore the benefits and challenges of wildfires with videos and visuals.

• Discuss plant adaptations (e.g., serotinous cones) and the "Let It Burn" philosophy, including a case study of the 1988 Yellowstone wildfires.

• Learn about smoke jumpers through engaging visuals.

Succession Review and Quiz:

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• Review concepts with puzzles, visual quizzes, and guess-the-picture games.

• Students identify plant succession stages and reinforce their learning with interactive activities.

Optional Field Study Project:

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• Students collect data from local communities of ecological succession or use provided simulated data.

Aquatic Succession:

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• Understand how ponds evolve from oligotrophic (low productivity) to eutrophic (high productivity).

• Sketch ponds at different stages and learn about eutrophication and nutrient overloads.

• Includes a built-in quiz and interactive box games for review.

Crossword Puzzle and Review Game:

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• Students complete a crossword puzzle and participate in a 20-question review game to assess their understanding.

Review Game and Work Bundle Assessment:

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• Students self-assess their answers with answer keys for the review game and work bundle.

Key Topics:

• Ecological Succession (Primary and Secondary)

• Fire Ecology

• Aquatic Succession (Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic, Eutrophic)

• Eutrophication

This unit is highly interactive and offers a variety of activities, visuals, and assessments to engage students while deepening their understanding of ecological succession and related topics. It's both fun and educational, making it a memorable learning experience for the entire class!