Changes to an environment affect organisms development.
What you intend the students to learn about this idea?
There are two types of environmental factors;
Biotic - Living factors
Abiotic - Non-living factors
Changes to environmental factors can result in a change to the environment.
Why is it important for students to know this?
Knowledge of this idea allows students to more greatly understand the reason for particular adaptations by organisms.
Organisms have particular requires that need to be fulfilled to enable survival;
Food
Mates
Oxygen
Water
Shelter
Temperature Range
What else you know about this idea (that you do not intend students to know yet)?
Specific adaptations to their environment is not yet relevant (will be covered later in the unit)
Difficulties/Limitations connected with teaching this idea.
Dependance that students are able to understand and define Biotic/Abiotic factors.
Difficult due to the cross over between some Biotic and Abiotic factors. Eg; Humans are a biotic factor and can produce green house gases, which cause an abiotic factor change, temperature.
Some environmental changes can be caused by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors.
Students' understanding about the different components that make up an environment, eg; flora, fauna, temperature, humidity, wind etc.
Other factors that influence your teaching of this idea.
The teacher's own understanding of the difference between biotic and abiotic factors.
Students' environmental experiences, the teacher may engage students by referring to these experiences.
Teaching procedures (and particular reasons for using these to engage with this idea).
This video would provide an easy introduction/revision of the topic to help students when consolidating the difference in the environmental factors. Discussion could then be made with the class about some different abiotic and biotic factors that they can think of. Activity 2
Taking the students to a natural environment (perhaps the school oval/courtyard) then discussing the different environmental factors.
This would give the students' an opportunity to have an experience in which they are able to apply, and connect, what they are learning. When back in the classroom students can discuss some of the potential impacts of an environmental factor, for example; What would be some potential repercussions of removing the trees to make room for the oval? How might the school oval look if it was left untouched? Activity 3
Students select an area they know well, and discuss the different environmental factors of this place.
Again this would allow the students to connect with the content on a deeper level. Applying person experience to the theories would also help in clarification of the Key Ideas.
Specific ways of ascertaining students' understanding or confusion around this idea (include likely range of responses).
Key understanding is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors, confusing between these would be quite common in students. Many may place results of human influence, cutting down trees, as an abiotic factor, but would be classified as biotic (living). Through asking open ended and discussion questions is would be possible to gain knowledge of students' limitations in understanding.
Changes to an environment affect organisms development.
- Biotic - Living factors
- Abiotic - Non-living factors
Changes to environmental factors can result in a change to the environment.Organisms have particular requires that need to be fulfilled to enable survival;
Difficult due to the cross over between some Biotic and Abiotic factors. Eg; Humans are a biotic factor and can produce green house gases, which cause an abiotic factor change, temperature.
Some environmental changes can be caused by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors.
Students' understanding about the different components that make up an environment, eg; flora, fauna, temperature, humidity, wind etc.
Students' environmental experiences, the teacher may engage students by referring to these experiences.
- Activity 1
- Video - 'Assignment Discovery: Abiotic and Biotic Factors
This video would provide an easy introduction/revision of the topic to help students when consolidating the difference in the environmental factors. Discussion could then be made with the class about some different abiotic and biotic factors that they can think of.Activity 2
- Taking the students to a natural environment (perhaps the school oval/courtyard) then discussing the different environmental factors.
This would give the students' an opportunity to have an experience in which they are able to apply, and connect, what they are learning. When back in the classroom students can discuss some of the potential impacts of an environmental factor, for example;What would be some potential repercussions of removing the trees to make room for the oval?
How might the school oval look if it was left untouched?
Activity 3
- Students select an area they know well, and discuss the different environmental factors of this place.
Again this would allow the students to connect with the content on a deeper level. Applying person experience to the theories would also help in clarification of the Key Ideas.