Schedule:

• Start Date: Wednesday, January 8th
• End Date: Wednesday, February 26th
• Time: 1:00 pm - 2:05 pm PST (Weekly on Wednesdays)

Enrollment Details:

• Small group class of 2-4 students. A minimum of 2 students is required for the course to proceed.
• To enroll, please contact me directly on INDYed, and I will personally manage the registration process. Looking forward to your child’s participation!

Each session will dive into different aspects of ecosystems, matter, and energy, with hands-on activities and engaging discussions. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore, learn, and gain a deep understanding of ecological concepts!

Unravelling Nature's Interconnectedness: Ecosystems, Matter, and Energy

Dive into the wonders of nature by exploring how living and nonliving things interact within ecosystems! From the tiniest decomposers to the top predators and the air they breathe, every part of an ecosystem is connected. In this course, students will unravel these complex relationships while learning how matter cycles and energy flows through ecosystems, the importance of food webs, predator-prey dynamics, and the role of photosynthesis.

Through interactive activities, games, and real-world investigations, students will observe ecosystems, analyze connections, and even become Eco-Scene Investigators! This hands-on experience helps students grasp essential ecological concepts and provides a foundation for understanding the carbon cycle, a key element in climate change awareness. It empowers students to make informed, sustainable decisions for the future.

Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this course incorporates:

• Science and Engineering Practices like asking questions, constructing explanations, and developing and using models.
• Crosscutting Concepts such as energy and matter cycles, and system models.
• Disciplinary Core Ideas of interdependence in ecosystems, and matter/energy transfer.

Weekly Breakdown:

• Week 1: Introduction to Ecosystems & Matter: You are What you Eat Name Game
• Week 2: Exploration – What Lives Here? Part 1: Interview an Organism
• Week 3: Eco-Scene Investigators (ESI) – What Lives Here? Part 2
• Week 4: Bark Beetles & Ecosystem Impact 
• Week 5: Decomposers & Matter Cycling – Fungi, Bacteria, and Invertebrates (FBI)
• Week 6-7: Building Ecosystem Models – How Organisms are Connected to Ecosystems through Matter Cycling & Energy Flow
• Week 8: Reflection & Wrap-Up

Join me, a credentialed Science Teacher and Geologist, on this adventure and unlock the secrets of ecosystems through a unique and immersive learning experience! 

For enrollment, please contact me directly here on INDYed, and I’ll personally handle your registration. I look forward to having your child join this exciting journey into ecosystems, matter, and energy!

Other Information: 

Parental Guidance: 

YouTube may be used in a screen-share manner to show videos of specific ecosystems.  The videos will allow students to see organisms and their interactions with specific ecosystems.  No account is required.  Specifically, videos from the Nat Geo Kids channel on YouTube will be used.

Supply List: 

Notebook for writing down information and nature journaling.  A leaf from a tree or plant will be required for our first session.

Lesson Sources:

Earth Viewer (hhmi.org)

Google Earth: https://earth.google.com

Curriculum adapted from the Beetles Project Outdoor Education Program (Beetles at The Lawrence Hall of Science) www.beetlesproject.org - all materials used for educational purposes

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Marine Sanctuaries https://youtu.be/cXD8aUb-Psg