The use of the water watch program directly links into the VCE biology curriculum and a number of areas of study including, but not limited to: Dynamic ecosystems as students examine how ecosystems (in this case their local creek or stream) can be subjected to change from a number of different sources including habitat destruction, resource use and disposal of waste. KEY KNOWLEDGE: · Identifying components of the ecosystem · Ability to recognise key relationships between organisms and their surrounding environment · Understand the flow of energy including inputs and outputs of water and waste · Cycling of matter including the introduction of toxins and pollutants · Students should be able to determine how the ecosystem has change over time Ecosystems and their living communities The water watch field work encourages students to think about the relationships not only between the organisms that live in the water ecosystem but also how chemicals factors influence their productivity, abundance and growth. KEY KNOWLEDGE: · Identify the components of an ecosystem · Understand the nature of a living community · Become aware of various ecological roles in a community · Understand the variety of interactions that occur within a ecosystem Flow of energy and the cycling of matter the planned fieldwork introduces students to factors such as salinity, nitrate levels, phosphate, dissolved oxygen and pH. All of these factors are part of the cycle and flow and matter and materials and introduce students to how energy and chemicals transfer and change through an ecosystem. KEY KNOWLEDGE: · Describe the ways in which energy flows through ecosystem · Recognise that matter cycles within an ecosystem · Give examples of biogeochemical cycles Changes in ecosystems The fieldwork program develops students understanding of how and why testing on water bodies is carried out. It introduces them to a range of scientific equipment and procedures aimed at monitoring the quality of the water system. KEY KNOWLEDGE: · Understand how environments change over time · Recognise the scope, intensity and impact of a number of natural changes · Show awareness of the impact of human induced changes · Identify techniques for monitoring and maintaining ecosystems OUTCOME: outcomes for this unit in the study design included students being able to “design, conduct and report on a field investigation” Students undertake practical investigations into interactions between living things and their environment, and explain how ecosystems change over time. The results obtained through this study can also be used in a number of other outcomes including multimedia or web presentations, data analysis and can be used as evidence when responding to media articles. On completion of this fieldwork student should be able to explain and analyse the relationship between environmental factors, and adaptations and distribution of living things.
Dynamic ecosystems as students examine how ecosystems (in this case their local creek or stream) can be subjected to change from a number of different sources including habitat destruction, resource use and disposal of waste.
KEY KNOWLEDGE:
· Identifying components of the ecosystem
· Ability to recognise key relationships between organisms and their surrounding environment
· Understand the flow of energy including inputs and outputs of water and waste
· Cycling of matter including the introduction of toxins and pollutants
· Students should be able to determine how the ecosystem has change over time
Ecosystems and their living communities The water watch field work encourages students to think about the relationships not only between the organisms that live in the water ecosystem but also how chemicals factors influence their productivity, abundance and growth.
KEY KNOWLEDGE:
· Identify the components of an ecosystem
· Understand the nature of a living community
· Become aware of various ecological roles in a community
· Understand the variety of interactions that occur within a ecosystem
Flow of energy and the cycling of matter the planned fieldwork introduces students to factors such as salinity, nitrate levels, phosphate, dissolved oxygen and pH. All of these factors are part of the cycle and flow and matter and materials and introduce students to how energy and chemicals transfer and change through an ecosystem.
KEY KNOWLEDGE:
· Describe the ways in which energy flows through ecosystem
· Recognise that matter cycles within an ecosystem
· Give examples of biogeochemical cycles
Changes in ecosystems The fieldwork program develops students understanding of how and why testing on water bodies is carried out. It introduces them to a range of scientific equipment and procedures aimed at monitoring the quality of the water system.
KEY KNOWLEDGE:
· Understand how environments change over time
· Recognise the scope, intensity and impact of a number of natural changes
· Show awareness of the impact of human induced changes
· Identify techniques for monitoring and maintaining ecosystems
OUTCOME: outcomes for this unit in the study design included students being able to “design, conduct and report on a field investigation” Students undertake practical investigations into interactions between living things and their environment, and explain how ecosystems change over time.
The results obtained through this study can also be used in a number of other outcomes including multimedia or web presentations, data analysis and can be used as evidence when responding to media articles.
On completion of this fieldwork student should be able to explain and analyse the relationship between environmental factors, and adaptations and distribution of living things.