Unit 2: Populations

Lauren Ard
Santa Clara High School
Tucson, Arizona

Instructions: Below are the activities you can choose from to earn points for this unit. Start with the C activities. These will help you learn the basics of the unit. Activities in bold are required for every student. After you have enough points in the C section, move on to section B and then A for more challenging activities. Here's how to get the grade you want:

F: 0 - 120 C points

D: 121 - 140 C points

C: 141 - 160 C points

B: 160 C points and 5 - 20 B points

A: 160 C points, 15 B points, and 5 - 20 A points

When you are finished with an activity, you must sit down and discuss what you've learned with Mrs. Ard. You may not turn in more than two activities on the last day of the unit.

C Activities

*Description*	*# of Periods*	*Points*	*Score*
Take Cornell notes on the entire unit.	-	10
Do the “Sonora Desert Ecosystem” activity with the entire class.	3	40
Take at least two full pages (front and back) of Cornell notes while watching “An Inconvenient Truth.”	2	20
Do the “Is There Any Room for One More?” activity using Activity #85 in the Ecology book AND the worksheet I have made to help you. (You will learn about carrying capacity.)	1	20
Watch the 20-minute video called “Bill Nye: Populations” and take one side of a page of Cornell notes while watching.	0.5	10
Do the “Human Numbers Through Time” internet activity. (You will look at an interactive web site about the history of the human population and answer a few questions.)	0.5	10
Read pages E12 to E19 in the hardcover Ecology book and answer questions 1-5 on page E19.	0.5	10
Do the “Graphing Human Population” activity. (You will graph how the human population has changed over time and answer a few questions.)	1	20
Do the “Ups and Downs” activity using Activity #77 in the Ecology book AND the worksheet I have made to help you. (You will graph populations and interpret the data.)	1	20
Do “Estimating Population Size” activity. (You will play a game that will help you understand how scientists estimate animal populations).	1	30
Do the “Deer: Predation or Starvation” activity. (You will graph the deer population in a small area and see how the population changes over time.)	1.5	30
Do the “Predator-Prey” activity. (You will play a game to learn how predators and prey interact in an ecosystem.)	2	40

B Activities

*Description*	*# of Periods*	*Points*	*Score*
Do the “Earth in Peril” internet activity. You will look at a web site and describe how the earth and the environment are in trouble from overpopulation.	1	20
Do the “Tucson Population Growth” activity. You will graph Tucson's population growth over time and answer a few questions.	1	20
Read the articles about pet overpopulation and write a one page letter to a friend explaining what he/she can do to help with this problem. Use at least five facts from the article, and write at least 15 sentences total. Make sure to use your 6 traits.	1	20

A Activities

*Description*	*# of Periods*	*Points*	*Score*
China has policies restricting the number of children that parents can have. Do you think the United States should have such laws? Why or why not? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? Read the article on the counter about the laws in China and write a 15-20 sentences explaining your point of view. Make sure to use you 6 traits and write a lead and conclusion. Include at least five facts from the article.	0.5	10
Some people think that illegal immigration is causing an overpopulation problem in the United States. On the other hand, many people argue that those immigrants have the right to seek a better life. Do you think illegal immigration should be more strictly enforced, or less? Read the article on the counter about illegal immigration and write 15-20 sentences paragraph explaining your point of view. Make sure to use you 6 traits and write a lead and conclusion. Include at least five facts from the article.	0.5	10
Get a list of Arizona Endangered Species from the counter. Research one of those endangered species on the internet and describe why it is endangered. (Please print out the information so you don’t hog the computers.) Write at least 15 sentences. Make sure to use you 6 traits and write a lead and conclusion.	0.5	10
Take the “Global Trends Quiz” online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/trends.html Take notes while taking the quiz and write a one page paper (about 15 sentences) discussing what you learned from the quiz. Make sure to use you 6 traits and write a lead and conclusion.	1	20