Earth Cycles and Systems
Age 11-13: Concept 1 - Semester 1: Unit 5

This unit explores the importance of the cycling of water, carbon, and nitrogen on Earth and how those cycles affect ecosystems and the organisms that live in them.

You will also explore the relationships among organisms in an ecosystem by examining food chains and food webs.

Finally, you will apply what you have learned to real-life applications by researching lawn fertilizers and designing a sustainable farm.

Other Items You May Need

The Age 11-13 semester 1 science units require materials from the Semester 1 Science Kit.
$64.99 #743 Age 11-13 - Semester 1 - Science Kit

Prerequisites

  • Able to read and comprehend novels at a late 7th or 8th grade reading level
  • Able to write multiple paragraphs on a topic
  • Familiar with the five-paragraph essay
  • Usually used by children in the seventh grade.

Table of Contents

  • Lesson 1: Matter and Energy
  • Lesson 2: Energy and Its Source
  • Lesson 3: Energy Flow in Ecosystems
  • Lesson 4: Matter and Plants
  • Lesson 5: Carbohydrates, Plants, and Energy
  • Lesson 6: Intro to Earth's Cycles
  • Lesson 7: Oxygen Production and Life
  • Lesson 8: The Carbon Cycle
  • Lesson 9: The Water Cycle
  • Lesson 10: Energy, Food Chains, and Food Webs
  • Lesson 11: The Nitrogen Cycle
  • Final Project: A Sustainable Farm (3 Days)

Summary of Skills

Moving Beyond the Page is based on state and national standards. These standards are covered in this unit.
  • Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation. (Science)
  • Apply water and nutrient cycles to an artificial ecosystem. (Science)
  • Be able to describe energy flow in living systems including food chains and food webs. (Science)
  • Communicate scientific information in a clear, concise manner. (Science)
  • Define matter and energy. (Science)
  • Describe the flow of energy and matter in natural systems including when matter is transferred from one organism to another or between organisms and their environments. (Science)
  • Differentiate among types of energy. (Science)
  • Evaluate designed systems for their ability to enable growth of certain plants and animals. (Science)
  • Explain and illustrate the interactions between matter and energy in the water cycle. (Science)
  • Identify nutrients needed for plant growth. (Science)
  • Know that carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. (Science)
  • Know that photosynthesis is a process carried on by green plants and other organisms containing chlorophyll. (Science)
  • Know that the major source of atmospheric oxygen is photosynthesis. (Science)
  • Recognize that green plants are producers of food that is used directly or indirectly by consumers. (Science)
  • Research, evaluate, and apply agricultural techniques that improve soil health and crop yields. (Science)
  • Understand that complex interactions occur between matter and energy. (Science)
  • Understand that energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, from the Sun through producers to consumers to decomposers. (Science)
  • Understand that green plants are the producers of food that is used directly or indirectly by consumers. (Science)
  • Understand that matter is transferred from one organism to organisms and their environments. (Science)
  • Understand that solar energy reaches Earth through radiation, mostly in the form of visible light. (Science)
  • Understand that the Sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on Earth's surface; it powers winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. (Science)
  • Understand that water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are substances cycled between the living and non-living environments. (Science)
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