Unit A Introduction - Interactions and Ecosystems
Completion requirements
Unit A: Introduction
Watch
Watch the following introduction video for Unit A. You will see five questions during the video. Think about the questions, and think about other things you would like to learn as you study structures and forces.
Unit A Introduction: Interactions and Ecosystems
No Place Like Home!
Earth from space is beautiful! All the green you see is evidence of life on this planet. On Earth, living organisms interact with each other and with non-living things such as air, water, soil, and rock. These relationships are called ecosystems. Earth
is the only planet we know of that has ecosystems.
What would it be like to look down on Earth while you floated in space? You would need to carry a life-support system with you. Ecosystems are natural life support systems. Have you ever visited Banff National Park in Alberta? What kinds of organisms does this park support? Think of all the water, living space, nutrients, gases, and minerals that are being reused over and over by everything alive, including you. Nothing is wasted.
We need an ecosystem so we can live. Our food supply is replenished constantly. Our wastes are recycled into nutrients. We breathe oxygen made available by plants. Imagine setting up a base camp on Mars. How challenging would it be to live where no ecosystem exists to support people?
What would it be like to look down on Earth while you floated in space? You would need to carry a life-support system with you. Ecosystems are natural life support systems. Have you ever visited Banff National Park in Alberta? What kinds of organisms does this park support? Think of all the water, living space, nutrients, gases, and minerals that are being reused over and over by everything alive, including you. Nothing is wasted.
We need an ecosystem so we can live. Our food supply is replenished constantly. Our wastes are recycled into nutrients. We breathe oxygen made available by plants. Imagine setting up a base camp on Mars. How challenging would it be to live where no ecosystem exists to support people?
Figure A.I.1 – Earth Is a beautiful blue-green marble.
Figure A.I.2 – The Bow River passes through Banff.
Figure A.I.3 – Could this be a future base camp on Mars?
Questions to Think About:
- How do ecosystems form? What happens to them over time?
- What is your ecosystem? What organisms share it with you?
-
Could you live without your ecosystem?
Words to Think About:
Check the word cloud below. It pictures the important words you will learn in this unit. Likely, you will know many, but check new words or any that seem fuzzy to you! Watch for these words and combinations of these words as you read. When you see them
highlighted, you can click them to learn more about their meanings.
You can also visit the course glossary and read definitions for all of these words.
Unit A: Checklist and Key Ideas
Focus On: Interactions and Ecosystems
This unit has four sections. Each section has a key idea that will help you learn more about interactions and ecosystems. As you work through the unit, you must do five tasks (one at the end of each section, and one unit project) that will count for marks.
On the next page is a checklist of the tasks you must complete for the unit. On the page after that are the key ideas, lesson titles, and key questions for this unit. Note that you can reach these two pages whenever you want by clicking the "Key Ideas" and "Unit Checklist" on the top corner of almost every page in the unit.
This unit has four sections. Each section has a key idea that will help you learn more about interactions and ecosystems. As you work through the unit, you must do five tasks (one at the end of each section, and one unit project) that will count for marks.
On the next page is a checklist of the tasks you must complete for the unit. On the page after that are the key ideas, lesson titles, and key questions for this unit. Note that you can reach these two pages whenever you want by clicking the "Key Ideas" and "Unit Checklist" on the top corner of almost every page in the unit.