Unit 4 Blog

Unit 4 Blog

Instructions for your unit 4 blog are below.  Please pay attention to changes in the assignments.  

Also, THE BIG IDEAS are to cover the ENTIRE UNIT.  

You should be discussing your reading, labs, current event AND anything else you can tie in that we learned during this unit.  

If you only discuss your article, POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED!

***Make sure you are just creating a new post on the blog you have already started.  We should not be posting a new blog every time we do this.  Work on your blog a little at a time over the next few weeks, save as a draft and publish it when you are done!  Not sure what I'm talking about?  Ask me in class!***

Unit Vocabulary-define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  The list is below:

Species Richness

Species Evenness

Microevolution

Macroevolution

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolution by Artificial Selection

Allopatric Speciation

Sympatric Speciation

Genetically Modified Organisms

Fundamental Niche

Exponential Growth Model

Logistic Growth Model

Carrying Capacity

Keystone Species

Current Event- Instead of finding a current event for this unit, I'm sending you to a website.  Go to Biodiversity HotSpots and review pages 144-147 in your textbook.  Pick a hotspot on the website to discuss (when you click on one of the regions, a list of specific areas will come up, pick one of those.)  Discuss the following points specific to your chosen hotspot.  Be prepared to discuss this portion of your blog in class.

• What is a biodiversity hotspot and why are they important?
• Where is your hotspot located and what type of ecosystem is present there (posting a map showing where your hotspot is located could help you here).
• Describe at lease one endemic plant species and animal species found here.  Explain what it means to be an endemic species.
• Describe the human induced and/or natural reasons why biodiversity is decreasing in the area.
• Explain what is being done to protect the area.

Pick a Side- In a paragraph, using AT LEAST 5 of your vocabulary words (they don't have to be the ones listed above, just any words from chapter 5 or 6 in your book) describe the ideal conditions in which a species will either adapt to changes in it's ecosystem and evolve OR conditions that would lead to species extinction.

Big Picture Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT.  Please tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your labs and from your current event.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.    

Turning it in- I should have the link to your blog at this point.  Verify that I have access to view your blog through your privacy settings with my school email address. I will continue to grade your blogs on the google doc I shared with you two blogs ago to give you specific feedback.  Do the math- there are 4 sections, out of 100, each section is worth 25 points.  Be thorough and don't skip a section!  Due Date: Nov. 3rd

Happy Blogging! 

~Kays