ScienceSource 7 - Unit A

The Rouge River Valley - known to local Iroquois as Katabokokonk, the Rouge River is a very important part of this valley ecosystem in northeast Toronto:

• Rouge River Watershed - An important source of Ontario drinking water.
• Friends of the Rouge Watershed - many groups, including this one, are working to preserve this important ecosystem.

Unit Task: Your Ecological Footprint - how large is your ecological footprint?

• Ecological Footprint Quiz - answer the questions and your footprint can be measured.
• Ecological Footprint - good background information.

First Nations Peoples and the Environment - Aboriginal cultures were very aware that maintaining a healthy environment was vital to their survival.

• The Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) - a First Nations website about current environmental challenges.

The Boreal Forest - images and information about living things found in Ontario.

Ecosystem Basics - this is an excellent video that covers the basics of ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic components.

Pond Ecosystem - - use the tools provided to affect and study a virtual pond (ExploreLearning login is required).

Basic Needs of Living Things - this is an excellent video that covers the basic requirements for all living things.

Biotic Elements Survive Without Oxygen - also known as anaerobes, oxygen can even be poisonous to them.

• Life in Extreme Environments - a very interesting article about some of the locations where living things use no oxygen.
• Microbial Life Without Oxygen - images and information about microscopic organisms that do not require oxygen to survive.

Interaction of Biotic and Abiotic Elements - do you know your biotic and abiotic elements? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Section 1.1 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Mount Tambora Eruption Hardly Known - - Indonesia is home to the world's largest-ever volcanic eruption — Mount Tambora in 1815, killing 100,000 people. But the disaster is little remembered, primarily because of lack of media.

The Year With No Summer - a whole season of darkness as a result of natural disaster.

• Extreme Earth: Year Without Summer - an encyclopedia of information
• 1816 - The Year without a Summer - this article describes the impacts of the huge 1816 eruption on Canada and other parts of North America.

Producers - when we think of producers, we usually think of green plants, photosynthesis and food.

• Plants and Life on Earth - the many roles of producers can be found here.
• The Flow of Energy Through Plants and Animals - it all begins with sunlight and plants.

Photosynthesis - photosynthesis is probably the most important process on Earth for allowing living things to survive.

• Photosynthesis - this is an AMAZING interactive about photosynthesis. Please be patient when it loads in your browser, it may take a few minutes. The whole interactive is a bit advanced, don't worry if you have trouble understanding the 2 sections focussing on chemistry (light reactions, calvin cycle)... you can skip those.

Photosynthesis Lab - - adjust the condition that affect photosynthesis and observe the results (ExploreLearning login is required).

Ecosystems, Communities, Populations, and Species - interactions between biotic and abiotic elements.

• Ecosystems, Communities, Populations, and Species - discover how scientists organize nature.
• Interactions Within Ecosystems - a worksheet (page 5) that imagines a world without fish in the Great Lakes region.

Ecosystems, Communities, Populations, and Species - try these activities to learn and better appreciate the organization and complexity of ecosystems.

• Life Systems: Grade Seven Interactions Within Ecosystems - this booklet, from the Toronto Zoo, examines all aspects of a stream ecosystem.

Vegetarianism - some people choose to consume only plants for their nutrition.

• Vegetarianism - vegetarianism has a rich history.
• Becoming a Vegetarian - a very complete discussion of being a teenaged vegetarian.

The Roles of Producers - do you know the roles of producers? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Section 1.2 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers - in this excellent video, a wetland food chain is used to discuss producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Consumers - consumers must eat other things in order to get nutrients to survive.

• Herbivores and Carnivores - herbivores, carnivores and omnivores are discussed on this site.
• Consumers - exactly what are they?

Scavenger - beautiful photos of scavengers, as well an excellent explanation of their behaviour.

Food Chains - these activities help to further understand food chains.

• Food Chains - an interactive BrainPop presentation of food chains.
• Who's Coming to Dinner? - Ontario food chains in the boreal forest.

Prairie Ecosystem - - change populations and see how it affects the prairie ecosystem (ExploreLearning login is required).

Ocean Food Chains: Whales - how do the largest animals on Earth fit into their food chains?

• Whales and Food Webs - you might be surprised by a whale's food chain.
• Whale Food Chains - this page shows a comparison between toothed whales (orca) and baleen whales (blue).

Food Chain - - change the number of creatures in a species and see how it affects the food chain related to it (ExploreLearning login is required).

Ecosystem in a Jar - these activities are designed to test what components are necessary to create a healthy, stable ecosystem.

• Table Top Biosphere - this site provides a video summary and pdf instructions on creating a marine ecosystem in a jar.
• Bottle Biology - build an ecosystem and recycle plastic pop bottles.

Section 1.3 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Producers and Consumers - do you know about producers and consumers? Find out by trying this puzzle.

The Wainfleet Bog - a natural area found in southern Ontario that has been protected to save this unique ecosystem.

• The Wainfleet Bog - the official website from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
• Wainfleet Bog Trail - the Wainfleet bog has a beautiful trail.

Unit Task: Your Ecological Footprint - how large is your ecological footprint?

• How Big is Your Environmental Footprint - by answering a few questions, your footprint can be measured.
• Find Your Foodprint - OK, you know about your footprint, but do you know your FOODprint? Try this short quiz to find out the ecological impact of your food habits.

Zoos and Ecosystems - although zoos preserve many species, some people argue that the animals should be kept in protected natural areas like parks.

• The Toronto Zoo and Conservation - excellent conservation efforts from the Toronto Zoo.
• Wildlife Conservation Society - an organization dedicated to conservation.

Zoos and Ecosystem Activities - try your hand at managing animals in the correct ecosystem:

• Biomes- this interactive feature includes climate and precipitation data for every biome (free PBS registration may be required).

Oak Ridges Moraine - like a 165 km long sponge, the Oak Ridges Moraine stores water for southern Ontario ecosystems and people.

The Water Cycle - the same water molecules have been recycled over and over again through the water cycle.

• What is The Water Cycle - a fully-developed lesson about the water cycle.
• The Water Cycle - an interactive diagram to give a greater understanding of the water cycle.

Paper Recycling - recycling paper can reduce waste and decrease the number of trees cut down to produce new paper.

• Recycling Paper and Glass - facts about recycling.
• Circular Innovation Council - decreasing waste in Ontario and across Canada.
• Stewardship Ontario - did you know that Ontario's businesses are becoming stewards of recycling?

Paper Recycling - these activities will allow you to increase your paper recycling efforts:

• How to Make Paper - recycle paper with this simple technique!
• How to Make Your Own Recycled Paper - a hand-on activity to make your own recycled paper.

Energy Transfer - at each link of a food chain, energy is passed along.

• What's For Dinner? - see examples of food chains with producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.
• Energy Flow in Ecosystems - a discussion of how energy moves through food chains.

Energy Pyramids - not only does energy get passed along food chains, it takes more and more energy to sustain each higher level.

• Energy Pyramids and Food Chains - a cool hand-drawn ocean food chain helps explain this concept.
• Food Chains and Webs - a food chain shows the relationship of who eats what in an ecosystem.

Energy Pyramids - these activities can help explain how energy flows along food chains, and up energy pyramids.

• Food Chains - these questions review the concepts covered so far in food chains and energy pyramids.
• Build A Food Pyramid - just for you!

Food Webs of the Grand Banks - the Grand Banks, off the southeast coast of Newfoundland, contain diverse food webs.

• The Atlantic Marine Ecozone - a description of the Grand Banks area and its living residents.
• Collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery - the cod population, an important part of the Grand Banks food web, abruptly collapsed in 1993.

Food Webs - these activities can help you understand food webs.

• Forest Food Webs - using forest stories, students establish complex food webs in a forest ecosystem.
• Forest Stories - you need this set of forest stories for the aforementioned Forest Food Webs activity - or use them on their own!

Food Webs - the complex food relationships that make up an ecosystem.

• Food Web - start with this simple example.
• Fitting Algae Into the Food Web - remember, food webs exist in lakes, streams and oceans too.
• The Food Web - another water-based food web, this one also has food chains and energy pyramids.
• Coastal Arctic food web - even where there is little life, food webs can be found.

Section 2.1 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

The Transfer of Energy in Ecosystems - do you know your energy transfers? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Matter Cycles - Abiotic materials are taken in by biotic components, which are decomposed into abiotic materials again when they die This page includes descriptions of all of the matter cycles.

Communities with Organic Waste Recycling - communities that are reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill:

• Foodo Money - a Japanese town pays residents to recycle organic wastes.
• Trash is Gold - biogas; it stinks to make, but it is great for the environment.

Organic Wastes and You - how can you help in the recycling of organic matter?

• How Composting Works - includes instructions are making your own compost column.
• Composting Council of Canada - this website has many links to information about composting.
• Composting at Home - how to create your own organic waste recycling area.
• Verimicomposting - worms are your friends!

Organic Matter - we have learned that energy is transferred in food webs; matter is cycled from biotic to abiotic and back to biotic over and over again.

• What Does Organic Matter Do In Soil? - a comprehensive explanation.
• Soil Health: Organic Matter - what organic matter is, and why it helps to determine how healthy soil is.

Food Chains and Cycles - Carbon cycles through the air, rocks and even us! These pages are an introduction to this important matter cycle.

The Carbon Cycle - these activities help model the carbon cycle.

• Dinosaur Breath - using chalk and vinegar, a discussion of breathing dinosaur breath illustrates the carbon cycle.
• Carbon Cycle Animation - a fun video that describes all aspects of the carbon cycle.

The Nitrogen Cycle - nitrogen is the most abundant gas on Earth, and cycles like other matter.

The Nitrogen Cycle - an excellent interactive tutorial.

The Phosphorous Cycle - another fairly complicated cycle of matter.

Redesign a Package - can packaging be used that is broken down by decomposers, or at least be recycled?

• Biodegradable Packaging - packaging that breaks down into reusable matter in relatively short periods of time.

Section 2.2 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Cycling Matter - do you know your matter cycles? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Limiting Factors - the population of a biotic element is influenced by food, living conditions and other biotic elements.

• Limiting Factors - limiting factors lead to an ever-changing natural balance.
• Northern Leopard Frog Limiting Factors - this Ontario frog illustrates limiting factors.

Limiting Factors - these models can be used to help explain limiting factors.

• Wolfquest - this amazing "game" integrates limiting factors into your role-playing as a wolf in this downloadable, free game.

Lampreys in the Great Lakes - natural balance can be lost when a new species appears in an ecosystem.

• Sea Lampreys: A Great Lakes Invader - the fisheries of the Great Lakes take the lamprey threat very seriously.
• Sea Lamprey: The Battle Continues - information about lampreys, and also different methods used to control them.

Bioinvasion - also known as invasive species, this is when a foreign species appears in a native ecosystem.

• Invasive Alien Species in Canada - from Hinterland Who's Who.
• Invasive Species Information - the US government has a long list of invasive species it is concerned about.

Why Ecosystems Change - ecosystems are always changing, but not always in good ways.

Ecosystem Competition - Interesting Canadian ecosystem examples are used in this video to discuss intraspecies and interspecies competition.

Invasive Species - In this excellent video, invasive species are discussed, using some very interesting examples.

Competition - living things are always competing for resources, shelter and habitat.

Sustainability - even though there is constant change, ecosystems strive to be sustainable.

• Sustainability - this is a huge collection of information about sustainability.
• Sustainability Network - attempting to change communities to become more sustainable.

Plants and Snails - - add plants and snails to test tubes and see the results (ExploreLearning login is required).

Section 2.3 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Interactions and Changes in Ecosystems - do you know your interactions and changes? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Foresters - a career as a forester gives you a chance to work right inside an ecosystem.

• Jobs and Careers in Forestry - foresters in Ontario.
• First Nations Forestry Program - programs to encourage and appreciate First Nations workers in forestry.
• Conservation Scientists and Foresters - information from the US department of labour.

Unit Task: Your Ecological Footprint - how large is your ecological footprint?

• How Big is Your Environmental Footprint - by answering a few questions, your footprint can be measured.
• Ecological Footprint - excellent information on ecological footprint.

Urban Ecosystems - city areas, such as vacant lots, still provide a home for ecosystems.

Ecosystem Succession - In this excellent 3 minute video, ecosystem succession is discussed.

Succession - succession refers to how populations change as time passes.

• Ecological Succession - this website contains a nice explanation of succession, and provides many examples.
• Ecological Succession - a Wikipedia entry about succession.

Primary Succession - when the very first living things start to grow in a new ecosystem, and no previous soil exists.

Succession - images to help illustrate succession terms.

• Primary Succession - this simple illustration shows primary succession.
• Secondary Succession - notice that the first growth is small plants and trees, not the lichens like in primary succession.

Pioneer Species - these are plants and plant-like species that first begin to grow in primary succession.

• Forest Fire Management - Ontario information about fighting forest fires.
• Pioneer Species - good examples of pioneers species.

Secondary Succession - after events like forest fires, previously healthy ecosystems grow back through secondary succession. Soil still exists for new growth.

Surtsey - a brand new volcanic island formed near Iceland, so scientists started studying the succession that took place.

• Surtsey Research Society - along with other research, this website examines the succession of living things on this new island.
• Surtsey - see images and lists of the plants that have been appearing on Surtsey.

Forest Fires - by trying to save climax communities like mature forests, we may have been creating more problems.

• Canadian Wildland Fire Information System - the Canadian Forest Service provides information and insight into Canada's forest fires.
• A Prescribed and Controlled Burn - how a fire was started and controlled to benefit the ecosystem.

Succession, Recovery, and Renewal in Natural Communities - do you know your natural communities? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Section 3.1 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Ecotourism - is it a good idea to allow people to visit protected areas for vacations?

Human Impact on the Environment - this collection of information addresses the activities of humans, and how we might be harming ecosystems.

Ecosystem Research - How do scientists assess the impact of humans on ecosystems? In this excellent video, basic methods of ecosystem sampling are discussed.

Organic Foods - they are usually more expensive, but what else does it mean when a food is called "organic"?

• How Organic Food Works - a summary of organic foods.
• Organic foods: Are they safer? - one of the main reasons people buy organic foods is that organic foods are thought to be safer.

Cleaning Up an Oil Spill - when humans make a mistake in the environment, how can they fix it?

• How Do You Clean Up An Oil Spill? - the methods used to clean up oil spills.
• 9 Methods for Oil Spill Cleanup at Sea - the four main methods of response.

Recycling Electronics - there are many electronic devices that we eventually stop using; what should we do with them?

• Where to Recycle Computers in Canada - many options and locations exist for recycling your old computer.
• High-Tech Trash Talk - what to do with our e-trash.

Section 3.2 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Air Quality - smog and other pollutants can make our air difficult to breath.

• Air Quality Ontario - what is the quality of our air today, and what has it been like in the past?
• Air Quality FAQ - explains what smog is, and answers many other questions about air quality.

The Costs and Benefits of Recycling - even though it seems obvious to do, there are still tough decisions to make before recycling.

• Do the Benefits of Recycling Outweigh the Costs? - what are the costs and benefits of recycling?
• The Truth About Curbside Recycling - in San Diego, a person tries to make the point that recycling can work despite the costs.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - these three terms help to summarize all that we can do to minimize our impact on ecosystems.

• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - how each of us can do these three tasks.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - from Environment Canada, discover how Canadians are doing in our attempts to decrease what we send to the landfill.

Recycle City - visit Recycle City to learn more about what we can do.

Sustainable Communities - communities that make efforts to preserve the environment along with meeting their other energy needs.

• Whole Village - an interesting ecovillage located in Caledon Hills.
• Sustainable Communities - how communities in Canada can become more sustainable, guides from the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

Sustainable Technologies - can we develop technologies that use less resources and have less of an impact on the environment?

• Sustainable Technologies - Wikipedia has a long list of what it considers to be sustainable technologies.
• Sustainable Development Technology Canada - Canadians supporting sustainable technology.

The Car of the Future - an excellent 24 minute Al Jazeera science video full of cool future car concepts.

Cars of the Future - how can cars look in the future, and what impact do you think they'll have on the environment?

• 5 Future Car Technologies That Truly Have a Chance - check out amazing new technologies.
• Car of the Future: Open Production - this Nova website has amazing stories from actual people who have modified their vehicles with future technologies.

Sustainable Human Communities - do you know about sustainable human communities? Find out by trying this puzzle.

Section 3.3 Quiz - need more practice? Try this online quiz.

Rewilding - all about rewilding.

Unit Task: Your Ecological Footprint - how large is your ecological footprint?

• How Big is Your Environmental Footprint - by answering a few questions, your footprint can be measured.
• Ecological Footprint - excellent information on ecological footprint.

Ecological Footprint - In this excellent video, ecological footprint is explained and discussed.

Can You Go "Carbon Neutral"? - balance how much carbon you use and produce with how much you save.

• Carbon neutrality - all the details on what it means to be carbon neutral.
• Go Carbon Neutral - go neutral and join many other people and companies throughout the world.