Extinction Risk

 Last week was our last week for the ecology unit, but I feel like we still need to address endangered species.  I might be slightly obsessed with Yellowstone, and last week I was so crushed to find out that the Yellowstone Grizzly was put back on the endangered species list.  I saw a grizzly at Yellowstone, so this really hits home with me.  What if future generations can only see grizzly bears in the zoo?  Current estimates declare that there are over 40,000 species of endangered plants and animals.  The endangered species include one in four mammals, one in eight birds and a third of all amphibians.  Plant and insect endangered species are hard to estimate because many are going extinct before they have even been discovered.  There are numerous campaigns to raise awareness and funds to protect these species.

This week I want you to pick your favorite endangered species.  Please try not to pick repeats, so look at what other students have already picked before you pick yours.

   1.  First, change your Google + profile picture to a picture of the endangered species
   2.  Title your blog post with a song title or lyrics that are fitting for your species.
               What would be their walk-up song if they were a baseball player?
   3.  In your blog post, explain why you picked this endangered species
   4.  Make a list with the Status, Population, Scientific Name (should be in italics), and habitat

Below is my example with the Bengal Tiger:  (so the tiger is picked so you need to pick another species)

"The Eye of the Tiger"
Despite my love for the sea turtle, I had to pick the Bengal Tiger for my endangered species.  Not only is the Bengal Tiger our school mascot, but it is also one of the most beautiful large cat species.  A group of tigers is known as an "ambush" or a "streak."  Perhaps we should change the name of the Central Crazies to the Central Ambush?

It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night

 As the official MLB baseball season draws to a close today, I think "The Eye of the Tiger" is the absolute perfect walk up song for my favorite school mascot.  Especially the line about the last known survivor is fitting knowing how this majestic species is disappearing in the wild.

Status:  Endangered
Poplulation:  More than 2500 (mostly in zoos)
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris
Habitat:  Dry and wet deciduous forests, grasslands, temperate forests and mangrove swamps.

Below are two links that will help you find Endangered Species

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status

https://www.fws.gov/endangered/
 

Biodiversity and the Great Barrier Reef

This week we will wrap up our unit on Ecology with a look at biodiversity.  Some ecosystems are rich in all three types of biodiversity:  ecosystem, species and genetic.  Other ecosystems are more fragile and disruptions can be catastrophic.

Watch the video clip below:

In a scholarly paragraph with at least five sentences, you will summarize this 8 minute video.  What is biodiversity?  How is biodiversity threatened in the Great Barrier Reef?  What suggestions do you have to help reduce Global Warming and stop the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef?  Be sure to use at least three of the following vocabulary words in your summary:  global warming, biodiversity, dynamic, tolerance, acclimation, and zooxathellae (type of phytoplankton).  In addition to your summary, you will also comment on one other person's response.

Hurricane Florence

Last week, we talked about succession in class and how hurricanes cause secondary succession.  This weekend while I was still contemplating how to save the poor sea turtles, I came across this article from Science Magazine.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/hurricane-florence-coming-scientists-are-scrambling-prepare

I like that the article tracks how Hurricane Florence will impact the research communities in North and South Carolina.  Think schools like University of North Carolina, University of South Carolina, and Duke University.  (It would be super cool if some of you ended up there in four years.)

This week, I want you to read one of the following sections in the article:

• What do whales do in a hurricane?
• Saving "precious samples"
• It just isn't worth it
• A surge of gauges
• Watching the storm in real time

You will write a scholarly paragraph about what you read.  Remember that a descent paragraph should have at least five sentences, proper punctuation, correct spelling and grammar.  I am not an English teacher, but I do know what a scientific paragraph should look like.  In addition to posting a response, I would like you to comment on at least one of your peers.  This is a public blog meaning anything that you post will be visible to the world, so put your best self out there.  I am going to share this link with your parents so they can see your work.

If you plant it....they will come.

Do you remember the first week of school I had a jar on my desk with a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar in it?  Looked something like the image below.

Monarch butterflies are actually on the verge of being an endangered species.  Many different families in my neighborhood have actually planted milkweed in their gardens to help the Monarch butterflies.

This week will be your very first blog assignment.  As a science teacher, I believe that there is a lot of science out in the world that most students miss.  I will share with you articles, video clips and more.  This week I am going to have you read an editorial from the New York Times. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/opinion/to-save-monarch-butterfly-plant-milkweed-now.html

You will write a scholarly paragraph about what you read.  Summarize the article in at least three sentences.  Somewhere in your summary, you must make a connection to ecology.  Try and use at least three new vocabulary words in your summary.  Finally, conclude your response with your own opinion.  What do you think?  How can we save the butterflies?  Have you ever tried to help the plight of the Monarch butterflies?  Do you have milkweed in your garden?

Remember that a descent paragraph should have at least five sentences, proper punctuation, correct spelling and grammar.  I am not an English teacher, but I do know what a scientific paragraph should look like.  In addition to posting a response, I would like you to comment on at least one of your peers.  This is a public blog meaning anything that you post will be visible to the world, so put your best self out there.  I am going to share this link with your parents so they can see your work.