Week 23 · Term Three · Food webs and populations
Climb the energy pyramid, follow Yellowstone’s wolves through a real trophic cascade, estimate a hidden population with capture–recapture, plan a wildlife crossing like Banff’s, and forecast how one change ripples through a food web.
Monday uses the 10% rule to explain why top predators are rare. Tuesday follows the wolves’ return to Yellowstone. Wednesday estimates a trout population from a tagged sample. Thursday designs a highway crossing that reconnects habitat. Friday writes a testable forecast for a food web.
25 minutes
Ecology · Energy flows up the food chain
Model how energy flows through a food chain, use the 10% rule to calculate energy at each level, and explain why there are fewer top predators.
Make
A energy pyramid
Frontier handoff: The energy pyramid is filed. Tomorrow a top predator returns to a real park.
25 minutes
Networks · One change ripples through a web
Explain how a change to one species can ripple through a food web (a trophic cascade), and recognize when scientists still debate how strong the effect is.
Make
A cascade diagram
Frontier handoff: The cascade diagram is filed. Tomorrow you count animals you can't see.
25 minutes
Probability · Counting animals you can't see
Use a proportion from a random sample to estimate a population (capture–recapture), and name the assumptions the estimate depends on.
Make
A population estimate
Frontier handoff: The estimate is filed. Tomorrow a highway cuts through the frontier.
25 minutes
Geography · Reconnecting split habitat
Explain how roads fragment habitat, and evaluate design solutions that reconnect it and reduce harm to people and animals.
Make
A crossing plan
Frontier handoff: The crossing plan is filed. Tomorrow you forecast what happens when one part of the web changes.
30 minutes
Argument writing · Forecasting a change in the web
Write an argument that predicts effects through a food web, supports each link with evidence, and states the uncertainty.
Make
A Food-web forecast
Frontier handoff: The forecast is filed. You can now reason about a whole web, and say how sure you are.
The forecast uses only work entered here. It is a family record of this week’s work, not a grade, an attendance record, or proof of mastery.
