The goal of this module is for students to learn about the importance of population balance in marine ecosystems and how human activities (specifically fertilizer run-off from nearby farmlands into the Mississippi River) can impact energy webs by changing predator/prey relationships. A lab activity is included in this module during the Reading/Data Collection Process, enabling students to supplement the data collected from reading with their own lab results. Students are required to use scientific articles to research the cause and effect of algal blooms off the coast of the U.S. and write a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency to inform them of the problem as well as suggest possible solutions. I highly recommend having students complete the Dead in The Water lab to provide evidence in the classroom of the effects fertilizer has on pond ecosystems. Students should use their observations when constructing a strong letter to the EPA. This lab is provided in my resources. After sending in letters to the EPA, we did receive a letter in response from the agency. This letter can be found under my resources. This module was created by Mark Weese, a Life Science teacher from Effingham County. mweese@effingham.k12.ga.us This module can be adapted to emphasize any of the Life Science Georgia Performance Standards, and I was able to include concepts taken from each of the five Life Science standards. You can use the articles that I used in my module or find articles that work better for your discipline and regional concerns. I have uploaded additional articles (see digital articles) that include lexile levels for each resource.
