1. Homework & Homework Application
My Community Ecology
Homework & Homework Application

2. My Community Ecology, Task 1, Lesson 3: Population Dynamics Homework
PURPOSE: What brought new people to these counties? To answer this, let’s identify some reasons for population growth and development in our own families.
USE: Tomorrow we will begin class by discussing reasons that led our families to contribute to the growth and development of our community.
PROCEDURE: Interview your parents or other family members to find out when your family first came to this area, from where, and why. Write a brief description of what you find.

3. My Community Ecology Task 2, Lesson 1: Ecosystems Homework Application
Today’s discussion: Part 1
In small groups, share what you learned from your family histories. Answer the following questions:
What are the main reasons (drivers) for the family moves in your group?
What hypotheses can you make about connections between what you learned in their families and trends they noted in the timing of population increases/decreases
Be prepared to share out.
Discussion: Part 2
What other communities exist alongside humans in urban areas (animals, insects, plants)?
What benefits might urban growth have for those other communities?
What disadvantages for those communities might come with urban growth?
Conclude the discussion by recording any unanswered questions or hypotheses – tell students you will return to them when they discuss urban growth and its consequences more in Task 4.
Transition students into thinking about the site by expanding on the concept of population.
Take care not to guide student responses – record this brief discussion so students can revisit their initial thinking after learning much more.

4. My Community Ecology Task 2, Lesson 1: Ecosystems Homework
PURPOSE: Read to learn how biodiversity can benefit both ecosystems and humans, and what benefits might exist at our site.  
USE: We will discuss this reading at our next class in two ways. 1) How does this information about the benefits of biodiversity relate to what we know about the site from our data collection and reading? 2) How does this information help us determine the potential benefits or consequences of developing the site?
PROCEDURE: Use what you know about the site while you read (pro/con articles, site data). Think carefully about how what you read is relevant to our site. Mark three kinds of biodiversity benefits with different sticky notes:
Mark biodiversity benefits you think are HIGHLY relevant to our site – and be ready to talk about what data you have (or want to get) to provide evidence for those benefits.
Mark biodiversity benefits you think are REGIONALLY relevant – this might be something that matters for your region in general, but most likely isn’t present at the site.
Mark biodiversity benefits you think are GLOBALLY relevant – these are benefits that are exciting but are very unlikely to exist at the site.

5. My Community Ecology Task 2, Lesson 1: Ecosystems Homework Application
In pairs or small groups discuss the following questions:
Discuss which biodiversity benefits did you mark as HIGHLY, REGIONALLY, and GLOBALLY relevant. See if you and your partner(s) can reach consensus on the benefits that are highly relevant to the site.
Decide whether you have data to support your decision about which benefits are relevant for the site. If you don’t have data, what would you need?
Choose the two most important site-relevant benefits of biodiversity. Given these benefits, what are the potential benefits or consequences of developing the site?
Be prepared to share!
Facilitate a class discussion to see if a consensus can be reached about the most important biodiversity benefits of the site and the consequences of development. Record a list of data needed to determine whether the site provides potential benefits that seem likely.
Press on student understanding of Ecosystem Services – students will be going into more depth on this in T3L3, but should comfortable discussing ecosystem services as a benefit of biodiversity.

6. My Community Ecology Task 3, Lesson 1: Population Ecology Homework
PURPOSE: Make connections between what you have just learned about federal and public land protection and our site by zooming out to look at how the site fits into the larger region of land around it.
USE: We need to decide if our site could (or should) be viewed as evidence of habitat fragmentation or whether it serves as a possible corridor to protected habitat. Tomorrow we will discuss your research findings to make our decision.
PROCEDURE: Research online to answer the following questions and be prepared to share out what you learn using what you read in this section:
Where and what types of protected lands are in our city and state?
How close are those protected areas to the development site?
Should we consider the site as habitat fragmentation or a corridor to protected habitat? Why?
Before assigning…
PREVIEW: Have students flip through the assigned pages and report on what they think they’ll be learning about (municipal solid waste, landfills, incineration).

7. Where and what types of protected lands are in our city and state?
My Community Ecology Task 3, Lesson 2: Measuring Populations & Diversity Homework Application
We need to decide if our site could (or should) be viewed as evidence of habitat fragmentation or whether it serves as a possible corridor to protected habitat.
In a small group, share what you found when you investigated our local federal and public lands and decide what that means for our site.
Where and what types of protected lands are in our city and state?
How close are those protected areas to the development site?
Should we consider the site as habitat fragmentation or a corridor to protected habitat? Why? Use evidence to support your thinking.
Can you reach a group consensus on #3?
FIELD NOTEBOOK: Record this information: if you believe we can claim our site serves as a critical habitat corridor, your research will serve as important evidence. Remember to include sources, as you will need them for your final project.
Have groups share out in a whole class discussion to establish the evidence and see if there is a class consensus on question #3. Press students to use evidence to support their thinking.
If the class concludes that the site can be justifiably viewed as habitat fragmentation or a corridor to protected habitat, make sure you discuss the implications for development prospects.
FIELD NOTEBOOK: Give students time to record this information if needed: if students can claim their site serves as a critical habitat corridor, their research will serve as important evidence. Remind students to include sources, as they will need them for the final project.

8. My Community Ecology Task 3, Lesson 4: Ecosystem Service Map Homework
PURPOSE: As environmental scientists, we need to use data to create an ecosystem services map to better understand the current condition of the site and the potential effects of the proposed changes.
USE: Now that we have a detailed understanding of the current conditions of our site, we will use this map, our biomap, and our notes from our site visits and readings to understand the potential impacts of the proposed site development, and write a strong environmental impact statement.
PROCEDURE: Refer to the Ecosystem Services Map handout with grading rubric.

9. Ecosystem Services Maps
My Community Ecology Task 3, Lesson 5: Food Webs and FRQ Practice Homework Application
 Ecosystem Services Maps
Teachers: decide how students can share or use their maps…
Gallery Walk?
Pair-Share?

10. Gallery Walk of Advocacy Project Drafts
My Community Ecology Task 5, Lesson 2: Creating Sustainable Communities Homework Application
Gallery Walk of Advocacy Project Drafts
As you view each project, give the following feedback:
One part you think will lead to community buy-in (explain why).
One part you think may lead to criticism from opponents (explain why).
Evidence or explanation the author(s) could include to address potential criticism.