Appendix
6.2 - An ecosystem is composed of all the populations that are living in a certain space and the physical factors with which they interact.
Populations in ecosystems are affected by biotic factors, such as other populations, and abiotic factors, such as soil and water supply.
Populations in ecosystems can be categorized as producers, consumers and decomposers of organic matter.
C 4. Describe how abiotic factors, such as temperature, water and sunlight, affect the ability of plants to create their own food through photosynthesis.
C 5. Explain how populations are affected by predator-prey relationships.
C 6. Describe common food webs in different Connecticut ecosystems.
Science and Technology in Society – How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives? (EARTH)
6.4 - Water moving across and through earth materials carries with it the products of human activities.
Most precipitation that falls on Connecticut eventually reaches Long Island Sound.
C 10. Explain the role of septic and sewage systems on the quality of surface and ground water.
C 11. Explain how human activity may impact water resources in Connecticut, such as ponds, rivers and the Long Island Sound ecosystem.
Activity One Worksheet
Bottle-Balloon Apparatus Exercise
Materials for every two students:
-One Aquapod water bottle
-Medium-size balloon
-Pan of ice
Material for class:
-Hot plate
-500 ml glass beaker half filled with water
-Water
Procedure:
1.Place a small amount of water in water bottle
2.Stretch balloon over the mouth of the water bottle
3.Place bottle-balloon apparatus in heated glass beaker
4.Allow bottle-balloon apparatus to heat until water inside bottle evaporates
5.Record observations
6.Carefully remove bottle-balloon apparatus from heat and place it immediately in pan of ice with a little bit of water in pan.
7.Record observations.
Discussion Questions:
1.Describe and draw the motion of how the air molecules are moving in the bottle when it was heated.
2.Describe and draw how the water molecules are moving in the bottle when it was cooled.
3.Describe the motion of the air molecules that are closer to the ground on the Earth.
4.Describe the motion of the air molecules that are up in the mountains.
5.Summarize what happens to air molecules when they are heated and cooled.
Adapted from the University of New Haven Greater New Haven Collaborative
Activity Two
Students will make a rain gauge and keep a daily log of the amount of rain that fell in a given area.
Materials for every four students:
-Can or plastic container with a large mouth
-Centimeter paper
-Tape
-Scissors
Materials for the class:
-Laminating machine
Procedure by teacher:
a.Laminate centimeter paper (teacher)
b.Cut centimeter paper into one cm strips
Procedure by students:
a.Tape the centimeter strip on the inside of the can
b.Place can outside in a designated area
c.Keep a log and record the amount of rain that precipitated daily.
Activity Three
Students will mass air.
Materials:
-Triple beam scale
-Round balloons
Procedure:
a.Mass a deflated balloon and record.
b.Calibrate scale to have a zero reading with deflated balloon on it.
c.Blow air into the balloon and knot it closed
d.Place inflated balloon on scale and record the results.
Discussion:
If there was a difference between the deflated balloon and the inflated balloon, what explanation can you give as to what made that difference?
Activity Four
Students will discover that air has pressure.
Materials: (for each pair of students)
-50 mL plastic syringes (uncapped)
Procedure:
a.Cover the tip of the syringe with your fingertip
b.Record the volume of air in the syringe, using the scale on the syringe
c.Apply pressure to the syringe by pushing the plunger to read 40 mL.
d.Apply more pressure to the syringe, so that the inside volume reaches 30 mL.
e.Record your observations.
Answer the following:
1.What did you feel when you pushed the plunger down from 40 mL to 30 mL, to 20 mL?
2.Are you able to push the plunger down to the bottom? Explain why or why not.
3.Does the amount of air inside the syringe change? Explain your thinking.
(Adapted from Weather: gas laws and phase changes)
Activity Five
Materials
-A wide mouth juice bottle
-Hardboiled eggs
-Several strips of paper (2 x 6 inches)
-Matches
-Water
Procedure:
1.With adult supervision, light the strip of paper with a match and drop the lit paper inside the juice bottle.
2.When the strip of paper's fire extinquishes, place the hard-boiled egg over the mouth of the bottle.(It helps to use a llittle vegetalbe oil around the mouth of the bottle).
3.Wait until the egee slides into the bottle.
4.To reverse the procedure, turn bottle upside down and blow into the bottle. The egg will pop out into your mouth.
Activity Six
Students will calculate volumes of balloons when the temperature changes.
Materials:
1.Calculators
2.Paper and pencils
Procedure:
Copy and complete the following table into your notebook:
Answer the following questions:
1.What did you notice about the ratio of volume to temperature for the different trials?
2.When the temperature was doubled in degrees Celsius, did the volume also double?
3.When the temperature was doubled in degrees Kielvin, did the volume also double?
4.Whenever the volume doubled, did the temperature also double?
5.What seems to be the difference between using the Kelvin scale and the Celsius scale?
(Adapted from Weather: gas laws and phase changes)
Activity Seven
Student will observe that different materials absorb and retain heat differently.
Materials (for the class):
-Bag of black gravel (from pet store)
-Bag of white gravel
-Water
Materials for each pair of students:
-Three clear cups
-Three thermometers
-One heat lamp
-Timer
Procedure:
1.Fill each cup half full with black gravel, white gravel, and water
2.Place thermometer in each cup
3.Place all three cups under the heat lamp
4.Record the temperature of each cup every five minutes under the heat lamp
Record the temperature every five minutes after the cups are removed from the heat lamp.
Answer the following questions:
1.Which material absorbed the most heat?
2.Which material retained the most heat?
3.How can you relate this to why people are attracted to beachfront or waterfront properties?
4.Research the average temperatures in Kansas City, to that of New Haven, CT.
Activity Eight
Students will make a cloud form in a bottle.
Materials for group of 2-4 students:
-Two 2-liter bottle with cap
-Tap water
-Hot water
-Long matches
Procedure:
1.Place a small amount about 10 mL) of water in the 2-liter bottle.
2.Light a match, then blow it out and let the smoke go inside the bottle. Hold the bottle with the open end down.
3.Quickly screw the bottle top on the bottle.
4.Shake the bottle to allow the added moisture to mix with the air inside the bottle.
5.Squeeze the bottle and release it quickly. Repeat this several times. Observe what happens.
6.Repeat the same experiment, but this time put 10 mL of hot water (above 80°C) inside the bottle. Observe what happens.
7.Repeat the same experiment this time using a dry 2-liter bottle.
Answer the following questions:
1.What did you observe inside the bottle as you squeezed and released it?
2.Why did you shake the bottle in the beginning?
3.When the bottle was squeezed, how did this change the volume of the container?
4.When we released the bottle, how did this change the volume of the container?
5.What did you observe when you used the dry bottle?
6.Which bottle formed the largest cloud? Explain why.
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