Home | Information | Syllabus | Resources | Students

When you think of an ecosystem--the cycle and balance of life, growth, and death of organisms in a given environment--do you see an ocean, beach, dunes, plants, animals, and tides in your mind? Do you see a forest with plants reaching for the light, rain dripping through leaves, leaf litter rotting on the ground and organisms at work or play on, in, and around the plants?

Click to Continue

Resources:

1. frogdec.pdf -- an article on how mutations in frogs may be a warning about damaged ecosystem:

2. boffey.pdf -- What's the status of the health of the Great Barrier Reef

3. hardin.pdf Tragedy of the Commons. Why we don't see what's happening.

4. crosby.pdf The Columbian Exchange: Movement of people and products around the world.

5. Gonzal.pdf (part 1; part 2; part 3; part 4; part5; part6; part 7) The Caloosahatchee (and the city of Fort Myers, FL.) 1932. Compiled by Thomas A. Gonzalez. No publishing location or name.

6. Pereira.pdf Pine Island: What Florida Used to be. Miriam Pereira. FMNP Aug 8, 1999. F1-F6.

7. Kill.pdf Pollutants from the Mississippi kill portions of the Gulf of Mexico. FMNP 8-1999.

8. Sulk.pdf Estero Bay. NDN 8-8-99:13-15H.

9. Drought.pdf

10. Scoring Rubric for Short Paper

11. A good sample short paper: Miller.pdf -- On human evolution but a good example of a short paper. Fortunately yours doesn't have to be so long.

Assignments:

1. Read the introduction

2. Write and post your Short Paper (See: Session objectives and student performance indicators below for for topics and instructions)
Additional ideas at the end of the introduction.

3. Discuss topic(s) selected by group moderator.

4. A-student exercise--Draw a map of your home and a 5 miles radius from it. Describe its ecosystem. What new insights have you found?

Webboard http://onyx.fgcu.edu/~154

Topic: Ecosystem
Moderator of
Group One: Jennifer Smith
Group Two: Theresa Knower

Session Objectives and Student Performance Indicators:

  1. Practice critical thinking skills through writing a short paper regarding the history of the ecosystem approach to the environment. (critical thinking)

    In the paper, demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the different ecosystems, e.g.

    1. What kinds of ecosystems are there?
    2. Why is biodiversity important?
    3. What ecosystems are endangered?
    4. What are some of the endangered species within SW Florida?
    5. What ecosystems do they inhabit?

  2. Begin developing integrated history of issues or problem (integrated history)

    In the short paper with a bibliography of minimal two citations, demonstrate

    1. efforts in tracing the change through time in the ecosystems of Florida.
      OR
    2. an interdisciplinary perspective approach on ecosystems

  3. Demonstrate community awareness and critical thinking

    WebBoard Discussion of topic(s) selected by group facilitator regarding issues concerning ecosystems

Sessions: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16