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Day 1 Ecosystems Intro

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Watch this Video:  Generation Genius Ecosystems   Read this article (or click  here to have it read to you ) and then answer the questions on your journal page for DAY 1.  QUESTION 1: Where can you find an ecosystem? What Is An Ecosystem? Just about everywhere you could go in nature, you would be taking a  field trip  to an  ecosystem . There are underwater ecosystems and coastal ecosystems. There are small scale ecosystems and large ones. There are even ecosystems inside your body! An  ecosystem  is a group of living things and their environment. The word ecosystem is short for “ecological system.” Like any system, an ecosystem is a group of parts that work together. You can see examples of ecosystems in  Figure  below. The forest pictured is a big ecosystem. Besides trees, what living things do you think are part of the forest ecosystem? The dead tree stump in the same forest is a small ecosystem. It includes plants, mosses...
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Day 2 Ecosystems Intro

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  Watch this video: Generation Genius Symbiosis Read this article    (or click  HERE  to have it read to you) and then answer the questions on your journal page for  DAY 2 .  QUESTION 1 Symbiotic Relationships Symbiosis  is a close relationship between two species in which at least one species benefits. For the other species, the relationship may be positive, negative, or neutral. There are three basic types of symbiosis:  mutualism ,  commensalism , and  parasitism . QUESTION 2 Mutualism Mutualism  is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. An example of mutualism involves goby fish and shrimp (see the  Figure below ). The nearly blind shrimp and the fish spend most of their time together. The shrimp maintains a burrow in the sand in which both the fish and shrimp live. When a predator comes near, the fish touches the shrimp with its tail as a warning. Then, both fish and shrimp retreat to the burrow until...
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Day 3 Ecosystems Intro

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   Watch this video:  Generation Genius Food Webs Read this article  (or click  here  to have it read to you )  and then answer the questions on your journal page for  DAY  3. QUESTION 1: What is the source of energy for almost all ecosystems? The SUN supports most of Earth's  ecosystems . Plants create  chemical energy  from  abiotic factors  that include solar  energy . The food energy created by  producers  is passed through the  food chain . How Energy Flows Through Ecosystems All living things need energy. They need it to power the processes of life. For example, it takes energy to grow. It also takes energy to produce offspring. In  fact , it takes energy just to stay alive. Remember that energy can’t be created or destroyed. It can only change form. Energy changes form as it moves through ecosystems.   QUESTION 2: The Flow of Energy Most ecosystems get their energy from the Su...
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