8th Grade: Changes in Ecosystems Affect Populations

Students will act as predators by collecting different-colored caterpillars to look at cause and effect relationships in ecosystems, and make an evidence-based argument about how changes in ecosystems can affect populations.

By Amplify Classroom

8th Grade

Science

Today’s Goals • Observe factors that impact changes in a prey population in an ecosystem. • Establish cause and effect relationships about survival.  • Language Goal: Students will make claims and support them with data from the predator-prey activity. (Listening and Speaking) Duration • This Bite Sized Science Moment takes about 15–20 minutes and can be used in or outside of a Science block. It is designed to be flexibly implemented in your day! Standards • Next Generation Science Standards: SEP-7, CCC-2 • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills: 8.5B See At a Glance for Materials, Prep Checklist, and Lesson Preview.