At-Home Learning Packet The Crossroads School

7th Grade Science

Directions:

This packet provides the opportunity to practice and show proficiency on previously covered class

standards. Completed work from this packet will be turned in upon return to school and graded.

Grades will be entered as additional assessments of these standards.

This gives students the opportunity to improve their overall grade for each standard included in the

packet.

Contact Information:

Mrs. Grace Santiago: gesantiago@bcps.k12.md.us

Mr. Spencer Carrroll: scarroll@bcps.k12.md.us

Any additional materials, resources, or information can be found on the Crossroads Science website:

Crossroadssci.weebly.com

Table of Contents

Activity Standard Assessment

Activity 1: Animal Behaviors & Successful Reproduction

MS-LS1-4: Plant structures and Animal

Behavior Conclusion

Activity 2: Plant Structures & Successful Reproduction

MS-LS1-4: Plant structures and animal

behavior Conclusion

Activity 3: Restoring a North American Grassland

Ecosystem

MS-LS2-5: Maintaining Biodiversity

Conclusion

Activity 4: Graphing Practice NGSS Science Practices:

Graphing Final Graph

Activity 1: Animal Behaviors & Successful Reproduction

Directions: For each set of evidence, read about the organism, analyze the data, and identify the behavior that leads to reproductive success.

Platypus Reproduction

Organism: Platypus Behavior: Burrowing The platypus, an egg laying mammal (whaaaat?!) from Australia, lives part of its life on land and part in water. The platypus is one of very few venomous mammals, with a poisonous spur on its hind foot. As an egg-laying mammal, it is important that the platypus finds a safe location to lay its eggs. During the mating season, male platypus dig deep holes called burrows for mating and females to lay eggs in. During mating season, female platypus search for the deepest, safest burrow to mate and lay their eggs.

Evidence: Pie Chart

White Spotted Puffer Fish

Organism: White Spotted Puffer Fish Behavior: Creating Sand Circles The White Spotted Puffer Fish is a species of fish that lives off the coast of Japan. For years, fisherman and scientists had found beautiful, intricate circular designs in the sand at the bottom of the ocean. The origin of the sand art was a mystery until scientists discovered that the puffer fish were responsible for creating the strange ocean artwork. After studying the fish, scientists discovered that the sand art was created by male puffer fish to attract female mates. They also determined that, the larger and more intricate the sand circle, the more female mates the male attracted.

#ofOffspring

PlatypusthatdigDeepBurrows

PlatypusthatdigShallowBurrows

Evidence: Bar Graph

The Coqui- The National Symbol of Puerto Rico Organism: Coqui Frog Behavior: Mating Call Coqui frogs are native to the island of Puerto Rico, where they are used as a much loved symbol to represent the island. Their concentrations are very dense on the island. This often results in each male croaking even louder to outdo his competitors. A single frog can generate sounds between 90-100dB – as loud as a jackhammer. There are two parts to each call, the first, ‘co’, is to deter other males and second, the ‘kee’ helps females locate their potential mates. For many Puerto Ricans, the sound of the Coqui is a comforting sound as they sleep.

Evidence: Table Multiple Traits

Coqui Number of Offspring Decibels (Loudness of Call) Color

A 10 90 Red

B 14 94 Yellow

C 22 100 Green

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

10cm 15cm 30cmSizeofSandCircle

NumberofOffspring

NumberofOffspring

ConclusionsAnswertheprompt:Howdoanimalbehaviorsorcharacteristicsincreasetheirsuccessofreproduction?Inyouranswer,includeexamples,detailsanddatafromtheactivity.

4 3 2 1

Use of data in conclusions

Student provides a correct answer that includes a claim, pertinent data and accurate analysis

Student provides a correct answer that includes a claim, and accurate analysis.

Student provides an answer that includes a claim and data/analysis

Student provides a claim

Examples

Student provides at least 2 fully explained examples that support their conclusion

Student explains at least one fully explained example

Student includes example or data

Student does not support answer

MS-LS1-4Overall

(4)Exceedingandproficientscores

(3)Proficientinbothcategories

(2)Approachinginonecater

(1)Dev.inonecategory

Activity 2: Plant Structures & Successful Reproduction Directions: For each set of evidence, read about the organism, analyze the data, and identify the behavior that leads to reproductive success.

Organism: Poisonous Squirting Cucumber Structure: Mucilaginous liquid pod

The poisonous squiring cucumber is a very strange plant. These plants have a strange but effective way of dispersing their seeds: They burst! The plant has a pod-like structure filled with a mucous-like liquid containing all of their seeds. When the plant becomes ripe, the pod bursts with lots of force! The forceful ejection sends the seeds flying as far away as possible from the original plant. Plants with large, very full liquid pods can more seeds an even further distance!

Evidence: Table Multiple Traits

Squirting Cucumber

Number of Offspring Size of Liquid Pod

A 200 10cm

B 75 4cm

C 190 9cm

ConclusionAnswertheprompt:Howdoplants’structuresincreasetheirsuccessofreproduction?Inyouranswer,includeexamples,detailsanddatafromtheactivity.

4 3 2 1

Use of data in conclusions

Student provides a correct answer that includes a claim, pertinent data and accurate analysis

Student provides a correct answer that includes a claim, and accurate analysis.

Student provides an answer that includes a claim and data/analysis

Student provides a claim

Examples

Student provides at least 2 fully explained examples that support their conclusion

Student explains at least one fully explained example

Student includes example or data

Student does not support answer

MS-LS1-4Overall

(4)Exceedingandproficientscores

(3)Proficientinbothcategories

(2)Approachinginonecater

(1)Dev.inonecategory

Name:

Restoring a North American Grassland Ecosystem Directions: Use the data provided to “design a solution for maintaining biodiversity” in the ecosystem below. The food web below represents the organisms of a North American grassland.

Background

The food web above represents the organisms of a North American grassland. 200 years ago, European settlers introduced mice to the ecosystem. Initially, the native populations went through big changes. However, over time the native species populations have balanced out. Recently, ecologists have noticed that the population of Snakes is on the brink of collapse. The snake population is about to go extinct. Ecologists need a plan to restore the population of snakes to a healthy level, while also maintaining the other native populations.

As an ecologist, you know that the healthiest ecosystem is one that is MOST diverse with native species. Native species are the organisms that lived in a habitat

before humans introduced new organisms. This also means that the ecosystem has a lot of different native species, and each species has a large population. Additionally, species introduced by humans are gone or have very limited populations. In ecological terms, this is referred to as maintaining biodiversity. Ecological Tools-

In order to save the snake population, you have done research on 6 ecological tools that are used to save at-risk species. Here are the results of your research:

Tool 1: Eradication Eradication is a tool that uses human hunting power to reduce to a population. This usually involves gun use, or traps that are set up in the ecosystem to kill a species.

Tool 2: Re-Vegetation The establishment of vegetation (organisms that are producers) to areas where it has been previously lost. This usually involves a one-time effort to replant hundreds of the organism, and let the organism reproduce in nature to continue growing its own population without any further help.

Tool 3: Habitat Enhancement Habitat Enhancement is any effort to improve the ABIOTIC factors in an ecosystem to be more suitable for a specific species. This usually involves creating more living space; changing the soil, the rocks, the water type or amount etc.

Tool 4: Captive Breeding Captive breeding is the process of breeding animals in controlled environments such as wildlife reserves, zoos, and other facilities. Then, these organisms are released into the wild. The goal is to increase the population of one species in the wild.

Tool 5: Introduction With Introduction, scientists will bring a large population of an organism to the ecosystem. Scientists will introduce a predatory species, or even hundreds of organisms that will be prey for a species already in the ecosystem.

Tool 6: Relocation Instead of Eradication, some scientists choose to use the tool of Relocation. In this strategy, one species is removed from the ecosystem and moved to another environment far away.

Restore the Ecosystem Explain how ecologist could restore the ecosystem and save the population of snakes

• State the TWO tools ecologists could use to save the snake population • Explain how the solutions would help the snake population using clear cause-and-

effect statements • Explain how the native biodiversity would be maintained

4

(Exceeding) 3

(Proficient) 2

(Approaching) 1

(Developing) No

Evidence

MS-

LS2-

5

Student presented TWO solutions with clear causes and effects, supporting evidence from the food web and clear explanation of how native biodiversity would be maintained.

Student solutions were explained using a clear cause and effect AND supporting evidence from the food web.

Solutions presented was explained without a clear cause and effect OR without supporting evidence form the food web.

Solution presented was not explained or did not make sense.

Students does not have pre-knowledge related to LS2-5

Activity 4: NGSS Science Practice: Graphing

CreatingGraphs:NeedtheBasics

HINTSStepsformakingagraph:

1. Title:Theeffectof_________________on_____________2. LabeltheXaxis(__________________________)

andYaxis(__________________________)3. FindIntervals4. PlotData5. Drawalineofbestfit

PRACTICE:

Thedatatableshowswatertemperaturesatvariousdepthsinanocean.

WaterDepth(meters) Temperature(°C)

50 18

75 16

100 12

150 5

200 4

Usingtheinformationinthedatatable,constructalinegraphonthegrid,followingthedirectionsbelow:

1. Createatitleforthegraph.Writethetitleatthetopofthegraph.

Whatistheindependentvariable? Whatisthedependentvariable? CreatethetitlefortheGraph:TheEffectofIndependentVariableonDependentVariable

2. Markanappropriatescaleontheaxislabeled"WaterDepth(m).”

Todetermineyourscale… Howmanyboxesareonyourx-axis?

Whatisthegreatestxvalue? Dividethegreatestxvaluebythenumberofboxes= Whichmagicintervalisitclosestto? 2 5 10 15 20 25 Hint:ALWAYSroundUP3. PlotthedataonthegridasaSCATTERPLOT

4. DrawaSTRAIGHTlineofbestfit

5. Answerthequestions

Title:

CreatingGraphs:NeedMorePractice

Astudentcountedthetotalnumberofleavesinagroupofduckweedplantsovera5-dayperiod.Thedatacollectedareshowninthetablebelow.

Usingtheinformationinthedatatable,constructalinegraphonthegrid,followingthedirectionsbelow:

1. Createatitleforthegraph.Writethetitleatthetopofthegraph.

CreatethetitlefortheGraph:TheEffectofIndependentVariableonDependentVariable

2. Fitthex-valuessothatyouuseASMUCHofthegraphaspossible

Howmanyxvaluestotal? Howmanyboxesareavailable? Boxes÷Totalxvalues= ßSkipthismanyboxesbetweenvalues

3. Markanappropriatescaleonthey-axislabeled"NumberofLeaves”

Todetermineyourscale… Howmanyboxesareonyoury-axis?

Whatisthegreatestyvalue? Dividethegreatestyvaluebythenumberofboxes= Whichmagicintervalisitclosestto?2 5 10 15 20 25 Hint:ALWAYSroundUP4. PlotthedataonthegridasaSCATTERPLOT

5. DrawaSTRAIGHTlineofbestfit

6. Answerthequestions

ProblemsBasedonGraphingSetTwo1.Thetimeittakesforthenumberofleavestoincreasefrom15to30isapproximately

A. 2.0days

B. 2.3days

C. 2.9days

D. 3.2days

CreatingGraphs:NeedAChallenge

Directions:Examinethefollowingdatatables.Foreachdatatable,createatitleandcalculate

theintervalona10x10graph.

Directions:Chooseonedatatablefromtheproblemsaboveandcreateagraphbelow:

Exceeding (4) Proficient (3) Approaching (2) Developing (1)

Creating Graphs

Graph is complete, correct and data is visually clear to viewer

Graph is complete and includes all elements of an effective graph

Graph is missing labels, title, line of best fit OR intervals are incorrect

Multiple errors are made on the graph