Page 65 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Science, 2008 (revised)

B. Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication
By the end of this course, students will:
B2.1 use appropriate terminology related to sustain- able ecosystems and human activity, including, but not limited to: biodiversity, biotic, ecosystem, equilibrium, species diversity, sustainability, and watershed [C]
B2.2 investigate the characteristics and interactions of biotic and abiotic components of a terrestrial or aquatic ecosystem, and describe the import- ance of these components in a sustainable ecosystem [PR, AI, C]
B2.3 compile and graph qualitative and quantita- tive data on organisms within an undisturbed or disturbed ecosystem (terrestrial or aquatic) (e.g., nematode and earthworm populations in soil or compost; bird populations during migra- tion or winter feeding; tadpole and mosquito larvae populations in a local pond) [PR, AI, C]
B2.4 plan and conduct an inquiry into how a fac- tor related to human activity affects a terrestrial or aquatic ecosystem (e.g., how changes to soil composition from the use of different compost- able materials or organic or inorganic fertilizers affect the types of plants that can be grown; how lower water levels resulting from water di- version affect waterfowl nesting areas and fish reproduction), and describe the consequences that this factor has for the sustainability of the ecosystem [IP, PR, AI, C]
B2.5 analyse the effect of factors related to human activity on terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems by interpreting data and generating graphs (e.g., data on the concentration in water of chemicals from fertilizer run-off and their effect on the growth of algae) [AI, C]
B. Understanding Basic Concepts
By the end of this course, students will:
B3.1 identify similarities and differences between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and describe these similarities and differences using diagrams
B3.2 describe the interdependence of the compon- ents within a terrestrial and an aquatic ecosystem, and explain how the components of both systems work together to ensure the sustainability of a lar- ger ecosystem
B3.3 describe the complementary processes of cel- lular respiration and photosynthesis with respect to the flow of energy and the cycling of matter within ecosystems (e.g., carbon dioxide is a by-product of cellular respiration and is used for photosynthesis, which produces oxygen needed for cellular respiration), and explain how human activities can disrupt the balance achieved by these processes (e.g., automobile use increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; planting trees reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere)
B3.4 identify the major limiting factors of eco- systems (e.g., nutrients, space, water, predators), and explain how these factors are related to the carrying capacity of an ecosystem (e.g., how an increase in the moose population in an ecosystem affects the wolf population in the same ecosystem)
B3.5 identify some factors related to human activ- ity that have an impact on ecosystems (e.g., the use of fertilizers and pesticides; altered shorelines; organic and conventional farming; urban sprawl), and explain how these factors affect the equilib- rium and survival of populations in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (e.g., fertilizers change the fertility of soil, affecting what types of plants can grow in it; pesticides leach into water systems, affecting water quality and aquatic life; shoreline development affects the types of aquatic life and terrestrial vegetation that can live by lake shores or river banks; urban sprawl wipes out fields and woods, destroying wildlife habitats)
BIOLOGY: SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN ACTIVITY

Science
SNC1P