Science 9, Unit #1 Australia Project
Australia is a very unique area of the world, a landmass that is completely cut off from the rest of the world. For this reason
the ecosystems of Australia have evolved entirely on their own without impact from other ecosystems on other continents.
Your project will be to design, describe and evolve your own Australia from scratch.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Create the Australia that you are going to start with. You will need to include the following:
- The physical ecosystems that will make up your island, will there be mountains, desert, rainforest, grasslands?
- Make sure that you describe each of these ecosystems (e.g. weather, climate) and what organisms live there.
- What organisms will you include in your Australia! While realistically there would be thousands of organisms (producers and consumers) on an island this size, for your project you will need to include 7-9. Two of these must be producers.
- Once you have your species/organisms chosen you will need to
describe them, this includes:
Describing each species niche
Describing the structural and behavioural adaptations for each species
Describing what symbiotic relationships they may in part of
(you will need to have an example of each type of symbiotic relationship within your project)
You will need to have species that reproduce sexually and asexually and it must be stated/explained for each species.
2. Take your original Australia and recreate it ten million years in the future. Note what changes have happened within the ecosystems and species you have included. Be sure to include the following:
- How have the ecosystems changed, has succession occurred? Have some expanded or have some retreated and how has this affected the species in your project.
- Using Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection explain how each of the species in your project have evolved, if they have evolved. Have the gained or
lost structural or behavioural adaptations? Are they still part of symbiotic relationships? How have they changed and why! Be sure to include the four points
for each species description and include the ecosystems and/or other species impact if possible.
- Some species will need to become threatened, endangered, extinct or extirpated over this time, explain what has happened and why.
3. Do the same thing one more times for a total of three reports on your Australia, your starting point and two future reports on evolution (ten million years apart each time). Remember that some species need to become threatened, endangered, extinct or extirpated. So while you may have started with 8-10 species you should not end with that many, unless you are showing speciation (something that would definitely get you a higher mark!)
4. Once your reports are complete you will have to compare and contrast those species that reproduced sexually to those that did asexually, how did their evolution compare? Which were more successful over the long term? Why?
the ecosystems of Australia have evolved entirely on their own without impact from other ecosystems on other continents.
Your project will be to design, describe and evolve your own Australia from scratch.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Create the Australia that you are going to start with. You will need to include the following:
- The physical ecosystems that will make up your island, will there be mountains, desert, rainforest, grasslands?
- Make sure that you describe each of these ecosystems (e.g. weather, climate) and what organisms live there.
- What organisms will you include in your Australia! While realistically there would be thousands of organisms (producers and consumers) on an island this size, for your project you will need to include 7-9. Two of these must be producers.
- Once you have your species/organisms chosen you will need to
describe them, this includes:
Describing each species niche
Describing the structural and behavioural adaptations for each species
Describing what symbiotic relationships they may in part of
(you will need to have an example of each type of symbiotic relationship within your project)
You will need to have species that reproduce sexually and asexually and it must be stated/explained for each species.
2. Take your original Australia and recreate it ten million years in the future. Note what changes have happened within the ecosystems and species you have included. Be sure to include the following:
- How have the ecosystems changed, has succession occurred? Have some expanded or have some retreated and how has this affected the species in your project.
- Using Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection explain how each of the species in your project have evolved, if they have evolved. Have the gained or
lost structural or behavioural adaptations? Are they still part of symbiotic relationships? How have they changed and why! Be sure to include the four points
for each species description and include the ecosystems and/or other species impact if possible.
- Some species will need to become threatened, endangered, extinct or extirpated over this time, explain what has happened and why.
3. Do the same thing one more times for a total of three reports on your Australia, your starting point and two future reports on evolution (ten million years apart each time). Remember that some species need to become threatened, endangered, extinct or extirpated. So while you may have started with 8-10 species you should not end with that many, unless you are showing speciation (something that would definitely get you a higher mark!)
4. Once your reports are complete you will have to compare and contrast those species that reproduced sexually to those that did asexually, how did their evolution compare? Which were more successful over the long term? Why?
Timeline:
- By the end of Thursday, November 6th, you should have your starting ecosystems and 4-5 initial species completed
- By the end of Thursday, November 13th you should have your first report done, all species and ecosystems complete
- By the end of Friday, November 14th you should have your second report done, changes to the ecosystems explained and how/why it has caused evolution your species.
- By the end of Monday, November 17th you should have your third report complete, all species evolution reported.
- The project is due Tuesday November 18th, the same day as your unit final.
Documents you need to use!
Rubric
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Blank Map of Australia
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