Biology B.2 – Ecosystems, Matter & Energy

Ecosystems Matter & Energy: Fires

UNIT OVERVIEW

This unit explores the causes and management of fires in ecosystems, focusing on the flow of matter and energy and the cycling of carbon. Students investigate phenomena such as zombie fires in the Arctic, examining how these fires burn under ice and release carbon dioxide. Through hands-on investigations, students learn about the formation and decomposition of peat, the role of solar energy in photosynthesis, and the impact of human activities on carbon cycling and climate change. The unit culminates in designing fire management solutions for communities, integrating scientific understanding with real-world applications.

Key Learning Activities

Through these investigations, students will:

• DEVELOP, USE, AND REVISE MODELS of matter and energy flow in zombie fire systems.

• CONSTRUCT EXPLANATIONS for the presence of matter and energy in the peat/permafrost system.

• PLAN AND CARRY OUT INVESTIGATIONS to identify changes in matter and energy under different conditions.

• DESIGN SOLUTIONS to balance matter and energy in a community.

NGSS Standards

• HS-ESS2-6 Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

• HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

• HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

• HS-LS1-5 Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.

• HS-LS1-6 Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

• HS-LS1-7 Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

• HS-LS2-3 Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

• HS-LS2-4 Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

• HS-LS2-5 Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.