Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 74297
To The Limit
"To The Limit" MEA has students identify several factors that can affect a population’s growth. Students will examine photos to list limiting factors
and discuss their impact on populations. As a group they will develop a solution to minimize the impact of pollution on fish population.
Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Computers for Students, LCD Projector,
Speakers/Headphones, Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: MEA, modeling eliciting activity, limiting factors, population, pollution, fish
Resource Collection: STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)
Formative Assessment
The information video on "Population Limits" and brainstorming of the essential question (see Part 1- Instructional Strategies) serve to assess student's prior
knowledge. Comprehension and readiness questions can be used as a formative assessment that will indicate whether the students understand the problem and the
problem context, and reflection questions are meant to elicit high level thinking from students as they are working through the problem.
The comprehension/readiness questions are asked of students after they read the first client letter. The teacher can ask the class to respond to these questions and
ensure understanding before students begin working with the data. The reflection questions are asked by the teacher as students are working in their groups on parts
1 and 2. These questions can reveal any misunderstanding or issues that students have as well as guide them to think about what they are doing.
Feedback to Students
The teacher will provide feedback to students. These questions can reveal any misunderstanding or issues that students have as well as guide them to think about what
they are doing. Some of the suggested probing questions are as follows:
Give me an example of a limiting factor.
What is a population?
Do populations change over time?
What influences a population?
Additionally, peer dialogue among the students within their groups provides them with the opportunity to discuss and critique eachother's ideas, modify existing
ideas, and generate new ones.
Summative Assessment
Administer the Assessment to check student mastery of learning targets.
In addition to evaluating students collaboration in their respective teams, teachers may assess students using Collaboration Rubric found at the following link:
https://www2.uwstout.edu/content/profdev/rubrics/secondaryteamworkrubric.html
Learning Objectives
page 1 of 4 Students will:
Describe the factors that influence a population.
Explain how limiting factors affect population growth.
Evaluate information presented in graphs.
Develop a procedure for ranking limiting factors according to their impact on population.
Participate effectively in peer discussions about factors influencing ecosystems within their group.
Present their evidence and reasoning to the class and defend their decisions.
Prior Knowledge
Students should be able to:
Identify the main characteristics of populations, such as number of individuals, age structure, density, and pattern of distribution.
Interpret a population graph and identify the carrying capacity.
List the main components of an ecosystem.
Differentiate between density-dependent and density-independent factors.
Interpret data from graphs and tables.
Instructional Suggestions
Part 1:
Students view the informational video “Biological Carrying Capacity” and a class discussion follows. The purpose of the video is to introduce students to the topic
and improve their listening comprehension skills. Video Link: (4.34 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QI2ixJeIxEU (Note to
teacher: This video is on YouTube, which may be blocked at some schools).
The following are some of the questions that should be addressed:
- Define biological carrying.
- What are some of the variables that affect the carrying capacity?
- Explain the ecological importance of the larvae on the sturgeon population?
The teacher then asks the students to brainstorm individually to the following essential question: What do animals need to survive?
After students understand the basic needs of animals, distribute the following materials: Letter 1 (Reading Passage 1) and Data Set 1: Limiting Factors Data
The teacher explains the task as described in the Letter 1.
After students understand the task, they can begin to work in teams of approximately 3 – 4.
In teams, students work on the problem and respond to the teacher using Template 1.
As students are working, the teacher circulates to each team to ask the Reflection questions and address any issues that may arise.
Examples of feedback to students include:
- How did you prioritize your limiting factors?
- Which limiting factor has the greatest impact on the population?
- Do the limiting factors change over time?
Teachers can provide guidance to help students determine the limiting factor that has the greatest impact on the fish population, they can relate back to their
original list of what do animals need to survive.
Part 2
Students receive Teacher Letter 2 and Dataset 2 along with their original Template 1.
Team will research the pros/cons of their selected resource in order to come up with their solutions.
Teams review all new information that now includes the limiting factor of pollution/human impact and revise ranking and solution with the second data set and
complete Template 2 as specified in the second letter.
As they finish their revision, teacher encourages the team to start preparing their presentations.
After each team completes their second letters to their teachers, they will present their results to the rest of the class.
Supplemental Reading
Title: Limiting Factors
Description: This website provides an overview of the different types of limiting factors that affect a population. Specific examples and descriptions are provided.
Lexile Level: 1100
Website: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep12a.htm
Guiding/reflective Questions
1. Which limiting factor most affects the fish population?
2. How do you know that it has the greatest impact?
3. Would your solution work for different limiting factors?
4. What are the most important things to consider in your procedure?
5. Do you agree or disagree with your classmates' solutions? Why or why not?
Reading Passage 1
Client Letter 1: Teacher to Students
Readiness Questions
1. What is the problem? (Environmental conditions in Brazil are affecting the fish population.)
2. Who is the client? (The teacher who wants to propose a solution to the Brazilian government.)
3. What is the client asking your team to do? (Make a list of the limiting factors that are affecting the fish population in Brazil and create a solution for minimizing the
effect of the limiting factor on the population.)
4. What things do you need to include in your solution? (You need to prioritize the limiting factors to include the three that have the greatest impact on population and
describe the process used to determine which had the greatest impact.)
page 2 of 4 5. Do you think there is more than one correct answer to what the client is asking? Why or why not? (Yes, not all students will rank the limiting factors in the same
order. In addition there will be a variety of solutions that will be discussed to minimize the impact of the limiting factor on the population.)
Data Set 1
Limiting Factor Data
All photos are from public domain Wikimedia Commons.
Letter Template 1
Response Template Students to Teacher
Comprehension/readiness questions
1. What do animals need to survive? (food, water, shelter and space)
2. What are some of the limiting factors? (Density-dependent factors can include competition, predation, parasitism, and/or disease. Density-independent factors can
include weather, natural disasters, seasonal cycles, human activities.)
3. Do populations remain the same or change? (Populations change according to their environment.)
4. What are other factors that might affect the fish population? (Examples include disease, dramatic weather changes, habitat destruction, elimination or introduction
of predators, pollution, the introduction of competing species, etc.)
Reading Passage 2
Second Teacher Letter Limiting Factor MEA
Data Set 2
Summary Report of Fish Investigation
Letter Template 2
Response Template 2: Students to Teacher
Additional Instructions or Materials
Overhead projector to show all documents as needed.
Color copies of Data Set #1 for students to analyze.
Teachers will be required to access YouTube for informational video " Biological Carrying Capacity."
Reflection question 2
1. Did you rank pollution as the top limiting factor for a population?
2. Predict the impact of pollution on a fish population.
3. Explain the relationship between sewage waste and oxygen content.
4. What are some strategies that the Brazilian government can implement to reduce the sewage waste being generated?
5. What factors might be causing an increase in sewage waste?
6. Do you think that the Brazilian government will support your solution?
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Provide each student with a copy of the reading so they may mark on the text.
Pre-teach unknown vocabulary.
Pre-address prior knowledge as necessary.
Allow extended time for individual brainstorming according to students' needs.
Extensions:
Students can design an experiment to test the effects of a limiting factor on a population based on a given scenario.
Students would need to describe and/or complete an experimental design diagram for a controlled experiment that would determine the limiting factor of a
population.
Example: A biologist thinks that space or food is the main limiting factor controlling population size in a seed germination experiment.
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, LCD Projector, Speakers/Headphones, Microsoft Office
Special Materials Needed:
Teachers will be required to access YouTube for informational video "Biological Carrying Capacity"
Student teams will need to access computers to research pros and cons for their selected limiting factors.
Further Recommendations:
This activity should be supplemented with a lab investigation and/or online simulation to reinforce the concepts of limiting factors.
Students could also analyze patterns of population growth from given population graphs.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This should serve as a way to assess the relevance of limiting factors in relation to environmental problems that communities face within their population of organisms.
page 3 of 4 SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Mercy Aycart
Name of Author/Source: Mercy Aycart
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Miami-Dade
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.910.SL.1.1:
MAFS.912.F-IF.2.4:
SC.912.L.17.5:
Description
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation
by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, wellreasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on
key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or
larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when
warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence
and reasoning presented.
For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key features of graphs and tables in terms
of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the relationship. Key features
include: intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, positive, or negative; relative maximums and
minimums; symmetries; end behavior; and periodicity. ★
Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths, immigration, emigration, and limiting factors (biotic and
abiotic) that determine carrying capacity.
Remarks/Examples:
Annually assessed on Biology EOC. Also assesses SC.912.L.17.2 SC.912.L.17.4 SC.912.L.17.8 SC.912.N.1.4.
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