We kicked off our first big lesson of the unit with a case study of the Great Salt Lake. Back in the 1950s, a causeway was built across the Great Salt Lake, phyiscally separating the lake into two arms (the North and South Arms). As a result, the ecosystem of the North Arm of the lake is quite different from the South Arm. In the case study, students learned how various biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the appearance of the lake. Within the case study, the concept of osmosis is presented, and students were assigned as homework to find the biology definitions for osmosis, diffusion, and active transport. Students turned in the case study worksheet at the end of class.
Tomorrow, students will apply their understanding of the causeway, and the vocabulary words they learned as homework, to work in groups to devise a solution to the ecological changes caused by the causeway. I will be in a meeting during periods 1-3, and students should work efficiently with their extreme environment groups to complete the work.
The Art of Science 