What makes us a community?

A community includes the organisms and the environment in which they live. Environmental factors such as geological formations, climate, and water sources affect the types of communities found in an area. Organisms within a community interact with each other, perform different roles within the community and alter the environment in which they are found.

In this module students explore the community in which they live. They identify unique geological/biological features of their area which contributed to its settlement. They explore how the community has changed over time and predict the future for their community. They investigate how personal values and lifestyle choices impact on this community. 

Students identify important local habitats and explore the components and processes pertinent to all ecosystems, e.g. energy flow, materials cycles, food webs. Most materials/activities in this unit are applicable to a wide variety of habitats. Some activities/materials are modified for specific habitats with unique characteristics. Second year students explore topics in more depth, focusing on biological interactions in ecosystems. Third year students explore topics in greater detail, focusing on the chemical balances in the ecosystem.

* What unique geological/biological features of this area contributed to the settlement of the region? 

* How do I as an individual compare to others in my community? 

* What other species share my community? 

* What are some ways communities can be described? 

* In what ways do I interact with and impact on others in my community? 

* How do personal values and lifestyles of the human population impact on this community? 

* How has this community changed over time? What will be the future for this community? 

* How does this community compare to others, regionally, globally? 

This module begins with an exploration of the global population problem and how society, science and technology are both the source of and solution for these problems. As students brainstorm solutions to the burgeoning population problem, it is anticipated that they will suggest building engineered environments such as a space station or other models similar to the Biosphere II project. The problem of designing and constructing an engineered environment then becomes the focus for the subsequent modules as both a potential solution to population impacts and a means of developing a better understanding of the environment. 

* How do science and technology enable humans to meet these needs locally/globally? 

* How many people can this planet sustain? 

* Which resources are finite and which resources are renewable? 

* How has the human population altered the physical and biological components of the planet? 

* How will human decisions and actions affect the future of this planet? 

* How can computer simulations be used to make predictions about complex systems? 

* In what ways is the Earth a closed system? 

What is necessary to sustain human life within an engineered environment?

In designing a closed (mostly) system such as a spaceship (an analogy for "spaceship" Earth), subsystems for life support, food production, waste management, propulsion and control systems are required. Designed systems must meet certain parameters (e.g.. 95% success) within certain constraints (e.g.. time, money). Redundancy and excess capacity may be included in a design to increase the probable success of a system. Technology must replace processes that occur spontaneously as components of natural systems.

* How can materials be recycled within a closed system? 

* How do creativity, feedback, optimization and risk analysis play a role in the design process? 

* How can computer applications, such as spreadsheets, facilitate decision-making?. 

Energy and materials are required in constructing and maintaining human habitats. 

Energy can be transformed in a variety of processes to make it usable for a variety of purposes. As energy is converted from one form to another, some energy is "lost" as heat. Materials have certain properties which make them applicable for certain purposes. Use of energy and materials has varying impacts on the environment. 

* How does my home meet my human wants and needs? How does this compare with others in my community and around the globe? 

* In what ways is my home an example of an engineered environment? 

* How is energy produced, converted, stored and transported to meet human wants and needs?

* What properties of materials make them suitable for specific applications? 

* How does the use of energy and materials have an impact on the environment? 

This module is divided into three sections: 

1. Exploring the physical components of and interactions in the environment 
2. Exploring the biological components and interactions of the environment 
3. Modeling ecosystems 

1. Exploring the physical components of and interactions in the environment

Physical parameters such as substrate, climate and availability of water and oxygen have an impact on the distribution and survival of various life forms. 

Many natural and synthetic materials can be identified or separated into their components by their physical and chemical characteristics. The components of these mixtures are structured by bonds which form at the atomic level through the addition or removal of energy. When bonds are broken or formed, the chemical properties of the components are altered. Materials on the Earth are modified physically through such forces as erosion, gravity, heat, cold or biological action. In addition, the components of the soil, water and air change chemically as they interact with themselves, organisms and external input, such as UV light. The way in which materials are distributed or changed are affected by the Earth's relative position in the Solar System. Through the use of technology, humans have physically and chemically altered some materials of the Earth. 

Teams of students research the physical components and interactions of their chosen habitat. Students use a variety of information sources as well as field experiences to determine the physical characteristics and requirements for the environment selected. Third year students explore the chemical nature of the environment in more depth, building on previous knowledge and experience with this module's topics. 

2. Exploring the biological components and interactions of the environment

Unity, Diversity and Continuity of Life 

The cell is the fundamental unit of all living systems. Life forms share certain characteristics, such as the need for energy and the ability to reproduce. The diversity of life forms results from the process of evolution in which organisms possessing adaptive variations (due to differences in DNA) for a particular environment survive to reproduce and pass these traits on to their offspring. 

In this module, teams of students research the biological components and interactions of their chosen habitat. Students use a variety of information sources, as well as field experiences to determine the biological characteristics and requirements for the environment. Third year students explore the biochemical nature of life in more depth, building on prior years knowledge and experience.

3. Modeling Ecosystems 

The Earth is a collection of living and non living systems and subsystems. Models and computer simulations are useful tools to study complex systems and interactions. 

Systems are described by their components and various subsystems, scale and capacity. In defining a system it is important to specify its boundaries, indicate its relationship to other systems and identify input, process and expected output from the system. The successful operation of a designed system involves feedback mechanisms in which feedback of output from some parts of a system is used as input to other parts of the system in order to encourage what is going on in a system, discourage it, or reduce its discrepancy from some desired value. These feedback mechanisms affect the stability of the system. Systems exhibit synergy in which properties appear that are different from those of its parts due to the interaction of those parts. Even in simple systems, it may not always be possible to predict accurately the result of changing some part or connection in the system. 

Models are created to replicate systems or components of systems that are too difficult to analyze due to size, time or complexity in their natural state. Models can be conceptual, physical or mathematical, and their usefulness is directly related to the ease and accuracy in which they replicate the system or component to be analyzed. Accuracy can be affected by problems of scale in size or time, and the way in which the component to be modeled interacts with systems external to it. Technological advances have enabled us to increase the complexity and accuracy of models. 

Construction of a self-sustaining ecosystem model requires knowledge of energy transformations, materials properties, feedback systems and the design process. 

Students begin their exploration of the environment with several field experiences. During these trips, students learn how to make observations, and begin to collect data to characterize the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. The first engineered environment constructed by the student is a "nano"cosm - a simple closed system of substrate and water from the natural habitat. Students make observations on water quality and micro- and macroorganism populations over time. After students have visited the natural environment several times and also visit local examples of artificial environments, such as zoos or botanical gardens or greenhouses, they construct their choice of a terrarium or aquarium representing the native species in the observed natural habitat. Students compare their artificial environment to the natural environment and to the traditional classroom aquarium. 

Students then design a system for growing plants hydroponically and master techniques for moving water and simple control systems. At the end of the first school year, students design an aqua culture system for either a native species or a potential food source. The design is refined at the beginning of the second school year, and Level II students (2nd year students) construct their aqua culture systems while Level I students are working on their aquaria. In constructing and maintaining their aqua culture systems, students master techniques in filtration and additional control technologies. Level II students continue working in the field, assisting first year students in data collection. After the last data collection trip in the late fall, students participate in a town meeting to select the environment to be replicated. Students use a variety of information sources as well as field experiences to determine the biological and physical characteristics and requirements for the environment selected. Student teams then prepare proposals for a self-sustaining system which models the selected habitat. 

* How can the physical parameters of an environment be assessed? 

* How can the biological components of the environment be assessed? 

* In what ways do organisms interact with each other and the environment? How can these interactions be measured, replicated? 

* How are models useful in understanding complex systems? 

* What elements of the environment are essential to artificially replicate the environment? 

* What materials and devices can be used to replicate the physical parameters of the environment? 

* What compromises must be made in attempting to replicate a natural environment? 

* In what ways can the natural and engineered environments be compared? 

* How can the success of the replication be measured? 

* What factors must be considered in designing, constructing and maintaining a self- sustaining, engineered environment?