Scientific hypotheses and theories. Students are expected to know that:
A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
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describe how natural changes to the environment such as floods and droughts cause some organisms to thrive and others to perish or move to new locations; and
describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity; and
investigate and evaluate how ecological relationships, including predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, and competition, influence ecosystem stability;
explain the significance of the carbon and nitrogen cycles to ecosystem stability and analyze the consequences of disrupting these cycles; and
PHYS.3
Scientific hypotheses and theories. Students are expected to know that:
AQUA.9.A
identify the role of carbon, nitrogen, water, and nutrient cycles in an aquatic environment, including upwellings and turnovers;
AQUA.14.C
investigate the role of humans in unbalanced systems involving phenomena such as invasive species, fish farming, cultural eutrophication, or red tides;
ENVIR.6.D
identify how changes in limiting resources such as water, food, and energy affect local ecosystems;
ENVIR.8.A
compare exponential and logistical population growth using graphical representations;
ENVIR.8.B
identify factors that may alter carrying capacity such as disease; natural disaster; available food, water, and livable space; habitat fragmentation; and periodic changes in weather;
ENVIR.8.C
calculate changes in population size in ecosystems; and
ENVIR.9.A
analyze and describe how natural events such as tectonic movement, volcanic events, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and tsunamis affect natural populations;
ENVIR.9.C
examine how natural processes such as succession and feedback loops can restore habitats and ecosystems;