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Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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The Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” are oxygen-deficient waters near the coast lines. They are caused by excess nutrient levels that flow down river from farms and agriculture in the north. Algae in the Gulf of Mexico thrives on this nitrogen and begin to grow quickly in these nutrient rich waters. Algae are protists with chloroplasts that perform photosynthesis to provide the organism with energy. Algae are not plants and are different than plants in that they are not rooted in soil, don’t have leaves or stems and some even have locomotor capabilities. Algae are microscopic. When Algae grow rapidly, it is called a “bloom” and can be seen visibly as a blue/green layer over the ocean. As the Algae die, decomposers use oxygen to break down their bodies – leaving little oxygen in the water.
In this unit, students will understand the causes of this phenomenon and craft their own solution. They will practice making and defending scientific claims with evidence in order to master reasoning in the next unit. They will also model photosynthesis through an algae bead lab to prove that carbon dioxide is used and oxygen is produced, and that gasses are cycled in the process.
About my class
The Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” are oxygen-deficient waters near the coast lines. They are caused by excess nutrient levels that flow down river from farms and agriculture in the north. Algae in the Gulf of Mexico thrives on this nitrogen and begin to grow quickly in these nutrient rich waters. Algae are protists with chloroplasts that perform photosynthesis to provide the organism with energy. Algae are not plants and are different than plants in that they are not rooted in soil, don’t have leaves or stems and some even have locomotor capabilities. Algae are microscopic. When Algae grow rapidly, it is called a “bloom” and can be seen visibly as a blue/green layer over the ocean. As the Algae die, decomposers use oxygen to break down their bodies – leaving little oxygen in the water.
In this unit, students will understand the causes of this phenomenon and craft their own solution. They will practice making and defending scientific claims with evidence in order to master reasoning in the next unit. They will also model photosynthesis through an algae bead lab to prove that carbon dioxide is used and oxygen is produced, and that gasses are cycled in the process.