β–Ό Complete Your Worksheet β€” Click to Expand β–Ό

Complete the "AFTER HOOK FORM" section on your worksheet:

Bonus: +2 points for completing this section!

↑ Back to Navigation

Station 1 – 10% Rule Investigation

20 Points | ~18 Minutes

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM

Complete the form below for Station 1.

Worked Example

Common Mistake: "Objects need force to keep moving"

WRONG: "Objects stop moving when the force runs out."

RIGHT: "Objects keep moving at constant speed unless a force acts on them (Newton's First Law). Friction is the force that slows things down, not "running out of force.""

Target 4: Design a sustainable food production system

Self-check: Can I use the 10% rule to design an efficient farm?

Worked Example: How to Apply the 10% Rule

Full Scaffolding

Example Question: If an ecosystem starts with 50,000 kcal at the producer level, how much energy reaches the tertiary consumers (4th trophic level)?

Expert Thinking Process (5 Steps):

Step 1: Identify what you know

"Starting energy = 50,000 kcal at producers. Tertiary consumers = 4th level. That means 3 energy transfers: producers β†’ primary β†’ secondary β†’ tertiary."

Step 2: Recall the 10% rule

"The 10% rule: Only 10% of energy transfers to the next level. So I multiply by 0.10 for each transfer."

Step 3: Calculate step-by-step

"Producers: 50,000 kcal
β†’ Primary consumers: 50,000 Γ— 0.10 = 5,000 kcal
β†’ Secondary consumers: 5,000 Γ— 0.10 = 500 kcal
β†’ Tertiary consumers: 500 Γ— 0.10 = 50 kcal"

Step 4: State the answer clearly

"Answer: Tertiary consumers have 50 kcal available. That's only 0.1% of the original energy!"

Step 5: Check if it makes sense

"Does this make sense? Started with 50,000, ended with 50. That's 1000Γ— less. With 3 transfers at 10% each: 0.10 Γ— 0.10 Γ— 0.10 = 0.001 (0.1%). Checks out!"

Self-Explanation Prompt:

Why does energy decrease so dramatically at each level? Where does the "lost" 90% actually go? (Explain in your own words before continuing.)

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM

Complete the form below for Station 1.

Complete Your Worksheet

Complete the "STATION 1 NOTES" section on your worksheet:

  • Record your key observations and data
  • Answer the analysis questions
  • Write your evidence-based claim
↑ Back to Navigation

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM BELOW

Apply the 10% rule and explain energy loss.

↑ Back to Navigation

Station 2 – Biomass Calculations

20 Points | ~15 Minutes

COMPLETE THE STATION 2 FORM

Complete the form below for Station 2.

β–Ό Complete Your Worksheet β€” Click to Expand β–Ό

Complete the "Station 2" box in the "STATION 1 & 2 NOTES" section:

  • Biomass ratio of producers to herbivores: (what's the ratio?)
  • If grass decreases, herbivores will... (prediction)
  • Key insight: (one sentence summary)
↑ Back to Navigation

Station 3 – Design a Sustainable Farm

25 Points | ~20 Minutes (Highest Value!)

COMPLETE THE STATION 3 FORM
AUTONOMY SUPPORT: How to Ace Station 3 (25 pts)
Step-by-step approach to maximize your points.

Point Breakdown

Complete all questions carefully for full credit.

Complete the form below for Station 3.

Complete Your Worksheet

Complete the "STATION 3 NOTES" section on your worksheet:

  • Record your key observations and data
  • Answer the analysis questions
  • Write your evidence-based claim

Engineering Challenge: Design a Sustainable Food System

CONSTRAINTS:

  • Goal: Feed 1,000 people (2,000,000 kcal/day total)
  • Land: 100 hectares available
  • Budget: $500,000 to set up

Available Options:

Option kcal/hectare/day Cost/hectare
A. Vegetables 50,000 $2,000
B. Chicken 5,000 $5,000
C. Cattle 2,500 $8,000
D. Fish 7,500 $10,000
β–Ό Need extra support? Click here for design hints β–Ό

Design Strategy:

  • Vegetables are 10Γ— more efficient than animals (10% rule!)
  • 40 hectares of vegetables = 40 Γ— 50,000 = 2,000,000 kcal
  • Cost: 40 Γ— $2,000 = $80,000 (under budget!)
  • You can add animals for protein variety

Sentence Starters:

  • "I prioritized crops because 10% rule means..."
  • "Including some animals provides ___ even though..."
  • "Total output = ___ Γ— 50,000 + ___ Γ— 5,000 = ..."
β–Ό Autonomy Support: How to Ace Station 3 (25 pts) β–Ό
Quick tips before you start the form.

Key concepts to remember:

  • Vegetables produce 10Γ— more kcal/hectare than animals (10% rule!)
  • Need 2,000,000 kcal/day to feed 1,000 people
  • 40 hectares of vegetables = 2,000,000 kcal (exactly meets goal!)
  • Mix of crops + animals gives protein variety but less efficiency

Engineering Design Steps:

  1. Define: What must your farm produce? (2M kcal/day)
  2. Calculate: How many hectares of each option needed?
  3. Optimize: Which mix meets goals under budget?
  4. Justify: Use 10% rule to explain your choices

COMPLETE THE STATION 3 FORM BELOW

Design your farm and justify your choices using the 10% rule!

β–Ό Complete Your Worksheet β€” Click to Expand β–Ό

Complete the "STATION 3 NOTES" section on your worksheet:

  • My design choice was... (which organisms?)
  • This design is efficient because... (energy transfer reasoning)
  • A tradeoff I accepted was... (limitations)
  • Key insight: (one sentence summary)
↑ Back to Navigation

Exit Ticket – Energy Flow Integration

23 Points | ~15 Minutes

COMPLETE THE EXIT TICKET FORM
AUTONOMY SUPPORT: How to Ace Exit Ticket (23 pts)
Step-by-step approach to maximize your points.

Point Breakdown

Complete all questions carefully for full credit.

Complete the form below for Exit Ticket.

Complete Your Worksheet

Complete the "EXIT TICKET REFLECTION" section on your worksheet:

  • Record your key observations and data
  • Answer the analysis questions
  • Write your evidence-based claim

Show What You Learned

Question Types:

  • 2 NEW - Energy pyramids and 10% rule (this week)
  • 2 SPIRAL - Cycle 3 review (natural selection, adaptation)
  • 1 INTEGRATION - Connect energy limits to selection pressure
  • 1 SEP-2 - Develop a model to explain the 10% rule
β–Ό Autonomy Support: How to Ace the Exit Ticket (23 pts) β–Ό
Quick review of Week 1 and Cycle 3 concepts you'll need.

The Exit Ticket tests INTEGRATION - connecting ideas from this week and Cycle 3. Here's how to prepare:

Quick Review Before You Start:

  • 10% Rule: Only 10% of energy transfers between trophic levels - this limits population sizes
  • Energy Pyramids: Wide at bottom (producers), narrow at top (apex predators)
  • Cycle 3 (Natural Selection): Organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more
  • SEP-2 (Develop a Model): Use arrows to show direction of energy flow, label each trophic level

Integration question tip: The best answers connect energy availability to selection pressure. Example: "Energy limits at the top mean fewer predators can be supported, creating intense competition where only the most efficient hunters survive."

COMPLETE THE EXIT TICKET BELOW

This is your final assessment for Week 1. Take your time!

β–Ό Complete Your Worksheet β€” Click to Expand β–Ό

Complete the "DAY 2 EXIT TICKET" and "SCIENCE CIRCLE" sections:

  • Q1 (NEW): Apply the 10% rule to a calculation
  • Q2 (SPIRAL): Connect energy limits to natural selection
  • Q3 (INTEGRATION): Explain why apex predators are rare
  • Science Circle: Your "Aha!" moment and remaining question

Bonus: +5 points for Day 2 Exit Ticket, +3 points for Science Circle!

↑ Back to Navigation
β–Ό Enrichment & Extension β–Ό
Optional deep dives into systems thinking, scientist profiles, and environmental justice.

Optional content if you finish early or want to go deeper.

Systems Thinking Reflection

Big changes start small. Use these questions to see how energy flow connects to everything else.

Cause β†’ Effect Chain

Follow the chain: Sun β†’ Grass (10,000 kcal) β†’ Zebra (1,000 kcal) β†’ Lion (100 kcal)

Your turn: What happens if grass production decreases by 50%?

Trade-Off Thinking

Eating meat vs. plants has different resource requirements due to the 10% rule.

Your turn: Why might communities choose plant-based diets?

Feedback Loop

When apex predators disappear, herbivore populations explode...

Your turn: How might removing lions create a chain reaction?

Scientist Spotlight: Dr. James Estes

Dr. James Estes is an ecologist who revolutionized our understanding of trophic cascadesβ€”how changes at the top of the food chain affect entire ecosystems. His groundbreaking research on sea otters, urchins, and kelp forests showed that when apex predators disappear, ecosystems collapse in predictable ways based on the energy pyramid.

When sea otters were hunted almost to extinction, sea urchin populations exploded (no predators!), destroying kelp forests and the habitat for thousands of species. When otters recovered, the kelp forests returned. His research proved that apex predators control the entire food web below them.

His message to students: "Understanding energy flow helps you understand why every species mattersβ€”especially the ones at the top."

Environmental Justice: Who Gets to Eat?

The 10% rule has big implications for food justice. Meat production requires 10Γ— more land, water, and energy than plant-based food production. Wealthy nations eat high-meat diets, using disproportionate global resources. Meanwhile, 2.3 billion people worldwide face food insecurity.

In St. Louis, food deserts exist in North City where residents can't access affordable, nutritious food. Meanwhile, industrial cattle feedlots in rural Missouri need huge amounts of corn and waterβ€”and often pollute nearby waterways. Understanding energy pyramids helps explain why our food system choices affect communities unequally.

Environmental justice requires asking: Who has access to food? Whose communities bear the environmental costs of our choices?

Week 1 Complete!

Next Week: How do invasive species disrupt energy flow?

Virtual Lab