Teacher Monitoring Guide
Grade 7 · Cycle 8 · Week 1 — Ecosystem Dynamics & Trophic Cascades

Learning Goal

Students will analyze food web data to explain how changes at one trophic level cascade through an ecosystem, and construct arguments for the importance of keystone species in maintaining ecosystem stability.

Station Checkpoints

Station 1 — Hook & Phenomenon
Look for: Students connecting the phenomenon to prior knowledge and generating testable questions
Common misconception: Removing a predator only affects its prey — trace second- and third-order effects using the wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone as a case study
Station 2 — Investigation / Data Collection
Look for: Accurate data recording and identification of emerging patterns in the evidence
Common misconception: Larger animals are always more important to ecosystems — introduce keystone species concept; a sea star or sea otter may have disproportionate impact relative to its biomass
Station 3 — Sense-Making
Look for: Students revising their model based on evidence collected during investigation
Common misconception: Ecosystems bounce back quickly from any disruption — compare resilience timescales across different ecosystem types using recovery data

Exit Ticket Monitoring

Score Range Interpretation Next Step
18–23 pts Meeting target Extend with synthesis question
10–17 pts Developing Small group re-teach at day start
0–9 pts Needs support 1:1 intervention before next station

MTSS Tier 2 Supports

For students scoring below 10 pts on the exit ticket: use the sentence frames below during the next class's hook.