Week 4: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Grade 7 Science | Rosche

MS-LS2-4 · MS-LS1-1 · MS-LS2-2 · MS-ESS3-3 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

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The Phenomenon: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Anchoring Context & Focus Question

How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?

Driving Question: Year-End Integration: Student-selected ecosystem investigation + CCC synthesis

Animated graph of predator-prey population cycles showing ecosystem stability and change over time
Animated diagram. Watch once before beginning the station activities.
A lush urban forest park with tall trees, green understory, and dappled sunlight — showing a healthy urban ecosystem embedded in a city
Healthy urban ecosystems depend on the same trophic, biodiversity, and climate principles you studied this year. This week you demonstrate mastery of those connections.
Animated explanation of the week's focus question. Watch then reason about why this happens.
Key Vocabulary (11 terms) — Practice Tool

Cognate Strategy: Many science words look similar in English and Spanish — use your Spanish to learn science!

Term Spanish Definition
conservation conservación Protection and sustainable management of natural resources
sustainability sostenibilidad Meeting current needs without compromising future generations
endangered species especie en peligro Species at risk of extinction
habitat loss perdida de habitat Destruction of ecosystem, leading cause of extinction
habitat restoration restauracion de habitat Repairing damaged ecosystems to restore function
deforestation deforestacion Clearing forests for other uses like agriculture
traditional ecological knowledge conocimiento ecologico tradicional Indigenous knowledge about managing ecosystems sustainably
controlled burn quema controlada Intentional low-intensity fire maintaining ecosystem health
urban heat island isla de calor urbana Higher temperatures in cities due to pavement and less vegetation
green infrastructure infraestructura verde Nature-based solutions for managing runoff and heat
carbon footprint huella de carbono Total greenhouse gas emissions from human activities

Hook – Year-End Integration & Assessment

Engage with the phenomenon for Year-End Integration & Assessment.
Hook concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Hook: Year-End Integration & Assessment

You Made It — 7th Grade Science Complete!

This is your final week of 7th grade science. This year you investigated Earth's materials and history (Cycle 7: rock cycle, geologic time, radiometric dating) and living systems (Cycle 8: trophic cascades, biodiversity, climate change impacts on ecosystems). Today you demonstrate what you know — and reflect on how it all connects.

What You'll Demonstrate Today

  • Part 1 — Cycle 8 Synthesis (25 pts, 20 min): Trophic cascades, biodiversity, climate impacts (C7 absorbed: rock cycle, geologic time, fossils & mass extinctions)
  • Part 2 — Student Investigation Presentation (35 pts, 30 min): Present the ecosystem investigation you prepped in W3 — scientific accuracy, evidence use, CCC application, communication
  • Part 3 — CCC Year-End Synthesis (25 pts, 20 min): Apply all 7 Cross-Cutting Concepts to a novel Earth-science scenario
  • Part 4 — Year-End Reflection (15 pts, 15 min): Growth, science identity, favorite learning moments — celebrate the year

Year-End CCC Inventory

  1. Patterns — fossil record, biodiversity distribution
  2. Cause & Effect — wolf removal → river change; climate → coral bleaching
  3. Scale, Proportion & Quantity — geologic time, population sizes
  4. Systems & System Models — rock cycle, food webs, ecosystems
  5. Energy & Matter — energy flow through trophic levels, rock formation energy
  6. Structure & Function — rock types and their properties, organism adaptations
  7. Stability & Change — mass extinctions, ecosystem resilience, climate change
COMPLETE THE HOOK FORM

Hook activity for Year-End Integration & Assessment.

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Worked Example – Year-End Integration & Assessment

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Worked Example concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Worked Example: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Worked Example: Tracing a CCC Across the Year

Challenge: Show how CCC-7: Stability and Change applies to both cycles.

Step 1 — Cycle 7 (Earth's History)

Rocks appear stable but change continuously through the rock cycle (millions of years). Mass extinctions in the fossil record show sudden destabilization of life. Stability and Change: Earth's systems stay in balance until a large force disrupts them.

Step 2 — Cycle 8 (Ecosystems)

Yellowstone's ecosystem was stable with wolves. After wolf removal, elk overgrazed → riverbanks eroded → rivers destabilized. Reintroducing wolves restored stability. Stability and Change: Ecosystems can recover if the disruption is reversed — but only if biodiversity is maintained.

Step 3 — Your Turn

Choose any of the 7 CCCs. Find one example from Cycle 7 and one from Cycle 8 where that CCC helped you understand a phenomenon. Write: the CCC name → Cycle 7 connection → Cycle 8 connection → why it matters for your community.
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Station 1 – Year-End Integration & Assessment

Station 1 activity for Year-End Integration & Assessment.
Station 1 concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Station 1: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Part 1 — Cycle 8 Synthesis (25 pts, ~20 min)

Demonstrate your synthesis across Cycle 8 (Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Climate) — and absorb C7 connectors (rock cycle, geologic time, fossils & mass extinctions). Notes and vocabulary reference allowed; show your reasoning with CER structure.

Topics Assessed

  • W1 — Trophic Cascades: How wolf reintroduction changed Yellowstone's rivers (MS-LS2-4)
  • W2 — Biodiversity & Resilience: Species richness as insurance against ecosystem collapse (MS-LS2-1)
  • W3 — Climate Change Impacts: Why coral reefs bleach even in protected marine areas

Notes allowed. Use your vocabulary sheet and any notes from Weeks 1–3. Show your reasoning — partial credit is available for CER structure.

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM

Station 1 for Year-End Integration & Assessment.

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🔗 Open Part 1 Form in New Tab — Form pending deployment

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Station 2 – Year-End Integration & Assessment

Station 2 activity for Year-End Integration & Assessment.
Station 2 concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Station 2: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Part 2 — Student Investigation Presentation (35 pts, ~30 min)

Present the ecosystem investigation you prepped in W3. Scored on four rubric criteria — scientific accuracy, evidence use, CCC application, and communication — see the Part 2 form for the rubric breakdown.

Assessment Sections

  • Section A — Earth's Materials & Rock Cycle (15 pts): Rock types, transformation processes, rock cycle diagram
  • Section B — Geologic Time & Dating Methods (15 pts): Superposition, index fossils, carbon-14, uranium-238
  • Section C — Ecosystem Dynamics (15 pts): Trophic cascades, food webs, population change
  • Section D — Biodiversity & Climate (15 pts): Species richness, coral bleaching, habitat loss

No notes for this section. Show your scientific thinking. Write in complete sentences where asked. Use CER (Claim → Evidence → Reasoning) for any explanation question.

COMPLETE THE STATION 2 FORM

Station 2 for Year-End Integration & Assessment.

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Station 3 – Year-End Integration & Assessment

Station 3 activity for Year-End Integration & Assessment.
Station 3 concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Station 3: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Part 3 — CCC Year-End Synthesis (25 pts, ~20 min)

Apply all 7 Cross-Cutting Concepts to a novel Earth-science scenario. Use specific evidence from across both cycles to ground each lens.

For Each CCC Below, Identify One Example From Each Cycle

  1. Patterns — one from C7 (earth/rocks) + one from C8 (ecosystems)
  2. Cause & Effect
  3. Scale, Proportion & Quantity
  4. Systems & System Models
  5. Energy & Matter
  6. Structure & Function
  7. Stability & Change

Challenge (bonus): Choose the CCC that matters most for understanding an environmental justice issue in St. Louis. Explain why in 3–4 sentences using specific evidence from this year.

COMPLETE THE STATION 3 FORM

Station 3 for Year-End Integration & Assessment.

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Part 4 — Year-End Reflection (15 pts)

Targeted check of the most common misconceptions from this cycle. (20 points, ~20 min)
Exit Ticket concept anchor for Year-End Integration & Assessment. Vocab cards: conservation, sustainability, endangered species, habitat loss. How do the ecosystems, rocks, and living systems of Earth connect to protect the communities we call home?
Exit Ticket: Year-End Integration & Assessment

Year-End Reflection

You have completed all 8 cycles of 7th grade science. This final exit reflection is your chance to look back across the whole year. Answer all three prompts in the form:

  1. What's one scientific idea from this year that surprised or changed how you think about the world?
  2. How does one topic from this year connect to something happening in your community or neighborhood in St. Louis?
  3. What question do you still have — something science hasn't answered for you yet?
COMPLETE THE EXIT TICKET

Demonstrate mastery of Year-End Integration & Assessment concepts.

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Enrichment & Extension
Go Deeper

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

Scientist Spotlight: E.O. Wilson (1929–2021)

Edward Osborne Wilson was an American biologist and naturalist who spent his career at Harvard studying ants — and ended up transforming how humanity understands life on Earth. Wilson coined the term "biophilia" — the idea that humans have an innate need to connect with other living systems, built into us through millions of years of evolution. His book The Diversity of Life (1992) made the scientific case that biodiversity is not just beautiful but essential: each species lost is an irreplaceable thread in a web that keeps ecosystems stable. He proposed the "Half-Earth" vision — protecting 50% of Earth's land and sea to prevent a mass extinction comparable to the one that killed the dinosaurs. Wilson was also deeply committed to connecting science to justice, arguing that the communities with least political power are almost always those whose ecosystems are destroyed first.

Environmental Justice: Green Space, Segregation, and Forest Park

Forest Park — one of the largest urban parks in the US, home to the Zoo, Art Museum, and Science Center — sits in a city that remains one of the most racially segregated in America. Research shows that majority-Black neighborhoods in North St. Louis have 40% less tree canopy and significantly fewer parks per resident than majority-white neighborhoods in West County. Less green space means higher temperatures (urban heat island), more stormwater flooding, and fewer places for children to experience the biodiversity and ecosystems you studied this year. The 1904 World's Fair held in Forest Park displayed people from colonized nations as "exhibits" while celebrating industrial progress — a reminder that access to nature and science has never been equally distributed. As you finish 7th grade, ask: who decides which communities get green infrastructure, and who is left with pavement?

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Week 4 Complete!