Mississippi Science L.7.3

L.7.3 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• L.7.3.1

  Analyze diagrams to provide evidence of the importance of the cycling of water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen through ecosystems to organisms.

• L.7.3.2

  Analyze and interpret data to explain how the processes of photosynthesis, and cellular respiration (aerobic and anaerobic) work together to meet the needs of p...

• L.7.3.3

  Use models to describe how food molecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) are processed through chemical reactions using oxygen (aerobic) to form new molecule...

• L.7.3.4

  Explain how disruptions in cycles (e.g., water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen) affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g., water, food, and medications) wh...

• L.7.3.5

  Design solutions for sustaining the health of ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and the resources needed by humans for survival (e.g., water purification, nut...

01

What Students Need to Do

Students trace water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen through air, water, soil, and living things. They use data to compare photosynthesis and respiration with and without oxygen. They model what happens to food molecules during respiration, then predict how a disrupted cycle affects species and people.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can trace all four cycles through a pond diagram, including soil bacteria. They use data to show that plants make sugar through photosynthesis and that respiration with oxygen releases more usable energy than respiration without it. They show where atoms from food go and explain how a planted buffer could protect pond species from fertilizer runoff.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think plants photosynthesize but never respire, or that food matter disappears when an animal uses it. Some think plants take nitrogen gas directly from the air, or that respiration without oxygen releases as much usable energy as respiration with oxygen.

04

How to Assess It

Hand out a pond diagram with air, plants, fish, soil bacteria, and fertilizer runoff, plus oxygen readings of 9 mg/L at 3 p.m. and 4 mg/L before sunrise. Ask students to draw a carbon path and a nitrogen path, explain the oxygen change, and name one way to reduce runoff.

1. 01

   Give pairs colored beads and formula cards to build glucose and oxygen, then rearrange the beads into carbon dioxide and water.

2. 02

   Show pond oxygen readings from afternoon and before sunrise, then ask: Why did oxygen fall, and which organisms might be affected?

3. 03

   Have groups move water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen tokens across air, soil, pond, plant, animal, and decomposer cards, explaining each move.

4. 04

   Sketch a rain garden near a school drain on a printed map, then explain how it could reduce nutrient runoff into a stream.

• L.2.3A

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of living things and the environment in which they live.

• L.K.1A

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of living and non-living things.

• FB.2

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the structure and interactions of matter and how the organization of matter supports living organisms.

• L.2.3B

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of living things.