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Causal Patterns in Ecosystems Section 3: Thinking About Obvious and Non-Obvious Causes of Decomposition Ecosystems > Section 3 |
Section 3: Thinking About Obvious and Non-Obvious Causes of Decomposition
This section addresses students' tendency to consider only the most obvious causes of an effect. It helps students to see that non-obvious microbes are the primary decomposers, that things don't "fall apart" on their own, and that detritivores that we can see, such as earthworms and sow bugs, are responsible for only a small percentage of decomposition.
Section 3 Table of Contents
- Understanding Goals
- Background Information
- Lesson Plan: Comparing Worm and Worm-free Compost Tanks
- Reinforcement Activities
- Resources for Section 3
- Picture of Practice
- Time-Lapse Photos of Worm and Worm-Free Tanks (PDF: 354 KB / 1 page / 8½" X 11")
- Worm and Worm-Free Tank Observation Sheets (PDF: 169 KB / 1 page / 8½" X 11")
- Collecting Evidence for Non-Obvious Decomposers: Growing Microbes on Bread (Reinforcement Activity)
- Learning About Preservatives: Bakery Bread Versus Store Bought Bread (Reinforcement Activity)
- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: The Many Sides of Bacteria (Reinforcement Activity)
- Endnotes for Section 3
©2002, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Understandings of Consequence Project