Chapter 4: The Organization of Life
This chapter explores how life on Earth is structured and connected, from ecosystems to evolution. We’ll begin by looking at ecosystems and how living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) factors interact. You’ll learn how populations and communities are organized, and why habitats matter. Then we dive into evolution—how natural selection, adaptation, and even human influence like artificial selection drive the diversity of life. Finally, we’ll explore the six kingdoms of living things, from bacteria to mammals, and discover how each group plays a role in the environment. By the end of this chapter, you’ll see just how deeply everything in nature is connected.
Chapter 5: How Ecosystems Work
This chapter breaks down the inner workings of ecosystems and how energy and matter flow through them. First, we’ll look at how energy from the sun fuels life on Earth through producers and consumers, and how that energy moves through food chains, food webs, and trophic levels—spoiler: energy gets lost along the way. Then we’ll dive into the cycling of materials like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and how these nutrients move between organisms and the environment (plus how humans keep messing it up with things like fertilizer and fossil fuels). Finally, we’ll look at how ecosystems change over time through ecological succession, from bare rock to full-blown forest. Get ready to meet lichens, climax communities, and the ever-persistent power of nature to reclaim what we abandon.
Chapter 6: Biomes
In this chapter, we explore the major land biomes found across Earth—and why they are where they are. You’ll learn how temperature, precipitation, latitude, and altitude shape the plant life that defines each biome. From lush tropical rainforests to frozen tundras, we’ll examine how organisms are uniquely adapted to survive in different climates. The chapter covers forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, chaparral, and more, with a focus on how plants drive each biome’s identity and how animals rely on them. You’ll also look at the human impact threatening many of these ecosystems. By the end, you’ll understand why where something lives says a lot about how it lives.
Chapter 7: Aquatic Ecosystems
This chapter dives into the watery worlds that cover most of Earth—freshwater and marine ecosystems. You’ll explore ponds, lakes, rivers, and wetlands, learning how factors like sunlight, oxygen, and nutrients shape life underwater. Then we move to coastal wetlands, estuaries, coral reefs, and the open ocean, where you’ll see how creatures have adapted to everything from crashing waves to freezing polar waters. You’ll also learn how human activities—like pollution, development, and overfishing—threaten these ecosystems. By the end of this chapter, you’ll understand that while aquatic ecosystems vary widely, they’re all essential to life on Earth (and very sensitive to our choices).
Mrs. Ederington 