Format
1. Introduction to Carolina's Coolest: animals, ecosystems, food web basics
2. Fun facts about a few specific species
3. Salamanders
4. Red Wolves
5. Conclusion
6. Questions and answers
Objectives
1. What are some species in NC that you don't see very often?
2. What are the ecosystems like in NC? Are they all the same?
3. All of these animals are from NC; why do they look different and act so differently?
4. How are each of these animal's basic needs met?
5. How can we safely live with these animals knowing we are sharing the same ecosystems?
6. What are producers, consumers, decomposers? Why is each important to the ecosystem?
Standards Alignment
State Standards
North Carolina Standard Course of Study:
•ESS.4.3.2 Engage in argument from evidence to explain how humans can adapt their behavior to live in changing environments (e.g. recycling wastes, establishing rain gardens, planting native species to prevent flooding and erosion).
•LS.5.2.2 Use models to classify organisms within an ecosystem according to the function they serve: producers, consumers, or decomposers
•LS.6.2.2 Analyze and interpret data to predict how the abiotic factors (such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) and biotic factors affect the ability of organisms to grow and survive in different biomes (freshwater, marine, temperate forest, rainforest, grassland, desert, taiga, tundra).