Aquatic Environmental Science Scope & Sequence
               Days                  Unit                     Standard(s)/Outcome(s)          Essential/Guiding Questions
                3-4   Introduction to Aquatic             Define fundamental ecology          What is the difference 
                      Ecosystems                          terminology.                        between aquatic and 
                                                                                              terrestrial ecosystems?
                                                          Develop and implement a 
                                                          scientifically based ecology        How can humans positively 
                                                          project that benefits the local     impact aquatic ecosystems 
                                                          community.                          in Maryland?
                 6    Factors of an Ecosystem             Analyze how various abiotic         How are aquatic ecosystems 
                         ● Abiotic factors                factors delineate aquatic           organized?
                         ● Aquatic habitats               habitats.
                         ● Adaptations                                                        How could changes to the 
                         ● Energy transfer                Analyze the effects of altering     abiotic factors in an 
                         ● Food chains and webs           the abiotic factors of an aquatic  aquarium affect that aquatic 
                         ● Aquatic communities            habitat.                            habitat?
                                                          Describe plant and animal           How is energy transferred in 
                                                          adaptations for living in various  aquatic ecosystems?
                                                          environments.
                                                          Explain how energy is 
                                                          transferred in the environment.
                                                          Construct food chains and food 
                                                          webs.
                                                           Describe how abiotic factors 
                                                           play a role in the aquatic biotic 
                                                           community
                 6    Properties of Water                  Explain water’s ability to          How do factors of water 
                          ● Temperature and basic          support organisms.                  affect biotic and abiotic 
                             properties                                                        factors in aquatic 
                          ● Chemicals dissolved in         Explain how dissolved               ecosystems?
                             water                         chemicals in water affect living 
                          ● Variation of water             organisms.                          How does turbidity affect the 
                             temperature                                                       process of photosynthesis?
                          ● Turbidity                      Compare water temperatures 
                          ● Light transmission and         from one body of water to 
                             photosynthesis                another, and within a single 
                          ● Water depth and related        body of water.
                             factors
                          ● Hydrologic cycle               Explain the importance of light
                          ● Watershed                      transmission to photosynthesis.
                 7    Groundwater                          Model the components of a           How is water held in soil and 
                          ● Water table                    water table, including              rock?
                          ● Water in soil and rock         saturated
                          ● Wetlands and hydrology         and unsaturated zones,              How does groundwater 
                          ● Filtering pollution            capillary                           impact aquatic ecosystems?
                          ● Percolation, porosity,         fringe, recharge, and relation to
                           permeability               surface water.
                        ● Runoff
                        ● Types of pollution that     Describe how water is held in 
                           affect groundwater         soil
                        ● Saltwater intrusion and     and rock.
                           the water table
                3    Lakes and Ponds                  Model the temperature             How do humans impact 
                        ● Stratification              stratification and turnover of    eutrophication? 
                        ● Eutrophication              lakes and ponds.
                        ● Human impact on                                               Why is pH important to 
                           eutrophication                                               organisms in an aquatic 
                                                                                        ecosystem?
               10    Flowing Water                    Identify and determine from       How is a topographical map 
                        ● Major county stream and  topographic maps the                 useful in predicting possible 
                           tributaries                following fundamentals of         sources of pollution in a 
                        ● Stream structure            stream structure, and relate      watershed?
                        ● Importance of water from  this structure to the problems 
                           streams                    of stream pollution.              How does stream pollution 
                        ● Physical factors of                                           affect wildlife habitats?
                           streams                    Distinguish between various 
                        ● Stream analysis             physical factors on a freshwater  Why are stream assessments 
                        ● Stream communities          stream                            useful?
                           Calculating biotic index 
                           and stream health          Analyze a stream and              How do we test for water 
                        ● Forest buffer               determine the concentrations      quality?
                                                      of various chemicals
                                                                                        What does the biotic index 
                                                      Calculate the biotic index of     tell us about the health of a 
                                                      the stream and explain its        stream?
                                                      connection to stream health.
                                                                                        How can forested buffer 
                                                      Describe how a forested buffer    zones improve stream 
                                                      zone improves stream health.      health?
              9-10   Chesapeake Bay and Wetlands Identify the characteristics of        What are the characteristics 
                        ● Characteristics of an       an estuary.                       of estuaries?
                           estuary
                        ● Geologic history of the     Describe the geological history   How do humans impact the 
                           Chesapeake Bay             of the Chesapeake Bay.            Chesapeake Bay?
                        ● Abiotic factors and 
                           communities                Compare and contrast drainage  Why are wetlands 
                        ● Interdependent              basins in the mountainous         important?
                           relationships in the       region, the Piedmont plateau 
                           Chesapeake Bay             and the Atlantic coastal plain.
                        ● Underwater grass 
                           communities
                        ● Impact of human 
                           population over 200 
                           years
                        ● Wetland conservation 
                           and development 
                           decisions
                        ● Habitat destruction
                        ● Economic resources 
                        ● Population dynamics
                        ● Native species 
                           management
                        ● Invasive species