Cane+Toads

Research project: Cane Toads in Australia



**You have been assigned to look at why there are so many cane toads in Australia and what affect that is having on the ecosystem.** **Central Idea: Biodiversity relies on maintaining the balance of organisms within systems.**

==== Your research project is a great opportunity to apply what you have recently learnt about the **Inquiry Cycle**. This is the process you will all go through. ====

====When you see this symbol it means you should record your ideas on your project sheet. ====

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 ** Tuning In: ** You will create a presentation about a given **organism**. What is it about your **organism** and the **ecosystem** it lives in that you think is important to share with the rest of the class. What other questions do you have? **Record them on your project research sheet**. =====

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**Remember, in your presentation you will need to explain:**  =====

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· what the problem is with your assigned organism. (Are there too many of them? Is the species becoming endangered? )  =====

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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">the ecosystem it lives in (biotic and abiotic features)  =====

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<span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">the role it plays in its food web  =====

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<span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">what is happening to the ecosystem? =====

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<span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px;">can the situation be changed? =====

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<span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.033em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> ** Finding Out: ** You might want to use library books or the Internet to conduct your research. Or maybe you know some experts? If you want to look on the school's OPAC for books check: <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]   =====

====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> Let us give you a bit of help here. For each research project you will be given links to Internet sites, videos and books. ====

====<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**When you see this symbol it means you should record your ideas on your project sheet.** ==== <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Read this information at Yahoo Kids: []

Watch this introductory video to cane toads. []

media type="youtube" key="hpiBmFbGSPY" height="405" width="660" align="center"

Read this information on National Geographic. Remember to use the speech tool in Safari if you want to hear what is written: []

Here is some more information on cane toads:

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Watch these videos to find out why there are now to many cane toads in Australia: []

Watch this Aljazeera news report []

media type="file" key="Ecosystems In Danger - Cane Toads-1.mp4" width="420" height="420" align="center"

Find out more about invasive species []

====<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> ==== <span style="line-height: 28.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">** Make notes on your project research sheet. ** You might want to use ‘boxes and bullets’ to help you take notes.

<span style="line-height: 28.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">** Sorting Out: ** Think about how useful your sources are? Look at your notes, have you answered all your questions?

==== ** Drawing Conclusions: ** How are you going to organize your presentation? By now you should have all the information for creating your food web, and creating your presentation. You might want to use images from the sites you visited or you might want to search for some other images to include in your presentation. Don't forget to cite your sources when you use images. ====

** Reflecting and Acting: ** Once you have all your notes, you are ready to start creating your presentation.