Discuss the pros and cons of using pesticides.

· L 3-1 Define and differentiate among the terms biome, ecosystem, habitat, and niche ( SLOLab-4).

· L 3-2 Relate energy flow to food chain dynamics ( SLOLab-4).

· L 3-3 Describe the process of biomagnification ( SLOLab-4).

· L 3-4 Analyze the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on an ecosystem ( SLOLab-2).

Discussion Board Topic #2 Learning Objectives:

· D-2a. Discuss the use of pesticides on the environment.  (SLO-2).

· D-2b. Discuss the pros and cons of using pesticides.  (SLO-2).

· D-2c. Explain the impact of vector-borne diseases caused by insects and animals.  (SLO-1).

How will you achieve these objectives? (Activities)

1. Read chapter 3 in the textbook, and work through the chapter’s review questions to practice recognizing the key concepts.   

2. Complete the homework assignment questions based on the chapter reading. 

3. Complete the lab 3 exercise, including watching, learning and any demonstration videos, completing the hands-on experiments, recording data, photo-documenting your experiments (where applicable) and taking notes on what you learned.

4. Complete the Discussion board #2 activity. 

How will I measure whether you have achieved these objectives? (Assessment)

1. Lab 3 exercise – covers the background information and the results from the lab 3-1 digital exercise

2. Lab experiment 3-2:  This lab will require a two weeks of observations and will be due on week 4 of the semester (link to submit final experiment results will be found within the week 4 folder).