Synthesize the ecosystem unit by building a complete food web with matter and energy notes, then explain how a disruption would affect it.
This week brings together everything from the ecosystem unit: producers, consumers, decomposers, food webs, matter cycles, and energy flow. Your task is to build one complete ecosystem model, on paper or described in words, that shows all these pieces working together, then use it to predict what happens when something changes.
A strong capstone model does more than list organisms; it shows connections, the web, notes where matter goes when something dies, the decomposers, and can trace energy back to the sun. Being able to reason through a what-if question using your model is the real proof that the ideas have connected.
Mastery looks like: They can build one ecosystem model that shows food web connections, a decomposer or matter role, and an energy trace to the sun, then reason through a disruption scenario.
Common stumbles: Building a single chain instead of a connected web; leaving out decomposers or the energy-to-sun connection; giving a vague answer to the what-if question instead of tracing specific effects.