Lab 5

1. What did you learn this week? 

This week in lab and lecture, we began speaking on the study of ecology, or the study of relationships between living organisms. We discussed the difference between biomes, ecosystems, and habitats. A biome is a large scale category of ecosystems that have similar climate conditions and similar dominant types of plants and animals. An ecosystem is a community of living and nonliving things that interact with each other in a specific environment. Lastly, a habitat is a specific place where a particular community of organisms lives. Additionally, we were able to see the growth of our plants. I was so surprised to see how much it had grown since last week. Finally, we discussed a specific biome with our table. While learning about the marine biome, I learned that it is the largest of all the biomes in the world. 

2. Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? 

I already had some existing knowledge of the terms biome, ecosystem, habitat, and ecology. I was able to relate some of the content I already knew to the content I had learned this past week in class. Because of this, I was able to deepen my understanding and form connections, which ultimately helped me to feel more confident in my learning. 

3. What are new or remaining questions? 

I think I am still not fully confident in distinguishing the differences between biomes, ecosystems, and habitats. I think with more practice, though, I will be more confident in this content area.