Ages 12–13🔬 ScienceBeing planted

Toxins Building Up in Food Chains

Explain how organisms affect and are affected by their environment, including the bioaccumulation of toxic materials (e.g. pesticides, heavy metals) through food chains

A first look

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Question 1 of 3

A city wants to turn a vacant lot into a green space that will help local wildlife and provide ecosystem services such as habitat, storm‑water management, and air purification. Which design proposal would most effectively maintain biodiversity while also delivering the greatest number of ecosystem services?

Question 2 of 3

A city wants to improve a local park so that it supports pollinator insects and helps reduce flooding. Which of the following design solutions best maintains biodiversity while providing ecosystem services such as pollination and water filtration?

Question 3 of 3

Which of the following situations best shows bioaccumulation of a toxin in a food chain?

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What a child can do after this Skill

Defines bioaccumulation and explains why toxins increase in concentration higher up the food chain
Gives a real example of bioaccumulation (e.g. DDT in peregrine falcons, mercury in tuna)
Explains how organisms can change their habitat (e.g. earthworms aerating soil, beavers creating wetlands)
Discusses why top predators are most at risk from bioaccumulation

Curriculum standards this Skill teaches

MS-LS2-4 — Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or…
KS3.Sci.Bio.Ecosystem.3 — Organisms and their environment
MS-LS2-5 — Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services

More in Ecosystems & Habitats

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Skill names and descriptions include the Marble Skill Taxonomy © Generative Spark, Inc. (withmarble.com), licensed under ODbL 1.0 (database) and CC BY-SA 4.0 (content). Practice questions are GlowGrades's own, each checked by independent verifiers that must agree before a child ever sees it.