Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect is a Grade 7 science concept from Amplify Science (California) Chapter 4: Science Seminar on the Orange-Bellied Parrot, demonstrating ecosystem sensitivity through evidence-based conclusions. Students confirm through collaborative discourse that introducing a new predator destabilized the parrot birth and death balance, directly linking the human-caused change to the species near-extinction.
Key Concepts
The case of the Orange Bellied Parrot illustrates the sensitivity of ecosystems. Conclusions must be supported by evidence linking a change (the cause) to the observed outcome.
Through collaborative discourse , students confirm that the introduction of a new predator destabilized the birth/death balance, leading to the parrot's near extinction.
Common Questions
How do scientists establish cause and effect in an ecosystem?
Scientists look for evidence that directly links a specific change (the cause) to an observed outcome (the effect). The cause must precede the effect and there must be a biological mechanism explaining how one led to the other.
What caused the Orange-Bellied Parrot to nearly go extinct?
Evidence supports that the introduction of an invasive predator (feral cats) increased the parrot death rate faster than births could compensate, destabilizing the birth-death balance and causing the population to collapse.
What is meant by the birth-death balance in populations?
A stable population maintains roughly equal birth and death rates. When a new predator increases deaths without a corresponding increase in births, the balance tips and the population declines.
What do Grade 7 students learn about cause and effect in Amplify Science?
In Chapter 4 of Amplify Science California Grade 7, students engage in scientific discourse to evaluate evidence, confirm cause-and-effect relationships, and conclude how predator introduction caused the Orange-Bellied Parrot decline.