Search

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Freshwater Snails and Ecosystems

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Life Science, Earth Science

Key Terms

snail, ecosystem service, habitat alteration, pollution, biodiversity

Key Concepts

  • Characteristics of snails
  • Snails as members of food webs
  • Global biodiversity of snails
  • Human impacts on snails
  • Technology used by zoologists

Resource Types

Middle School Level

High School Level

Advanced Reading Level

Invertebrate Zoology Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Snails and Ecosystems teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations:

Life Science

MS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  • MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

  • MS-LS2-3 Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

  • MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

  • MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Earth Science

MS-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

  • MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Resource Type
Subject Guides
Grade Level
6-8
Topics
Life Science