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-NiE ,
18 January 2017
ADVANCED
Harmonious relationships
Harmony in nature YOU may have heard of the saying “No man is an island”. This idiom holds true for all organisms on this planet. We all don’t exist in our own little bubbles. There are symbiotic and parasitic relationships among species. What is a symbiotic relationship? It is one where two different organisms live together and help each other survive. The heart of this mutualism is that two species
live together in harmony. Both species receive an advantage by working with the other. It helps both species survive. On the other spectrum of a symbiotic relationship is a parasitic one where one organism benefits from the relationship while the other one is harmed. Which relationship would you rather be in?
Now that you understand what these terms mean, look at the following photographs taken from The Star. Read the captions carefully. Next, categorise them as: symbiotic or parasitic relationships. Write your explanations in the space provided. Then, team up in groups of four to share your answers.
NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking l Identify
l Organise
l Reason
Problem solving l Question l Recreate
l Present
Communicating l Oral l Written
l Aural
Waste and by-products – steam, ash and gypsum – from DONG energy power station are reused by other industries under the approach known as industrial symbiosis. — Photos: Reuters
Relationship type:
1.
Most people with thin-looking hair have follimites.
These weaver ants are feeding on sugary fluid from the caterpillar’s body. They are not attacking the caterpillar.
2.
3.
Reason(s):
Malaysia faces a loss of its coral reef population if waters get warmer. Universiti Malaya coral reef ecologist Affendi Yang Amri said climate change coupled with a strong El Nino could threaten up to 90% of the country’s coral reefs. How can we play a role in sustaining a harmonious relationship between man and nature? Read the following quotes by this expert. Next, prepare a presentation with the pertinent points from the extract. Make your presentation look as interesting as possible with relevant pictures
and research from The Star or the Internet. Your teacher can choose to have a competition to select the best presentation in class. Use a manila card and work in groups of four for this assignment. Your presentation can be no longer than three minutes per group. Here’s the catch, you must use these three terms during the course of your presentation: ● Symbiotic ● Parasitic ● Harmonious
NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking l Identify
l Measure
l Reason
l Organise
The Star, March 4, 2016 Affendi said very little can be done at the moment to reduce the global stress on corals by El Nino and climate change, but steps can be taken to minimise local stress to give the corals a better chance of survival. Local stresses include water pollution, plastic trash, coastal developments, sedimentation, sewage water, long fishing nets, fish bombing, physical contact from snorkellers, divers, etc. “Zones with diverse and rare corals need to be prioritised as you want to minimise human contact in those areas,” said Affendi. “Those who take tourists diving or snorkelling must also remind them not to touch or kick the corals. “When you know that warmer waters are about to hit, there should be no boats passing through those areas, no divers and snorkellers for a few weeks until the warm period passes.” But Affendi stressed that everything cannot be closed as that would jeopardise the livelihood of people like fishermen. He also added that island resorts needed to step up on their sewage treatment systems as these were poor or non-existent and most of the sewage ended up in the ocean, damaging the corals.
Creative thinking l Imagine
l Connect
l Brainstorm
l Invent
Problem solving l Question l Research
l Recreate l Present
Communicating l Oral
l Aural
l Written
Collaborating l Listen
l Compromise
l Contribute l Attain goal respectfully