While reading an online science magazine, you come across an article on declining turtle populations across the globe. Based on the graph, what would you guess are the two biggest factors in the decline? Choose two.

Question

_____  Harvesting of turtles for food, pets, or medicine

_____  Competition with invasive species

_____  Destruction of wetlands and breeding beaches

_____  Developmental problems due to rising temperatures

_____  Disease from introduced parasites



Additional:

Clarify Questions

· What is the key concept addressed by the question?

· What type of thinking is required?



Gather Content

· What do you already know about causes of extinction?



Choose Answer

· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?



Reflect on Process

· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

__X__  Harvesting of turtles for food, pets, or medicine
_____  Competition with invasive species
__X__  Destruction of wetlands and breeding beaches
_____  Developmental problems due to rising temperatures
_____  Disease from introduced parasites

Additional:
Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question addresses causes of extinction.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This question is asking you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.
 
Gather Content
· What do you already know about causes of extinction?
        o A variety of causes are responsible for extinctions. Habitat loss is the major problem for most animals today. Introduced species and over exploitation are two more major causes.
        o Many other factors contribute to species extinctions as well, including disruption of ecosystem interactions, pollution, loss of genetic variation, and catastrophic disturbances, either natural or human-caused.
        o More than one of these factors may affect a species. In fact, a chain reaction is possible in which the action of one factor predisposes a species to be more severely affected by another factor.
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o According to the graph, the biggest factor threatening turtle populations is habitat loss, and the second biggest factor is over exploitation. Introduced species and other factors affect fewer of the species.
        o Is one of the two biggest factors competition with invasive species, or disease from introduced parasites? No, because both of these can be attributed to introduced species.
        o Is one of the two biggest factors developmental problems due to rising temperatures? No. This is a problem for some turtle species (due to temperature-dependent sex determination), but according to the graph this is not one of the two biggest factors.
        o Is one of the two biggest factors harvesting of turtles for food, pets, or medicine? Yes, this is over exploitation, a big factor for turtles according to the graph.
        o Is one of the two biggest factors destruction of wetlands? Yes, this is habitat loss, another big factor for turtles according to the graph.
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o The question required you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.
        o Did you recognize that habitat loss and over exploitation are two major causes of extinction?