A New Home
by Ashley Carter
|
Lesson
title: Ecosystems Grade
level: 6-8 Subject
area: Life
Science Duration: Two
class periods Objectives: Students
will do the following: -
Demonstrate an understanding of the elements that make up an ecosystem -
Observe one element of a local ecosystem -
Create a class food web showing the interactions among elements of the
ecosystem TEKS: 6.8 Science concepts. The student
knows that complex interactions occur between matter and energy. The student
is expected to: (C) describe energy flow in living
systems including food chains and food webs 6.12
Science concepts. The student knows that the responses of organisms are
caused by internal or external stimuli. The student is expected to: (C) identify components of an
ecosystem to which organisms may respond 7.5
Science concepts. The student knows that an equilibrium of a system may
change. The student is expected to: (B) observe and describe the role of ecological
succession in maintaining an equilibrium in an ecosystem 7.12
Science concepts. The student knows that there is a relationship between
organisms and the environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify components of
an ecosystem; (B) observe and describe how organisms including
producers, consumers, and decomposers live together in an environment and use
existing resources; (C) describe how different
environments support different varieties of organisms; and (D) observe and describe the role
of ecological succession in ecosystems. 8.6
Science concepts. The student knows that interdependence occurs among living
systems. The student is expected to: (C) describe interactions within
ecosystems Materials: - Elements
of Biology: Ecosystems: Organisms and Their Environments video -
Internet access -
Poster board or newsprint -
Art supplies: markers, pencils, colored pencils Procedures:
1.
Students watch the program Elements of Biology: Ecosystems: Organisms and Their
Environments. Ask
them to think about and try to answer the following questions:
•
What is an ecosystem?
•
What elements make up an ecosystem?
•
How are the elements of an ecosystem related?
•
What is the relationship between predators and prey in an ecosystem?
•
What is the relationship between producers and consumers in an
ecosystem?
•
What is a food web?
2.
After watching the video, have the class choose a local ecosystem to study,
such as a park, pond, or field near the school. Tell students they will work
in pairs to study one element of the ecosystem. For homework, have students
visit the ecosystem and observe its plants and animals. Ask them to keep a
list and to focus on a couple of elements.
3.
During the next class, make a list of the elements the students observed; it
will probably include trees, shrubs, squirrels, birds, rabbits, and other
small animals. Assign each student pair to one element. Then tell students to
return to the ecosystem and be ready to answer the following questions:
•
Is the element an autotroph or a heterotroph?
•
If it is an animal, what does it eat?
•
Is the animal a primary or secondary consumer?
•
Is the animal predator or prey?
•
What abiotic, or nonliving things, are part of the ecosystem?
4.
After students have completed the assignment, have them pool their
observations to create the ecosystem’s food web. Put up a sheet of
newsprint and ask a volunteer to draw the food web. Make sure that the
students include the sun, which provides the energy for plants to make food,
in the middle of the food web, followed by plants and the animals that eat
plants. Students should show how the animals that eat other animals are
related to those that eat plants.
5.
Give students time in class to work on the food web. Encourage them to be
creative and make it look interesting and attractive.
6.
Conclude the lesson by holding a discussion about ecosystems. What have
students learned by observing an ecosystem? How are different elements of the
ecosystem related to each other? Credit: DiscoverySchool.com http://www.discoveryschool.com Copyright
2002 Discovery.com. Teachers
may reproduce copies of these materials for classroom use only. |
|
