In this lesson, students identify the sun as the source of energy and understand how energy flows through an ecosystem.
Context for Use
Project EXTREMES lessons were intended to be stand alone lessons.
Cows grazing. Credit: dbaron
Goals Header
What Students Will Do
- Students know and understand how living things interact with each other and their environment.
- Explain how and energy flows through ecosystems and describe the significance of photosynthesis and respiration in this process.
- Analyze the implications of interactions among organisms, populations, and their environment.
- Compare and contrast food webs within and between different ecosystems.
- Infer the number of organisms or amount of energy available at each level of an energy pyramid.
Materials
User note: To make an editable copy of the teaching materials in Google Drive, select File > “Make a copy”. This will make a copy for you to save to your own drive and edit as you see fit.
Description
Part 1 – Engage (10 minutes) Ecosystem Interactions and Energy Pyramids
Introduce the concepts of ecology and ecosystems, develop a focus on energy transfers, and explain how energy flows in a pyramid.
Part 2 – Explore and Explain (20 minutes) Food Webs
Discuss food webs by having the students draw their own webs using arrows to demonstrate energy flow, then move onto food web construction using string in smaller groups; finish this activity with a disturbance example.
