Higher:
Discuss what can affect an ecosystem and how ecosystems can be affected by this
Middle:
Explain that the organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent
Lower:
Identify a type of ecosystem and name some animals and plants which live there
Lesson Recap Starter: Think back to your last lesson. Write a sentence that defines the term balance of nature.
Lesson Starter: Look at the starter slide of the animals and plants living in a rainforest ecosystem. Can the children name them? Can they decide where they would be in the food chain?
Ask children to speculate what might happen if one of them was removed, or became extinct.
Presentation - Starter Slide
Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation.
Key Concept:
During this unit, each lesson contains a key concept question housed in the '30 Second Challenge' slide. To help children master this content so the knowledge moves from their short term memory to their long term memory, at the beginning of the follow on lesson the question from the previous lesson is revisited.
The questions covered during this unit include:
1. Write a sentence that defines the term balance of nature.
2. What is an ecosystem?
3. Write a sentence that defines the word pollution.
4. Air pollution is an issue that is harming our world. What can we do to prevent damage to our planet in the future?
5. What can you do to reduce water pollution?
6. Has Alex been wasting or conserving water?
Presentation
In today's first Expert Film, Dr Jenni Stockton talks about her job as an ecologist, studying beetles.
Expert Film: Jane Clarke from Thames Water discusses environmental impacts on ecosystems.
How we deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks:
2 - Learning from career and labour market information: Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about jobs in your area.
4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers: This unit showcases careers at Thames Water. Access our 360° virtual work tours.
7 - Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about training providers in your area.
Presentation - Expert Film.
Interdependence in Ecosystems
Give pupils a copy of the Handout. First, ask them to study the food web on page 1. Then ask them how each of the species in the food web will be affected by the loss of another, under the three different scenarios.
Remember that the arrows show where the food is going to.
Students should see that the loss of one species in an ecosystem will directly affect some species and indirectly affect others.
Handout
Quiz
With their talk partners, the children are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.
Quiz in presentation
What is an ecosystem?
Why are all the living things important to one another in an ecosystem?
What would the effect be of changes to an ecosystem?
What are the human and natural impacts on an ecosystem?
Quizzes available in pupil zone.
Unit knowledge organisers and tests available in unit / lesson documents area.
An ecosystem is...
Living things in an ecosystem are (interdependent) on one another because...
An example of human impacts on ecosystems are... (deforestation/climate change/burning fossil fuels)
The Science Behind the Science
Ecosystems are complex networks between the plants and animals in a given area. There are different types of ecosystems, and they are often described by the type of place it is in, such as a desert ecosystem, or a woodland ecosystem.
Ecosystems are very large networks and they connect to other ecosystems, so by extension, the world is one great ecosystem.
Some ecosystems are very sensitive to changes, whereas others are more robust. Biodiversity often has a lot to do with this, but it may also be down to the nature of the ecosystem. For example, coral reefs form an ecosystem and coral is currently being bleached due to the ocean becoming more acidic from climate change. Many of the other organisms which live in coral reefs depend on the coral for food and shelter and so decline with the coral, causing the ecosystem to collapse.
Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment and explore examples of human impact (both positive and negative) on environments.
The Australian Curriculum - Exploring what happens when habitats change and some living things can no longer have their needs met
Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
Grade 5 Our Environment
Grade 3 - Life Science - Ecosystems - Living things in ecosystems - Food chains and food webs - What is an ecosystem? Grade 4 - Life Science - Ecosystems - Exploring Ecosystems - Changes in Ecosystems - Causes of ecosystem change (Natural events, living things)
Understanding human life and production may cause damage to the environment.