Ecosystems Section 1.1 Ecology

Discovering Ecosystems Activity In pairs, place your view finder in the grass. Classify all the things you observe by recording each item in the chart as living or nonliving column. Use a hand lens to look for tiny things in this area. Locate a partner nearby and read your lists to each other. Take turns looking through each other’s viewfinder to see if either of you can find something the other person might have missed. Help each other record the findings. Discuss with each other how this environment provides for the needs of some of the living things each of you observed.

Section 1.1 Vocabulary 1. Organism 2. Environment 3. Ecosystem 4. Ecology 5. Ecologist

Section 1.1 Vocabulary 1. Organism: any living thing 2. Environment: everything around an organism 3. Ecosystem: a group of living and nonliving things that interact with each other in an environment 4. Ecology: the scientific study of the relationship between living things that inter act with each other in an environment 5. Ecologist: a scientist who studies the relationship between living things and their environments.

Put on your thinking caps and brainstorm. What lives in your environment?

All living things need……. Air Food Water Shelter

An Environment Includes Living and Nonliving Things LivingNonliving AnimalsRocks PlantsMinerals PeopleAir Water

A Famous Ecologist Rachel Carson Curious about animals at an early age Attended college to become a writer Never forgot her love of animals and soon decided to become a scientist Combined her writing skills with her studies of the environment Wrote several books and articles about her observations that helped people become aware of the dangers of pesticides Because of her books, scientists discovered that pesticides can be harmful to humans and animals Because of this laws have been passed that have encouraged people to be more careful when using pesticides.

Understanding Ecosystems Pg. 6 1.An ___________________ is a living thing. 2.The scientific study of the relationship between living things and their environment is called ___________________. 3.A scientist who studies the relationship between living and nonliving things is called an __________________. 4.An _________________ is everything around an organism. 5.An _________________ consists of a group of living and non living things that interact with each other in an environment.

Question of the Week #1 What can you do to be a good steward and help the environment?

Environment Activity Draw a picture of an environment you are familiar with. Get into your groups. Talk about the things that are living things in your picture. Talk about the things that are non living things in your picture.

Ecosystems Section 1.2 Food Chain

Discover Activity 1.Observe a sandwich made from wheat bread, lettuce, cheese, and ham. 2. Look at each part. 3.Complete the sentences by filling in each box.

Section 1.2 Vocabulary 1.Producer 2.Consumer 3.Decomposer 4.Food Chain 5.Food Web

Section 1.2 Vocabulary 1.Producer: an organism that can make its own food 2.Consumer: an organism that eats food 3.Decomposer: an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material to return it to the soil 4.Food Chain: the way food passes from one organism to another 5.Food Web: several food chains that are connected

Put on your thinking caps and brainstorm. What do animals eat?

Food Chain mals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm

Food Web

Understanding a Food Chain Pg. 8 DecomposerProducerConsumer 2.A food chain shows _______________________ eaten by a ____________________ that is eaten by a _____________________. 3.How does a decomposer help and ecosystem? _________________________________________

Ecosystems Section 1.3 Animal Roles

Food Chain Activity 1.Cut out each discovery card. Place yarn vertically on the desk. 2.Build a food chain by placing cards on top of the yarn to show the order organisms eat and are eaten. 3.Write the combination of the card set in the first column of the chart below. After recording the food chain, re-arrange the cards to make another food chain. Be sure not to repeat any food chains. You may not need to use all the boxes. 4.Challenge yourself to see how many food chains you can

Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up Find 5 different people and ask them the following question: Why do animals hunt? Each time you ask the question record the answer that the person gives you. After talking with five people and recording their answers sit down at your desk and wait for the class to finish. As a group create a circle map with the center being labeled: “Why do animals hunt?” Once all groups are finished, each group will share their circle map with the class.

Section 1.3 Vocabulary 1.Predator 2.Prey 3.scavenger

Section 1.3 Vocabulary 1.Predator: an animal that hunts another animal for food 2.Prey: the animal that is hunted 3.Scavenger: an animal that eats dead plants and animals

Prey Vs. Predator PreyPredator RabbitFox ZebraLion MouseCat FishEagle

Identifying Animals Pg A ________________ is a predator of a _________________. 2.A __________________ is a scavenger that eats ________________ animals. 3.A fish is ___________________ for a bear. 4.Why are scavengers important to an ecosystem? _______________________________________

Ecosystems Section 1.4 Balance of Nature

Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up Find 5 different people and ask them the following question: Why do animals compete? Each time you ask the question record the answer that the person gives you. After talking with five people and recording their answers sit down at your desk and wait for the class to finish.

Discover Activity Musical Rabbits

Section 1.4 Vocabulary 1.Compete 2.Niche

Section 1.4 Vocabulary 1.Compete: when one organism works against another to get what it needs to survive 2.Niche: a special role or job

Finding the Right Balance Pg What is the special job or role of an animal called?_______________________________ 2.Name two things animals compete for? _________________ 3.How can two animals live in the same habitat without competing for food? _____________ _______________________________________ 4.Tell what would happen if there were too many animals eating the same food. ______________________________________________

Ecosystem Poster Activity 1.Find one animal on the poster. 2.Write the name of the animal. 3.Describe that animal’s niche. 4.Tell what role the animal plays and what would happen to the ecosystem without that animal. 5.Read your report to a partner.

Ecosystems Section 1.5 Animal Survival

Section 1.5 Vocabulary 1.Adaptation 2.Hibernate 3.Migrate 4.Camouflage

Section 1.5 Vocabulary 1.Adaptation: a way that animals adjust to changes in their environment 2.Hibernate: to rest through the cold winter 3.Migrate: to move from one place to another to avoid change 4.Camouflage: the way an organism blends in with its environment

How Animals Survive Pg. 14 A. Migrate_______the fur of a snow shoe hare changes from brown to white in the winter so the hare can blend in with the snow B.Camouflage_______ in the winter, Canada geese fly south where it is warmer and there is more food. C.Hibernate_______ a dormouse sleeps in a nest underground during the winter.

Hide and Seek Activity In groups, using the materials given, create an animal of your choice. Draw a habitat for your animal. The animal needs to show camouflage in the habitat. Once the habitat is drawn place your animal in it.

Ecosystems Section 1.6 Responding to Change

Section 1.6 Vocabulary 1.Perish 2.Relocate

Section 1.6 Vocabulary 1.Perish: to die 2.Relocate: to find a new place to live

What happens after a fire? Look at the picture of page 15 of your book. Thinking about the fire in the picture, in your notebook, write down five things you think might have happened after this fire. You might want to consider : What happened to the plants? What happened to the animals? What happened to the air?

Observing Animals 1.Name two things that might happen to an animal if the habitat is destroyed. ________________ _________________ 2.Why would an animal need to relocate after a fire? _____________________________________________________ 3.Number the sentences in order from 1 to 5 telling how a forest grows back after a fire. ________ The small trees grow into larger trees. ________ Seeds are scattered by the wind into the devastated area. ________ Small trees begin to grow. ________ The plants place nutrients in the soil for small trees to grow. ________ Seeds take root and grow into plants and grass.

Fire Safety Poster In groups design an informative poster about the need for fire safety in forests. The poster should include drawings of plants and animals. The poster should also contain a slogan.

Ecosystems Section 1.7 Chapter Review

Chapter 1 Test Journal Questions Pick one question to answer. Your answer should include information you learned about in the chapter. The answer should be written in paragraph form. Paragraph form means that you should have at least five sentences with a topic and conclusion sentence. 1.What might an animal do if its habitat is destroyed? 2.How does a decomposer or scavenger help the ecosystem? 3.What might an ecologist study in a forest ecosystem?