EcoSystems

Source: Purposeful Design Science—level 3

What lives in your environment?

Think about all the things plants and animals need to survive. All

living things need air, food, water, and shelter. An organism is a

living thing. Is a plant an organism? Is a fly an

organism?

All organisms need a place to live. Everything around an organism is

its environment. In an environment, an organism finds everything it

needs to live including air, food, water, and shelter. An environment

includes living and nonliving things.

Nonliving things include rocks, minerals,

air, and water.

An ecosystem consists of a group of

living and nonliving things that Interact with each other in an

environment. How do plants and animals use nonliving things in their

environment? How can a rock be helpful to a plant and animal? God

has given us the responsability for the other living things on this earth. In

order to do this job, we need to learn all we can about how plants and

animals live.

The scientific study of the relationship

between living things and their environment is

called ecology. Ecology is important because it

helps us identify problems within our

environment. A scientist Who studies the

relationship between living things and their

environment is called an ecologist.

A heron can find food, water, shelter,

and air in this wetland environment

Understanding Ecosystems

Use the vocabulary words to complete the sentences:

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 nonliving

things that Interact with each other in an environment.

What can you do to help the environment?

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

What do animals eat?

God designed some animals to eat plants and some animals to eat

other animals. A producer is an organism that can make its own food. A

tree is a producer. Can you name another producer?

A consumer is an organism that eats

food. A consumer can eat a producer or a-

nother consumer. A bear is a consumer that

can eat either a producer such as a Berry,

or a consumer such as a fish. Can you think of another consumer?

environment - ecology ecologist - ecosystem

organism

An organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material to

return to the soil is called a decomposer. A decomposer, such as an

earthworm or an ant, helps keep

areas clean by getting rid of dead

materials.

Food Chain and Food Web

Animals eat plants and other animals to

get the food they need to live. A food chain

is the way food passes from one organism

to another. A food web is formed when se-

veral food chains are connected together.

This means that some animals can eat more than Just one type of food.

Understanding a Food Chain

1. Complete the cart by writing a name under each heading.

2. Use the Word Bank to complete the sentence.

One Word will not be used.

3. How does a decomposer help an ecosystem?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

Decomposer Producer Consumer

Word Bank

berries fox frog rabbit

A food chain shows _____________ eaten by a

_____________ that is eaten by a _____________.

Bush Berry Mushrooms

Grasshopper

What do animals hunt?

Imagine IF you had to go out and Hunt for your food like many

animals do? God created some animals to Hunt for their food. A

predator is an animal that hunts another animal for food.

A Fox is a predator of a rabbit because it hunts the

rabbit for food. The animal that is hunted is called

a prey. The rabbit is prey for the Fox.

Can you name another predator and its prey?

Once an animal has died, there are animals that will eat the remains.

An animal that eat dead plants and animals is called a scavenger.

Hyenas and vultures are scavengers that eat dead animals.

Identifying Animals

Use the Word bank to complete each sentence. One Word will not be used.

1. 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?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Bank

Vulture Mouse Dead Prey Fox predator