ECOSYSTEMS HOTLIST
Teacher directions: (highlight to delete these instructions before saving this document to
your folder in the student shared drive)
Components of the activity:



publisher document (ecosystem_brochure)
task cards (ecology_task_cards)
ecosystem hotlist (clicking on blue words takes you directly to the internet)
1. Save this hotlist and the publisher document (ecosystem_brochure) to the
student_shared directory
2. Print out the task cards (ecology_task_cards)
3. Assign students groups of 4
4. Give each student in the group a task card: meteorologist (looks at the climate),
zoologist (studies the animals), botanist (studies the plants) and navigator (studies
where the ecosystem is located)
5. Have students use the links below to find out information on their ecosystem.
6. Students open the brochure template.
7. Students can type their information directly into the computer, or use an Alphasmart to
type their information and beam it into the correct box in the Publisher template.
8. When each person is finished, have students talk with their group and each person
“teaches” the rest of their group what they learned about their part of the ecosystem.
9. After groups have taught each other, have all the meteorologists group together, all
of the zoologists, all of the botanist and all of the navigators. Each person will then
teach the others about the ecosystem they studied using the brochure their group
created.
TEKS:
(5.5)
(5.6)
(5.9)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is an Ecosystem?
Most of us are confused when it comes to the words ecosystem and biome. What's the
difference? There is a slight difference between the two words. An ecosystem is much smaller than
a biome. Conversely, a biome can be thought of many similar ecosystems throughout the world
grouped together. An ecosystem can be as large as the Sahara Desert, or as small as a puddle or
vernal pool.
Ecosystems are dynamic interactions between plants, animals, and microorganisms and their
environment working together as a functional unit. Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in
balance. No community can carry more organisms than its food, water, and shelter can
accommodate. Food and territory are often balanced by natural phenomena such as fire, disease,
and the number of predators. Each organism has its own niche, or role, to play.
Ecosystems, Biomes and Habitats
Make It a Habitat
Ecosystems to Study
-----------------------------------------------------------------------* Tropical Rainforest
Plants
Rain Forest
* Grasslands
Plants and Animals
* Tundra
Plants and Animals
* Deciduous Forest
Animals
* Desert
Plants and Animals
* Taiga
Plants and Animals