Name
Date
Main Idea: Biotic and Abiotic factors interact in complex ways in communities and ecosystems.
Essential Questions
a. What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors?
b. What are the interactions between the levels of biological communities?
c. What are the producers and consumers in an ecosystem?
d. How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
e. What are food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids?
Activity 1: VOCABULARY PRACTICE:
Instructions: Define the following words in your own words.
1. PRODUCER
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2. PRIMARY CONSUMER:
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3. SECONDARY CONSUMER:
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4. THIRD (TERTIARY) CONSUMER:
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5. HERBIVORE:
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6. CARNIVORE:
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7. OMNIVORE:
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8. ECOLOGY
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9. ENERGY PYRAMID
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10. SOLAR ENERGY
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11. PREY
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12. PREDATOR ______________________________________________________________________
13. PREDATION
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14. FOOD CHAIN ____________________________________________________________________
15. FOOD WEB ______________________________________________________________________
Activity II. Instructions: 1) Students will create a word bank and fill in the blank passages that illustrate an
Ecology content related story. 2) The passage/story must make logical sense as it relates to the vocabulary
word and its definition. 3) Some words may not be used but must be included. 4) At least six words need to
be used more than once. 5) Students must use at least 11 of ANY vocabulary words. It is your choice since
you will do the decision making. I have started you off with a passage that contains two answers that can
be found from the word bank. (Hint: The answers to the passage will serve as your word bank.)
For Example, The study of the environment and how living organisms relate and respond to both
living and non-living things is ___ECOLOGY___. Scientists known as _ECOLOGISTS__ study various
areas of ecology like Biomes and Plants Ecosystems to see how these living organisms relate and respond to
both living and non-living things.
Student Passage
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Word Bank
Activity 3: ENERGY MODELS
Instructions: Create an energy pyramid using the food chain below by 1) writing the names of the
organisms on the correct level of the pyramid, 2) describe what happens to the energy as it moves through
the pyramid, 3) draw arrows that indicate the directional movement of energy, 4) write the number 1000 in
the first trophic level, and 5) then write the correct label on each arrow.
1. What is the ultimate source of energy for the pyramid?
__________________________
2. What process is used by the organisms at the bottom to transform radiant/solar energy into food?
__________________________
3. What type of energy is given off as energy is transferred between trophic levels in the pyramid?
__________________________
4. How do the number of organisms compare at the bottom of the pyramid to the top of the pyramid?
__________________________
5. Describe the predator-prey relationship.
6. Describe the parasite-host relationship in a symbiotic relationship.
7. In what ways are the predator-prey relationship and the parasite-host relationship similar?
8. Compare and contrast food chains and food webs using the Venn diagram.
Terrestrial food Web