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Name: ________________________
Ecosystems Final Project Directions
Description: You will be creating TriFold Science Fair style project that explains the problem you were trying to solve,
your hypothesis, your project and materials, your results, and conclusion (was your hypothesis correct? And why?). Make
sure that each category is clearly stated, clearly demonstrated and an explanation is given! Use this paper as your outline.
SECTION 1: TITLE: This should be a brief phrase that identifies the experiment yet identifies the key components of
the investigation. Should mention goal, purpose, hypothesis. This is not easy to do at first!
Example: Studying the impact of various fertilizers on bean plant growth. (Good!)
Example: The Fertilizer Lab.(Poor)
Detailed Project Title (write in here):
SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION: This is where you give the reader background information on the topics
your report focuses on. Make this informative but concise
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Before stating your problem you will provide the reader with a background information paragraph that you have
obtained prior to performing this laboratory. You need to acquire this information through research from valid sources
You must make the assumption that the readers have NO BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE on the material. Therefore
you must give information about import key terms, concepts, and ideas that will be discussed in the rest of your paper.
Include the following…
Should start with something like “The following are important concepts you need to know to understand the
ecosystem project…”
Then include …what an ecosystem is and how does it works, what foodwebs/chains are, what are the different
roles(niches) in these food webs? (list and define all of them!), what abiotic/biotic factors are, what sustainability is?
Opening sentence:
Ecosystems:
Foodwebs/chains:
What is a Niche?:
Herbivores:
Omnivores:
Scavengers:
Predetors:
Decomposers:
Abiotic:
Biotic:
Sustainability:
SECTION 3: PURPOSE PARAGRAPH:
 You should literally state somewhere… “The purpose of this project was to…fill in the reasons…”
 What question(s) are you trying to answer about ecosystems?
 Why did you make an ecosystem?
Purpose (2-3 sentences):
SECTION 4: HYPOTHESIS: This section should have a clearly stated Hypothesis. This hypothesis is what you
based the experiment/test on. This hypothesis is also what will be revisited and considered in your analysis section of your
conclusion.
 This first sentence should be your hypothesis. YO HAVE THIS DONE ALREADY!
 The hypothesis should literally look something like this… “The hypothesis of this ecosystem experiment is that
(blank), (blank), (blank) biotic factors and that (blank), (blank), (blank) abiotic factors are essential to a healthy
ecosystem”
 You need to EXPLAIN, why each of these factors that you selected are important for your ecosystem based on
your background knowledge and what you have learned in class!!!
 DO NOT CHANGE YOUR ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS!!! This is very important! It is okay if you were wrong,
you just need to explain why you were wrong in your conclusion.
Hypothesis (several sentences):
SECTION 5: MATERIALS: Give the materials list for your project here.
 The list should be BULLETED
 The list should include quantities and approximate sizes (example- three 2-liter bottles of diet coke)
 You should record yourself
Materials List:
SECTION 6: PROCEDURES: Give the Procedures list for your project here.
 The list should be Numbered
 The list should include 10-15 steps on how to put your ecosystem together
 You should pictures with the text.
Procedures:
SECTION 7: DATA: Give an explanation (using information from your data sheet) about what has happened
to your ecosystem over time. This should be a paragraph (written like a story) that you read and record on the
camera. You can have your pictures in the section to show the evolution of your ecosystem. YOU MUST INCLUDE A
DATA TABLE and a GRAPH of your data!
Data Explanation:
Section 8: Conclusion: The final part of your report is where you analyze your data and try to explain it.
SECTION VIII- Conclusion
***What to consider for Conclusion Section for this project- This is the hardest and most important part of your lab
report. This is where you prove to me that you understand what you did and why you did it. Also, this is where you show
me you know what you might have done wrong, and how you could correct it!!! So if you built a crappy ecosystem…this
is where you get points back!!! Make sure to include minimally…
 PART I- HYPOTHESIS: Make sure you consider your data and determine if you hypotheses were correct or
not. Literally start by restating your hypothesis, then say the “The hypothesis was correct/incorrect, based on…”
o Back it up with both DATA AND WHAT YOU LEARNED IN CLASS.
o Then you need to explain what when wrong/right and why in the next few sections.
 PART II- FOODWEB:
o Where you missing anything in your foodweb?
o Did you have all of the niches that you need?
o Make sure to include your food web that you made, and make another food web for what your ecosystem
should have had.
o Were any niches missing? Was there too many organisms in any of your niches.
 PART III C-O CYCLE:
o Show a diagram of the Carbon Oxygen cycle and how it pertained to your ecosystem.
o What was missing, if anything?
o Should you have done something different to maintain oxygen levels, and get rid of Carbon Dioxide?
 PART IV WATER CYCLE:
o Did you have it happening in your ecosystem?
o Was there anything you should change/add to have more of the water cycle happening?
 PART V EXPERIMENTAL ERRORS:
o include any experimental errors that may have occurred and what impact they had.
 PART VI- REFLECTION:
o What could you do better to make the ecosystem more sustainable, and why!
o In this section you should also note any changes you would make if you were to conduct the
experiment again.
Conclusion: