Name: _________________________
Material Due Date: _____________________
Project: Building a Sustainable Closed Ecosystem
Project Goal: To use some type of sealed, clear (so you can make observations) container to build an
ecosystem that can sustain itself without adding any biotic/abiotic factors (other than sunlight) once it is sealed.
You will compete against your classmates for the overall most diverse/longest lasting ecosystem.
Project Description: You must use some type of container to contain an ecosystem. This system can be
aquatic, terrestrial, or both. You can use any materials from home, or what you can gather outside. The
ecosystems will be stored on the windowsill so they receive sunlight. You must make sure that the ecosystem is
SEALED with a cap, lid, etc. We will then duct tape it shut. NO MAMMALS, AMPHIBIANS, or REPTILES!
Part I: Background Information: As a group you must find background information on what makes an
ecosystem sustainable. What factors play a role (both Abiotic and Biotic) in keeping an ecosystem healthy?
Make sure you EXPLAIN why each of these factors are important. What organisms are important in an
ecosystem?
List of Abiotic Factors:
List of Biotic Factors:
Part II Hypothesis: As a group you must formulate a hypothesis as to how you will can create a healthy
ecosystem. This will be a two part hypothesis. Pick the 3 most important Abiotic Factors, and the 3 most
important Biotic Factors.
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Hypothesis 1: “The hypothesis is that _______, _______, _______, … are important Abiotic factors
involved in an ecosystems sustainability.”
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Hypothesis 2: “The hypothesis is that _______, _______, _______, … are important Biotic factors
involved in an ecosystems sustainability.”
You need to have Parts I and II completed before you assemble and start your ecosystem. It is these 2
hypotheses that you will evaluate at the end of the project in your lab report and technology presentation to the
class (iMovie, PowerPoint, WikiSpace, Glogster).
Part III Testing your Hypothesis: This is where you actually run your ecosystem. The second you seal your
lid, you have begun your experiment. You need to collect data as a group (can assign days to each member)
each day Monday to Friday we are in school. This data must be collected in stored in a data log that you will
keep next to your project. You must collect both quantitative (numbers data) and qualitative (observational)
data on your ecosystem each day in your log.
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Quantitative: As part of your hypothesis you are testing what factors play a role in your ecosystem. In
order for you to evaluate whether or not your hypothesis is correct, you must take data and evaluate it.
You can take inventories of specific species, plant growth rates, etc. But you must have data that you
can put in a data table and later evaluate.
Qualitative: You need to take observational data each day. You can take it in paragraph form, or you
can make a table to check off observations you see each day. You will also use this data when evaluating
your hypothesis in your conclusion.
Part IV Lab Report and MultiMedia Project: Individually you will write a lab report for this project, and as a
group you will work cooperatively to develop a MultiMedia project (iMovie, WikiSpace, Glogster, ect) to share
your findings and conclusions with the class. These reports/projects will include an Introduction, Purpose,
Hypothesis, Procedures, Data, and Conclusion section. Details and rubrics for these will be given out next
week. This project must include either pictures or video of your project.
Project Diagram Sketch.
Below you will draw a diagram/sketch of your project. You need to make sure that you LABEL each part of the
diagram so that I know what you are trying to build.