Curriculum into the classroom
Science
Year 9
Lesson: Exploring ecosystems — Understanding the flow
through an ecosystem (2 and 3 of 6)
Content descriptions
Unit 6
150 minutes
Science Understandings
Biological sciences
•
Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and
abiotic components of the environment: matter and energy flow
through these systems
Communicating
•
General capabilities
Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose,
including constructing evidence-based arguments and using
appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations
Literacy
Students will:
•
use and develop an understanding of science language specific to
this lesson. This will include:
o
o
o
technical vocabulary and everyday language used in science
contexts (e.g. energy, feeding relationships, producers,
consumers)
procedural vocabulary (e.g. analyse, discuss, reflect)
visual representations (e.g. food webs, flowcharts)
Critical and creative thinking
Students will:
•
•
generate and evaluate ideas about ecosystems
solve problems related to ecosystem dynamics and populations.
Personal and social competence
Students will:
•
•
•
Lesson objectives
work effectively in teams
follow procedures and work safely.
Students will:
•
•
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Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)
make responsible decisions
understand inputs and outputs of an ecosystem
examine the movement of matter and energy through an ecosystem.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
•
•
•
describe inputs and outputs of an ecosystem?
explain how energy and matter move through an ecosystem?
Identify plankton species within an ecosystem
Resources
Plankton Powerpoint
Plankton net, microscope, ID charts
Learning area
specific language
(metalanguage)
inputs, outputs, food webs, producers, consumers, energy, matter, flow,
factors, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, competition, predation,
mutualism, commensalism
The Australian Curriculum: Science includes a glossary of definitions of
language specific to the science learning area. (Select Download.)
Definitions of science terms are also available from the C2C: Science
glossary.
Misunderstandings
and alternative
conceptions
Students may demonstrate the following misunderstandings or alternative
conceptions:
Students may think that all the energy from the sun is converted into
useable energy for consumption. Explain that most of the sunlight that
shines onto an ecosystem will not be utilised by just corals.
Students may think that all the energy consumed by an organism is
passed onto the organism that consumes it. Explain to students that
much of the energy that is consumed by an organism will be used to
maintain the bodily processes required for life.
Students may think that respiration only occurs in animals. Explain to
students that respiration can also occur in corals.
Students may think that communities and ecosystems stand alone and
are closed. Explain to students that ecosystems and communities are
open systems and so factors will continuously flow into and out of the
system.
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Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)
Teaching and learning sequence
Opening the lesson
Teaching strategy
used
Interactive teaching:
Whole-class
Discussion
Discuss and record the factors that move into and out of the ecosystem
(refer to biotic and abiotic conditions discussed previously in the unit).
Introduce and define the terms ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’.
Focus questions:
What biotic and abiotic things could move into and out of the reef
ecosystem?
What is meant by the term ‘flow’?
What is meant by the term ‘factors’?
What similarities do you see between the inputs and outputs?
What could remain within the ecosystem?
Remind students that ecosystems are open systems, meaning that biotic
and abiotic factors are free to flow into and out of the system.
Body of lesson
Teaching strategies
used
Direct teaching: Explicit
teaching
and
Indirect Teaching:
Inductive teaching
Explain to students that these factors influence how the ecosystem
functions.
Focus questions:
How does sunlight influence an ecosystem?
How does current influence an ecosystem?
How does an animal influence an ecosystem?
What parts of the ecosystem rely on the inputs discussed?
What are the sources of energy and nutrients for coral in an ecosystem?
What are the sources of energy and nutrients for animals in an
ecosystem?
Explain to students that the interrelationships between the abiotic and
biotic factors of the environment facilitate the movement of matter and
energy through a system.
Plankton Trawl Powerpoint
Introduce Plankton to the students and work through powerpoint.
Plankton are Producers and First Order Consumers.
Plankton need sunlight as well as coral to ensure growth for life. This
energy isn’t passed on in the food chain but required for the plankton to
grow.
Plankton can determine the health of a reef ecosystem.
Stop at Slide 14
Food webs and food chains help to explain part of this movement.
Revise with students the hierarchical structure of organisms and how
each level acquires essential nutrients and energy for survival and what
it contributes to the environment during life and in death.
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Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)
Focus questions:
What is at the bottom of this food chain?
How does human input affect this food chain?
What would happen if Phytoplankton are missing from an ecosystem?
Can chemicals accumulate in the food chain?
Are plankton an important part of human survival?
Indirect Teaching:
Inductive teaching
and
Interactive teaching:
Whole-class
Discussion
Indirect Teaching:
Inductive teaching
Explain to students that the sun is the source of all energy for
ecosystems. Without it, all the components of an ecosystem will
collapse. Energy is transferred and transformed as it flows through an
ecosystem.
Discuss the process of photosynthesis with the class
Focus questions:
Name some organisms that utilise photosynthesis in the ocean?
Explain what role these organisms play in an ecosystem?
Can producers utilise all the energy available from the sun?
What are some of the factors that could limit the amount of sunlight a
producer could receive within a reef system?
How does this energy get to the other organisms of the ecosystem?
How does this process affect the amount of energy that is passed up the
feeding chain?
Focus questions:
How did the energy available to the higher order feeders change?
How could this explain population numbers?
Which organisms will the waste be utilised by?
How could the availability of energy relate to the number of feeding
levels within a food web?
Why is there more biodiversity at the Equator than in the higher
latitudes?
Explain to students that species within an ecosystem interact in a range
of ways. Such interactions are not just related to the flow of energy but
also for a range of resources that exist within the system, and are
essential for the species survival and longevity.
Focus questions:
What kind of resources may be needed to ensure a species survives?
What would happen to population numbers if multiple species were
competing for the same resources?
Do all interactions between species result in one being disadvantaged?
Interactive teaching:
Whole Class
Discussion
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Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)
Explain to students that such interactions can effect populations and thus
the flow of matter and energy through a system, as a result of the shift in
the food webs and species numbers.
Closing the lesson
Dry Lab
Teaching strategy
used
Discuss the inputs and outputs that were discussed at the start of the
lesson and how these can influence the nature of an ecosystem in
relation to availability of energy and matter.
Interactive teaching:
Whole-class
Discussion
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Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)
Focus questions:
What would occur if the availability of a particular resource was limited?
How would population numbers of a particular species change?
What abiotic factors could effect species populations?
What biotic factors could effect the distribution of nutrients?