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8.11B
Abiotic vs. Biotic
LESSON
PLAN
Summary
Ecosystems include things you can see, like water, soil, and vegetation. They also include
things that are hidden from our eyes, like organisms living underground and microorganisms that are too small to see with our eyes.
TEKS
8.11B – The student will investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem
depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water,
range of temperatures, or soil composition.
College Readiness Standards
X. Environmental Science
B. Energy
1. Understand energy transformations.
b. Describe how energy flows through the Earth’s ecosystems while materials cycle
repeatedly within these systems (e.g., food chains and webs, trophic levels,
niches, predator-prey interactions, succession).
ELPS
1A – Use prior knowledge to understand meanings
1C – Use techniques such as concept mapping, drawing, memorizing, comparing,
contrasting, and reviewing to learn new vocabulary
2C – Learn new language heard in class
2H – Make inferences and predictions appropriate to grade-level
3D – Speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context
4J – Use inferential skills such as predicting, making connections, drawing inferences, and
finding supporting text evidence
5B – Write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level
vocabulary
Resources
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District adopted textbook.
Purple C.O.W. (curriculum on wheels)
 Title: Abiotic Factors
Instructional Strategies (check those that apply)
X
X
X
Enhanced context strategies
Collaborative grouping strategies
Questioning strategies
X
X
Robert Marzano’s strategies
District strategies
Scientific investigations and reasoning
(NOS, descriptive and comparative
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X
X
X
X
Inquiry strategies
Manipulation strategies
Assessment strategies
Instructional technology strategies
X
investigations)
Safety lab rules and procedures
Appropriate modifications
Enhanced material strategies
Notes (procedures/5E model)
Engage: Activity/Warm-Up
1. To activate prior knowledge of biotic and abiotic features of an ecosystem, give each
student 2 posted notes. Have the students label the posted notes abiotc and biotic.
Remind students that biotic parts of the environment include all the living things
while abiotic parts of the environment include all the nonliving things.
2. Take students on a nature walk around the school building.
3. Have students write 5 examples of biotic factors that they see under the posted note
labeled biotic.
4. Have students write 5 examples of abiotic factors that they see under the posted note
labeled abiotic.
5. Create a class list on the board or ELMO.
6. Call on students to volunteer their answers and place it on the chart.
7. Discuss the answers and provide feedback.
ABIOTIC
BIOTIC
Explore: Field or laboratory investigation, mini-lab hands-on activity, construct a model, etc
1. Students will create four different lab set-ups. Divide students into 8 groups: 2 Light,
2 Water, 2 Temperature Range, and 2 Soil Composition.
2. Students will observe each set up daily and record observations in Science journal.
3. At the end of the week, each expert group will report information to the class.
A. Light
Students will be given a shoe box (no top), soil, 8 Wisconsin fast plant seeds, 1
graduated cylinder, and a piece of black construction paper.
Procedure:
1. Add enough soil to the fill a fourth of the shoe box.
2. Scatter 4 seeds on the left side of the box.
3. Scatter 4 seeds on the right side of the box.
4. Cover the seeds with soil.
5. Measure out 100ml of water and add it to the left side of the box. (soil should be
moist; if it is not, add more water and record how much you added in data chart)
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6. Measure out 100ml of water and add it to the right side of the box. . (soil should be
moist; if it is not, add more water and record how much you added in data chart)
*Repeat steps 5 and 6 daily
7. Place the piece of black construction paper over the right side of the shoe box and
tape it do. (There should be no light entering the right side of the shoe box.)
8. Place shoe box next to a window.
B. Water
Students will be given 2 water bottles, soil, 4 Wisconsin Fast Plants, and 1 graduated
cylinder.
Procedure:
1. Cut the top off of the water bottles.
2. Add enough soil to fill half of both water bottles.
3. Scatter 2 seeds in one bottle, and label it bottle A.
4. Scatter 2 seeds in the other bottle, and label it bottle B.
5. Add just enough soil to cover seed.
6. Measure out 100ml of water and add it to bottle A.
7. Measure out 300ml of water and add it to bottle B. (Repeat steps 6 and 7 daily)
8. Place bottles next to a window.
C. Temperature Range
Students will be given 2 mini clay pots, 6 Wisconsin Fast Plants, and 1 graduated
cylinder.
Procedure:
1 . Add enough soil to fill ¾ of the mini clay pot.
2. Scatter 3 seeds in one clay pot, and label it Pot 1.
3. Scatter 3 seeds in the other pot, and label it Pot 2.
4. Add just enough soil to cover seed.
5. Add 50ml of water to pot 1 and pot 2. (soil should be moist; if it is not, add more
water and record how much you added in data chart)
*Repeat this step daily
7. Place a small heater next to Pot 2 (heater should be at least 1 foot away from Pot 2)
8. Turn the heater on at 9 am o’clock daily and turn it off at 4 pm daily.
D. Soil Composition
Students will be given a 3 water bottles, clay soil, sandy soil, loam, 12 Wisconsin
fast plant seeds, and 1 graduated cylinder.
Procedure:
1. Cut the top off of the water bottles.
5. Add clay soil to fill half of one water bottle and label it bottle 1.
6. Add sandy soil to fill half of one water bottle and label it bottle 2
7. Add loam to fill half of one water bottle and label it bottle 3.
8. Scatter 4 seeds in each of the bottles.
9. Add just enough soil to cover seed.
10. Add 100ml of water to bottle 1, bottle 2, and bottle3. (soil should be moist; if it is
not, add more water and record how much you added in data chart)
*Repeat this step daily
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Explain: Student-Centered /Teacher Explanation/Student Analysis/Questioning/Note-taking
1. Students will complete the Analysis Chart provided in Black line mastery.
2. Reiterate that abiotic is something that has never lived and biotic is something that is
living or was once living. Bring in the concepts that living things have 6
characteristics: growth, reproduction, respiration, complex chemical reactions, cells,
and movement. Ask the students to write these characteristics at the bottom of their
paper in case they need to refer to them later.
3. Monitor students as they complete the assignment and answer questions.
4. Discuss the answers and provide feedback.
5. View purple C.O.W. video titled Abiotic Factors.
6. Discuss Abiotic and Biotic Factors.
Elaborate: Individual or Group Activity/Problem Solving/Decision Making
1.. Students will create the 4 fold Dinah Zikes foldable. Students will be to choose four
different biome to research. The students will have to label and describe each biome on
the inside of each flap. The student will identify the biotic and abiotic factors in each
biome identified that organisms compete for in the center of their foldable. .
2.Monitor students as they complete the assignment and answer questions.
3.Discuss the answers and provide feedback.
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Outside
Biome name
Picture of
Biome
1.
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Inside
Description of
Biomes
Abiotic an
Biotic factors
that organism
compete for in
that Biome
Evaluation: Closure, Performance Assessment/Journal entry, produce a product with a
rubric
1. Students will complete the half sheet titled “Abiotic vs. Biotic”.
2. Discuss the answers and provide feedback.
Materials
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Journals
Construction paper
Posted Notes
Purple C.O.W.
Projector
Markers
Wisconsin Fast Plant
Water bottles
Mini clay pots
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Small heater
Clay soil
Sandy soil
Loam
Graduated cylinders
Vocabulary (define)
Abiotic factors -include such items as weather, climate, shelter availability, and geographic
barriers.
Biotic factors include: plants, animals, or anything that is living.
Habitat is the set of physical and environmental conditions that determines where an organism
or group of organisms can live most comfortably.
Population is a group of organisms of the same species that live together.
Community consists of all the people living in one specific area or people who are considered a
unit because of their common interests, culture, or heritage.
Ecosystem is the network of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
Organism is a single living plant, animal, bacteria, or virus.
Niche is defined by the way the organism interacts with the living and nonliving components of
its ecosystem - what it eats, the habitat it prefers, etc.
Decomposers - living things that feed on and break down things that are dead.
Daily Assessment
Student activities will be assessed.
Homework Details
Homework Modifications
Follow IEP’s
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Blackline
Masters
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Abiotic vs. Biotic
Directions: Look at each picture. Label each picture as Abiotic or Biotic. Explain your answers.
SUN
BUTTERFLY
_________________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
__________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
ROCKS
BACTERIA
___________________________________
__________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
WATER
___________________________________
FLOWER
S
__________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
Cut----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abiotic vs. Biotic
Directions: Look at each picture. Label each picture as Abiotic or Biotic. Explain your answers.
SUN
_________________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
BACTERIA
___________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
WATER
___________________________________
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Explain:___________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
BUTTERFLY
__________________________________
FLOWER
S
__________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
Explain:___________________________________
ROCKS
__________________________________
Choose any organism in Harris county. Describe how this organism compete for abiotic and biotic factors.
Make sure you include key words like: biotic, abiotic, soil composition, temperature range, etc…
Cut---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Choose any organism in Harris county. Describe how this organism compete for abiotic and biotic factors.
Make sure you include key words like: biotic, abiotic, soil composition, temperature range, etc…
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Analysis Data Chart
Abiotic
factors
Light
Water
Temperature
Range
Soil Composition
Biotic
factors
Independent
Variable
Dependent
Variable
Constants
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1. What are the limitation to this model?
2. How can you use this information in your every day life?
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