Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
Subject: Science
Grade: 6
Time Required: 3 Class Periods
Content TEKS and Clarifiers:
6.12The student knows that the responses of organisms are caused by internal or external stimuli. The student is expected to:
(C) Identify which components of an ecosystem to which organisms may respond.
Educational Objective:
What the student must know
Ecosystems contain biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components to which organisms may respond.
What the student must do:
Construct a Mini-Ecosystem”
Complete a Frayer Model for “biotic” and “abiotic”
More Information:
For more information see the TRIAND Resources icon for this SE.
Vocabulary:
Ecosystem
Abiotic factors
Biotic factors
NOTE: Students should be able to define vocabulary words from their learning experiences. More detailed information is found in the teacher background section.
For ideas on teaching vocabulary, refer to the TRIAND resources icon to select District Strategies: Verbal/Visual, Automaticity, etc.
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
Procedures:
E
1.
Ask students to make a list in their journal of 10 items in the
Materials: classroom.
2.
After students are finished, list their responses on the board.
3.
Tell students that if they do not have the items you are listing on the board to add them to their list.
Science journal (I)
Whiteboard or chalkboard (T)
Markers or chalk
(T)
4.
After listing all items, ask students to divide their lists into two groups based on some characteristic.
5.
Ask students how they divided the list. Write all answers on the board.
Facilitation Questions:

Which items did you write on your list?” (accept all answers)

How did you divide your list? (accept all answers.)
E
1.
Tell students they are going outside to create a mini-ecosystem.
2.
Review with students that an ecosystem consists of all of the living and nonliving parts of the environment.
3.
Pass out first part of the “Mini-Ecosystem” activity.
4.
Explain directions to students before going outside to their ecosystems.
5.
Divide students into groups of three-four.
6.
Pass out equipment – either one large hula hoop or 4 stakes and
16 meters of string per group.
7.
Take students outside to an area study with quite a bit of grass.
8.
If students are using hula hoops, place the hula hoop on the ground. If students are using stakes and rope, instruct them to
Materials:
First part of “Mini-
Ecosystem” activity
(I)
Large hula hoops
(L)
OR
4 stakes (L)
String (L)
Meter stick (L) make a 4 meter X 4 meter square area by using the stakes and string.
9.
Instruct students to dig into the grass – lots of things are in there!
10.
If students have a difficult time finding abiotic factors, help them with a few examples – soil, heat, sun, water, and air.
11.
You may also allow them to use trees if there is one nearby but not in their ecosystem.
12.
Allow students 15-20 minutes to find all they can find.
13.
Gather up materials and take students back into class.
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
Facilitation Questions:

What factors did you list?” ( accept all answers )

How do all these factors contribute to the ecosystem? (Soil provides plants with nutrients, plants provide food for the insects, sunlight helps the plants produce food, water is necessary for plants and animals, and temperatures have to be right for the plants and animals.)
E
Materials:
Textbook (I)
1.
Ask students to put away their activity sheet for a few minutes.
2.
Pass out The Frayer Model Map (found on Triand in district
2 Frayer Model resources.) Each student will need two Frayer Model Maps.
3.
Write the words “biotic” and “abiotic” on the board.
4.
Instruct students to turn in their text to pages 267-268.
Maps (I)
Whiteboard or chalkboard (T)
5.
Ask students to read Biotic Factors through Abiotic Factors
Markers or chalk
(T) completing their Frayer Model Map as they read.
6.
After students complete the Frayer Model Map ask them to include examples and nonexamples that were not listed in their book.
7.
Tell students they will also classify the items on their “Mini-Ecosystem” lists as biotic or abiotic in the same way.
8.
Display some of the completed Frayer Model maps. Use questioning strategies to check for student understanding.
Facilitation Questions:
 What do you think the root word “bio” means?” ( life; some examples are: biology-study of life, biography-story of life )
 What do you think the “a” in front of “bio” means?
(not or no.)

What does abiotic mean?
(not living)

What is the difference between living and not living?
(living things are made of up cells, they can move, respire, reproduce, respond; nonliving things are not made of cells and
cannot do all these things)
E
9.
Ask students to take out their “Mini-Ecosystem” activity sheets.
10.
Pass out the second part of the activity.
11.
Go over the instructions divide their lists into “biotic” and
“abiotic.”
12.
Students may have a difficult time with the last two questions – tell them to think about the job of the item in the ecosystem.
13.
Ask students to complete the second part of the activity individually, then discuss it as a class.
Materials:
“Mini-Ecosystem” activity (I)
For extension:
Magazines
Glue
Construction paper
Scissors
Markers
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
14.
Call on a student and ask him/her to give you one item from the biotic list and explain their role in the environment. (making food, eating food, decomposing, etc.)
15.
Repeat #26 until you get several good answers.
16.
Call on a student and ask him/her to give you one item from the abiotic list and explain their role in the environment. (nutrients for soil, water for hydration, air for oxygen and carbon dioxide, sun for warmth and for making food, etc.)
17.
Again, repeat #28 until you get several good answers.
18.
Ask students to turn in activity.
19.
As a good extra credit or extension activity students can put together their own ecosystem using pictures from magazines – make sure they include both biotic and abiotic factors.
The ecosystem does not have to be real.
Facilitation Questions:

How many different items did you find? ( numbers will vary but if students are diligent there should be quite a few)

How many items are plants? ( again, numbers will vary.)

How many of you found some sort of fungus-maybe a mushroom? ( either way, explain that a fungus is not a plant – they are in different kingdoms – fungi cannot make their own food like a plant)

How many of the items are animals? ( again, numbers will vary )

Did anyone include humans? (explain to students that humans are animals, as are
insects, reptiles, etc)
E
20.
Use following rubric for Frayer Model Maps.
Materials: rubrics
Scoring Rubric: Biotic and Abiotic Frayer Model Maps
Score
Criterion:
The student
4
The student completes all with at least 5 examples for each.
3 2
The student completes with
4 examples for each.
The student completes with 3 examples for each.
21.
Use the following rubric for “Mini-Ecosystem” activity.
Grade_6_Science_Biotic and Abiotic Factors 4
1
The student completes with
2 examples for each.
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY 4
Participation Used time well in field and focused attention on the activity.
3 2
Used time pretty well. Stayed focused on the activity most of the time.
Did the activity but did not appear very interested. Focus was lost on several occasions.
1
Participation was minimal OR student was hostile about participating.
Data Excellent grasp of interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Good grasp of interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Medium grasp of interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Inconclusive grasp of interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Materials Details/Advanced Preparation:
E
Whiteboard or chalkboard (T)
Markers or chalk (T)
E
First part of “Mini-Ecosystem” activity – copy only first page!!! (I)
Large hula hoops (L)
OR
4 stakes (L)
String (L)
Scissors (L)
Meter stick (L)
E
Textbook (I)
2 Frayer Model Maps (I)
Whiteboard or chalkboard (T)
Markers or chalk (T)
E
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
Second part of “Mini-Ecosystem” activity (I)
For extra credit or extension:
Magazines
Markers
Construction paper
Scissors
Blue
E
Rubrics (I)
Teacher Background Information:
An ecosystem is all the living and non-living things found in an area. All of the living things in an ecosystem respond to everything around – whether it is biotic (living) or abiotic (non-living.) Living things respond to each other in a number of ways, for example, plants provide food for other living things. Dead organisms provide food for decomposers (fungi and bacteria.) Animals also respond to other animals within a predator/prey system.
Living things also respond to abiotic factors. All living things need water. Plants need sunlight to produce the food that they, and animals, need. The air provides both oxygen for animals and carbon dioxide for plants.
Targeted TEKS:
Additional Documents/Resources:
See District Strategies available on TRIAND.
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