Level 1 Mission 1:
Exploring the Ecosystem - Classifying
Organisms Guided Notes
Ecosystem Notes
Mission Debrief
In this video, you will…
• Learn the key vocabulary and concepts you will need to beat level
1
• Use the vocabulary words to identify and classify organisms from
around your landing site in the Deciduous Forest
• Prepare for the Performance Task and ELITE Biome Exploration
Project.
Primary Learning Objective:
Biologists will use scientific vocabulary words to classify biotic
factors and explain how biotic factors interact with abiotic
factors in an ecosystem.
Evaluation:
Vocabulary application and analysis multiple choice reading quiz
about the deciduous forest.
What is Biology
• -ology means the study of
• Bio- means life
• Biology: The study of the life. As a biologist
you will study the interaction among living
things, and between living things and their
environments.
As an ecologist
• You need to define the boundaries of
discussion.
– Which elements of the environment are included
in your analysis and models.
The Levels of Organization +
Boundaries of conversation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Atoms
Macromolecules
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ System
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
What are the levels of organization?
• Organism-An
individual living
thing:
Example: Alligator
• Population-A
group of the
same species
that lives in one
area
Example: All the
alligators in a
swamp
• Community-A
group of different
species that live
together in one
area
Example: Groups of
alligators, turtles,
fish, plants, in the
Everglades
What are the levels of organization?
• Ecosystem-Includes all
of the organisms as well
as the climate, soil,
water, rocks, and other
nonliving things in an
area
• Biome-Regions of the
world with similar
climate (weather and
temp) and animals and
plants
• Wetlands/Swamps
• Everglades
This is a picture of beautiful forest
near the landing site
What is the boundary of discussion in
a. Organism this photograph?
b.
c.
d.
e.
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
What is
is
?
• Biodiversity-The variety of living things in an ecosystem.
• Large variety of species living together.
–
–
–
–
Plants: Trees, bushes, grass, flowers
Animals: Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish
Insects
Bacteria
• Biodiversity is important because the diversity in an ecosystem maintains its
stability.
– Stability means balanced. The populations don’t increase or decrease too
much. There is enough of the right food for all the animals. The right
molecules are in the air and water. Plants and animals develop traits and
characteristics to maximize the use of other plants and animals in their
environment.
– All the different plants and animals play different roles to keep the ecosystem
going
Biotic Vs Abiotic Factor
• Biotic Factor: Living organisms in an
environment/ecosystem: Includes plants, animals,
insects, and bacteria
• Abiotic factor: Nonliving thing in an environment:
Water (river, lakes, ocean), CARBON!!, dirt, rocks,
wind, rain, sun, and climate
• Both Biotic and Abiotic factors make up an
ecosystem and biomes.
Photograph A is a picture of
your landing site in the
deciduous forest.
Photograph B is a picture of
another ecosystem in the
deciduous forest.
Question: What important
abiotic factor is within the
boundaries of the ecosystem
in photograph B, but missing
from photograph A?
a. Turkey
b. Deer
c. Air
d. Water
Photograph A
Photograph B
What Organisms are found in an ecosystem
• Producer: Mostly plants! Organisms that take sunlight
and produce food and sugar made out of carbon
(photosynthesis!)
• Consumer: An animal that eats plants or other animals
to get their carbon in the form of sugar. The animal
then breaks down the sugar to make energy.
Consumers eat to get energy!!!
• Predator: An animal that eats other animals
• Prey: An animal that is eaten by other animals
6th Grade Review! Show me what you
know!
1. Which organelle breaks down the sugar you eat
to make energy for the cell?
a. Nucleus
b. Cell Membrane
c. Mitochondria
d. Golgi Apparatus
e. Cell Wall
f. Chloroplast
g. Ribosome
h. Endoplasmic Reticulum
6th Grade Review! Show me what you
know!
2. Which organelle traps and uses the energy from
sun to make sugar? Sugar is stored energy.
a. Nucleus
b. Cell Membrane
c. Mitochondria
d. Golgi Apparatus
e. Cell Wall
f. Chloroplast
g. Ribosome
h. Endoplasmic Reticulum
Herbivore, omnivore, carnivore oh my!
•
•
•
•
•
Herbivores: Animals that only eat plants
Omnivores: Animals that eat plants and animals
Carnivore: Animals that eat other animals
Insectivore: Animals that eat insects
Decomposer: Breaks down dead and dying plants
and animals
Deciduous Forest Organism
Identification
You’re exploring the
deciduous forest of planet
Gorlox and encounter a
deer eating berries.
Classify this organism.
a. Producer
b. Herbivore
c. Omnivore
d. Carnivore
e. Decomposer
Deciduous Forest Organism
Identification
Watch out! You don’t want
to get to close to the wolves
while they eat. They are very
territorial! Identify the
organism
a. Producer
b. Herbivore
c. Omnivore
d. Carnivore
e. Decomposer
Deciduous Forest Organism
Identification
Woah, look at the blue fungus
growing and feeding on the
fallen tree. Not only is fungus
important, it can look
beautiful too. What is fungus?
a. Producer
b. Herbivore
c. Omnivore
d. Carnivore
e. Decomposer
Deciduous Forest Organism
Identification
You spot a bear up in the
trees of the deciduous
forest. Later, you watched
a bird catch a fish from a
lake. Classify this
organism.
a. Producer
b. Herbivore
c. Omnivore
d. Carnivore
e. Decomposer
What are Decomposers
• Decomposers eat and break down the remains of
dead and dying plants and animal
• VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FOOD CHAIN
• Breaks the cells and tissues down into carbon
• The left over, uneaten, animal and plant remains
become nutrients in the soil that plants use to
grow!
What happens to the carbon in the
bodies of animals that were
decomposed?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The carbon is released into the atmosphere
The carbon is buried in the soil
The carbon is burned as fossil fuels
The carbon diffuses into the atmosphere
Levels of Consumers in the forrest
• Producer: Animal that produces sugar and food in the
form of carbon: Plants! Producers start the food chain.
• Primary Consumer: Herbivores that eat producers
• Secondary consumer: Carnivores that eat Herbivores or
primary consumers
• Tertiary consumer: Animals that eat other carnivores.
Eats secondary and/or tertiary consumers
Food Chain
Levels of Consumers
• The chloroplast in the grass do photosynthesis to produce sugar
and food made out of carbon!
• The grasshopper is the primary consumer. Primary consumers are
herbivores that eat the producer to get sugar and energy. The
grasshopper eats the grass to get sugar and energy. The carnivore
frog is the secondary consumer that eats the primary consumer.
The Frog eats the grasshopper to get sugar and energy. The
raccoon is the tertiary consumer that eats the secondary
consumer. The raccoon eats the frog to get sugar and energy. The
owl is a tertiary consumer as well because there is no level higher
than tertiary and tertiary consumer eats carnivores.
As you travel through the forest on planet Gorlox, you find a squirrel eating an acorn
from a tree. You see a snake eat a squirrel. You watch a hawk swoop down and eat the
snake. Correctly classify these organisms.
Chipmunks that eat peanuts are a
a.
b.
c.
d.
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer
A tree is a _________
a.
b.
c.
d.
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer
A snake that eats herbivores like
chipmunks is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer
Hawks that eat carnivores like snakes
are
a.
b.
c.
d.
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer