Ecosystems Are Not a Functioning Whole, but Simply a Collection of Organisms

Lesson 44 Forest Ecosystems 2 Days
State Standard
3.9 Organisms and Environments. The student knows that organisms have characteristics that help them survive, and can describe patterns, cycles, systems and relationships within the environments. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe the physical characteristics of environments and how
they support populations and communities within an ecosystem; S
3.2 Scientific Investigation and Reasoning. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during laboratory and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:
(C) construct maps, graphic organizers, simple tables, charts and bar graphs using
tools and current technology to organize, examine, and evaluate measured
data;
(D) analyze and interpret patterns in data to construct reasonable explanations
based on evidence from investigations;
(F) communicate valid conclusions supported by data in writing, by drawing
pictures, and through verbal discussions.
F = Foundation Standard S= Supporting Standard
Statement of Learning Objective
The students will understand that the physical characteristics of forest environments support organisms within an ecosystem.
Essential Question
How do the physical characteristics of a forest support the organisms within that ecosystem?
Vocabulary
Ecosystem, population, community, organisms, physical characteristics, forest
Materials
Engage: Engage PowerPoint
Explore: Ecosystems Sorting Cards,Ecosystem Sorting Notebook, Smartboard
Explain: Map of Texas document, colored pencils, Texas Ecosystems PowerPoint,
science notebooks, Texas Forest Ecosystem picture
Elaborate: Deciduous Forestsdocument
Evaluate: Texas Forest Ecosystem picture, science notebooks
Common Learner Misconceptions
Misconception / Correction Statement

Ecosystems are not a functioning whole, but simply a collection of organisms.

All ecosystems provide the same basic needs for all plants and animals.

Ecosystems include not just the organisms, but also the interactions between organisms and between the organisms and their physical environment.
All ecosystems are unique. Many provide similar supplies, but in different quantities. Different ecosystems can support different numbers of organisms.

Safety Issues
No safety issues are present.
Teacher Background
In this lesson, the Engage activity will help the students connect to the idea that forests provide shelter for many populations of animals. The sorting activity will lead students to discover on their own that a forest is an area with a large number of trees. They may be able to infer from the pictures that not all forests are alike. The students will also work together to discover what physical characteristics the deciduous forests of Texas have that are helpful in supporting a large community of varied organisms. They will also think of possible problems that organisms will need to overcome in order to survive. This will prepare them for the next lesson, Surviving in the Forest.
Ecosystem boundaries are not easily defined. Most maps detail the landform regions of Texas. Ecosystems are not always bounded by landforms, although things such as rainfall amounts can be influenced by landforms such as mountains. The Gulf Coast Plains is a physical region differentiating from the other Plains regions by altitude. Houston lies at the edge of the Piney Woods and the Coastal Prairie.
Teacher Preparation
Explore: Print and cut apart the Ecosystem sorting cards. Put each set into a
baggie.
Explain: If this is the first ecosystem lesson, print and cut apart copies of the Map of
Texas Document. Print and cut apart copies of Texas Forest Ecosystems
picture.
Elaborate:Print copies of the Deciduous Forests document Keep these copies for
use in the next lesson, Surviving in the Forest.
Day 1
ENGAGE Time: 5 minutes
Activities/Events
Teacher Directions / Guiding Questions

Tell the students that there has been a natural disaster and three more families are going to move into their house with them.
Ask the students to think with their group about different ways to accommodate more people. They can add or build something in their room. They cannot make the room bigger.
Use the Engage PowerPoint to show the students some interesting beds.

How can several people sleep in your room?
Have you seen special furniture that will help?
If you could build something what would it be?

EXPLORE Time: 25 minutes
Activities/Events
Teacher Directions / Guiding Questions
Sorting Activity

Give each group of students a set of Ecosystems Sorting Cards. Ask the groups to sort the cards any way they want.
Circulate through the groups to monitor how they are sorting the cards.
Use the Ecosystem Sorting Notebook document to help display the different ways that the students are sorting the cards.
Allow them to sort and resort the cards until they eventually have all of the cards sorted into forests book and not forests.
Show slide 2. Ask the students if they know what places are called that have lots of trees. (forests)
Discuss the advantages of having lots of trees.
Discuss the Engage problem and how the forest can serve a large and varied community of organisms.

What made you put all of these cards together?
What do all of the places on these cards have in common?
How are all of the places on these cards different from the places on those cards?
Can you sort them another way?
(Slide 2) What do all of these places have in common?

What is the advantage of all these trees? Lots of different places for different animals to shelter and find food.
How might all these trees and shrubs be similar to our problem at the beginning of class? (The trees are like the bunk beds where a different animal might be on a different branch; The trundle beds are hidden like a hole under the tree roots; A hole in the trunk might be like our hidden bed in the couch; Some animals sleep in a different pile of leaves every night. That could be like the cot or sleeping bags.)

EXPLAIN Time: minutes
Activities/Events
Teacher Directions / Guiding Questions
Map

Give each student a Map of Texas document. Use the Texas Ecosystems PowerPoint to help the students locate the forest areas of Texas. Color the areas green. Add Forests to the Key.

Forest Environment

Give each students a copy of the Texas Forest Ecosystempicture. They will place it in their Science Notebook. You might have them glue only a top anchor tab down so they can take notes underneath.
Show the Texas Forests PowerPoint to introduce the flora and fauna. Allow them to make notes in their science notebook. Remind them that the organismsand the non-living things make up the environment that surrounds another organism.

Does it seem like the forest has a large, medium, or small community?
What can the forest provide for all of these organisms?
What might the forest environment not provide?
If you were an organism in this environment, do you see anything you might need to protect yourself from?
How would you avoid being eaten?
How would you find food?
How would you find shelter?

DAY 2
ELABORATION Time: 40 minutes
Activities/Events
Teacher Directions / Guiding Questions
Partner Reading

Hand out the Deciduous Forests passage to each pair of students. Have the students read the Habitat section and look at the picture of the Four Seasons of Deciduous Forests at the end. Save these copies for the next lesson.
Each pair of students will create a T-Chart of Forest Pros and Cons on a sheet of paper. The partners will discuss all of the things they think the forest will provide for them under Pros. They will list problems they may encounter in their environment under Cons. Remind them to use what they learned from the reading and everything they discussed the previous day.
Allow the students to share what they wrote and make an anchor chart of the Pros and Cons. Be sure to keep a copy as their concerns will lead into the following lesson, Surviving in the Forest.

What can the forest provide for all of these organisms?
What might the forest environment not provide?
If you were an organism in this environment, do you see anything you might need to protect yourself from?
How would you avoid being eaten?
How would you find food?
How would you find shelter?

EVALUATE Time: 15 minutes
Activities/Events
Teacher Directions / Assessment

Using the Texas Forest Ecosystems picture they placed into their Science Notebook, the students will describe the environment and identify some populations of plants and animals in a Texas forest. You may want to give them sentence starters such as, ”The community of a forest is ______”, or
“Some populations of the Texas forests are ____, ______, and ______.” Remind them to list plants as well as animals.

Forest Pros and Cons partner work
Forest Ecosystems descriptions

SCIE_3_A_Les44ForestEcosystems_LES 1 2014 CFISD