6th Grade Science Guide

6.4: Ecosystems 3 Dimensions & Progressions

Unit 5

actual and potential invasive species. Click "Advance year" to see the impacts of these biotic changes.

Activity: What is a food chain?

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Students are introduced to food chains and energy fow through a food chain through discussion, reading and writing activities.

● Slide Presentation ● Reading

● I can describe a food chain and how energy is lost at each level in a food chain.

Activity: Food Chain Gizmo

Overview

Objective

Materials

● In this ecosystem consisting of hawks, snakes, rabbits and grass, the population of each species can be studied as part of a food chain. Disease can be introduced for any species, and the number of animals can be increased or decreased at any time, just like in the real world.

● Gizmo

Students will… ● Classify organisms as producers or consumers. ● Observe a food chain in equilibrium. ● Determine how one organism affects others in a food chain. ● Observe how disturbing the equilibrium of an ecosystem

can result in long-term population fuctuations.

Activity: Weaving a Food Web

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Student learn about food webs by using yarn and pictures of animals in an

● Lesson Plan ● Yarn

● Students will be able to explain that food chains can be complex in the real world, and really resemble more of a web. ● Students can explain that

ecosystem. This helps them see a visual of the complexity of food in an ecosystem.

energy is lost with each transfer through the food chain/web.

Formative Assessment: 6.4.3 Formative Assessment