Scribd
Upload
2 views

Exploring Ecosystems

The document outlines a classwork plan for Year 8 students focusing on the Sonoran Desert and various ecosystems. It includes learning objectives, key vocabulary, and activities designed to explore the interactions between organisms and their environments. The document emphasizes the importance of adaptations, biodiversity, and the food web in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Uploaded by

halmomani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views

Exploring Ecosystems

The document outlines a classwork plan for Year 8 students focusing on the Sonoran Desert and various ecosystems. It includes learning objectives, key vocabulary, and activities designed to explore the interactions between organisms and their environments. The document emphasizes the importance of adaptations, biodiversity, and the food web in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Uploaded by

halmomani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

Classwork Date: 12-1-2025

Main Title
SILENT STARTER
4.1 The Sonoran Desert 4.2 Different Ecosystems

Last Lesson: Explain how a new species can impact Last Week: Identify different ecosystems on the Earth.
other organisms in an ecosystem.**

Last Term: Explain how the random movement of Last Year: Discuss the similarities between plant and
particles leads to diffusion. animal cells’ structures.
Ecosystems

Ms. Haya Al-Momani


Year 8
Complete the Register!
4.1 The Sonoran Desert

Learning Objectives: Starter: Work in pairs to answer those two


• Introduction of a range of different questions (5 min)

ecosystems;
• exploration of a local ecosystem; an
1. WHY is a Desert a difficult
the ecosystem contains many different
place to live?
habitats

Keywords:
Adaptations, ecology, ecosystem, 2. How are cacti adapted to live
environment, food web, habitat, interact, in a desert?
nectar, nocturnal, pollen, pollinating
Keyword Definitions
Adaptations Features of an organism that help it to survive and
reproduce in its habitat

Nectar A sugar liquid made by flowers, to attract insects


for pollination

Pollen Tiny grains produced by flowers

Pollinating Transferring pollen grains from an anther(male part


of a flower to a stigma( female part of a flower)
Keyword Definitions
Interact affect one another

Environment Surrounding (anything external to the organism


that affects it)

nocturnal Active at night

Ecosystem A network of interactions between living and non-


living things
Keyword Definitions
Food web Indicating how energy is transferred between
organisms in an ecosystem.

Ecology The study of organisms in their environment

Habitat The place where an organism lives


The Sonoran desert

Think, pair, share:

Think about what animals


and plants live in the
Sonoran Desert. What
adaptations might they
have to allow them to
survive there?
The Sonoran Desert:
Deserts are not easy places for animals and
plants to live.

The organisms that live there must have


adaptations that help them to survive with little
water.

Cacti grow very slowly, roots spread out widely


just underneath the soil ready to absorb any rain
that falls.

Gila woodpeckers make holes in the cacti, to


make their nest
Cactus wrens often use a different kind of cactus (teddy
bear cholla, to make their nest(it is so spiky that very
few other animals will get close to them)
On hot days, lizards and other animals rest in the shade of
plants or burrow into the soil where it is cooler. At night,
when the temperature falls, they come out to feed.

In the Sonoran desert, it USUALLY rains heavily at least once


a year when the rains come many plants quickly produce
flowers.

Insects feed on the nectar and pollen in the flowers, helping


the plants to reproduce by pollinating them
Interactions in the Sonoran Desert

ALL the animals and plants in the Sonoran desert interact with
each other ( the actions of one organism affect another)
Non-living things in the desert
The plants and animals in the Sonoran Desert interact with their
non-living environment.

Light: the bright sunlight helps the plants to photosynthesis


producing food that other organisms can eat.

Temperature: very high during the day but much lower at night,
some animals are nocturnal.

Soil: Rocks and soil provide minerals for the plants to grow
Water: All organisms need water

Air: the desert air provides CO2 for the plants and O2 for the other
organism
The desert ecosystem
Everything in the desert interacts with everything else

All of these interactions make up the desert ecosystems


The food web

How energy is transferred


between organisms in an
ecosystem?
Decomposers: These organisms
recycle dead organisms and
waste into non-living elements.
Examples include bacteria, fungi,
certain insects, and snails.
Producers: These are organisms
that create their own food or
energy, typically through
processes like photosynthesis.
Consumers: These organisms
The desert food web
What is an Ecosystem?

• An ecosystem is a community of living organisms


interacting with their environment.
• Components include plants, animals, microorganisms,
water, soil, and sunlight.
• Examples: Forests, oceans, deserts, and grasslands.
Interactions in Ecosystems

• Organisms depend on each other for food, habitat, and


survival.
• Food chains show how energy moves through an ecosystem.
• Predators and prey keep each other's populations in balance.
Ecosystem
Connections
Think about a forest ecosystem. How do trees, animals, and
soil interact? Share your ideas with a partner.
Biodiversity's
Role
• Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in an
ecosystem.
• It helps ecosystems remain stable and resilient.
• Loss of biodiversity can disrupt ecosystem balance.
Draw a silly animal that could live in an imaginary
ecosystem. What does it eat?

It is brain break
time!
Draw a simple food chain in an ocean ecosystem.

What will your feedback


say? Draw your answer to
find out!
How do ecosystems maintain balance? Write a short
explanation.

What will your feedback say?


Write your answer to find
out!
What might happen if one species in an ecosystem
disappeared?

What will your feedback say?


Write your answer to find
out!

You might also like