Movement of Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

An important goal of this unit is for students to create their own models of how matter and energy move through an ecosystem. We begin with expanding on the idea of how energy is transfered from the sun to plants and used to help plants grow. Students will observe hydroponic growing to understand that the two most important ingredients for plants are sunlight and water. 5th graders will next explore food chains, followed by food webs. Each year students also observe composting and other related issues, such as food waste and microplastics in connect to our unit on Human Impact.

One key aspect of our Movement of Matter and Energy Unit for fifth graders is dissecting owl pellets. After learning about important roles within an ecosystem (the sun, producers, consumers, and decomposers). Students dissect owl pellets in small groups with the help of clip on microscopes for their iPads. Each year students are hesitant to interact with what they call "owl poop," but everytime they get hooked!