Week 4
What is the role of energy in an ecosystem?
Embedded Files
learning intentions
learning intentions
To understand ecosystems through exploring relationships between living and non-living elements, recognizing their balance and interconnectedness.
To investigate the change of phase of water from liquid to gas by scientific investigation.
Success Criteria:
Success Criteria:
I can explain identify biotic and abiotic elements of ecosystems.
I can define and use key vocabulary related to ecosystems
I can explain how energy is transferred (in the water cycle) and transformed (in ecosystems)
Tasks
Tasks
Knowledge & understanding
🍐 Ecosystems Peardeck and booklet
Investigation Skills
Prac: Boiling Water
Literacy & research
Bill Nye The Science Guy Wetlands worksheet - staple into booklet
Knowledge and understanding
Ecosystems
Ecosystems
The Earth system model shows that water moves continuously between the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. As the Sun heats oceans, lakes, and soil, liquid water gains kinetic energy and evaporates into water vapour (a gas). When the water vapour rises and cools, its particles lose kinetic energy and condense into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds, and may later freeze into ice crystals. Precipitation then returns water to Earth as rain, snow, or hail, demonstrating how changes in particle energy explain the different states of water and drive the water cycle.
Ecosystems depend on water in its different states of matter. Liquid water in rivers, lakes, and soil allows plants to absorb nutrients and carry out photosynthesis, while water vapour in the air affects humidity and transpiration from leaves. In colder environments, solid water (ice and snow) stores fresh water and provides habitats for specialised organisms, and when it melts it releases liquid water back into the environment. Because water continually changes state, it controls when and where organisms can live, grow, and survive.
Investigation skills
Transfer of Energy: Boiling Water
Literacy & Research
In your own words, can you explain what makes an environment or an ecosystem?
How is the environment you live in different from another animal's, say a frog or a deer? How are these environments the same?
What keeps an environment in motion? What fuels the animals and plants that live within these ecosystems?
The sun provides energy to algae, insects and plants, which are, in turn, consumed by fish and animals, in turn consumed by larger animals and humans.
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