ECOSYSTEMS - ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Hello 4th. graders,

Here are some useful links for you to check. Don't forget the following are important vocabulary words:

Ecology – The study of the interaction between living and non-living things.
Ecosystem:  all the living and nonliving things in an environment and the many ways they interact
Population:  all the members of one species that live within an area of an ecosystem.
Community:  different populations that interact with each other in the same area.
Niche: the specific role an organism has in its habitat.
Organism: a living thing.


Herbivores:  consumers that get energy by eating only plants
Carnivores:  consumers that eat only animals
Omnivores:  consumers that eat both plants and animals
Decomposers:  organisms that eat the waste and remains of dead plants and animals



Watch the following video. What important ideas can you find?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuejxJttBqo&feature=related

Following are the objectives of the Science Program Lessons for the 3rd. period, so you should be able to answer or explain these topics:

Lesson 1 Objectives:
•    Explain what a system is. Give an example.
•    Describe the basic characteristics of an ecosystem.

Lesson 2 Objectives:
•    Explain/draw how most living things use energy from the Sun to live and grow.
•    Identify-Represent the relationship among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial
food chains (for example, the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
•    Explain; give examples of patterns of interdependence in ecological systems.





I recommend you read the following article:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/iceberg_C-19.html

Also, you can try this link with games on food chains:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm








 The following video tells about the transfer of energy, so you understand better this process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T2nEMzk6_E

Lesson 3 Objectives:
•    Explain, represent, and find examples of the relationship among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains (for example, the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers).
•    Identify and explain the need for nutrients and minerals for living organisms.
•    Match, identify, find examples of patterns of interdependency in ecological systems.

Ecosystems

We are learning about ecosystems and here is some interesting information to complete your investigation project at home. Here are some web pages that you can check for information on ecosystems and the different biomes: grassland, deciduous forest, tundra, marine (ocean) etc.:

The following page has basic information about different types of ecosystem as well as some games:

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0164-ecosystems.php

This link will take you to a video we watched in class about what an ecosystem is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdKhQVHc3Ao

In this page you will find links to videos with a good description of each individual biome.

http://www.neok12.com/Ecosystems.htm

Information about the different biomes (ecosystems) of the world. You will find interesting facts about the location, animal and plant populations, weather, and other characteristics of each biome.

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769052.html

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/index.html

Watch this movie and pay attention to the information given about the main six biomes on Earth. At the end there are some questions, I am sure you will be able to answer them correctly!

http://www.kidsknowit.com/interactive-educational-movies/free-online-movies.php?movie=biomes

 Look at the pictures, can you identify what type of ecosystem is each one?

Good luck!