Lesson 1: What is an Ecosystem?

Vocab

Duck Habitat

Fish Habitat

A few living organizations in their ecosystem.

My Squirrel and Tree Ecosystem

The squirrel is currently in the ecosystem that the tree provides.

Reflection Questions:

1. What do living things get from their ecosystems?
2. What evidence do you have to support your answer to Question 1?
3. What does the term ecosystem mean, based on your experience in this lesson? (Don't use the definition from the BIG IDEA here. Put it into your own words.)
4. Brainstorm at least one question you have about Ecosystems that you hope you learn from this unit.
5. Look at the image below that shows a portion of a forest ecosystem. Name at least five components (living or non-living things) of the ecosystem that you can either observe directly or infer. 
6. What are three (or more) interactions that might occur in this portion of the forest ecosystem?

Answers:

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1. Living things get many important things from their ecosystems. If there was nothing important or special to that animal in their ecosystem, they would find a new home. You want to live somewhere that fulfills your your needs. Animals get food, water, shelter (or their version of shelter), and safety all from their ecosystem.
2. Some evidence I have to back up question one is that animals need food, water safety and some type of shelter; they can't live without those essential needs. So they have to get those things from their ecosystem, if they didn't they would die. And then the living things wouldn't be living any more.
3. An ecosystem is a place where living things interact with other living things and non-living things. 
4. One thing I would like to learn in this unit is what the main difference between a habitat, biome and ecosystem really is. I would also like to learn what classifies a place as an ecosystem over a biome or habitat. 
5. Some components to this forest ecosystem are trees, the deer, the pond (water), rocks, bugs and mud. 
6. One interaction that might occur in this part of the forest ecosystem is the deer playing together. One other interaction is when a deer goes to get a drink it will be interacting with the water. Another interaction would be when a bird lands on a tree. The bird and tree will be interacting because they are touching. One final interaction that could happen is if a worm is eaten by a bird. The interaction is the bird eating the worm.

This forest ecosystem is for reflection questions five and six.