Dr. Dragonosky's Mad Science Lab Presents “Ecosystems” Module 8

Student Name:_______________
Science Teacher: ________________
HIP Manager: ________________
Module 10 of 15
Ecosystems
Grade 8
Students: Please return your completed module to your HIP teacher. Your HIP teacher will forward
your completed module to your science or math teacher to make sure you receive credit for the work
you have completed. Remember, your future is extremely important to us and we are here to help
you! Get your next module and keep going – you will be SUCCESSFUL!!!

Organism
• An organism is any single living thing on Earth
• Examples: plant, insect, or animal

Population
• More than one living thing of the same kind
living in an area
• Example: A group of the same kind of tree

Community
• More than one population of living things in
one area
• Example: grass, flowers, and tigers

Ecosystem
• An ecosystem is the
interaction between all
the living and nonliving
things in one area
• Can you name all of the
living things in this
picture?
• What do you think
nonliving things might
be?

Biosphere
• The biosphere includes everything on the
earth, including all of the living and non-living
things.

Organization of an
Ecosystem
1
Organism
5
Biosphere
2
Population
4
Ecosystem
3
Community

Practice
• Determine the organization of the ecosystem
by correctly labeling the pictures

Biotic
• The term biotic refers to things that are living
• Examples: plants, insects, and animals

Abiotic
• The term abiotic refers to all the nonliving
things in the environment
• Examples: air, sunlight, water, rocks

Practice
• Circle the pictures that show biotic factors. Put
a square around the pictures that show abiotic
factors.

The Sun
• All processes on earth happen because of the
sun.
• What makes a plant grow?
• _____________________________________

Photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is the process by which plants
use the sun’s energy to make their own food.
• The reactants in the equation for
photosynthesis are Carbon dioxide and water.
– CO 2 + H 2 O
• The products in the equation are glucose and
Oxygen.
– C 6 H 12 O 6 + O 2

Formula for
Photosynthesis
CO 2 + H 2 O C 6 H 12 O 6 + O 2
Energy from the sun drives the process of
photosynthesis for plants, which gives
energy to all the other organisms in a food
chain.

Food Chain
• A food chain shows the transfer of energy
from one organism to another. All of the
energy on Earth first comes from the Sun.
• Example: The Sun gives energy to grass and
then the energy is passed on to grasshoppers
when they eat the grass.

What Does a Food Chain
Show?
The flow of energy!

Producers and Consumers
1. The sun gives energy to Earth.
2. Producers are living things that get their energy directly from
the sun and make their own “food” (plants).
3. Producers give energy to organisms that eat plants, or
herbivores. Herbivores are primary consumers.
4. Herbivores give energy to organisms that eat both plants
and animals, or omnivores. Omnivores are secondary
consumers.
5. Omnivores give energy to organisms that eat only meat, or
carnivores. Carnivores are tertiary consumers.

Order of the Flow of
Energy
5
Tertiary Consumers
(Carnivores)
1
4
Secondary Consumers
(Carnivores/Omnivores)
3
Primary Consumers
(Herbivores)
2
Producers (Plants)

Practice
• Earth gets energy from the _______________.
• Organisms that get their energy directly from
the sun are called______________.
• Herbivores are _____________consumers.
• Omnivores are _____________ consumers.
• Carnivores are _____________ consumers.

Food Web
• A food web is the interaction between two or
more food chains in an ecosystem.

What is the role of the Orca in this food chain?
a. Producer
b. Primary Consumer
c. Secondary Consumer
d. Tertiary Consumer

Congratulations!!!
Job well done, and we will see you again
in
“Dr. Dragonosky’s
Mad Science Lab!!”