Ecosystems: Nature in Balance

Ecosystems: Nature in Balance 

INTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS TEACHING MODULE (ATM) 

Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 

Organization and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

INTRODUCING ECOSYSTEMS: NATURE IN BALANCE 

Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

PREPARATION FOR VIEWING 

Introduction to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Introduction to Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Discussion Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Jump Right In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 

AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM 

Suggested Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

Checking Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Food Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 

A Food Chain Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 

Getting the Meaning from Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 

Food Makers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 

Acrostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 

Ecosystems at Work I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Ecosystems at Work II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 

Ecosystems at Work III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 

Checking Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

ADDITIONAL AIMS MEDIA PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 

ADDITIONAL READING SUGGESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 

ANSWER KEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

1

© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group 

All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of AIMS Media with 

these exceptions: Persons or schools purchasing this AIMS Teaching Module may reproduce consumable ATM pages, 

identified in Section 4, for student or classroom use. 

AIMS Media is a leading producer and distributor of educational programs serving schools and libraries for 

nearly 40 years. AIMS draws upon the most up-to-date knowledge, existing and emerging technologies, and 

all of the instructional and pedagogical resources available to develop and distribute educational programs in 

film, videocassette, laserdisc, CD-ROM and CD-i formats. 

Persons or schools interested in obtaining additional copies of this AIMS Teaching Module, please contact: 

AIMS Media 

1-800-FOR-AIMS 

1-800-367-2467 

AIMS TEACHING MODULE WRITTEN BY JULIE KOERNER 

2

Congratulations! 

You have chosen a learning program 

that will actively motivate your students 

AND provide you with easily accessible 

and easily manageable instructional 

guidelines designed to make your 

teaching role efficient and rewarding. 

The AIMS Teaching Module provides 

you with a video program keyed 

to your classroom curriculum, 

instructions and guidelines for use, 

plus a comprehensive teaching 

program containing a wide range 

of activities and ideas for interaction 

between all content areas. Our 

authors, educators, and consultants 

have written and reviewed the AIMS 

Teaching Modules to align with the 

Educate America Act: Goals 2000. 

This ATM, with its clear definition of 

manageability, both in the classroom 

and beyond, allows you to tailor 

specific activities to meet all of your 

classroom needs. 


3

RATIONALE 

In today’s classrooms, educational 

pedagogy is often founded on 

Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Six Levels of 

Cognitive Complexity.” The practical 

application of Bloom’s Taxonomy is 

to evaluate students’ thinking skills on 

these levels, from the simple to the 

complex: Knowledge (rote memory 

skills), Comprehension (the ability to 

relate or retell), Application (the ability 

to apply knowledge outside its origin), 

Analysis (relating and differentiating 

parts of a whole), Synthesis (relating 

parts to a whole), and Evaluation 

(making a judgment or formulating 

an opinion). 

The AIMS Teaching Module is 

designed to facilitate these intellectual 

capabilities, AND to integrate 

classroom experiences and 

assimilation of learning with the 

students’ life experiences, realities, and 

expectations. AIMS’ learner verification 

studies prove that our AIMS Teaching 

Modules help students to absorb, 

retain, and to demonstrate ability to 

use new knowledge in their world. 

Our educational materials are written 

and designed for today’s classroom, 

which incorporates a wide range of 

intellectual, cultural, physical, and 

emotional diversities. 

4 

© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group

ORGANIZATION AND 

MANAGEMENT 

To facilitate ease in classroom 

manageability, the AIMS Teaching 

Module is organized in four sections, 

identifiable by their color across the 

top of the page and at the side tab 

margin. You are reading SECTION 1, 

INTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS 

TEACHING MODULE (ATM). 

SECTION 2, 

INTRODUCING THIS ATM 

will give you the specific information 

you need to integrate the program into 

your classroom curriculum. 

SECTION 3, 


provides suggestions and strategies for 

motivation, language preparedness, 

readiness, and focus prior to viewing 

the program with your students. 

SECTION 4, 


provides suggestions for additional 

activities plus an assortment of 

consumable assessment and extended 

activities, designed to broaden 

comprehension of the topic and to 

make connections to other curriculum 

content areas. 


5

FEATURES 

INTRODUCING EACH ATM 

SECTION 2 

Your AIMS Teaching Module is 

designed to accompany a video 

program written and produced by 

some of the world’s most credible 

and creative writers and producers 

of educational programming. To 

facilitate diversity and flexibility in 

your classroom, your AIMS Teaching 

Module features these components: 

Themes 

The Major Theme tells how this AIMS 

Teaching Module is keyed into the 

curriculum. Related Themes offer 

suggestions for interaction with other 

curriculum content areas, enabling 

teachers to use the teaching module 

to incorporate the topic into a variety 

of learning areas. 

Overview 

The Overview provides a synopsis of 

content covered in the video program. 

Its purpose is to give you a summary 

of the subject matter and to enhance 

your introductory preparation. 

Objectives 

The ATM learning objectives provide 

guidelines for teachers to assess what 

learners can be expected to gain from 

each program. After completion of the 

AIMS Teaching Module, your students 

will be able to demonstrate dynamic 

and applied comprehension of 

the topic. 

6 



SECTION 3 

In preparation for viewing the 

video program, the AIMS Teaching 

Module offers activity and/or 

discussion ideas that you may use 

in any order or combination. 

Introduction To The Program 

Introduction to the Program is 

designed to enable students to recall 

or relate prior knowledge about the 

topic and to prepare them for what 

they are about to learn. 

Introduction To Vocabulary 

Introduction to Vocabulary is a 

review of language used in the 

program: words, phrases, usage. 

This vocabulary introduction is 

designed to ensure that all learners, 

including limited English proficiency 

learners, will have full understanding 

of the language usage in the content 

of the program. 

Discussion Ideas 

Discussion Ideas are designed to 

help you assess students’ prior 

knowledge about the topic and to 

give students a preview of what 

they will learn. Active discussion 

stimulates interest in a subject and 

can motivate even the most reluctant 

learner. Listening, as well as speaking, 

is active participation. Encourage 

your students to participate at the 

rate they feel comfortable. Model 

sharing personal experiences when 

applicable, and model listening to 

students’ ideas and opinions. 

Focus 

Help learners set a purpose for 

watching the program with Focus, 

designed to give students a focal 

point for comprehension continuity. 

Jump Right In 

Jump Right In provides abbreviated 

instructions for quick management 

of the program. 


SECTION 4 

After your students have viewed 

the program, you may introduce 

any or all of these activities to 

interact with other curriculum content 

areas, provide reinforcement, assess 

comprehension skills, or provide 

hands-on and in-depth extended 

study of the topic. 


7

SUGGESTED 

ACTIVITIES 

The Suggested Activities offer ideas 

for activities you can direct in the 

classroom or have your students 

complete independently, in pairs, or 

in small work groups after they have 

viewed the program. To accommodate 

your range of classroom needs, the 

activities are organized into skills 

categories. Their labels will tell you 

how to identify each activity and help 

you correlate it into your classroom 

curriculum. To help you schedule 

your classroom lesson time, the 

AIMS hourglass gives you an estimate 

of the time each activity should 

require. Some of the activities fall 

into these categories: 

Meeting Individual 

Needs 

These activities are designed to aid 

in classroom continuity. Reluctant 

learners and learners acquiring 

English will benefit from these activities 

geared to enhance comprehension 

of language in order to fully grasp 

content meaning. 

MATH 

Curriculum Connections 

Critical Thinking 

Critical Thinking activities are 

designed to stimulate learners’ own 

opinions and ideas. These activities 

require students to use the thinking 

process to discern fact from opinion, 

consider their own problems and 

formulate possible solutions, draw 

conclusions, discuss cause and effect, 

or combine what they already know 

with what they have learned to 

make inferences. 

Cultural Diversity 

Each AIMS Teaching Module has an 

activity called Cultural Awareness, 

Cultural Diversity, or Cultural 

Exchange that encourages students 

to share their backgrounds, cultures, 

heritage, or knowledge of other 

countries, customs, and language. 

Hands On 

These are experimental or tactile 

activities that relate directly to the 

material taught in the program.Your 

students will have opportunities to 

make discoveries and formulate ideas 

on their own, based on what they 

learn in this unit. 

In The Newsroom 

Each AIMS Teaching Module contains 

a newsroom activity designed to help 

students make the relationship between 

what they learn in the classroom and 

how it applies in their world. The 

purpose of In The Newsroom is to 

actively involve each class member in 

a whole learning experience. Each 

student will have an opportunity to 

perform all of the tasks involved in 

production: writing, researching, 

producing, directing, and interviewing 

as they create their own classroom 

news program. 

Extended Activities 

These activities provide opportunities 

for students to work separately or 

together to conduct further research, 

explore answers to their own 

questions, or apply what they 

have learned to other media or 


Link to the World 

These activities offer ideas for 

connecting learners’ classroom 

activities to their community and 

the rest of the world. 

Many of the suggested activities are 

intended to integrate the content of 

the ATM program into other content 

areas of the classroom curriculum. 

These cross-connections turn the 

classroom teaching experience into 

a whole learning experience. 

Writing 

Every AIMS Teaching Module will 

contain an activity designed for 

students to use the writing process 

to express their ideas about what they 

have learned. The writing activity may 

also help them to make the connection 

between what they are learning in 

this unit and how it applies to other 


Culminating Activity 

To wrap up the unit, AIMS Teaching 

Modules offer suggestions for ways 

to reinforce what students have 

learned and how they can use their 

new knowledge to enhance their 

world view. 

8 


VOCABULARY 

Every ATM contains an activity that 

reinforces the meaning and usage of 

the vocabulary words introduced in 

the program content. Students will 

either read or find the definition of 

each vocabulary word, then use the 

word in a written sentence. 

CHECKING 

COMPREHENSION 

Checking Comprehension is designed 

to help you evaluate how well your 

students understand, retain, and recall 

the information presented in the AIMS 

Teaching Module. Depending on your 

students’ needs, you may direct this 

activity to the whole group yourself, 

or you may want to have students work 

on the activity page independently, in 

pairs, or in small groups. Students can 

verify their written answers through 

discussion or by viewing the video 

a second time. If you choose, you can 

reproduce the answers from your 

Answer Key or write the answer 

choices in a Word Bank for students 

to use. Students can use this completed 

activity as a study guide to prepare 

for the test. 

CONSUMABLE 

ACTIVITIES 

The AIMS Teaching Module provides 

a selection of consumable activities, 

designed to specifically reinforce the 

content of this learning unit. Whenever 

applicable, they are arranged in 

order from low to high difficulty level, 

to allow a seamless facilitation of the 

learning process. You may choose to 

have students take these activities 

home or to work on them in the 

classroom independently, in pairs 

or in small groups. 

CHECKING 

VOCABULARY 

The Checking Vocabulary activity 

provides the opportunity for students 

to assess their knowledge of new 

vocabulary with this word game or 

puzzle. The format of this vocabulary 

activity allows students to use the 

related words and phrases in a 

different context. 

TEST 

The AIMS Teaching Module Test 

permits you to assess students’ 

understanding of what they have 

learned. The test is formatted in 

one of several standard test formats 

to give your students a range of 

experiences in test-taking techniques. 

Be sure to read, or remind students 

to read, the directions carefully 

and to read each answer choice 

before making a selection. Use the 

Answer Key to check their answers. 


9

ADDITIONAL AIMS 

MEDIA PROGRAMS 

After you have completed this AIMS 

Teaching Module you may be interested 

in more of the programs that AIMS 

offers. This list includes several related 

AIMS programs. 

ADDITIONAL READING 

SUGGESTIONS 

AIMS offers a carefully researched list 

of other resources that you and your 

students may find rewarding. 

ANSWER KEY 

Reproduces tests and work pages 

with answers marked to all activities 

and tests. 

10 


Ecosystems: Nature in Balance 

THEMES 

The study of ecosystems is an integral 

part of the classroom curriculum in life 

science. The major theme is the 

interaction of organisms. Related 

themes include relationships among 

living things; natural resources 

and human responsibilities to an 

ecosystem. 

OVERVIEW 

Ecosystems: Nature in Balance provides 

students with a clear definition of an 

ecosystem – plants, animals, and their 

environment – by showing a wide range 

of ecosystems and illustrating how the 

living and non-living things interact to 

make the ecosystem work effectively. The 

program demonstrates how energy from 

the sun is used by plants to produce 

food, beginning the continuous cycle of 

the food chain. Students will learn to 

distinguish producers from consumers, 

and about the importance of decomposers 

to the food chain. By learning to identify 

an ecosystem and how it uses energy to 

thrive, students will comprehend and 

appreciate the importance of preserving 

the natural balance of our environment. 

OBJECTIVES 

 

 

To define and identify an ecosystem 

To explain the process of turning 

energy from the sun into the food 

chain cycle 

 

 

 

To distinguish between producers 

and consumers, and to recognize 

and define decomposers 

To explain how the removal or 

elimination of one part of an 

ecosystem can harm the whole 

ecosystem 

To describe a biosphere 

© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Ecosystems: Nature In Balance 

11

Use this page for your individual notes about planning and/or effective ways to manage this 

AIMS Teaching Module in your classroom. 

Our AIMS Media Educational Department welcomes your observations and comments. 

Please feel free to address your correspondence to: 

AIMS Media 

Editorial Department 

9710 DeSoto Avenue 

Chatsworth, California 91311-4409 

12 

© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Ecosystems: Nature In Balance

INTRODUCTION TO 

THE PROGRAM 

To find out what students already know 

about living things, ask: “What do living 

things need to survive” Elicit responses 

they have already learned about: air, 

sunlight, food. Encourage students to 

expand their knowledge by discussing 

different needs required by different 

living things. Explain that in Ecosystems: 

Nature in Balance, they will learn about 

living things and their environment, and 

how they work together to create an 

ecosystem. 

INTRODUCTION TO 

VOCABULARY 

DISCUSSION IDEAS 

Ask students to think about animals and 

where they live. Encourage discussion 

about the environment and circumstances 

surrounding different animals: where 

and how they get their food and find 

shelter. Tell students they are going to 

see how animals and all living things 

contribute to an ecosystem. 

FOCUS 

Tell students to watch Ecosystems: 

Nature in Balance and prepare to 

describe the ecosytems around them. 

To prepare students for viewing 

Ecosystems: Nature in Balance, present 

these words for review: pond, 

relationship, diet, storing (store), network, 

pollen, pollinate, preserve, reproduce, 

nutrients. Have students volunteer to 

provide the definitions, or to work in 

pairs or small groups to find their 

meanings and report them to the class. 


13

JUMP RIGHT IN 

HOW TO USE THE ECOSYSTEMS: NATURE IN BALANCE AIMS TEACHING MODULE 

Preparation 

 

 

Read Ecosystems: Nature In 

Balance Themes, Overview, 

and Objectives to become familiar 

with program content and 

expectations. 

Use Preparation for Viewing 

suggestions to introduce the topic 

to students. 

Viewing ECOSYSTEMS 

 

 

 

Set up viewing monitor so that all 

students have a clear view. 

Depending on your classroom 

size and learning range, you 

may choose to have students 

view Ecosystems: Nature In 

Balance together or in small 

groups. 

Some students may benefit from 

viewing the video more than one 

time. 

After Viewing ECOSYSTEMS 

 

 

Select Suggested Activities 

that integrate into your classroom 

curriculum. If applicable, gather 

materials or resources. 

Choose the best way for students 

to work on each activity. Some 

activities work best for the whole 

group.Other activities are designed 

for students to work independently, 

in pairs, or in small groups. 

Whenever possible, encourage 

students to share their work with 

the rest of the group. 

 

 

 

 

Duplicate the appropriate 

number of Vocabulary, 

Checking Comprehension, 

and consumable activity pages 

for your students. 

You may choose to have students 

take consumable activities home, 

or complete them in the classroom, 

independently, or in groups. 

Administer the Test to assess 

students’ comprehension of 

what they have learned, and 

to provide them with practice 

in test-taking procedures. 

Use the Culminating Activity 

as a forum for students to display, 

summarize, extend, or share what 

they have learned with each other, 

the rest of the school, or a local 

community organization. 

14 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

Meeting Individual Needs 

Bring in, or have student volunteers find, pictures of different plants and animals. Show 

each picture and have students identify it, first telling whether it is plant or animal, then 

saying its name. Encourage discussion about living things by asking: What about all 

the items in these pictures is THE SAME What is DIFFERENT To further reinforce the 

concept that all are living things that can be classified as either plants or animals, you 

may want to have students make a classroom display showing pictures, or writing the 

words for each living thing they classify PLANT, and each they classify ANIMAL. 

20 Minutes 

Cultural Diversity 

Ask students who have visited other countries or moved to your town from another 

country to discuss the kinds of animals they know about that live in different parts of 

the world. Elicit discussion about animals used for work, as on a ranch or farm. 

Encourage students to talk about their experiences. 


Hands On 

Encourage students to build an aquarium or terrarium for the classroom. Explain the 

difference: an aquarium is a tank that holds water and fish or small animals, and a 

terrarium is an enclosure for plants and small land animals. Tell students to ensure that 

the living plants or animals get the required light, air, and moisture for survival. Have 

students discuss how and why the living things in their aquarium or terrarium interact 

to create an ecosystem. 


Extended Activity 

Have the students work in small groups to find out everything they can about different 

types of bodies of water: pond, lake, river, ocean, bay. Tell each group to find out: 

how the body of water is formed and where it is found; what kinds of animal and 

plant life grow in and around their body of water; how the elements living in and 

surrounding their body of water interact to form an ecosystem. 


15 


Connection to Health and Nutrition 

HEALTH 

AND 

NUTRITION 

Review with students the meanings of the vocabulary words producers and 

consumers. Ask students “Are human beings producers of foods, or consumers” 

Encourage students to discuss the foods they eat, where they come from, and how 

they are prepared. If applicable, talk about the differences between herbivorous, 

carnivorous, and omnivorous. 


Connection to Drama 

Have student volunteers depict what happens to acorns in a forest by role-playing 

different forest animals. Tell them to use real acorns or choose something to 

represent acorns, and show how different animals eat or store acorns. One student 

can be a squirrel, one student can be a bear, and one student can be an acorn 

woodpecker. Encourage students to perform their skit for the rest of the class. 

DRAMA 


Connection to Language Arts 

LANGUAGE 

ARTS 

Assign students to work independently or in small groups to look up the prefixes 

eco- (combining form to mean home), aqua- (water), and terra- (land). Then have 

them make a list of words using the prefix, write their lists on the chalkboard, and 

encourage other students to contribute to their word lists. 


In the Newsroom 

Tell your students their Newsroom assignment will be as Science Reporters, to 

prepare a report on erosion and how it affects the earth. Tell the research team 

they can look in the encyclopedia under “earth” or find other resources to learn 

about erosion. Then have the writers write a science report, and a reporting team 

give the news report, perhaps with “on-site interviews.” If the equipment is available, 

have students make an audio or video recording of their newsroom report for later use. 


16 


Connection to Math 

MATH 

Give the whole group of students five minutes to brainstorm, and name as many living 

things as they can. Ask one or two volunteers to write the list of living things on poster 

board or the chalkboard as they are named. Then have the group work together to 

categorize the list of living things. Let the students select the categories; if they need 

guidance, you might want to suggest: Plants, Animals that live in the Water, Animals 

that Live on Land; or Producers and Consumers. Then have the students compile their 

categorized results on a classroom chart. 



Have students imagine they belong to a hiking club and their job is to write informative 

instructions for taking a hike or a nature walk, either in your town or a town they 

imagine. Tell them their paragraphs should include: things to look for on the hike; safety 

precautions for hiking in the area; animals or plants they should avoid and why. Tell 

students to make an outline of information they want to include, and then write a rough 

draft of their hiking instructions. 


Critical Thinking 

Have students work independently or in small groups to think about what their life 

would be like if they were an animal. Tell them they must prepare to tell the group how 

they get their food and shelter, what are its dangers and defenses, and to describe the 

ecosystem that makes up their environment. If students need ideas, you might suggest: 

beaver, shark, elephant, giraffe, prairie dog, ostrich. 


Link to the World 

Tell students to work in groups to research endangered animals and find out about 

laws to protect them. Some endangered animals you might want to suggest are: 

California condor, gibbon, blue whale, brown grizzly bear, puma. You can advise 

students to use an encyclopedia or other resources for research, or suggest that they 

write to the World Wildlife Federation, The Sierra Club, the National Wildlife 

Federation, or the Greenpeace Organization. 



17

Connection to Math 

MATH 

After they have completed their research on endangered animals, have students 

graph their findings, comparing the numbers of existing animals 10 years ago 

and today. 



If they have not already done so, have students go back to their informative hiking 

instructions to reread, revise, and edit. Then have them write the final draft. 


Culminating Activity 

Have the group work together to comprise a list of ecosystems, for example: a rain 

forest, an oak grove, an aquarium, a mountain range, a polar region, a stream. 

Then let small groups of students work together to select an ecosystem and create a 

diorama that depicts the ecosystem. Encourage them to find a shoebox or other box, 

and then choose any materials they want to portray their selection. 


18 


Name 

VOCABULARY 

Write the definition of these words or phrases as you learned them in Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. 

Use a dictionary if you need help. Then write the word in a sentence on the line below its definition. 

ecosystem 

community 

biosphere 

producers 

consumers 

fungi 

decomposers 


19

Name 

CHECKING COMPREHENSION 

Read the passage below. In each blank, write the word or phrase that fits best. Use the words in the 

Word Bank below. 

A community of __________________________ and __________________________ living together is 

called an ecosystem. We live in the largest ecosystem, called the __________________________. Within 

an ecosystem, almost every plant and animal has a __________________________ to each other. 

Living things eat plants and animals to get the __________________________ they need. Living things 

that make their own food from energy are known as __________________________. Living things that 

must find plants and animals to eat are __________________________ . Small bacteria and fungi that 

get their energy from dead materials and waste are __________________________. 

A __________________________ is the process of changing energy and materials from plants to 

animals to decomposers. When a food is shared or used by many different things it 

shows a __________________________. 

WORD BANK 

food chain 

consumers 

nutrients 

plants 

animals 

decomposers 

biosphere 

food web 

relationship 

producers 


20

Name 

FOOD CHAIN 

The picture below is from the program Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. On the lines below, write in your 

own words how the flow of energy works. 


21

Name 

A FOOD CHAIN GAME 

To the Teacher: 

Duplicate this page several times, and then cut along the dotted lines to make the player cards. Shuffle 

and deal to the students until all cards are dealt (Students or teams should have the same number of 

“cards.” It doesn’t matter if you have some left over.) 

Instructions for Play: 

The game is played by two or three students or student pairs. Each team shuffles their cards, and turns 

the top one over without knowing what it will be. The team whose card eats the other teams’ cards gets 

to keep the other cards. For example, if the cards turned over are an insect, a bird, and a coyote, the 

team that turned over the coyote takes the other two cards. 

If two teams turn over the dominant word card, the teams must reveal the next card in their pile to 

determine the winner. 

The winning team is the one who wins all of the cards, or the one with the most cards when a designated 

time period ends. 

plant 

insect 

coyote 

bird 


22

Name 

GETTING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT 

Read each sentence below from Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. After each sentence, circle the letter for 

the best meaning of the word in bold type. Use the context clues from the sentence to determine the 

meaning of the word as it is used. 

1. This woodpecker is storing acorns in the trunk of a tree for part of its winter food supply. 

A. putting them on a store shelf 

B. putting away for later use 

C. putting the name and date on them 

D. locking in a safe 

2. When animals eat plants, they convert the energy that originally came from the sun into energy for 

themselves. 

A. take the top off 

B. change religions 

C. also eat 

D. change or transform 

3. Microscopically small bacteria and fungi, like toadstools, feed on dead plants and animals 

and animal waste products. 

A. so tiny you can only see with a microscope 

B. so silent you can only hear with a microphone 

C. so far away you can only see with a telescope 

D. so far away you can only see with binoculars 

4. Because of erosion, these materials can be carried away in muddy water. 

A. the feeding system 

B. too much heat energy 

C. gradually wearing away 

D. change in seasons 

5. The various food chains form networks called food webs. 

A. connecting systems 

B. television stations 

C. telephone system 

D. spider webs 


23

Name 

FOOD MAKERS 

You have learned that living things that produce their own food are producers. Living things that must 

find their food are consumers. 

On the line below each picture, write producer or consumer. 


24

Name 

ACROSTICS 

Use the word ECOSYSTEM to write an acrostic poem. Use the letters from the word ECOSYSTEM as the 

beginning letter for a word or phrase that tells what you learned in Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. 

E 

C 

O 

S 

Y 

S 

T 

E 

M 


25

Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK I 

Look at the ecosystem pictured below. Cut the pictures from the bottom of the page that belong in this 

ecosystem and paste them onto the picture. 


26

Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK II 




27

Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK III 




28

Name 

CHECKING VOCABULARY 

Use the vocabulary words and the puzzle grid to make a crossword puzzle. The words are provided in 

the Word Bank below. You write the definition clues. 

WORD BANK 

ecosystem 

fungi 

community 

decomposers 

producers 

consumers 

biosphere 


29

Name 

TEST 

Fill in the bubble to tell if each statement is true or false. 

o True o False 

1. An ecosystem can vary in size. 


2. A food chain is when food is shared by many different animals. 


3. In a self-contained ecosystem, the people, animals, and plants live without 

resources from the outside world. 


4. Bees reproduce by pollinating plants with nectar. 


5. Electrical power is the only way to get energy. 


6. Green plants are called producers because they make their own food. 


7. Animals get nutrients from plants, other animals, water, and oxygen. 



8. Bacteria and fungi are dead materials that do not require energy. 

9. The sun’s energy is used by plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. 


10. Soil, air, and water are not part of an ecosystem because they are 

non-living materials. 


30

ADDITIONAL AIMS MEDIA PROGRAMS 

If you and your students enjoyed Ecosystems: Nature in Balance, you will also enjoy these AIMS Media programs: 

Animal Communities – 8207AT 

Ecosystem of a Pond – 8397AT 

Life Under the Sea – 4346AT 

The Meadow—An Ecosystem – BF-196AT 

The Food Chain – 8581AT 

Photosynthesis – 8595AT 

The Green Earth Club Series: 

Earth Cycles and Ecosystems – 8614AT 

How We Fit In – 8611AT 

The Trials of Life Series: 

Living Together – 20031AT 

Finding Food – 20028AT 

ADDITIONAL READING SUGGESTIONS 

Arnold, Caroline. A Walk in the Desert. Silver Press, 1990. 

Arnosky, Jim. In The Forest. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1989. 

Bellamy, David. Our Changing World: The Rock Pool. Crown Publishers,1988. 

Cousteau, Jacques, and James Dugan. The Living Sea. Lyons and Burford, 1988. 

George, William T. Beaver at Long Pond. Greenwillow, 1988. 

Hirschi, Ron. Who Lives in the Forest Putnam, 1987. 

Lauber, Patricia. Sea Otters and Seaweed. Garrard, 1976. 

Malnig, Anita. Where the Waves Break: Life at the Edge of the Sea. Lerner, 1987. 

Milne, Lorus J. and Margery Milne. The Mystery of Bog Forest. Dodd, Mead, 1984. 

Overbeck, Cynthia. Elephants. Lerner, 1981. 

Parker, Steve. Pond and River. Knopf, 1988. 

Schwartz, David M. The Hidden Life of the Pond. Crown Publishers, 1988. 

Van Soelen, Philip. Cricket in the Grass: And Other Stories. Scribner’s, 1979. 


31

ANSWER KEY for page 19 

Name 

VOCABULARY 

Write the definition of these words or phrases as you learned them in Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. 

Use a dictionary if you need help. Then write the word in a sentence on the line below its definition. 

ecosystem 

A COMMUNITY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND THE PLACE WHERE 

THEY LIVE 

community 

A GROUP OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS LIVING TOGETHER 

biosphere 

THE ECOSYSTEM THAT CONTAINS AIR, WATER, AND LAND THAT 

CONTAINS LIFE SURROUNDING THE EARTH 

producers 

PLANTS THAT CHANGE THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN INTO 

CHEMICAL ENERGY 

consumers 

ANIMALS THAT EAT PLANTS AND OTHER ANIMALS 

fungi 

PLANTS THAT DO NOT HAVE CHLOROPHYLL, STEMS AND LEAVES 

decomposers 

BACTERIA AND FUNGI BROKEN DOWN INTO DEAD MATERIAL 

AND WASTES 

32 



Name 

CHECKING COMPREHENSION 

Read the passage below. In each blank, write the word or phrase that fits best. Use the words in the 

Word Bank below. 

A community of __________________________ PLANTS 

and __________________________ ANIMALS 

living together is 

called an ecosystem. We live in the largest ecosystem, called the __________________________. BIOSPHERE Within 

an ecosystem, almost every plant and animal has a __________________________ RELATIONSHIP to each other. 

Living things eat plants and animals to get the __________________________ NUTRIENTS they need. Living things 

that make their own food from energy are known as __________________________. PRODUCERS Living things that 

must find plants and animals to eat are __________________________ CONSUMERS . Small bacteria and fungi that 

get their energy from dead materials and waste are __________________________. 

DECOMPOSERS 

A __________________________ FOOD CHAIN is the process of changing energy and materials from plants to 

animals to decomposers. When a food is shared or used by many different things it 

shows a __________________________. 

FOOD WEB 

WORD BANK 

food chain 

consumers 

nutrients 

plants 

animals 

decomposers 

biosphere 

food web 

relationship 

producers 


33


Name 

FOOD CHAIN 

The picture below is from the program Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. On the lines below, write in your 

own words how the flow of energy works. 

ANSWERS WILL VARY 

34 



Name 

A FOOD CHAIN GAME 

To the Teacher: 

Duplicate this page several times, and then cut along the dotted lines to make the player cards. Shuffle 

and deal to the students until all cards are dealt (Students or teams should have the same number of 

“cards.” It doesn’t matter if you have some left over.) 

Instructions for Play: 

The game is played by two or three students or student pairs. Each team shuffles their cards, and turns 

the top one over without knowing what it will be. The team whose card eats the other teams’ cards gets 

to keep the other cards. For example, if the cards turned over are an insect, a bird, and a coyote, the 

team that turned over the coyote takes the other two cards. 

If two teams turn over the dominant word card, the teams must reveal the next card in their pile to 

determine the winner. 

The winning team is the one who wins all of the cards, or the one with the most cards when a designated 

time period ends. 

plant 

insect 

coyote 

bird 


35


Name 

GETTING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT 

Read each sentence below from Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. After each sentence, circle the letter for 

the best meaning of the word in bold type. Use the context clues from the sentence to determine the 

meaning of the word as it is used. 

1. This woodpecker is storing acorns in the trunk of a tree for part of its winter food supply. 

A. putting them on a store shelf 

B. putting away for later use 

C. putting the name and date on them 

D. locking in a safe 

2. When animals eat plants, they convert the energy that originally came from the sun into energy for 

themselves. 

A. take the top off 

B. change religions 

C. also eat 

D. change or transform 

3. Microscopically small bacteria and fungi, like these toadstools, feed on dead plants and animals 

and animal waste products. 

A. so tiny you can only see with a microscope 

B. so silent you can only hear with a microphone 

C. so far away you can only see with a telescope 

D. so far away you can only see with binoculars 

4. Because of erosion, these materials can be carried away in muddy water. 

A. the feeding system 

B. too much heat energy 

C. gradually wearing away 

D. change in seasons 

5. The various food chains form networks called food webs. 

A. connecting systems 

B. television stations 

C. telephone system 

D. spider webs 

36 



Name 

FOOD MAKERS 

You have learned that living things that produce their own food are producers. Living things that must 

find their food are consumers. 

On the line below each picture, write producer or consumer. 

PRODUCER CONSUMER CONSUMER PRODUCER 

CONSUMER CONSUMER CONSUMER PRODUCER 


37


Name 

ACROSTICS 

Use the word ECOSYSTEM to write an acrostic poem. Use the letter from the word ECOSYSTEM as the 

beginning letter for a word or phrase that tells what you learned in Ecosystems: Nature in Balance. 

E 

C 

ANSWERS WILL VARY 

ACCEPT ANY RESPONSE THAT DEMONSTRATES AN UNDERSTANDING 

OF AN ECOSYSTEM 

O 

S 

Y 

S 

T 

E 

M 

38 



Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK I 




39


Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK II 



40 



Name 

ECOSYSTEMS AT WORK III 




41


Name 

CHECKING VOCABULARY 

Use the vocabulary words and the puzzle grid to make a crossword puzzle. The words are provided in 

the Word Bank below. You write the definition clues. 

P R O D U C E R S 

E 

C 

O 

F 

E C O S 

C O N S U M 

E R S 

O 

M 

M 

P 

B I O 

S 

S P H E R E 

U 

N 

I 

T 

Y 

N G I 

S T E M 

E 

R 

S 

WORD BANK 

ecosystem 

fungi 

community 

decomposers 

producers 

consumers 

biosphere 

42 



Name 

TEST 

Fill in the bubble to tell if each statement is true or false. 











1. An ecosystem can vary in size. 

2. A food chain is when food is shared by many different animals. 

3. In a self-contained ecosystem, the people, animals, and plants live without 

resources from the outside world. 

4. Bees reproduce by pollinating plants with nectar. 

5. Electrical power is the only way to get energy. 

6. Green plants are called producers because they make their own food. 

7. Animals get nutrients from plants, other animals, water, and oxygen. 

8. Bacteria and fungi are dead materials that do not require energy. 

9. The sun’s energy is used by plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. 

10. Soil, air, and water are not part of an ecosystem because they are 

non-living materials. 

© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Ecosystems: Nature in Balance 

43

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