1. Ecosystems Unit Activity 5.2: Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw
Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy
Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University
Ecosystems Unit Activity 5.2: Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University

2. Unit map
You are here
Use the instructional model to show students where they are in the course of the unit.
Display slide 2 of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.

3. Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Throughout Lesson 3, you’ve traced carbon and energy through an ecosystem, discovering these important points:
Matter cycles through an ecosystem from the atmosphere -> organic molecules (photosynthesis) -> atmosphere (cellular respiration).
Energy flows through an ecosystem from the sun-> chemical energy (via photosynthesis) -> heat energy radiated out to space (via cellular respiration)
Review how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems.
Use Slides 3-5 of the PPT to review what students have learned about matter and energy in ecosystems.
Slide 3 reminds students of how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems.
Slide 4 reminds students of carbon pools and fluxes.
Slide 5 reminds students that ecosystems are actually open systems that provide products and services.
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University

4. Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Photosynthesis brings matter AND energy into an ecosystem, converting inorganic carbon to organic carbon, and sunlight energy to chemical energy.
Herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers ALL depend on producers to satisfy their matter (for biosynthesis) and energy (for movement and cellular processes) needs.
Review how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems (cont.)
Use Slides 3-5 of the PPT to review what students have learned about matter and energy in ecosystems.
Slide 3 reminds students of how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems.
Slide 4 reminds students of carbon pools and fluxes.
Slide 5 reminds students that ecosystems are actually open systems that provide products and services.
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University

5. Open vs. Closed Ecosystems
Review how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems (cont.)
Use Slides 3-5 of the PPT to review what students have learned about matter and energy in ecosystems.
Slide 3 reminds students of how matter cycles and energy flows in ecosystems.
Slide 4 reminds students of carbon pools and fluxes.
Slide 5 reminds students that ecosystems are actually open systems that provide products and services.

6. Exploring a Different Ecosystem
You will now read about and describe how a different human managed ecosystem functions.
Here are the ecosystems:
A Forest
A Beef Farm
A Corn Farm
Have students complete the reading and corresponding worksheet for one other ecosystem.
Display slide 6 of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.
Give each student a copy of one of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Readings. About 1/3 of the students should read about each ecosystem.
Have students complete the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Worksheet for the ecosystem they read about.
Modifications: Students can work in pairs or groups with those who have the same ecosystem.

7. Comparing Ideas with a Group
Compare your ideas with someone who has the same ecosystem.
How are they alike?
How are they different?
Consider making revisions to your work based on your conversation with your partner or group.
Have students who focused on the same ecosystem form a group.
Display slide 7 of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.
In their groups, have students discuss their answers and come to consensus about their answers to the questions.

8. Sharing Ideas with the Class
Have students share about how their ecosystem functions.
Display slide 8 of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.
Decide how to have students share the information for their ecosystem.
Students who focused on the same ecosystem can present to the whole class. They could make a poster to share.
Students can form groups of three with students who focused on each of three ecosystems.

9. Similarities and Differences
What are differences between the different ecosystems you read about?
What are similarities between the ecosystems you read about?
How does the corn farm compare to the beef farm in terms of inputs and outputs.
How does the wind blowing into and out of each ecosystem compare?
Have students discuss the similarities and differences between the ecosystems.
Display slide 9 of the 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.
Have a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the three ecosystems.
Focus the discussion on the differences between the corn farm and the beef farm and the wind composition in and out of each ecosystem.

10. Revisit Your Initial Ideas
Look back at your initial ideas about ecosystems from Lesson 1.2.
What were your initial ideas?
How have your ideas changed?
What questions did you have?
Have students revisit their initial ideas from Lesson 1.
Display slide 10. Have students look back at their initial ideas on 5.2 Ecosystem Products and Services Jigsaw PPT.
Ask them to share some of their initial ideas, their thinking about how their ideas have changed, and what their initial questions were.
Ask them how they would now answer their initial questions.