1. Ecosystems Unit Activity 1.3 Key Features of Ecosystems
Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy
Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University
Ecosystems Unit Activity 1.3 Key Features of Ecosystems

2. Unit map
You are here
Use the instructional model to show students where they are in the course of the unit.
Show slide 2 of the 1.3 Key Features of Ecosystems PPT.

3. What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a group of living and nonliving things in a place that has a specific climate, landforms, soil types, and vegetation. What types of ecosystems can you name?
Students brainstorm initial ideas about ecosystems.
Ask students to share their ideas and questions about ecosystems. Students will likely have heard the word “ecosystem” before. You may want to tell them that the word combines two Greek root words that mean “house” (eco) and “to combine” (system).
What ideas do they have about what defines an ecosystem?
Show students Slide 3 from 1.3 Key Features of Ecosystems PPT to define an ecosystem.
Ask if the students can name some ecosystem types (desert, forest, prairie, tundra, etc.).

4. Where is the meadow ecosystem?
Have students identify the meadow ecosystem and things that live there.
Have students locate a meadow ecosystem in the aerial photo in Slides 4-5.
Accommodation: Before having students come up with examples of ecosystems, give an example so students have a frame of reference (i.e. desert, rainforest, etc.). Before having students identify a meadow on the aerial map, go over what a meadow is and describe its natural features (i.e. long grasses, wildflowers, open spaces, etc.). Provide as much as you think you need to without giving too much away. Allow students time to draw or list the living things that live in a meadow ecosystem before compiling a class list.
Image Credit: Map layers from © MapBox; © OpenStreetMap contributors
This meadow is in the Manistee National Park.

5. Meadow ecosystem is outlined in red
Meadow ecosystem is outlined in red. The rest of the image is a forest ecosystem.
Have students identify the meadow ecosystem and things that live there (cont).
Have students locate a meadow ecosystem in the aerial photo in Slides 4-5.
Accommodation: Before having students come up with examples of ecosystems, give an example so students have a frame of reference (i.e. desert, rainforest, etc.). Before having students identify a meadow on the aerial map, go over what a meadow is and describe its natural features (i.e. long grasses, wildflowers, open spaces, etc.). Provide as much as you think you need to without giving too much away. Allow students time to draw or list the living things that live in a meadow ecosystem before compiling a class list.
Image Credit: Map layers from © MapBox; © OpenStreetMap contributors
This meadow is in the Manistee National Park.

6. Zoom to the land surface
Students identify the meadow ecosystem and things that live there (cont.)
Show Slide 6 to look at different pictures of meadows.
Image Credit: Hannah Miller, Michigan State University

7. Meadow ecosystems have many living things:
Plants:
Animals:
Have students identify the meadow ecosystem and things that live there (cont.)
Have students list all of the living things that they think may live in a meadow and record them on the board or on Slide 7.
Meadows may include:
Plants– grasses, golden rod, tree seedlings (oak, pine, maple), clover, daisy, milkweed, etc
Animals– rabbits, birds, insects (ants, bees, grasshoppers), foxes, deer, snakes etc

8. Where is the carbon in the ecosystem?
Name all the places where you would find carbon in an ecosystem: 1.
Have students discuss where carbon is located in this ecosystem.
Have students list all the places where they would find carbon in an ecosystem in Slide 8 (or on the board). Examples include plant and animal tissues, soil (dead material as well as microorganisms), and air.
Note: Remind students that in the Systems & Scale Unit they learned that organic carbon is bonded to hydrogen or other carbon atoms, while inorganic carbon is not. Organic molecules (such as C6H12O6) have more energy stored in their bonds than inorganic molecules (such as CO2).
In Slide 9, have students list the types of molecules they would find the carbon atoms in, and which of the molecules are organic versus inorganic.
Go back to Slide 8 (or the board) and put a star next to all of the places where carbon is organic. Reminder: the inorganic carbon is in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. All of the other carbon is organic. (Optional: have students identify all the places where they could find carbon in their drawing, and put a star next to the places that have organic carbon.)
Accommodation: Before going into too much depth about carbon and where to find inorganic and organic carbon, prepare or copy and paste some of the slides from the Systems and Scale Unit (5.2 Organic vs. Inorganic Presentation Slides 8-10 and 18) to provide concrete visuals of the different ways carbon is present in the living world.

9. Where is the carbon in the ecosystem?
For all of the places you named, what kinds of molecules are the carbon atoms in? Which of those molecules are organic, and which are inorganic?
Have students discuss where carbon is located in this ecosystem.
Have students list all the places where they would find carbon in an ecosystem in Slide 8 (or on the board). Examples include plant and animal tissues, soil (dead material as well as microorganisms), and air.
Note: Remind students that in the Systems & Scale Unit they learned that organic carbon is bonded to hydrogen or other carbon atoms, while inorganic carbon is not. Organic molecules (such as C6H12O6) have more energy stored in their bonds than inorganic molecules (such as CO2).
In Slide 9, have students list the types of molecules they would find the carbon atoms in, and which of the molecules are organic versus inorganic.
Go back to Slide 8 (or the board) and put a star next to all of the places where carbon is organic. Reminder: the inorganic carbon is in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. All of the other carbon is organic. (Optional: have students identify all the places where they could find carbon in their drawing, and put a star next to the places that have organic carbon.)
Accommodation: Before going into too much depth about carbon and where to find inorganic and organic carbon, prepare or copy and paste some of the slides from the Systems and Scale Unit (5.3 Organic vs. Inorganic PPT Slides 15-20) to provide concrete visuals of the different ways carbon is present in the living world.

10. Where are the producers?
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University
Have students identify groups of organisms that have similar roles in an ecosystem.
Use the picture of a meadow in Slides to identify producers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers in an ecosystem. Introduce the role of each of those types of organisms.
The producers are the plants. They are called producers because they make food for themselves (and for all other organisms) through the process of photosynthesis.
Producers do photosynthesis to create organic materials for food and for the materials that make up their parts

11. Where are the herbivores?
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University
Students identify groups of organisms that have similar roles in an ecosystem.
Use the picture of a meadow in Slides to identify producers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers in an ecosystem. Introduce the role of each of those types of organisms.
The herbivores are the rabbits. They get their food (matter & energy) from the plants.
Herbivores eat plants and digest plant materials for food and for the organic materials that make up their parts

12. Where is the carnivore?
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University
Students identify groups of organisms that have similar roles in an ecosystem.
Use the picture of a meadow in Slides to identify producers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers in an ecosystem. Introduce the role of each of those types of organisms.
The carnivore is the wolf. Its food (matter & energy) is the rabbits.
Carnivores eat other animals and digest animal materials for food and for the organic materials that make up their parts

13. Where are the decomposers?
Image Credit: Craig Douglas, Michigan State University
Students identify groups of organisms that have similar roles in an ecosystem.
Use the picture of a meadow in Slides to identify producers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers in an ecosystem. Introduce the role of each of those types of organisms.
Decomposers are fungi and bacteria that live in the soil.
Decomposers eat dead stuff and digest dead materials for food and for the organic materials that make up their parts

14. Looking ahead: the Ecosystems Unit
Each ecosystem has particular groups of producers, herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers.
We will be tracing matter and energy through different types of ecosystems to identify patterns common to all ecosystems.
We will pay particular attention to the form of carbon (organic or inorganic) and the processes that move carbon among the parts of the ecosystem.
Use slide 14 to summarize the activity and anticipate future lessons.