1. Study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Ecology Part I
Ecology
Study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Think about how your body is organized. What makes up your body? Guide kids to say organ system and see if the can correctly identify the levels as you get smaller and smaller.

2. Levels of Organization
1. Atom
2. Molecule
3. Macromolecules
4. Organelle
5. Cells – the basic unit of life
6. Tissues – clusters of cells performing a similar function
7. Organs – made of tissues that perform one specific function
8. Organ Systems – groups of organs that perform a specific purpose in the human body
Compare these levels to a non-biology example. If Texas public schools together represent the organism, what would be the organ system? (Region 6) Organ? (Willis ISD) Tissue? HAVE STUDENTS TAKE OVER HERE (all schools) Cell (WHS), organelle (all of the rooms), macromolecule (my classroom), molecule (all people in the room), atom (teacher or a student).
Help/Guide students to give an example of each.

3. Any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the properties of life is an organism (9).
Ordered structure - cell
Genetic material - allows for adaptation
Use energy
Respond to the environment
Grow
Reproduce
Maintain homeostasis
What does uni mean? What is an example of a unicellular organism?
What does multi mean? What is an example of a multicellular organism?
Point to each picture and have students identify each picture as uni or multi.

4. All of the members of a single species that live in an area make up a population (10).
Buffalo population
Clarify the term species using examples. Species can mate and produce offspring. Give examples of a population in the classroom (students/bacteria on the desk)
Rabbit population

5. The populations of living things interacting in an area are called a community (11).
Grassland Community
Is our classroom a community? Yes (humans, bacteria, probably fungi, maybe plants)

6. All of the biotic and the abiotic factors in an area make up the ecosystem (12).
Air
Water Vapor
Light
What does bio mean?
What do you think abiotic means?
Have students identify both types of factors in the picture.
Minerals

7. Biotic vs Abiotic Factors
Biotic – living organisms
Plants
Animals
Bacteria
Fungi
Protists
Abiotic – non-living
Soil
Water
Weather
Light
Temperature pH
Call on students and have them identify both types of factors present in the classroom.

8. Major biological communities that occur over a large area are biomes (13).
What do you notice about the biomes near the equator? (mostly tropical rain forest)
What do you notice about the biomes furthest from the equator? (Polar ice)
What type of biome is found near both 30 degree north and south? (desert)

9. The sum of all ecosystems is called the biosphere (14).