2. What are Nonliving Parts of Ecosystems? By Mr. Bales

3. Purpose The purpose of this lesson is to observe the nonliving parts of a model ecosystem. Science Standard 3.a. - Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving parts. Science Standard 6.a. - Differentiate observation from inference ( interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.

4. Skill The skill we will be working on today is Comparing - when you compare objects or events, you observe how they are alike and how they are different. Express Lab - today, we will conduct a short lab experiment outside. Here are the instructions: 1. Go outside and look at objects in the area around our school. 2. Identify objects as living or nonliving. 3. When you identify a nonliving object, draw and label it in your Science handout. 4. Be thinking how would answer this question: What nonliving things exist in the area around your school?