In this exciting lesson plan, students will learn to identify and understand concepts such as environment, ecosystem, producer and consumer as they pertain to the natural world. Students will be able to view the natural food chain first hand by creating a mini ecosystem containing ladybugs and their favorite food, aphids.
Created by Laura Verastegui, November 2007
The student is expected to:
- Identify components of an ecosystem
- Observe and describe how organisms including producers, consumers, and decomposers live together in an environment and use existing resources
- Describe how different environments support different varieties of organisms
- Observe and describe the role of ecological succession in ecosystems
TEKS §112.22. Science (12)(A, B, C, D)
- Ask students to describe the natural environment surrounding the place where they live.
- Guide the students to define Environment and Ecosystem.
- Ask the students to provide examples of ecosystems.
- Ask the students to name some of the native animals that live in their environment. Make a list of their examples.
- Draw a T- list of consumers and producers.
- Guide the students to define Producers and Consumers.
- Ask the students to classify their earlier examples of native animals as consumers and producers.
- Define ecological succession and highlight its environmental importance.
- Organize a school trip to a natural area near your city or to the school garden or yard to collect aphids and ladybugs.
- Use the aphids and ladybugs to create a mini ecosystem. See PowerPoint presentation titled “Food Chain” to find instructions on how to create a mini ecosystem.
Perform a laboratory demonstration of the food chain using the mini ecosystems.
