Ecosystems Curriculum

One of the many ways to celebrate Earth Day in the month of April is to teach and learn more about ecosystems. An ecosystem is a complex and interconnected web of living and nonliving things in an environment. Understanding ecosystems is crucial for understanding the natural world and our ability to live sustainably.

See the fact file below for more information on putting together an Ecosystems Curriculum, or you can download our 17-page Ecosystems Curriculum pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Short video explainer

• Before learning more about teaching ecosystems, watch a short and simple video explainer. Access using the link found in the PDF download.

Come along as we walk you through our Ecosystems curriculum!

What to Consider

• Terms and importance – Studying ecosystems requires interconnected concepts that need understanding. Aside from becoming knowledgeable about the terms biotic, abiotic, food chain, and food web, for example, our learners should also comprehend their significance. 
• Relatability and the natural world – Science, mainly Biology, is one of the most relatable fields of study to our surroundings and daily life. The complex ecosystem processes regarding how the environment sustains our needs can be easily understood through individual experiences. 
• Visuals and technology – Capture our learners’ attention and curiosity as we utilize digital resources to bring the class and lessons outdoors. 
• Multi-disciplinary – Explore the connection of ecosystems with other disciplines such as mathematics, geography, social studies, and literature. 

How to Deliver

• Teaching and learning about ecosystems may seem overwhelming because of the multiple concepts our students need to learn. However, our ecosystem is one of the most relatable topics as we are part of it and in it. Despite its complexity with terms, processes, and causal effects, the most crucial part of understanding its significance directly affects us as human beings. 
• There are two ways to deliver our ecosystems lesson. First, we may present a whole picture of what our ecosystem looks like using an illustration, and as the lesson progresses, the class will discover the missing factors. Second, we may begin with scaffolding utilizing our learners’ schema and experience. Note that both strategies use a student-centered approach; the only difference is how they extract their knowledge.

Strategy # 1: General to Specific Approach – Flipped Classroom

• Aside from the traditional in-class approach to delivering lessons, a flipped classroom enables our learners to engage in an out of class-independent learning. Instead of giving homework or assignments after a lesson and going to class with only experiential knowledge, this teaching-learning strategy provides the learners with separate time to study and the teachers’ venue to enrich this knowledge. 
• In teaching ecosystems, we can provide our learners with an illustration or diagram of our ecosystems with the missing pieces (concepts, factors & processes) we need to unlock with them at the end of the lesson. A simple example is provided below. 

Strategy # 2: Specific to General Approach – Inquiry-based

• The reverse of the general-to-specific approach is the specific-to-general approach which begins with the smallest detail to solve the larger puzzle or the main lesson. For this approach, an inquiry-based strategy is one of the most effective. Inquiry-based encourages learners to be curious and ask based on real-life problems or their experiences. The process may involve encouraging learners to engage and answer lower to higher-level questions.
• In discussing our ecosystem, teachers may begin with the following questions:
  • What food did you eat today before going to school?
  • Which is a plant? Which is meat or comes from animals?
• Upon realizing the meaning of food and its origins, teachers may relate topics on the food chain and the more complex food web. Note that it’s crucial to consistently integrate the role of the producers, consumers, and decomposers in the sustainability of the food flow. 
• Below are some interactive and collaborative activities about the food chain and food web:

For higher-grade learners, teachers may spend time on the role of keystone species in showing the interconnected systems and the ecosystem’s survival. A more complex puzzle, diagram, and other types of visual mapping can be used. Supplementary materials such as online articles can also be utilized. Below is a list of keystone species and online articles for the class to read.

At the end of the discussion, it is crucial to note the loss of keystone species due to human activities, such as poaching, overfishing, and other forms of habitat destruction. Upon recognition, it is significant to protect keystone species in preserving and reviving our ecosystem.

• Below are some higher-order questions to stimulate discussion about the ecosystem:
  • How can we conserve water, and why is it essential for the ecosystem? (topic: Water Cycle)
  • How do the plants and animals in our local park depend on each other to survive? (topic: Plants, Animals)
  • How can we protect the habitats of local wildlife and ensure their survival? (topic: Endangered Animals)
  • How do changes in the weather or climate affect the plants and animals in our community? (topic: Weather, Climate) 
  • How can we reduce the amount of waste we produce to help the ecosystem? (topic: Biomes, Climate Change, Sustainability and Recycling)
  • How can we reduce our carbon footprint and help protect ecosystems on a global scale? (topic: Global Warming)
• While both strategies are applicable in enriching the learners’ knowledge and comprehension of the concepts, the real challenge is the teachers’ management of enjoyable learning. In addition to the previously provided activities, learning can be more exciting using tools such as a microscope in comparing plant and animal cells, photosynthesis experiments using lentil beans, field trips to a national park, and even waste management for the school garden. 
• Moreover, exploring outdoor activities and digital resources about the ecosystem can be supplementary learning materials to deepen our learners’ understanding of the role and significance of all the elements within an ecosystem, including humans. Virtual tours using Google Earth may present a glimpse of traveling in the forests of South America, the deserts of Western Asia, or the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. 

While exploring places worldwide using Google Earth, our learners can also get their hands dirty with hands-on activities. In addition to pictures or videos showing the current status of biomes across the globe, they can also create model habitats in their homes. In creating a physical habitat, the learners must consider its features and the organisms living in it. In this activity, teachers may divide the class into groups for the major biomes of the world. Features of the forest biome are given as an example.

• Cross-curricular discussions and activities are also helpful in bringing out the affective domain of the lesson. Use articles and pictures about deforestation, climate change, pollution, and other pressing environmental threats (Social studies). Support the validity of the discussion with figures and numbers revealing the sea ice melting per year due to the increasing temperatures and how it affects the frequency of hurricanes and typhoons worldwide (Mathematics). Teachers can use children’s books and animated movies, as mentioned (Literature and Media), for young learners. 
• A gallery walk is an excellent idea to synthesize human activities’ impact on the sustainability of our ecosystems. Pictures, home-taped vlogs, news reports, and other digital resources can be utilized. See sample resources below:

NEWS REPORT

• What is the link between extreme weather and climate change? 

– BBC News

• ‘Deeply concerning to scientists’: Greenland’s ice is rapidly melting in warm weather – CNN
• How to keep cool while the world gets hotter – The Economist
• Fifteen years after “An Inconvenient Truth” documentary, Al Gore speaks about climate change – CBS Mornings

Lastly, we can be climate action superheroes by participating in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Start with downloading the mission, engaging in the activities, and developing the hero inside you! Which climate action superhero are you? 

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of the lesson about ecosystems, learners are expected to understand terms and concepts and relate them to their daily life, starting from the air they breathe and the food they eat. 
• Beyond understanding how the ecosystem works, learners should develop deep care for the environment and initiatives for its sustainability. From simple water conservation at home to school tree planting, protecting our local ecosystem should be a proactive and communal responsibility we must partake in. An individual or a national organization are capable of developing strategies to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment. 
• No one forces us to act big, as all things begin with small steps. With the knowledge and realizations of our learners, restoring, protecting, and conserving our ecosystem is both a benefit and a responsibility the next generation should experience. 

Ecosystems Worksheets

This is a fantastic curriculum bundle that includes everything you need to know about teaching an Ecosystems Curriculum across 17 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Ecosystems. Understanding ecosystems is crucial for understanding the natural world and our ability to live sustainably.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

1. Teaching Ecosystems
   1. Short video explainer
   2. What to consider
   3. How to deliver
   4. Learning outcomes
2. Lesson Plan Template
3. Suggested Worksheets

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a biological community of living organisms, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, interacting with their physical environment, including air, water, soil, and other abiotic factors. Ecosystems can vary greatly in size and complexity, from a small pond to a vast forest.

Why are ecosystems important?

Ecosystems are crucial for supporting life on Earth. They provide a wide range of services, such as air and water purification, pollination of crops, nutrient cycling, climate regulation, and recreational opportunities. Ecosystems also have cultural and aesthetic value and support livelihoods for many human communities around the world.

How do human activities impact ecosystems?

Human activities can have both positive and negative impacts on ecosystems. Positive impacts include conservation efforts, habitat restoration, and sustainable resource management. However, negative impacts can result from activities such as deforestation, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change, which can disrupt ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, and threaten the stability and sustainability of ecosystems.

What is biodiversity and why is it important for ecosystems?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity, within an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole. Biodiversity is important for ecosystems as it contributes to their resilience, stability, and productivity. It plays a key role in ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, pollination, and predation, and provides a buffer against environmental changes, helping ecosystems adapt to disturbances.

How can we protect and conserve ecosystems?

Protecting and conserving ecosystems requires a combination of efforts at individual, community, national, and global levels. Some actions that can help include sustainable resource management, habitat restoration, reducing pollution and waste, promoting conservation education and awareness, establishing protected areas, and supporting policies and initiatives that promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management. Engaging in sustainable practices and advocating for ecosystem conservation can contribute to the protection and preservation of these vital natural systems for current and future generations.

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