Living and non-living things in ecosystems

• In an ecosystem there are certain relationships between living things (plants, animals/people, microorganisms) and non-living things (air, water, sunlight, soil).

• Remind learners of key aspects of an ecosystem by showing VIDEO CLIP 3: What is an Ecosystem (3:53 min.).

• Tell learners to watch and listen carefully, so that they are able to complete the questions in Worksheet B

• Learners complete WORKSHEET B
• Guide the learners on how to undertake this activity by providing examples and explaining how this worksheet will be assessed.

• Tell learners that we now know that in an ecosystem there are certain relationships between the living things and the non-living things in a particular area.
• Ask learners to name some of the non-living things in an ecosystem.

Answers can include:  water to drink, soil (sand), sunlight, oxygen from the air to breathe; rocks.

• Ask the learners if they can remember from the previous worksheet what biodiversity

Answer:  it is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact.

• Explain that in a healthy ecosystem, there is:
• a balance between the living and the non-living things and
• there must be sufficient biodiversity of plants, animals and their habitats.
• Present an overview of living and non-living things in an ecosystem by using PRESENTATION 2: Ecosystems:  Part 2.
• To consolidate the key concepts in this presentation show the following video clip. :
• VIDEO CLIP 4: Understanding Ecosystems for Kids (6:22 min.).

• Learners complete WORKSHEET C.
• Guide the learners on how to undertake this activity by providing examples and explaining how this worksheet will be assessed.

• As a fun class activity, follow this link to an interactive website with information on freshwater ecosystems: Visit Link
• Go through the information with the learners and allow them to complete the word search activity.
• Learners complete WORKSHEET D.
• Guide the learners on how to undertake this activity by providing examples and explaining how this worksheet will be assessed.