Week 10

Ecosystems

The world is full of incredible diversity, from rainforests full with life to dry deserts where only the toughest plants and animals survive. Every ecosystem—whether on land, in water, or somewhere in between—is shaped by key factors like climate, water availability, and temperature. These factors determine which plants and animals can thrive in a given habitat. Why do camels live in the desert but not in the Arctic? How can some fish survive in saltwater while others need freshwater? In this lesson, we’ll explore the fascinating variety of ecosystems on Earth and discover how living things adapt to their environments. Get ready to travel from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains and uncover the secrets of nature’s balance!

PRESENTATION ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEMS

In the groups assigned by the teacher, investigate and create a short presentation about the ecosystem related to your group number. Make sure it includes:

Name of the ecosystem
Location (where is this ecosystem found on Earth?)
General characteristics (Climate, temperature, precipitation)
Common plant and animals found there
A food chain or food web we can find in the ecosystem

You should use maps to show where the ecosystem

is located, photos and pictures of the animals, habitats

and characteristics, diagrams of food webs and

many other visual aids. The slides should be easy to

read and light in text.

Ecosystems according to the group number:

Group 1: Grassland

Group 2: Moorland (páramo)

Group 3: Tundra

Group 4: Tropical Rainforest

Group 5: Desert

Group 6: Savanna

Group 7: Coral Reef

Group 8: Temperate forest

Have you ever wondered what would happen if there were

too many wolves in a forest? Or too few rabbits?

Every organism in an ecosystem depends on

others to survive, forming a delicate balance

called a food chain. If one population grows

too much or disappears, it can cause big

changes.

For example, if wolves disappear, rabbits might multiply too quickly and eat too many plants, leaving less food for other herbivores. A balanced food chain keeps ecosystems healthy, ensuring that all living things—plants, prey, and predators—can survive. Let’s explore why every species plays a crucial role in nature’s web of life!

1) In the prairie ecosystem, there are different food webs. One of them involves foxes, ferrets (hurones), prairie dogs and grass:

a) Write the food chain in your notebook

using words and arrows

b) What is a primary producer? explain

which one is the producer of this food

chain

c) What would happen to this food chain

if the producer dissappeared?

d) What would happen to the food chain

if the foxes dissapeared?

2) Go to the explore learning website and play with the gizmo called "PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEM", change the number of individuals in the different populations and click on "Advance year" several times to see what happens in the future if you alter their numbers. Reset the Gizmo to start again

a) Then, write 2 conclusions about how the number of individuals in a population can affect the balance in this ecosystem.

b) Solve the assessment questions at the bottom of the GIZMO

Have you ever heard of animals living in

places where they don’t belong?

Invasive species are plants or animals

that are introduced to a new ecosystem,

where they have no natural predators

and can spread rapidly, threatening

native species.

They compete for food, space, and resources, sometimes even causing local species to disappear! In Colombia, two famous invaders are hippos, originally from Africa but now thriving in rivers, and the lionfish, a beautiful yet dangerous predator in the Caribbean Sea. In this lesson, we’ll explore how these species arrived, why they are a problem, and what can be done to protect Colombia’s ecosystems!

Let's watch these 3 interesting videos:

After watching the videos about the Hippos and the lion fish in Colombia answer these questions:

1) Explain why these species are such a problem in

Colombia, but not a problem in their native countries?

2) Besides being a danger for local species, why are the hippos a problem for our country? (think of the communities around them, lack of education, etc.)

3) Investigate what is being done in Colombia to control the number of lion fish in the caribean seas? What is being done to control the hippos reproduction?