Flow of Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Length: 20 Days

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards

HS-LS1-5: Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into

stored chemical energy.

HS-LS1-6: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon,

hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form

amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

HS-LS1-7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process

whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds

in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

HS-LS2-3: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of

matter and flow of energy in aerobic and

anaerobic conditions.

HS-LS2-4: Use a mathematical representation to support claims for the cycling of matter

and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

HS-LS2-5: Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular

respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere,

and geosphere.

Outcome:

In this unit, students will learn how matter and energy flow throughout organisms

and ecosystems. At the end of the unit, they will successfully be able to answer

questions such as, How do organisms obtain the energy they need in order to live and

grow and How do matter and energy cycle in ecosystems? Students will be exposed

to the concepts of trophic levels, food webs, photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Flow of Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Length: 20 Days

They will also create supporting evidence to explain the relationships between

photosynthesis and cellular respiration, while also developing models to communicate

these explanations. Students will understand how organisms interact with each other

and their physical environment, obtain resources, change their environment, and and

how these changes affect both organisms and ecosystems. Lastly, students will use the

cross-cutting concepts of matter, energy, and systems to create their own self-sustaining

ecosystem.

Objectives:

-Students will investigate aerobic and anaerobic respiration activities.

-Students will understand that living organisms play a role in the ecosystem for the

purpose of cycling matter and the flow of energy.

-Students will demonstrate the relationship among ecological components by organizing

them into energy pyramids.

Essential Questions:

-How do matter and energy cycle through different organisms and ecosystems?

-How are matter and energy conserved?

-How do the process of photosynthesis and respiration cycle matter and energy through

different organisms?

-What is the role of aerobic and anaerobic respiration in different environments?

-How much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
Flow of Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Length: 20 Days

Knowledge and Skills Needed:

Students must have a basic understanding of what organisms need in order to

stay alive. Students must be able to follow direct instructions to successfully perform

the lab and activities.

Performance Task:

Students will build a closed ecosystem that will include producers, consumers,

and decomposers in a plastic bottle. The closed system will remain for 30 days. During

this period, students will record their observations and explain how energy and nutrients

are cycled and sustained in their closed ecosystem. Afterwards, students will create a

diagram to explain how matter and energy cycle throughout producers, consumers, and

decomposers.

Grading Rubric:

Domain: Low (0-1) Medium (2-3) High (4-5)

Ecosystem The ecosystem is Ecosystem has Ecosystem is well-
Construction missing major most of the balanced with
components components of a adequate amount of
(producers, balanced and producers (plants),
consumers, sustainable consumers (1-3
decomposers) that environment. animals), and
will definitely create Students may have decomposers (soil/
an unbalanced used inadequate rocks/wood/pond
environment. amount of biomass water). Students
Students did not that created an correctly followed
follow direction unbalanced direction.
properly. environment.
Flow of Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Length: 20 Days

Matter and Energy Diagram contains Diagram shows Diagram shows

Cycle Diagram many inaccuracies mostly accurate accurate cycling of
or missing cycling of cycling of matter both matter and
matter and energy and energy energy between all
through producers, between producers, producers,
consumers, and consumers, and consumers, and
decomposers. decomposers. The decomposers.
diagram may have
some inaccuracies
in showing the
cycles.
Matter and Energy Students are able to Students are able Students are able
Cycle Explanation explain basic to mostly explain to explain the
relationship the relationship relationship
between producers, between producers, between producers,
consumers, consumers, and consumers, and
decomposers. decomposers. decomposers.
Students are not Some minor details Students correctly
able to explain how on the cycling of detail the role
matter and energy matter and energy producers,
are cycled between may be missing or consumers, and
producers, explained decomposers in
consumers, and inaccurately. sustaining their
decomposers. ecosystem.

Additional Resources:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/intro-to-ecosystems/a/what-is-

an-ecosystem

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=4&secNum=1

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/cellular-respiration-and-fermentation