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#1900. Parts of an Ecosystem

Art, level: Elementary
Posted Thu Nov 9 23:57:04 PST 2000 by Dan Lieberum (daniup@hotmail.com).
Inidiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pa United States
Materials Required: scissors, magazines, crayons, glue, markers, poster boards
Activity Time: 45-60 minutes
Concepts Taught: The students will learn what makes up an ecosystem.

Introduction - Students will make a poster showing the relationship between an individual
of a species, a population of that species, a community that includes that
population, and the ecosystem that includes the community and nonliving parts of
the environment. Students may have trouble finding what they want in
magazines, and they might not be able to draw it. The teacher should advise the
students to portray it as best as they can and to write what it is underneath the
drawing or picture.

Objective - Students will be able to distinguish between the characteristics that make up
an individual, a population, a community, and an ecosystem.

Materials -
-magazines (assorted)
-poster boards
-markers
-scissors
-glue
-chalkboard
*all items vary on how many students are in the classroom

Procedure -
1. Make four columns on the chalkboard with the headings: Individual,
Population, Community, and Ecosystem.
2. Re-introduce these terms to the class and have students give examples of each.
3. Explain to the class how individuals make up populations, which make up
communities, which make up ecosystems. Tell students to think of an individual
thing they'd like to follow through these relationships.
4. Pass out supplies and have children draw or use magazine cut-outs to illustrate
the relationships starting with an individual and finishing with an ecosystem.
They can do this any way they want, but it might be easiest to draw arrows from
one to the next.
5. Allow working time for children to complete posters.
6. Announce clean-up time for students to clean their work areas.
7. Have each child stand up and explain his/her ecosystem.

Evaluation -
Did the students make good use of his/her time? Assess the completeness and
neatness of poster. Did the student categorize correctly on the poster? Assess the
accuracy of the poster. After the posters are completed they will be displayed
throughout the room so all classmates can see each person's ecosystem.