Organisms and the

environmentGrade six science workbook

Name______________:Class:____________:Number:__________:

Organisms and the Environment

Unit Objectives:1. Understand how abiotic factors such as water, temperature,

and light affect living things and how these living things adapt to their environment

2. Identify ecological components such as producers, consumers, and decomposers and explain their importance in an ecosystem

3. Understand the causes of environmental pollution, recognize examples of environmental destruction, and discuss ways that humans affect ecosystems

4. Recognize the importance of conserving ecosystems and the environment and human efforts to protect them.

Unit Vocabulary: As you work through the unit, return to these words to enhance your definitions and take notes.

OrganismEcosystemEnvironmentBiotic factorsAbiotic factorsAdaptation

Food webProducersConsumersDecomposersPollutionRecycleConservation

VocabularyWrite the correct vocabulary word next to its definition:

WORD DEFINITIONAn organism that makes its own food, like plants.

An organism that eats the dead or decaying organisms and returns nutrients to the soil.

An organism that eats other organisms for food.

A diagram of plants, animals, and decomposers that shows what different organisms eat for energy.

Harmful materials that damage, or contaminate, the air, water, or soil.

The protection of valuable things such as wildlife and natural resources.

Things in an ecosystem that are living or were once living.

Things in an ecosystem that are NOT living and were they ever living. Examples are air, water, and temperature.

A living thing.

The natural world of the land, sea, and air.

A group of animals and plants interacting with their environment.

To find another use for something again without throwing it away.

A change that a living thing goes through so it fits better in the environment.

Biotic and Abiotic FactorsLook at the chart below.

What do you notice about the ‘examples’ and the ‘non-examples’? How are they different? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The ‘examples’ are all ‘biotic factors’. These are things in an ecosystem that are alive, or were once alive.The ‘non-examples’ are all ‘abiotic factors’. These are things in an ecosystem that are not alive and have never been alive.

The environment is made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. These factors contribute to what makes different ecosystems unique, or special. For example, the biotic and abiotic factors in the desert are different from those in the forest. In the chart below, list some biotic and abiotic factors that you can think of in a forest:

Biotic Abiotic

Seeds and Abiotic Factors

Lesson Target: How do abiotic factors affect seed growth?

Procedure:1. Using a name pen, label your 4 zip-lock bags as follows:

A. Control B. Fresh Water Light C. Fresh Water Dark D. Acid (Don’t forget names and classes!)

2. Fold the paper towels into fourths so they will fit into the bags. Place two seeds in each paper towel.

3. Pour a small amount of water into the fresh water bags, so the towels are wet, but there is no pool of water at the bottom. Seal the bags.

4. Now pour a small amount of vinegar (acid) into the acid bag, to make it damp. DO NOT MAKE A POOL OF ACID. Seal the bag.

5. Do NOT add any liquid to the control bag. Seal it.6. Using tape, place the seeds (except the dark seed) on

the window.What did I learn?1. What changes did you see to the seeds? Describe all changes. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.Why do some places have more acid rain than others? _____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.How do you think humans can reduce (lower) the amount of acid rain in an ecosystem? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Background Information: As you learned last week, each ecosystem is made up of the plants, animals AND abiotic factors in the environment of that area. We know how some plants and animals affect and interact with each other, but how do abiotic factors affect the ecosystem and some of the living things (biotic) within it? Abiotic factors can have a large impact on an ecosystem. Try to recall, what are some abiotic factors? ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Another abiotic factor that you may not have thought of is the pH, or acidity of the water and soil. Acid rain falls in areas where there is a lot of pollution from human activities. We will also test to see how pH affects how well seeds grow.

Supplies: -4 plastic zip-lock bags-paper towels-sunflower seeds-fresh water-vinegar-stapler

Cactus Adaptations

Lesson Supplies:-Cactus-Tweezers-Magnifying Glass

Procedure:1.Use the magnifying glass to look carefully at the cactus and make observations. Use tweezers to remove a spine and observe it using a magnifying glass.

2.Gently feel the cactus that doesn’t have spines. Notice how it feels.

3.Using the diagram, compare roots of a cactus versus roots of another plant from another ecosystem.

What Did I Observe?Sketch and label the roots, stems, and leaves of the cactus.

What did I learn?1.How do the cactuses spines help it survive in the desert? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2.Why do cactuses have thick, tough, waxy skin? ______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

3.Did the roots grow deeply or stay close to the surface? Why? _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson Target: What are some adaptations that allow a cactus to survive in its environment?Background Information:

As you have learned, ecosystems are made up of the biotic and abiotic factors that are within them. The abiotic factors in the desert are very easy to identify. The desert is usually very hot during the day, and can get very cold at night. You probably also know that the desert gets only a small amount of rainfall every year.

These abiotic factors make it difficult for most animals and plants to live and survive. Nevertheless, there are some creatures living in this harsh condition of the desert. They became used to living in the desert. They adapt. The cactus is one organism that has made adaptations to be able to survive in this environment. Look at the cactus and, instead of leaves, you see a lot of needles on the plump stem. As you will see, the roots of the cactus are also quite different. Let’s examine the cactus

Animal AdaptationsLesson Target: Animals in different ecosystems have adaptations that help them survive.

Background Information: We learned that a cactus has adaptations that help it survive in the desert. The spines prevent it from being eaten, the thick, waxy skin holds in water, and the shallow roots allow the plant to catch water before it evaporates.

Animals also have adaptations that help them survive in their ecosystems. For example, the camel has large humps on its back, a way to store fat for long journeys. They also have feet that are large and webbed, to keep from falling deep into the sand. Camels also have two sets of eyelashes. Can you guess why?

Today you will look up and research some other adaptations in animals. Using the Wild Animals Atlas, look up an ecosystem, and write down some adaptations that the animals there have.

Animal Ecosystem Adaptations Reason for

Adaptations

What Did I Learn?:1.Why do animals have adaptations?

2.What animal had the most interesting adaptation to you? WHY?