Lesson 39 of 84 · Ecosystems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌿 Wild JunglePlant Roots and Their Jobs
Ecosystems.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
What the body does in one minute is wilder than any cartoon.
Mind = Blown
🐙 An octopus has 9 brains and 3 hearts.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: how does the body solve this problem?
What You'll Learn
All living things share basic characteristics: they grow, reproduce, respond to their environment, and need energy to survive. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis, while animals must eat other organisms.
Key Words
- nutrients
- prey
- ecosystem
Materials Needed
- magnifying glass
- paper towels
- markers
- tape
Safety First
- Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
- Wash hands after handling materials.
- Be careful with scissors — ask an adult for help if needed.
Steps
Review the background information on Ecosystems before starting.
Collect and classify 10 organisms from your yard into kingdoms, phyla, or groups. Use a dichotomous key if available.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is germination?
Where you see this in real life
This is why plants grow toward windows and why scabs form.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Watch a plant or pet for 5 minutes today and write down what you noticed.
For the dinner table
“Tell me something you noticed about your own body today.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Ecosystems for 4th Grade
Get the full Ecosystems track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.