Lesson 84 of 84 · Ecosystems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌿 Wild JungleWhat Makes Something Alive? (Part 3)
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
- ecosystem
- producer
- consumer
Materials Needed
- markers
- tape
- small pots
- cotton balls
- zip-lock bags
- labels
Safety First
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
- Keep small objects away from young children.
- Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Create a detailed food web for a local ecosystem. Include at least 8 organisms and use arrows to show energy flow from producers to top predators.
Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.
Create a data table to organize your measurements.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What do plants need to make food through photosynthesis?
Where you see this in real life
Your own body is doing this thousands of times every second.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find one thing about your body that's different from a friend's. Wonder why.
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.