Lesson 18 of 84 · Structure and Function
Experiment⭐ 30 XPThe Rainforest Ecosystem
Structure and Function.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
Organisms in an ecosystem depend on each other. Producers make food, consumers eat other organisms, and decomposers break down dead material to recycle nutrients.
Key Words
- pollination
- photosynthesis
Materials Needed
- tape
- small pots
- cotton balls
- zip-lock bags
- labels
- seeds
Safety First
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
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.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is the role of fungi in an ecosystem?
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned 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.
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