Lesson 12 of 84 ยท Ecosystems
Experimentโญ 30 XP๐ฟ Wild JunglePredator and Prey Relationships
Ecosystems.
๐ฏ Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
โก The twist
Living things break the rules of non-living things โ find the rule they break.
Mind = Blown
๐ณ Trees can talk to each other through underground fungus networks.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what will happen to the plant if you change the water?
What You'll Learn
Predator-prey relationships help keep ecosystems balanced. When prey populations increase, predator populations grow too. When predators reduce prey numbers, predator populations then decline.
Key Words
- cell
- nucleus
Materials Needed
- small pots
- cotton balls
- zip-lock bags
- labels
- seeds
Safety First
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
- Keep small objects away from young children.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Set up a composting experiment: place food scraps in one sealed bag and leaves in another. Observe decomposition over two weeks and record changes.
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is the difference between a predator and prey?
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
โTell me something you noticed about your own body today.โ
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 6th Grade
Get the full Ecosystems track as a printable PDF โ all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.
