“Dead or Alive” - LSU AgCenter · Dear Project Helper, ... “Dead or Alive, ... An ecosystem...

“Dead or Alive”

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2 4th-8th Grade Lesson Plan 4-H Helps YOUth Leap into the 21st Century

Welcome

to the

wonderful

world of

4-H Youth

Development!

Dear Project Helper,This lesson is part of an effort by the 4-H Youth Development Division

of the LSU AgCenter to provide teaching activities that are fun as well aseducational. We are pleased that you have agreed to work with youth asthey learn and grow. You will help them learn scientific concepts they willuse for many years.

These lessons address Louisiana Content Standards science benchmarks;therefore, what you do with this activity should help strengthen studentsfor LEAP testing. We appreciate your being part of this effort.

4th-6th Grade Lesson Plan 4-H Helps YOUth Leap into the 21st Century 3

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1. Definition of ecosystems2. Types of ecosystems in Louisiana3. Abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem

Learning Activity:“Dead or Alive,”

Key Concepts:

How Can Members Apply this Information?

Getting Ready:

What You Need for the Lesson:

1. Describe how abiotic components influence biotic componentsof an ecosystem.

2. Identify the characteristics and life cycles of organisms in anecosystem.

3. Explain the relationship of organisms to each other and theirenvironments.

1. Contact the Chamber or Commerce or Tourist Commision for aLouisiana map or map of your local area for students to use in identifyingecosystems in your area.

2. Prepare ecosystem posters (Resource Sheets A-1, A-2 and A-3) onfoam or poster board.

3. Prepare ecosystem role-playing cards (Resource Sheets B-1 to B-14)on card stock or construction paper. Use different colors.

4. Prepare ecosystem influence/change cards (Resource Sheets C-1 toC-5) on card stock or construction paper. Use different colors.

Delivery Mode:4-H Club Meeting, Science Class,

School Enrichment

Time Allotted:30-45 minutes

Number ofParticipants:

1-30 (fewer than 10, use role-playing cards on flannel board or

other board to create ecosystem.)

Track:Environment/Science

Life Skill:Problem Solving, Acquiringand Analyzing Information

Identifying abiotic and bioticcomponents of an ecosystem

Project Skill:Citizenship

Louisiana ContentStandards

Benchmarks:LS-E-A1, LS-E-A2,

LS-E-A3, SE-E-A2, SE-E-A5,SE-M-A1, SE-M-A4

1. Louisiana or local map2. Posters3. Role-playing cards4. Influence/change cards5. Lesson script

Character Focus:

The Living and Non-living of anAquatic/Marine Ecosystem

What You Say: What You Show or Do: What Participants Do:


4th-8th Grade “Dead or Alive”

Today we will talk aboutecosystems. What is an ecosys-tem?

(Accept all reasonableanswers.)

Show title poster “Aquatic/Marine Ecosystems” or show apicture of any of the following:swamp, marsh, lake, river, pond,beach or estuary. (Contact yourChamber of Commerce or touristinformation center for a poster/visual related to your area.)

Define ecosystem.

An ecosystem is a group ofplants and animals and theenvironment they live in. Theplants and animals functiontogether as a system in nature.An ecosystem consists of bothliving and nonliving things.

Many of these types ofecosystems exist in Louisiana.They are located in areas thatare always under water or arecovered with water only certaintimes of the year. Can anyonegive me an example of anaquatic or marine ecosystem orlocate an ecosystem on thisLouisiana map?

Show a Louisiana map. Solicitresponses from participants. Holdup ecosystem posters “Aquatic /Marine Ecosystems” resourcesheet A-1, page 5.

Discuss and respond.

In Louisiana, we have wetlandecosystems, freshwater ecosys-tems, coastal ecosystems andsaltwater ecosystems. As Iidentify one, please volunteer tocome up and locate it on ourmap of Louisiana.

Describe wetland ecosystemsin Louisiana; ask for a volunteerand help the volunteer locate iton the map.

Volunteer and locate wetlandecosystems on Louisiana maps.

An ecosystem has two basiccomponents. The biotic compo-nent is the living part of theecosystem. These are the plantsand animals.

Show poster: Biotic = Living,p. 13 (Optional – Clip Art onposter representing birds, fish,animals, reptiles, insects, plantsand trees)

Another part of the ecosys-tem is also very important. Thenonliving part of the ecosystemis called the abiotic component.

Show poster: Abiotic = Nonliv-ing, p.14. (Optional – Clip Art onposter representing water, sun,soil, wind, waves, temperature)


54th-8th Grade Lesson Plan 4-H Helps YOUth Leap into the 21st Century


Can you list some nonlivingparts of an ecosystem?

(Possible answers: water, sun,soil, wind, waves, temperature)

Allow time for discussion andresponse.

Identify the nonliving parts ofan ecosystem.

The nonliving parts orabiotic parts of an ecosystemare components such as tem-perature, sunlight, soil andwater, including how deep thewater is and if it is salt water orfresh water, the wave action ofthe water, and wind conditions.

Show clip art on posters (ifyou have included it).

(Experience)Today we will create our

own ecosystem. Rememberthere are biotic (living) andabiotic (nonliving) componentsin an ecosystem. We will discusshow abiotic (nonliving) compo-nents affect the biotic (living)components of an ecosystem.

I will need some volunteersto represent the parts of ourwetland ecosystem.

Get volunteers to representthe parts in a wetland ecosystem.Give each volunteer a role-playing card representing thedifferent parts of the ecosystem.(Resource Cards B-1 to B-14)Have participants, sit, kneel orstand, depending on the partthey represent. Example: “Wa-ter” can sit on the floor, while“sunlight” stands high.

Volunteers display the cardsidentifying parts of the ecosys-tem they represent. The role-playing cards can be held byhand or hung with yarn, ribbonor string around the neck ofthe volunteers. The remainderof the audience should be ableto see the role-playing cardsclearly.

(Share)What are some of the

abiotic components that affectthe plants in our ecosystem?(Possible answers: Temperature,water, sunlight, wind and soil.)

Allow time for discussion andresponses.

Identify abiotic components.Ecosystem volunteers hold upcards as abiotic components areidentified.


(Process)Will these abiotic compo-

nents change over time?(Answer: Yes.)How will they change?

(Temperature will change - hot,cold, warm, cool) (Sunlight -bright sunshine, some sunshine,cloudy) (Wind - no wind tosevere windy conditions) (Wa-ter – fresh water, salt water, lowwater level, high water level, nowater, polluted water) (Soil -rich soil, right amount of soil,erosion, pollution)

Allow time for discussion andresponse.





(Generalize)What things in the ecosystem

do plants need to live?(Possible answers: Sunlight, air,

water, chlorophyll, soil thatcontains nutrients and soil in theright amounts)

Solicit response from audi-ence.

Discuss what plants need tosurvive.


How are the animals in ourecosystem affected by abioticfactors? (Possible answers: Theanimals need water to drink.Some of the animals depend onplants and other animals tosurvive. Even these plants andanimals need abiotic factors tosurvive. For example, the alliga-tor could not survive withoutwater, but also could not survivewithout the fish they eat forfood.)

Solicit response from audi-ence.

Discuss how animals needabiotic components.


What would happen if thetemperature remains extremelyhot or cold for a long time?(Possible answer: Some plantsor animals may not be able tosurvive.)

Give temperature role playera high temperature or lowtemperature card (ResourceCards C-1 to C-5, influence/change cards) and ask person todisplay so audience can see it.Solicit response from audience.Discuss responses to questions.

Plant and some animal roleplayers leave the ecosystem orpretend to die.


What would happen if saltwater intruded our freshwaterecosystem and remained there?(Possible answers: Animals maynot survive because of lack offresh water. Some freshwaterfish species may die or move toother freshwater areas. The saltwater may kill plants and grassesthat may not adapt to salt water.)

Give water role player asaltwater intrusion card (Re-source Cards C-1 to C-5, influ-ence/change cards) and askperson to display so audience cansee it. Animal, fish and plant roleplayers leave the ecosystem afterquestion has been asked andanswered.


What would happen if thesoil became polluted or erodedaway? (Possible answer: Theliving things in the ecosystemmay not be able to survive in thenew environment.)

Give soil role player an ero-sion or pollution card (influence/change cards); ask person todisplay so audience can see it.

Plants and grass role playersmay pretend to die.

Some animal role playersleave to go to another environ-ment.


74th-8th Grade Lesson Plan 4-H Helps YOUth Leap into the 21st Century


(Apply)Do human beings do anything

to hurt or harm our ecosystems?Can you name some things

human beings do to harm eco-systems?

(Polluting water, clearingtrees to build, filling in wet-lands.)



What happens to the animalsand plants when humans harmthe ecosystem? (Possible answer:Often they do not adapt, so theymove on to another ecosystemor become extinct and die.) Wecan observe plants and animalsin many different types of eco-systems. Think of your ownbackyard, the school grounds orany other area where plants andanimals live.

We can observe plants andanimals in many different typesof ecosystems.

Are there abiotic compo-nents that affect the plants andanimals that live there? Do theychange over time?

(Possible answers: Yes, sun-light, temperature, water, wind,soil)



We hope this exercise willhelp you understand how bioticcomponents (living things) areinfluenced by abiotic compo-nents (nonliving things) and howthey work together to make upan ecosystem and our environ-ment. Let’s thank our ecosystemvolunteers for their help today.

Collect role-play cards fromvolunteers. Thank and recognizevolunteers.




Responsible citizenship isvital to the life of our ecosys-tems. As we practice citizen-ship in our communities, wemust be aware of what is neededto keep those systems strongand working as they should. Wealso must teach others what wehave learned about caring forour environment. Are youwilling to be a good citizen andshare with family, friends andneighbors in your communitywhat you have learned aboutprotecting our environment?


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Ways to Help MembersLearn More:

1. Get permission from school leaders to allow members to teachyounger students what they have learned in this lesson.

2. Assist students as they prepare posters about the importance ofprotecting our ecosystems. Help them contact business owners to getpermission to display their posters in prominent places.

Resources:1. You and the Environment,4-H Project Book, LSUAgCenter, LCES, 1994.

2. Aquatic/Marine Ecosys-tems, Leader’s ActivityGuide, A 4-H ActivityGuide for 9-14 year olds.University of Florida,Institute of Food andAgricultural Sciences,Cooperative ExtensionService.

3. Evaluating 4-H Curricu-lum through the DesignProcess: Pilot Testing andCollecting Data for the 4-H National Jury ReviewProcess©1999, PurdueUniversity The Ohio StateUniversity.

Acknowledgments:Louisiana Content Standards,published by LouisianaState Department ofEducation.

Author:Pam Gauthreaux, Extension Agent;Shaney Hill, Associate County Agent, Terrebonne ParishCoordinators:Terril Faul, 4-H Division Leader, andSarah Williams, Extension Associate,4-H Youth Development


Aquatic /Marine

Ecosystems

Biotic = Living

A-1

A-2


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Abiotic =Nonliving

HighTemperatures

A-3

C-1


LowTemperatures

SaltwaterIntrusion

C-2

C-3


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Erosion

Pollution

C-4

C-5


Ecosystem Role-playing Cards

Water

B-1


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Temperature

Soil

B-2

B-3


Wind

Duck

B-4

B-5


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Heron

Turtle

B-6

B-7


Fish

Grass

B-8

B-9


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Shrub

Tree

B-10

B-11


Alligator

Raccoon

B-12

B-13


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Insect

B-14

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Visit our Web site: www.lsuagcenter.com

This material is based on work supported by the Technology Assisting Louisiana Youth (TALY) project funded in part by the United StatesDepartment of Education through Online Louisiana, Inc.

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William B. Richardson, ChancellorLouisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director

Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director

Pub. 2889-A (Online) 7/04

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

“Dead or Alive” - LSU AgCenter · Dear Project Helper, ... “Dead or Alive, ... An ecosystem...

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