Science Year 8 - Unit 1 - Lesson 21

What Is an Ecosystem?

Use this worksheet after reading the lesson to practise the key ideas and prove you can meet the success criteria.

Name

Date

Class

1. Key Ideas

A schoolyard, a creek, a patch of bush and even a pile of rotting logs are all ecosystems. This lesson explains what makes an ecosystem work and why living things cannot survive without the non-living parts around them.

an ecosystem includes both living and non-living things
living things depend on non-living factors in their environment

2. Success Criteria

By the end, you should be able to:

an ecosystem includes both living and non-living things
biotic factors are living and abiotic factors are non-living
producers, consumers and decomposers each have a role

3. Key Terms

EcosystemA community of living and non-living things that interact in a particular area.

Biotic factorA living part of an ecosystem, such as a plant, animal or microorganism.

Abiotic factorA non-living part of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, temperature or soil.

ProducerAn organism that makes its own food, usually using sunlight through photosynthesis.

ConsumerAn organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms.

DecomposerAn organism that breaks down dead matter and returns nutrients to the soil.

4. Activity: Build the Lesson Map

Use the lesson to complete the table. Keep answers brief but specific.

Prompt	Your answer
Main concept
Important example
Common mistake to avoid
How this links to the next lesson

5. Short Answer Questions

1. Explain this lesson goal in your own words: "an ecosystem includes both living and non-living things". Use one specific example from the lesson.

Core

2. Apply this idea to a new example: "biotic factors are living and abiotic factors are non-living". Show your reasoning clearly.

Core

3. Analyse why this idea matters for understanding What Is an Ecosystem?: "producers, consumers and decomposers each have a role".

Reasoning

6. Extend: Apply the Idea

A student says, "I understand What Is an Ecosystem? because I memorised the definition."

Explain why memorising a definition is not enough. Use an example from the lesson to show deeper understanding.

7. Multiple Choice

1. What is the best first step when answering a question about What Is an Ecosystem??

A. Identify the key concept being tested

B. Write every fact from memory

C. Ignore the command word

D. Skip examples and evidence

2. Which answer would show stronger understanding of What Is an Ecosystem??

A. An answer with accurate terms and reasoning

B. A copied definition only

C. A single-word response

D. An answer with no example

3. What should you do if a question asks you to explain?

A. Link the idea to a reason or cause

B. List unrelated facts

C. Only draw a diagram

D. Write the shortest possible answer

8. Success Criteria Proof

Finish with evidence that you can do each success criterion.

Success criterion 1

Prove that you can: an ecosystem includes both living and non-living things

Success criterion 2

Prove that you can: biotic factors are living and abiotic factors are non-living

Success criterion 3