This introduction to ecosystems reading passage and worksheet teaches students what ecosystems are, how living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) factors interact within them, the levels of biological organization from organisms to the biosphere, and the general characteristics of different biomes like forests, deserts, and tundra.
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Includes both PRINT and GOOGLE SLIDES options to assign!
In this activity, students will:
- READ an article introducing them to the concept of an ecosystem.
- DEFINE key terms using context clues from the reading.
- ANSWER text-dependent questions. All answers come from the text, so no prior knowledge is required!
The reading covers the following topics:
- What ecosystems are and how they function
- Levels of biological organization (organism through biosphere)
- Biotic factors – the living parts of ecosystems
- Abiotic factors – the nonliving parts of ecosystems
- Living and nonliving things interact and are balanced
- Different types of ecosystems and biomes (overview)
Teacher Notes:
- Includes answer keys.
- Please note that this introduction to ecosystems reading is not editable.
- GO PAPERLESS! Use the included digital Google Slides option to assign!
- You can also shop my TPT store!
- Get EVERYTHING you need to teach ALL of NGSS MS-LS2 with my Complete Ecosystems Unit!
Related Standards:
- NGSS MS-LS2-1: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
- NGSS MS-LS2-2: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
- NGSS MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
- NGSS MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
