KS3 ~ Year 8 ~ Ecosystems

This lesson is designed for the KS3 Year 8 Science course, specifically the B2 1.2 Ecosystem Processes.

For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.

The lesson begins with two images, both of ecosystems, students are then asked to discuss their ideas of what the definition of an ecosystem could be. The answer is then revealed so students can check their answers and correct if necessary.

Students are now given a list of key words, whilst watching a video on ecology students should try to write a definition for each of these key words. This task can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided once complete.

Next, students are shown images of three different species of woodpecker - Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Students can each be given a woodpecker name, they then need to come up with a survival strategy - how will they survive in the same habitat as each other? The ideas from the classroom can be noted down on the board for everyone to see. The PowerPoint can then reveal that each of the woodpeckers feeds in a different part of the woodland ecosystem. This leads into the definition of an ecological niche - as a particular place or role that an organism has within the ecosystem.

The next activity requires students to watch a video on ecological niches of organisms living in a watering hole ecosystem, students will need to note down the niches they observe whilst watching the video. This task can then be marked and corrected using the answers provided on the PowerPoint once it is complete.

The final activity requires students to complete a paragraph by filling in the blanks, in order to summarise what was learned this lesson. The mark scheme for this task is included so students can self-assess their work.

The plenary activity requires students to complete one of the sentence starters included to summarise what they have learned this lesson.

All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)