Gizmo- Forest Ecosystems Live 2.1.6

Ecosystems

FORESET

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Today we will....

• Identify producers, consumers, and decomposers in a forest ecosystem.
• Explain how changing one population affects others in the ecosystem.
• Use graphs and data to understand how ecosystems change over time.

Stop and Think

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Open Gizmos

1. Log into Edio and open science course2. Click resources on the left hand side 3. Scroll down till you see clever - Open clever in a new tab 4. Log into Clever with Edio 5. Find the Explore Learning Button

Forest Ecosystem

Ecosystems are made up of interconnected organisms, and changes to one population can affect the entire system. By exploring a forest ecosystem, students learn how producers, consumers, and decomposers interact and how balance is essential for survival.

Take 3 minutes and explore Gizmos....

Advance time using the “Advance year” button. Add or remove organisms using the +/- buttons. View population data using the “DATA” tab with pictographs and line graphs.

Identify

ProducER Primary consumer Secondary consumer Decomposer

Explore A Scenario

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Mushroom

What happens when all the mushrooms are removed from the forest ecosystem?

Remove all of the mushrooms and advance to year 10. What happened to the other organisms, and was your hypothesis correct?

Deer

How does increasing the deer population impact trees and bears over time?

Increase the deer population to the max and advance to year 10. What happened to the trees and bears? Was your hypothesis correct?

Trees

What effect does adding extra trees have on the populations of deer and mushrooms?

Increase the tree population to the max and advance to year 10. What happened to the deer and mushrooms? Was your hypothesis correct?

Bears

If bears are removed from the ecosystem, how will the deer and tree populations respond?

Remove all of the bears and advance to year 10. What happened to the deer and trees? Was your hypothesis correct?

Hunting

What happens to the ecosystem if hunting was allowed?

Allow hunting and advance to year 10. What happened to the ecosystem? Was your hypothesis correct?

Logging

What happens to the ecosystem if logging was allowed and many trees were removed?

Allow logging and advance to year 10. What happened to the ecosystem? Was your hypothesis correct?

You learned....

• By exploring changes in a forest environment, students learn how even small shifts—like adding or removing a species—can affect the entire system.

Thank you!