Download Pizza Box Ecosystems

Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
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Resource ID#: 76018
Pizza Box Ecosystems
A long-term project in which students create a labeled ecosystem diorama out of a recycled pizza box as they complete an introductory ecology
unit.
Subject(s): Science
Grade Level(s): 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computers for Students,
Internet Connection
Instructional Time: 12 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: Long-Term, Group Project, Ecology, Ecosystem, Food Web, Symbiosis, Limiting Factor, Model
Resource Collection: FCR-STEMLearn Diversity and Ecology
ATTACHMENTS
Pizza Box Ecosystem Example.pdf
Pizza Box Ecosystem Rubric.docx
Ecosystem Prediction Essay Rubric.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
By the completion of the "Pizza Box Ecosystem" Project, students should be able to:
Identify and verbally describe key factors in an ecosystem, such as biotic and abiotic factors, trophic levels, relationships between organisms, and limiting factors
Model a real-world ecosystem and demonstrate understanding the roles of the biotic and abiotic factors within by verbally presenting their ecosystem to the class
Relate and describe in writing, mechanisms within ecosystems, such as food webs, limiting factors, and symbiotic relationships
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should know that:
Ecosystems exist in various forms and sizes throughout the world.
All ecosystems have biotic and abiotic factors that interact and depend upon the existence of one another.
Energy is transferred through ecosystems in various methods, including food chains, gas exchanges, and nutrient cycles.
Teacher can assess prior knowledge by putting up a picture or cartoon of a well-known ecosystem (i.e. African savannah) and having students describe what they see,
what is living and non-living, and where different large organisms (lions, zebras, etc.) receive their energy from, tracing it back to the sun. Showing a video clip, such
as the beginning scene of Disney's "The Lion King" is a recognizable pop culture reference that can provide a hook for some students.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
What makes a place an "ecosystem"? What do you think is the smallest component? What do you think is the largest component?
Some ecosystems seem to overlap. What ecosystems are most like the one you are focusing on? Why?
If you removed the top predator in your ecosystem, what would happen? If you removed one of the primary producers in your ecosystem, what would happen?
page 1 of 5 Some ecosystems have a keystone species - a species upon which many others depend upon. Can you find a keystone species in your ecosystem? What factors
make it a keystone species?
Compare and contrast your ecosystem with another group's. What characteristics do they share? What characteristics are unique?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
This is a long-term project that should be conducted throughout the ecology unit. It is designed to allow students to work hands-on with their knowledge as they move
through the unit. Refer to "Pizza Box Ecosystem Example" for visual representation of completed project example.
Preparation
Prior to beginning the "Pizza Box Ecosystem" project, the teacher should visit the school's media center to reserve classroom materials if they are not already present,
such as encyclopedias, books about specific biomes (at least one per major biome), and laptops or iPads (one per group of 3-4 students). Students should also have
access to pizza boxes, construction paper, scissors, glue, glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, and computer printer paper.
During Project
Vocabuary Covered: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer, decomposer, predator, prey, competition, limiting factor, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism,
parasitism
Day 1: Choosing an ecosystem for their pizza box
Day 2: Biotic and abiotic factors
Day 3: Food chain
Day 4: Food Web
Day 5: Predator-prey relationship
Day 6: Limiting factor
Day 7: Symbiotic relationships
Day 8: Final project presentation
Recommended Resources:
TeacherTube: The Nature of Ecosystems (good introduction): http://www.teachertube.com/video/the-nature-of-ecosystems-95173
Animal/Habitat Live Webcams: http://explore.org/live-cams/
National Geographic Habitats: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/
Food Web Game (good for interactive boards):http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/be_an_explorer/map/line_experiment14.swf
Virtual Ecosystem (competition demonstration): http://concord.org/stem-resources/virtual-ecosystem
National Geographic Ecological Relationships (symbiosis overview and practice): http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/ecologicalrelationships/?ar_a=1
After Project
Gallery Walk
Student Ecosystem Essay
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Under teacher guidance, students will:
1. Choose a specific real-world ecosystem
2. Create a food chain with at least 4 tropic levels
3. Create a food web with at least 10 total organisms
4. Define key terms and demonstrate understanding and real-world application of limiting factors, symbiosis, and predation
Project Day-by-Day Guidelines:
Day 1: Choosing an ecosystem for their pizza box
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic
Introduce this project as you are introducing your Ecology unit. Have students discuss their prior knowledge of what makes up an ecosystem, and assess prior
knowledge of abiotic and biotic factors and separation of biomes. Assist students with choosing the ecosystem they would like to recreate. If they are having trouble,
ask them about their favorite animal and where it lives. Once students select an ecosystem, provide them with suggested resources. Place students in groups of 3-4,
with respect to their chosen ecosystem (i.e. if one student loves Florida panthers and another loves Alligators, group them together for an Everglades "Pizza Box
Ecosystem"). Try not to repeat more than one specific ecosystem (i.e.If you have two "Wetlands" groups, divide students into "Everglades" and "Mississippi River
Basin", instead of having two general "Wetlands" ecosystem models, if necessary). Provide students with the attached rubric for the project prior to beginning.
Day 2: Biotic and abiotic factors
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic
Following a discussion on biotic vs. abiotic factors in an environment, allow students time within their group to research their assigned ecosystem. By the end of Day 2,
students should receive their pizza box and should use construction paper to create "stand-up" representations of 3 living and 3 non-living features to their "pizza box
ecosystem" environment.
"Stand-up" construction paper features can be created by having the student draw their feature, then leaving a one inch tall by two inch wide tab on the bottom of the
drawing. Fold this tab under the drawing and glue it so that the tab is horizontal, but the drawing is vertical. Glue should only be applied to the tab. Construction paper
features should be limited to the inside bottom of the box (where the pizza would typically go).
page 2 of 5 Walk around the room and question student as to what different features are. Have students speculate their larger role in the environment. Provide feedback for the
placement of different items in the environment (i.e. would a river run through that particular area, or would those types of plants grow at that elevation)
Day 3: Food chain
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer
Choose and research an ecosystem that none of the student groups are using. We will now refer to this as the "Class Ecosystem" for the remainder of the lesson plan.
Make sure you understand the food web of the Class Ecosystem prior to beginning class.
Have students take out their pizza box ecosystems and sit in their groups. Introduce the terms "producer" and "consumer" (if you wish to add complexity, you can
discuss primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers). Groups should then label each of their biotic features as either producers or consumers.
Now, as a class, create a food chain for the class ecosystem you (the teacher) had previously researched. Be sure to include the sun as the ultimate energy source
(unless using hydrothermal vent ecosystem). On the board or on chart paper, have students work as a class to create a food chain for the class ecosystem. Students
should be positively reinforced for adding items to the class food chain, and labeling them as producers or consumers.
Then, gradually release students to work in their "pizza box ecosystem" groups, visiting each group and providing feedback about the food chain they created. Student
food chains should be collected with suggestions/feedback written on the bottom.
Day 4: Food web
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer, decomposer
Prior to class, recreate the previous day's class ecosystem food chain on the board (or, if chart paper was used, hang the paper back up).
Have students take out their pizza box ecosystem and sit in their groups. Guide students to think more broadly about "what eats what" and where "waste" goes in an
ecosystem. Introduce the term "decomposer." Have students add and label one decomposer to their pizza box.
Students will then work as a class to add additional organisms to the class ecosystem food chain to create a class ecosystem food web. Students should be positively
reinforced for adding items to the class food web, and labeling them as producers, consumers, or decomposers.
Then, students' previously collected food chains should be handed back, and students should use these as a base for their food web. Gradually release students to
work in their "pizza box ecosystems" groups on their food web in pencil, visiting each group and providing them feedback about their food web.
Student food webs should be teacher or peer-reviewed with suggestions/feedback written on the back (which will eventually be hidden when glued). Visit with each
group to be sure that feedback is understood and food webs are correct prior to gluing. Food webs should be glued to the inside top of the pizza box.
Day 5: Predator-prey relationship
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer, decomposer, predator, prey
Discuss the terms "predator" and "prey." Use your class ecosystem food web to identify predators and prey within. Have students use their pre-selected "favorite
species" as a launching point for their predation example. It is most likely either a predator or prey, and can be identified as either. Provide feedback to your student
as they research their "favorite species," guiding them to find an appropriate example. Make sure that they have created a construction paper model or picture cut-out
of the species that they wish to focus on.
After students have each researched independently, have students take out their pizza box ecosystems and sit in their groups. Have eachstudent in the group pick a
predator-prey relationship and create and share within their group a descriptive label in their ecosystem diorama beside either the "stand-up" model of their predator
or prey (on the inside bottom of box).
Monitoring Individual Work in a Group Tip: Have each student use a respective different colored pencil to write their label, so that the teacher can distinguish between
which student provided what information. Students should provide a key for their colored pencil colors on the outside bottom of their pizza box, or sign their label, or
both. This will be their color for the entirety of the remaining project.
Day 6: Limiting factor
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer, decomposer, predator, prey, competition, limiting factor
Have students take out their pizza box ecosystems and sit in their groups. Discuss the basic needs of all living things (food, water, air, and shelter). Have students use
their pre-selected "favorite species" as a launching point for their limiting factor example. Introduce "competition" and ask what their favorite species might compete
with for something it needs in order to survive.
Have students discuss limiting factors in their group and each pick a different limiting factor. Provide feedback to your student as they research and discuss, guiding
them to find an appropriate example. Each students should place a second label in their diorama about a limiting factor within their environment (on the inside bottom
of the box). Have each student use their respective different colored pencil to write their label, so that the teacher can distinguish between which student provided
what information.
Day 7: Symbiotic relationships
Word Wall: ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, producer, consumer, decomposer, predator, prey, competition, limiting factor, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
Provide students with well-known examples of mutualism (shark-remora), commensalism (clownfish-anemone), and parasitism (flea-dog). Give students access to
either the library, your pre-selected resources, or the internet. Have them research a symbiotic relationship within their ecosystem, and provide feedback based on the
students' explanations of their "pizza box ecosystem" symbiotic relationship. This symbiotic relationship should be created into another construction paper model,
complete with a label defining it as mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism (on the inside bottom of the box).
After students have worked independently on symbiotic relations, have them come together in their pizza box group and share their findings about their ecosystem, as
well as the "stand-up" model they created. Each student should add their model to the ecosystem after they have shared. Have each student use their respective
different colored pencil to write their label, so that the teacher can distinguish between which student provided what information.
Day 8: Final project presentation
page 3 of 5 On the back (outside top) of their pizza box, have students create a "cheat sheet" for their presentation. Students should list the following here:
1. Name of ecosystem and location
2. One example of a producer
3. One example of a consumer
4. One example of a decomposer
5. One example of a predator-prey relationship
6. One limiting factor within their ecosystem
7. One form of symbiosis (parasitism, competition, commensalism, mutualism)
8. One amazing fact about their ecosystem that they didn't know before
Once all pizza box ecosystems are complete, student groups will take turns presenting. Each student must talk as part of the presentation. As part of their summative
assessment, students will be given feedback based upon their presentation and how well they understood the information.
Have students complete a rubric for their own project prior to turning it in upon completion, including a component on grading their own participation and their
perceived individual grade.
After the Project
Students should set-up their Pizza Box Ecosystems around the room and complete a Gallery Walk. During the Gallery Walk, students will walk around the room with
sticky notes and write one positive comment about every other ecosystem as they visit.
Students will then write a 5 paragraph essay on what would happen to their ecosystem if their favorite animal suddenly disappeared.The essay should be formatted to
have an introductory paragraph, information on how the disappearance would affect the ecosystem's food web, competing species within the ecosystem, and another
living organism with a symbiotic relationship (if they are stuck, suggest researching their favorite animal's parasites - almost every animal has a parasite!), and a
concluding paragraph that suggests at least one way to conserve their favorite animal species in order to keep it from disappearing. Students should be graded
according to a rubric, which should be provided to them prior to beginning writing. This rubric is attached.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Students will be creating an ecosystem diagram as part of a group project. The project is described in the Teaching Phase above.
Independently and/or within groups of 3-4, students will:
1. Pick at least 3 biotic and 3 abiotic features to add to an assigned ecosystem
2. Research and relate a food chain to an assigned ecosystem
3. Expand a food chain into a food web for an assigned ecosystem
4. Research and relate predation, limiting factors, and symbiosis within their ecosystem
5. Collaborate and inquire within a group, developing teamwork skills towards a common academic goal
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Students summarize their knowledge through a written essay, described in the Teaching Phase above. A rubric is provided.
At the completion of the project, students will:
1. Have a completed ecosystem model, displaying biotic and abiotic factors, predation, limiting factors, and symbiosis
2. Display and describe different mechanisms within an ecosystem
3. Display and describe energy transfer through an ecosystem via a food web model
4. Demonstrate understanding of interdependence by predicting the results of a species' disappearance
Summative Assessment
At the conclusion of this project, students should be able to present their "pizza box ecosystem" to the class, and identify the following and display where it is modeled
in their ecosystem model:
Name and location of ecosystem
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
Predation
One limiting factor
One form of symbiosis (parasitism, competition, commensalism, mutualism)
One previously unknown fact about that ecosystem
This project should be graded overall upon completion, using the attached rubric.
Formative Assessment
Throughout this project, the teacher should rotate through the room and check in on each student. Point to something in their ecosystem and ask them to describe the
relationship of that item with the rest of the ecosystem. If the student has trouble, provide them with guiding questions or relate to something within the student's own
immediate environment.
Feedback to Students
page 4 of 5 Students should be receiving feedback almost constantly as they work in groups to construct their pizza box ecosystem. Teacher should be circulating the classroom
and checking for content knowledge by having students identify different biotic and abiotic factors and their relationships. Students should also be receiving feedback
about the written components such as food web, limiting factor, and symbiotic relationship prior to permanently adding them to the pizza box.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Teachers should always first review and evaluate the learning levels of every individual within their class and accommodate accordingly. As this is a collaboration
activity with multiple hands-on and creative features, it accommodates many students at different learning levels. However, the following accommodations can be
made, according to your class's individual needs:
Students can model the food web within their diorama by organizing their biotic factors to create a food web within their model (inside bottom pizza box), instead of
as a separate written document (inside top pizza box).
Students can model the limiting factor by applying numerical representations to the abiotic factors, representing how numerous they are within the environment.
Students can model symbiosis through drawing the organisms with arrows displaying which organism benefits
Extensions:
This lesson can be extended by any of the following:
Zoo or aquarium field trip
Nature preserve field trip
Nature walk around school to discover "backyard ecosystem"
Zoo, aquarium, or nature preserve webcams/virtual field trip
Identifying ecosystem features in nature documentaries such as "Blue Planet," "Planet Earth," "PBS Nature"
Extra credit/homework assignment: Identifying ecosystem features in children's movies such as "Finding Nemo," "The Lion King," "Happy Feet," etc.
Suggested Technology: Computers for Students, Internet Connection
Special Materials Needed:
Additional resources are required for this activity, such as:
Recycled pizza boxes (either collect or order from pizza box/pizza distributor), 1 per every 3-4 students*
Construction paper
Copy/printer paper
Scissors
Elmer's glue
Glue sticks
Colored pencils
Markers
Encyclopedias
Biome-specific library books
*If pizza boxes can not be used, students can use shoe-boxes or poster board bent in half
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Lauren Dellert
Name of Author/Source: Lauren Dellert
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Pinellas
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
SC.7.L.17.1:
SC.7.L.17.2:
SC.7.L.17.3:
Description
Explain and illustrate the roles of and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of
energy transfer in a food web.
Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms such as mutualism, predation, parasitism, competition, and
commensalism.
Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including
food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.
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