Grade 7 Ecosystem Project

The goal is to create a museum of ecosystem dioramas which will have supporting articles and research notes.

For this project Grade 7s will individually create a model of an ecosystem in the form of a 3D shoebox (or other similar box) diorama. Grade 7s will use their ecosystem to showcase the following concepts:

·        An ecosystem is an interaction between biotic and abiotic elements

·        An ecosystem can explain how energy flows using a food-web

·        An ecosystem is subject to competition and bioinvasion, as well as natural disasters

·        An ecosystems goes through the processes of primary and secondary succession

Some 6s MAY be assigned one of these dioramas to concurrently create an Explorer’s Sketchbook. 

Each class will use their double-periods to work on their projects; this means the project should not only be done at home and they need to bring their projects to school to work on them. However, students are encouraged to work on their projects at home. One way to show that students are working on it is to take pictures to show their teachers their progress.

Grade 7 General Outline

Step 1 – Biome Lottery: you will draw a brainstormed food web that was previously assigned as homework. Biome ____________. Continue researching information about biotic and abiotic components in your biome. Continue your research to find some geographical information (connect with the 5 Themes of Geographic Inquiry) about the area as well.

Step 2 – sketching: create a sketch to visualize what your ecosystem would look like when it is finished.

Step 3 – material list: other than a shoebox, or something similar in size, think about what other art/craft supplies you need in order to create your model. For example, you could create a list of all the different things in your sketch, and then write beside it what you need to make it. For example,

trees - small rolls of paper and cotton balls.

This material list is now your shopping list!

Step 4 – construction: your sketch needs to be approved the science teacher, and make sure not to lose it.

You will have two weeks, including 4 periods (double periods) to work on your projects.

Step 6 – submission: this project is due on Wednesday, 13 November 2013.

General Requirements:

·        Diorama

·        Paragraph on an example of bioinvasaion connected to your diorama

·        Paragraph and model/visual examples of human affects/impacts

·        Clearly drawn and detailed food web

·        Clear examples of producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers

·        Evidence of both biotic and abiotic components

.   A “Museum” style plaque describing your creative process and choices based on your ecological research