How Energy

Cycles
through an
Ecosystem
Katie Jones’s
Fourth Grade Class
Table of Contents
• Georgia Performance Standard
• Organisms in Ecosystems
– Producers
– Consumers
– Decomposers
• How Energy Cycles in a Community
• Food Chains
• Food Webs
• Changes in Communities
• Changes in Populations
• What We Can Do to Help
Georgia Performance Standard
Fourth Grade Science:
Students will describe the roles of organisms
and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
- Identify the roles of producers, consumers,
and decomposers within a community
- Demonstrate the flow of energy through a
food web and food chain
- Predict how changes in the environment
would affect a community of organisms
- Predict the effects on a population if some
of the plants or animals are scarce/too
plentiful
Ecosystems
When it comes to Ecosystems, you should be
able to answer the following questions:
• What kinds of things make up an
ecosystem?
• What relationships exist in an ecosystem?
• How does energy move in an ecosystem?
• What kinds of changes can occur in an
ecosystem?
• How can these changes affect other things
that live in the ecosystem?
• How can we protect ecosystems?
Energy in Ecosystems
From where does all
the energy in an
ecosystem come?

All energy in an
ecosystem
originates from the
Sun and travels
through space to
Earth.
What are Producers?
• Producers are organisms that
make their own food & feed off
nutrients in the ecosystem
• Producers use the energy of the
sun and the nutrients in the soil to
create their own food through a
process called photosynthesis
• Can you think of examples of
producers in our ecosystem?
Examples of Producers
What are Consumers?
• Consumers are organisms that must
eat other organisms to survive
• Consumers get their energy from
taking in energy of other organisms
• Consumers eat producers or other
consumers
• Can you think of examples of
consumers in our ecosystem?
Examples of Consumers
What are Decomposers?
• Decomposers feed off other organisms
that have died
• Decomposers get their energy from
taking in the energy of other decaying
organisms
• Decomposers are organisms that
recycle dead producers & consumers
back into the ecosystem
• Can you think of examples of
decomposers in our ecosystem?
Examples of Decomposers
Reflect and Review…
Producers Consumers Decomposers

Grass Bears Bacteria

Trees Humans Mushrooms

Seaweed Dogs Mold

Algae Snakes Worms

Ecosystems: Moving Energy
How does energy
cycle in an Producers

ecosystem?
Nutrients go
create food from
back to soil
soil & sunlight

Energy moves in a
circular pathway Consumers
through all levels
Decomposers
eat producers &
recycle dead
other consumers
organisms
of the ecosystem.
Food Chains
What are food Producer:
Grass
chains?

Food chains are Consumer: Consumer:

simple diagrams
Mouse Rabbit

that show how

several organisms Consumer:
Snake
Consumer:
Owl
cycle energy
through their
ecosystem. Decomposer:
Fungi
Decomposer:
Worm
Food Webs
What are food
webs?
Food webs are more
complicated
diagrams. These
diagrams show
every possible
connection
between
organisms in an
ecosystem.
Something Fishy…
Now, we will watch a short cartoon
called Something Fishy. While
you’re watching the show, see if
you can identify a producer and
at least two consumers…

Something Fishy
(requires QuickTime Player)
Something Fishy Food Chain
Can you fill in the Producer:

information in the Sea Plants

food chain from
our Something
Fishy video? Consumer:

Crustacean

Consumer: Consumer:
Purple Fish Shark
Changes in an Ecosystem
Now we will consider Phytoplankton
what can happen
when an ecosystem
goes through Salmon
changes.

Grizzly Bears
Study the food chain
on the right. This
food chain Bald Eagles
represents one way
energy flows in a
forest ecosystem. Bacteria

Click here to return to

Slide 20
Changes in an Ecosystem
Now, think about
what would
happen if
something in the
ecosystem
changed.
What if the
amount of salmon
Changes occur in in our ecosystem
ecosystems every changed?
day for many
reasons.
Changes in an Ecosystem
What do think Let’s go back to
would happen our food web
if many salmon and see what
in our forest kinds of animals
ecosystem were
were killed by a connected to
disease? the salmon.
Changes in an Ecosystem
Now we know that In your Science
grizzly bears, Journal, complete
bald eagles, a Quick Write to
and the answer this
decomposing question…
bacteria are How would our
connected to forest ecosystem
the salmon. be affected by
the death of
many salmon?
Changes in an Ecosystem
Let’s share some Turn to someone
Quick Writes from sitting next to you
your Science and discuss…
Journals. • What would
happen if there
were too many
Now, let’s think salmon?
about some other • What would
ecosystem happen if there
changes that were no
might occur. decomposers?
Changes in an Ecosystem
We’ve considered
some possible
changes that
could occur in
our forest
ecosystem…
• Too few salmon
• Too many salmon
• No decomposers
Causes of Change
Now, let’s think Then, pair up with
about why those someone that
changes might you haven’t
be happening. partnered with
today.
Take a moment to
think of possible Share your ideas
causes of about causes of
changes in our ecosystem
forest ecosystem. changes.
Causes of Changes
What are some
causes of Pollution
Over-
ecosystem Hunting
changes that you
and your partner Disease Seasonal
discussed? Changes
Natural
Disasters
Temperature

Migration
Causes of Changes
Of these changes, which are man-
made and which are natural?
Could Seasonal
Pollution
be Changes
either
Over- Natural
Hunting Disasters
Disease

Man
Made Migration Temperature Natural
Causes of Changes
Can you think of In your Science
more ecosystem Journals,
changes that are Brainstorm a list of
caused by ways we can
humans? protect
ecosystems from
Can you think of changes caused
ways we can by humans.
protect ecosystems Share these with
from man-made your pods.
changes?
How we can help
Now that we know
man-made
contributions can
cause unwanted
changes in
ecosystems, how
can we help?

Let’s share some ideas

you came up with
during your
Brainstorm.
Ways to Conserve Ecosystems
Plant trees

Stop
construction in
ecosystems

Pick up litter

Reduce
Industrial
Waste Recycle
Recycling
An easy way for
kids to get
involved in
protecting
ecosystems is
by recycling.
How many of you
already
recycle?
Recycling
Every year, millions of Americans throw away
Americans recycle a great deal of trash
or reuse trash items every single day.
to protect Did you know that
ecosystems. America is called
However, many the “Throw Away
people are not Society” because
recycling at all. we create more
trash than any other
country per year?
America’s Trash
The Average American's Trash

Paper Food & Yard Waste Metal Glass Plastic Other Waste

9%
7%
9% 42%

10%

23%
Even though more than 50% of this trash could be recycled,
Americans are currently recycling only around 10%.
Recycling is on the rise
The good news is that
more people are
recycling now than
ever before.

Just what are we

recycling? How
much of
recyclable
materials are
actually recycled?
What We Recycle
Trash Recycled in America

100%

90%

80%
Percentage of Trash Recycled

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Trees Plastic Glass Yard Waste Paper Aluminum Steel Cans Auto
Containers Containers Packaging Batteries
Recycling at CES
Did you know…
CES currently has no
recycling
programs in
place?
How would you like
to create and
implement a
recycling program
here at CES?
Homework
Tonight, Brainstorm Things to consider
ideas for as you Brainstorm:
beginning a • What would we
recycling recycle?
program here at • How would we
CES. collect the items?
Tomorrow, we will • How would we
share these ideas transport the
and develop a items to a
plan. recycling center?
References
Jumping Fish Image:
Palumbo, K. (n.d.). Aquatic/Marine. Retrieved July 15, 2005 from
http://www.karenpalumbo.com/body_aquatic.html

All other images: Microsoft Office Online

Something Fishy video:

McAfee, J. (1998). Almost Amazing. Retrieved July 15, 2005 from
http://almostamazing.com/downloads/somethinfish.mpg

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