TEKS 5.

9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

Where do organisms live?

• No matter where you can go on Earth, there are living things.
• Although organisms may live in different parts of Earth,
they all share Earth’s resources, such as water, air, and light.
• Living things depend on and are connected to each other
through the resources they share.

1. Identify What are some of Earth’s resources that

living things share?
 TEKS 5.9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

How is the living environment

organized?
• An organism’s environment is anything that can affect the
organism. An environment includes both living and nonliving
parts. The living parts of the environment are organized into
populations, communities, and ecosystems.

• A population is a group of
individuals that belong to
the same species and live in
the same area.

(contd.)
 TEKS 5.9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

• A community is a
group of
populations that
interact with each
other in a particular
area.
• An ecosystem is a
community of
organisms living
together along with
the nonliving parts
of the environment.

2. List Make a list of the parts of

an ecosystem. Then make a
graphic organizer to show how
these parts are related.
 TEKS 5.9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

How do organisms interact

in ecosystems?
• Living things must interact with the nonliving parts of an
ecosystem to live and survive. Water, sunlight, air,
temperature, and soil are some nonliving parts of an
ecosystem.

3. Infer Look more closely at the picture of the

prairie dogs ecosystem shown on the next slide.
What are the nonliving parts of this population’s
environment?

(contd.)
TEKS 5.9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

(contd.)
 TEKS 5.9A: Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and non-living elements.

• Living things interact with all the other living things around
them. How organisms interact with other living things
determines whether the organism will survive.

4. Predict Look again at the picture of the prairie dog

ecosystem on the previous slide. How might the owl
and the snake in this ecosystem interact?