Introduction to Ecology Unit Bundle

Description

This Ecology unit bundle is perfect for introducing and reviewing a unit on ecosystems, abiotic vs biotic factors, limiting resources, ecosystems and succession. This bundle is great for a life science or biology class. The unit bundle contains a PowerPoint Lesson, Guided Notes, Assessment, self-grading task cards, choice board, warm ups, stations activities, print activities and digital interactive lessons that can all be used with Google Slides or Google Forms!

Content covered:
⭐ What is Ecology?

⭐ What is an Ecosystem?

⭐ Abiotic and biotic factors

⭐ Levels of organization in an ecosystem

⭐ Habitats

⭐ Niche

⭐ Succession (primary vs secondary)

⭐ Limiting factors

⭐ Carrying capacity

⭐ Biotic potential

Included in the Bundle:

1. Lesson, Guided Notes & Assessment

✐Summarize! Students can summarize their learning by writing, drawing or both. All links for the Google Slides and Google Forms are included in the re

2. Warm Ups

2 weeks of editable ecology and succession warm ups. These could also be used as exit tickets! Digital or print versions are perfect for an ecology unit in your Life Science or Biology class with no prep! Use these as bell ringers to get your students ready for the day or end the class with a ticket out the door. Google Slides versions are also included for online learning!

Each question is in short or long response format so students explain the topic and show their understanding.

There are 3 ways to use these editable warm ups/exit tickets:

1. Use them with slides as students fill out the answers on their own personal answer sheet.

2. Use the answer sheets with the questions on them without the slides. I personally have my students hole punch them each week to add into a pronged folder or binder to use as a study tool. You can even print them at 90% so students can glue them into their interactive science notebooks!

3. Use them for online learning or digitally with the Google Slides version. This is also perfect for digital interactive student notebooks.

A PowerPoint version is included for editing and a PDF version is included for easy printing.

*The questions are editable but the fonts and clip art are not due to copyright.*

Included in this resource:
✅ 2 weeks of warm ups/exit tickets (10 total).
✅ 3 editable templates to fit the needs of you and your students
✅ PowerPoint Slides with the questions to project for your students
✅ Answer key

3. Task Cards

These 24 ecology and succession task cards can be used in a classroom or digitally for distance learning through Google Forms with no prep. They are editable and even self-grading! Perfect for a Life Science or Biology class. They can be easily printed, cut and laminated for use in the classroom with a ready-to-print student answer sheet.

Review vocabulary and key concepts related to ecology and ecosystems. The link for Google Forms is available in the resource. An answer key is included in the resource and in Google Forms.

Task cards can be printed 1 per page or 4 per page. The answer sheet can be printed 1 per page or 2 per page to save paper. I typically print 2 per page so they’re perfect for gluing into interactive notebooks.

*Please note that the text is editable in each task card but the titles and clip art are not editable.

4. Stations

Do you need differentiated Succession and Introduction to Ecology stations activities for your ecology unit? Perfect for a middle school Life science class. This resource will help you reach and assess your students in a multitude of ways. This resource includes 7 stations with minimal prep involved. There is a printable version, editable PowerPoint version and a Digital Google Slides™ version that will help you save on time and paper!

The 7 types of Heredity and Inheritance Stations Activities include:

1. Discover – Students will research real-world application of ecology and succession.

2. Observe – Students will observe a coral reef ecosystem and an arctic ecosystem.

3. Experiment – Students will explore limiting factors in an environment.

4. Write – Students will explain their answers to questions in 2-3 sentences.

5. Create – Students will draw a series of events that leads to secondary succession.

6. Sort – Students will sort things into an “abiotic” or “biotic” category.

7. Quiz – Students will answer a mix of 8 true/false, multiple choice and short answer questions.

*Each station should take students between 8-10 minutes to complete.*

This resource includes:

• Digital Google Slides™ link to perform stations online.
• Printable version of stations in color and black/white
• Editable PowerPoint version of stations.

*Please note that the instructions for stations are editable but clip art, special fonts and formatting are not.*

5. Choice Board

This succession and ecology project allows students to choose a project idea of their choice. The differentiation of activities provides students with autonomy in their learning and presentation of knowledge. The project will assess knowledge of ecology concepts such as biotic vs abiotic factors, succession and ecosystems. Perfect for an Middle school Life Science or Biology class.

Included in this resource:

✅ 1 editable choice board with 9 activities to choose from.

✅ 1 editable rubric.

✅ 1 color and 1 black/white version for printing.

✅ Editable PowerPoint file for editing

✅ PDF file for printing

✅ Link to Google Slides version for Google Classroom

This choice board is editable to suit the needs of you and your students. Students can also submit most of the activities digitally through Google Classroom or Canvas.

General teacher directions and the choice board are included in PowerPoint format for easy editing. There are no rubrics included within the resource for their individual choice activities, only one rubric that can work for any of the project choice.

*Only the choice options are editable. Fonts and clip art are not editable due to copyright.

✅ Create a detailed infographic
✅ Record a mini documentary
✅ Create a map or blueprint of an ecosystem
✅ Illustrate a fictional movie poster
✅ and more!

6. Print and Digital Activities

This is a print and digital interactive science notebook resource that uses Google Slides. There are 6 interactive ecology activities including basic vocabulary, succession, abiotic and biotic factors. These activities are perfect for a Life Science or middle school biology class with no prep! Perfect for online learning or in person instruction!

Use these activities for:

• Sub Plans
• Test Prep (Florida SSA, Texas STAAR, NGSS)
• Online Learning
• Homework
• Independent review
• Stations
• Interactive Notebook Activity
• Early Finishers

Students will practice vocabulary skills, make real-world connections, research independently, understand visual representations and review concepts.

The activities include either drag and drop or short answer text. See the preview to get a better idea of how each slide works.

The slides and print version are not editable. An answer key is included in the PDF as well as the Google Slides link.

Content covered:
⭐ Vocabulary (community, ecosystem, habitat, species, niche, population, biotic factor, abiotic factor)

⭐ Identifying factors in an ecosystem
⭐ Levels of organization in Ecology

⭐ Primary and secondary succession

Related Blog Post: Teaching Ecology: 5 Hands-On Activities Your Middle School Students Will Love