Ecology is one of the most exciting units in middle school science—and teaching ecology gives students a chance to explore connections, ask questions, and make sense of the real world around them.
When we introduce ecology in a way that sparks curiosity early on, students are more likely to stay engaged, remember key concepts, and develop a deeper understanding of how living things interact with each other and their environment.
The trick? Start small.
Get students curious.
Hook their attention early so the big concepts don’t feel quite so overwhelming.
When it comes to teaching ecology, these are five of my favorite activities to make a strong first impression and help students engage with concepts in hands-on and meaningful ways.
Everything You Need to Teach Ecology in One Place
This easy-to-use bundle includes lessons, warm-ups, stations, assessments, and interactive activities to help your students understand ecosystems from every angle.
Download the Ecology Unit Bundle1. Activity 1: Build an Ecosystem in a Bag
Hook Your Students with a Bag of Dirt (Seriously)
Before hitting your students with new terms like “biotic” and “abiotic,” let them get their hands dirty…literally. If you have the time (and love to plan in advance!) have students build a small-scale ecosystem in a clear plastic bag.
- Students add soil, water, seeds, and small organisms (like a plant clipping or bug) to a clear plastic bag.
- Hang the bags in a sunny window and observe changes over the next few days.
- Use their observations to guide a class discussion when introducing ecology for the first time.
This activity creates curiosity and gives students something real to refer back to as they learn. Use those changes to kick off discussions about ecosystems and interconnected living systems.
2. Activity 2: Make Vocabulary Stick with a Biotic vs Abiotic Sorting Station
Biotic? Abiotic? Let’s Sort It Out.
When I first start teaching ecology, the vocabulary can be overwhelming for students. Words like biotic, abiotic, niche, and limiting factors can feel like a new language.
That’s why I love using hands-on, visual activities to help these terms and other ecology content click.
One of my go-to strategies is a sorting station.
Here’s how it works:
- Students receive cards showing elements like sunlight, moss, or animals
- They collaborate to sort them into biotic and abiotic groups
It’s a quick activity, but it makes a big difference. Here’s why it’s so effective:
- Gives students something visual to connect to new vocabulary
- Encourages collaboration, conversation, and active learning
- Helps me quickly spot who’s getting it and who might need a little more support
This sorting station is just one of the many activities in my Introduction to Ecology Stations resource. I created these stations to give students multiple ways to interact with content because we all know middle school students need variety and movement to stay engaged.
P.S. Wondering why stations work so well in science? I’ve got a full blog post for that: 6 Reasons to Use Stations in Middle School Science.
3. Activity 3: Draw It Out to Deepen Understanding
One thing I’ve learned over the years teaching middle school science? Students remember more when they create something from what they’ve just learned.
That’s why every set of science stations I design includes a create station. In my Introduction to Ecology Stations resource, that means asking students to draw what they know about succession.
Here’s what happens at this station:
- Students choose or are assigned a type of succession
- They draw a scene that visually explains how that process works
- I circulate, ask questions, and instantly see who’s grasping the concept
This activity taps into students’ creativity which helps with memory and retention!
When students are drawing scenes, I can instantly see who understands the difference between primary and secondary succession and where I may need to revisit or clarify things. It’s quick, visual, and effective.
This is just another one of the many hands-on stations in my ecology stations resource. I designed these activities to meet middle school students where they are, with activities that are differentiated and engaging, without a ton of prep.
4. Activity 4: Observation Walks that Get Students Talking
Sometimes the best classroom is actually right outside your door.
When I introduce ecology, I love taking my students outside for a guided ecosystem observation walk. There’s something about being out in the fresh air, noticing the tiny details of life all around us, that makes the concepts of ecology stick in a way that’s hard to replicate with a worksheet.
During the walk, students identify:
- The type of ecosystem around our school
- The local climate
- Biotic and abiotic components
- Visual populations, species, and communities they observe
This activity helps students connect ecology vocabulary to the world around them. Familiar spaces suddenly become alive with meaning, and students come back buzzing with questions and connections!
5. Activity 5: Spark Critical Thinking with Ecology “What if?” Scenarios
Once students have a solid foundation of vocabulary and concepts, it’s time to challenge them to think deeper. One of my favorite strategies? A simple but powerful “What If?” game.
Give students scenarios like…
- “What would happen if a drought occurred in a forest?”
- “What if an invasive species, like a lionfish, entered an ocean ecosystem?”
Then, I ask them to think through and predict ripple effects. You can do this as a class discussion, small group, or even a quick write using whiteboards or journals.
This kind of questioning promotes critical thinking, encourages students to apply their learning in realistic, meaningful ways, and opens up space for student-led inquiry.
You don’t have to tackle all of ecology in one go, and you definitely don’t need to rely on dry textbook definitions to do it.
By starting with hands-on, creative activities that tap into students’ curiosity, you’ll lay the groundwork for everything that comes next.
Whether it’s a plastic bag ecosystem in the window, or a big “what if” debate at the end of class, these ideas can help make teaching ecology one of the most engaging parts of your middle school science curriculum.
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