Spring has officially sprung, so it’s the perfect season for some ecology-themed science lessons! Today, we’re bringing you a free lesson plan on ecosystems for 6th grade. Keep reading to get the details and download the lesson.
As students work through the following lesson, they’ll learn to analyze ecosystems and food webs and to identify producers, consumers, and decomposers.
As an introduction, project a picture of a lake ecosystem (included in the PDF) and have students discuss what is happening in the picture. Students will then work together to brainstorm the meanings of the words on the Ecosystem Vocabulary Sheet.
Next, either as a whole class or in small groups, have students read one of the suggested non-fiction texts. They’ll then complete the top portion of the Ecosystem Activity Sheet.
For independent practice, students can either practice the IXL skill Movement of Matter in Food Chains, or they can complete the bottom portion of the Ecosystem Activity Sheet.
If you decide to assign homework, students can create their own food webs using the Ecosystem Graphic Organizer as a guide. Alternatively, they can complete an IXL skill, such as Movement of Matter in Food Chains, Understanding Food Chains, How Do Plants Make Food?, or Interpret Food Webs I.
For more details and access to the vocabulary and activity sheets, download the full lesson plan below: