SCIENCE ALLIANCE. Eddie explores. Ecosystems. and The Food Chain! 2008 Carole Marsh

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2 SCIENCE ALLIANCE Eddie explores Ecosystems and The Food Chain! by Carole Marsh 2008 Carole Marsh Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser or classroom teacher to reproduce materials in this book for non-commercial individual or classroom use only. Reproduction of these materials for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. Gallopade is proud to be a member of these educational organizations and associations. National Science Teachers Association The National School Supply and Equipment Association The National Council for the Social Studies American Booksellers Association American Library Association Managing Editor: Assistant Editor: Senior Editor: Cover Design: Content Design: Sherry Moss Gabrielle Humphrey Janice Baker Vicki DeJoy Bill Georgia, Vicki DeJoy International Reading Association National Association for Gifted Children Museum Store Association Association of Partners for Public Lands Association of Booksellers for Children Although most of the experiments in this book are regarded as low hazard, author and publisher expressly disclaim all liability for any occurrence, including, but not limited to, damage, injury or death which might arise as consequences of the use of any experiment(s) listed or described here. Therefore, you assume all the liability and use these experiments at your own risk. Author and publisher recommend that all experiments be performed under adult supervision. 1 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International Eddie Eddie explores Ecosystems

3 Eddie explores Ecosystems! Table of Contents Science Alliance Intro Page 4 A Word From the Author Page 5 Eddie explores Ecosystems and the Food Chain! Page 6-7 What is an Ecosystem? Page 8 The Magic of Photosynthesis Page 9 Biomes for Organization Page The Food Chain Page 12 And Around We Go Page 13 A Survival Niche Page 14 Adapt or Disappear Page 15 Why Can t They Fly Anymore? Page 16 Was That a Smart Move? Page 17 Rockin Rainforest! Page The Perfect Relationship Page 20 A Warming Reaction Page 21 Someday, I ll Have a Cool Job! Page 22 Can You Become an Inventor? Page 23 Leaders to Look Up To Page 24 The Scientific Method Page 25 Science Fair Project Page What Did I Learn? Page 28 Join the Science Alliance Page 29 Metric Conversions Page 30 Glossary Page 31 Answer Key Page 32 3 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International Eddie Eddie explores Ecosystems

4 What is an Ecosystem? An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals in an environment suited just for them. An ecosystem can be as small as a puddle of water, or it can be big, like a forest or an ocean. Remember this: an ecosystem doesn t happen by accident! Animals and plants are in a particular ecosystem because all the parts of that ecosystem work together to help the system survive. Take a minute to imagine your favorite wild animal. Is it a polar bear? A killer whale? Now, place it in its natural habitat. Do you know if it lives alone or in groups? Is the climate cold, temperate, or hot? How does the animal protect itself from harsh weather? How does it travel? Can it fly or swim? Is it a plant eater, a meat eater, or both? If it hunts for its food, does it hunt at night or during the day? Does it have to watch out for natural predators? The answers to these questions help us to understand the kind of ecosystem in which an animal lives. That s Life! Choose a partner. Ask your partner questions about his favorite wild animal and record his/her answers in the chart below. My Partner s Name Favorite Wild Animal Natural Habitat Climate Protection from weather Lives o alone o in small groups o in large groups Travels o through the trees o through water o on foot o by air o other Diet o plants o animals o both Type of Hunter o night o day o unsure Natural Predators 8 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International Eddie explores Ecosystems

5 The Magic of Photosynthesis No ecosystem on our planet would be able to survive without the energy from the sun! If you could travel inside a plant, you would find little suitcases called chloroplasts. They carry lots of green stuff called chlorophyll. Just as a pen has ink, a plant has a green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs the sun s energy like a sponge. The energy gives the plant just the right boost to change water (from the soil) and carbon dioxide (from the air) to make glucose, a kind of sugar. All of this happens right there, in the plant! Guess what the plants expel after the sugars are formed? Oxygen! So, the way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugars and make oxygen is called photosynthesis! Our plants, trees, and that green algae in the sea they clean the air, give us food, and give us oxygen to breathe! Let s Experiment! Here s an experiment you can try to see how leaves need light to make food for the plant through photosynthesis. Materials needed: A plant 2 paper clips 4 square pieces of black construction paper (the size of a leaf) Instructions: 1. Cover the bottom and the top of two leaves on your plant with the black construction paper. Secure both coverings with a paper clip. Make sure that both leaves are completely covered and cannot get any sunlight. 2. Water your plant regularly for one week. After one week, remove the paper clips and the construction paper. Record your observations below. 3. With the leaves uncovered, wait another week. Record your observations below. After Week One After Week Two What my plant looks like 9 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International Eddie explores Ecosystems

6 Biomes for Organization Let s get organized! We know that an ecosystem can be just about anywhere a rotting log, a duck pond, or an oasis in the middle of a desert. Anywhere there is life interacting with its environment, there is an ecosystem. Biomes are general terms to describe lots of ecosystems. For example, even though one desert ecosystem in Africa has a totally different ecosystem than one in Arizona (they have different animals and plant life), all deserts can be lumped under the title Desert Biome. Why? Because deserts have this in common: they are dry, have low annual rainfall, and they have little vegetation. Biomes are GIANT ecosystems found in different parts of the world. A number of these exist, but we ll look at six: desert, tundra, forest, marine, freshwater, and grassland. Freshwater: I am made up of lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. Trout and catfish love to swim in my rivers. My ponds are home to algae, insects, turtles, snakes, and ducks. Desert: I get very little rainfall and extreme temperatures. Many of the animals that live here hunt at night when it s cooler. Snakes and lizards are all over the place! Marine: My oceans and coral reefs are home to tons of sea life. I cover three fourths of the earth s surface. A lot of rain comes from evaporation of my water. Tundra: It is extremely cold here. There is very little vegetation. Foxes, wolves, and caribou live here. Grassland: I get enough annual rainfall to help me grow lots of grass, but few trees. Some of my animals are eagles, wild turkey, and bison (buffalo). 10 Forest: I am home to many animals, plants, and lots of trees. I get lots of rain! Lots of insects and birds live here too. Carole Marsh/Gallopade International Eddie explores Ecosystems