Year 7 - Science
Ecosystems and habitats
Ecosystems
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the interdependence of organisms in ecosystems, including food webs and insect-pollinated crops. It examines how organisms interact with their environment and the impact of toxic materials. It also highlights the importance of biodiversity and preserving genetic material.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe what makes an ecosystem, can identify features of habitats and explain how organisms are adapted to live in their habitat.
Key Notes
- Ecosystems are made up of living organisms, which interact and depend on each other, and their physical environment.
- Habitats are where plants and animals live, and they contain living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts.
- Organisms interact with the environment in which they live.
- All species have adaptations which make them suited to their environment.
- Changes to the environment may make it harder for organisms to survive in a particular habitat.
Vocabulary To Learn
- biotic: Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem.
- abiotic: Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem.
- adaptation: An adaptation is a feature that organisms have to help them live in a particular place.
- ecosystem: An ecosystem is made up of all the living organisms in a place, interacting with each other and their non-living surroundings.
- habitat: A habitat is the place where an organism lives. It must provide food, shelter and a place to reproduce.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils use everyday meaning rather than ecological meaning of the terms population and community.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Ecosystems are made up of living organisms, which interact and depend on each other, and their physical environment. Habitats are where plants and animals live, and they contain living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'biotic'
Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils use everyday meaning rather than ecological meaning of the terms population and community. Correction: There is repetition of use of these ecological terms within this unit building on prior learning.
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