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Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Differentiated Station Labs
Kesler Science Station Lab – Energy Pyramids
– Teacher DirectionsExplore It! – I will spend much of my time at this station making sure students are understanding the concepts. You will need water, a 1000ml beaker, a 100 ml graduated cylinder, a 10ml graduated cylinder and a small petri dish. Use whatever glassware you have if you don’t have the exact amounts listed.You may want a pipette for the last step.
Illustrate It! – Make sure to include colored pencils or crayons at this station.
Read It! – Print several different copies (I use 6) of the reading passage so that multiple students can read at different paces
Watch It! – The video is on YouTube
and my Google drive. Use YouTube unlessyour school is blocked. The original link is h tt p s: // ww w . y ou t ub e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = - ‐ oVavgmveyY Note that URL’s is case-sensitive.
Organize It! – All of the cards are included for this station. Students should be encouraged to do the Research andExplore station before attempting this one. I like to label the backs with set numbers because they will get mixed up. Place this one next to the Explore It!Station.
Write It! – Students should be encouraged to do the Research and Explore station before attempting this one.
Research It! – The goo.gl link on the task card is case-sensitive. The original link ishttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_cl ose/314/deploy/interface.html
Assess It! – Students should be encouraged to do the Research and Explore station before attempting thisone. If I grade anything I usually take a close look at the answers from this station.
Write It! Station DirectionsIt is recommended that you have completed at least two of the following stations before working at this station.-Read It!-Explore It!-Watch It!-Research It!
Answer each of the task card questions on the lab sheet in complete sentences.
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Describe the transfer ofenergy as it moves up the energy pyramid.
How does removing several secondary consumers impact the entire ecosystem?
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A population of large predator fish has recently grown out of control. How will this impact the ecosystem?
© KeslerScience.com
Assess It! Station DirectionsIt is recommended that you have completed at least two of the following stations before working at this station.-Read It!-Explore It!-Watch It!-Research It!
Each member will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the AssessIt! section.
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About how much energy is lost when an organism consumes another organism from
Use the Energy Pyramid Diagram at your station.
Where is the most energy stored?
a different trophic level? A. In the primary consumers because theyeat the most
A. About 10%
B. About 90%
C. About 50%
D. About 25%
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B. At the top of the energy pyramid since it is highest
C. In the tertiary consumers because they are the most abundant
D. In the producers because they are the most abundant
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Which best describes how energy flows through an ecosystem?
A. Energy is most abundant at the top of the energy pyramid and flows down
B. Energy is most abundant in the
producers and is quickly lost as it travelsthrough the ecosystem.
C. Energy is never lost in an ecosystem
Where do producers get their energy from?
A. DecomposersB. Primary consumersC. Secondary consumersD. The Sun
D. Energy is only stored in the producers
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Kcal = Kilocalories1 Kcal = 4184 Joules
Tertiary
Consumers (1 Kcal)
Secondary Consumers (10 Kcal)
Primary Consumers (100 Kcal)
Producers (1000 Kcal)
Read It! Station DirectionsEach member of the group will read the passage and answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Read It! section.
It is important to remember that the answers will come directly from the reading passage.
Energy PyramidsWhat is an ecological pyramid? The concept is often associated with descriptions of food chains and food webs. An ecological pyramid is an illustration of the reduction in energy as you move through each feeding (trophic) level in an ecosystem. The base of the pyramid is large since the ecosystem's energy factories (the producers) are converting solar energy into chemical energy via photosynthesis.
A food chain can also depict a reduction in energy at each feeding level if the arrows, drawn between the different levels, continue to be reduced in size.
There are three ways an ecological pyramid can be represented. A Pyramid of Numbers can be generated by counting all the organisms at the different feeding levels. As you might guess, this can be a very difficult task since we are not just identifying each species in the ecosystem. We are also counting how many of each species ispresent. On occasion, this approach will not work. For example, one tree (a producer) can represent an ecosystem and harbor numerous populations of herbivores and carnivores. Thus, the bottom of thepyramid would be very small and not flared out.
A second type of pyramid is called a Pyramid of Biomass where organisms are collected from each feeding level, dried and then weighed. This dry weight (biomass) represents the amount of organic matter (available energy) of the organisms. [Note that there arealternate, nonlethal ways to determine biomass.] While this approach will generally create a pyramid that illustrates energy flow, its use can also produce an inverted pyramid. For example, in aquatic ecosystems, phytoplankton could reproduce and then be eaten rapidly by zooplankton. Therefore, it would be possible to have fewherbivores and a lot of carnivores when a collection is taken.
A third type of pyramid called a Pyramid of Energy Flow tends to resolve these problems. This approach necessitates measuring the caloric value of the different organisms that make up the community. It nicely shows how energy is continually decreasing along the food chain from producers to top level carnivores.
In summary, there are three models used in ecology - food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids - that can illustrate how energy moves through an ecosystem.
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Which title would be a better choice for this article?
A. The 3 Types of Energy Pyramids
B. Energy Pyramids and Food Webs
C. Energy Pyramids are DifficultD. All About Ecosystems
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Which best describes an energy pyramid of numbers?
A. When an energy pyramid is invertedB. An energy pyramid with 5 levels instead of
4C. An energy pyramid that uses the
calorie number at each trophic levelD. An energy pyramid which uses the
number of organisms at each of the different trophic levels
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An energy pyramid shows .
A. How energy is transformed into electrical energy
B. How much energy is lost in an ecosystem at each trophic level
C. Every organism in the ecosystem
D. How energy is created in the an ecosystem
What is the chemical process called that producers use to get their energy?
A. Synthetic BindingB. HeterotrophicC. AutotrophicD. Photosynthesis
©KeslerScience.com ©KeslerScience.com
Watch It! Station DirectionsEach member of the group will go to the website listed on task card #1
Complete the task cards in order.
Every student will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Watch It! section of the lab sheet.
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YouTube: https://goo.gl/ZykKG5 G Drive: https://goo.gl/vwXTNx URL is case-sensitive
1. Click Play on the video.2. Answer questions from
cards#2-4 on your lab sheet.
YouTube
What is another word for producers?
What is another word for consumers?
Which level of the energy pyramid has the mostenergy?
Which level has the least?
What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?
Where would they be at on an energy pyramid?
Research It! Station DirectionsEach member of the group will go to the website listed on task card #1
Complete the task cards in order.
Every student will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Research It! section.
1. Go tohttp://goo.gl/5rvcPb
2. Click START.
3. Answer the questions on your lab sheet about energy pyramids.
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1. Describe the organization of the energy pyramid.
2. What would happen in an ecosystem if the consumers population was the same as the producers population?
1. Describe how tertiary (top-level) consumers keep the ecosystem in balance.
2. Describe how the ecosystem would change if the producers were removed from the ecosystem.
Explore It! Station Directions
One member of the group will read the task cards in order. The group will be responsible for completing each of the tasks that are being read.
Each member of the group will then write their conclusions down on the lab sheet in the Explore It! section.
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The water represents energy in an ecosystem. You will be measuring it in ml, but the unit of measurement for energy in this demo is kilocalories (Kcal)
1. Fill the large beaker up with 1000ml of water.
2. Place the beaker at the bottom of theenergy pyramid next to the word producers.
A producer makes it’s own food through the process of photosynthesis.
1. On your lab sheet list 3 producers from a forest ecosystem.
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©KeslerScience.com
Only about 10% of the energy is passed from one organism to another in an ecosystem.We will model that now.
1. Fill the graduated cylinder up with 10% of the water from the large beaker. Yes, you have to do the math.
2. Place the graduated cylinder next
to the word primary consumers.
A primary consumer eats only producers. They are also called herbivores.
1. On your lab sheet list 3 primary consumers from a forest ecosystem.
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1. Fill the small graduated cylinder up with 10% of the water from the largegraduated cylinder (the one from theprimary consumers).
2. Place the small graduated cylinder next to the secondary consumers.
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A secondary consumer eats both producers and/or other consumers.
They are called carnivores (meat-eaters) or omnivores (both plant and meat- eaters).
1. On your lab sheet list 3 secondary consumers from a forest ecosystem.
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1. Fill the petri dish up with 10% of the water from the from the small graduated cylinder (secondary consumers).2. tri dish next to the tertiary
A tertiary consumer eats only other consumers.They are also calledcarnivores.
1. On your lab sheet list 3 tertiary consumers from a forest ecosystem.Place the pe
consumers.©KeslerScience.com
Answer the followingquestions on your lab sheet.
What happened to the energy as it moved through the ecosystem?Why do you think there are far moreproducers in the world than there are consumers?Explain why a tertiary consumer has to eat so much food to sta©yKeaslerSil vcieenc.e.com
Kcal = Kilocalories1 Kcal = 4184 Joules
Tertiary Consumers (1 Kcal)
Secondary Consumers (10 Kcal)
Primary Consumers (100 Kcal)
Producers (1000 Kcal)
Illustrate It! Station DirectionsEach member of the group will draw a quick sketch on the lab sheet that shows they understand the concept being taught.
Use the colored pencils and markers that are provided.
The directions for the sketch are provided on the task card at the table.
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Illustrate It! Station DirectionsUse the colored pencils to draw an energy pyramid for a desert ecosystem.
You must include the following:
- Labels for producers, tertiary consumers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers
- 2 organisms in each trophic level.- Show the energy lost starting with 1000 Kcal
at the producer level- Label the most energy and least energy
on the pyramid
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Organize It! Station DirectionsIt is recommended that you have completed at least twoof the following stations before working at this station.-Read It!-Explore It!-Watch It!-Research It!
Each group will organize the cards. Have your teacher sign off you your Organize it section after it has been checked.
Please mix up the cards again before the next group arrives at this station.
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Tertiary Consumers Most EnergySecondary Consumers
Least Energy
Primary Consumers HerbivoresProducers Carnivores and
Omnivores1000 Kcal Carnivores100 Kcal
10 Kcal1 Kcal
Energy Flow
Energy Pyramids
Explore It!
Task Card #21.
Task Card #41.
Task Card #61.
Task Card #81.
Name
Task Card #9 1.
2.
3.
Write It!Task Card #1:
Task Card #2:
Task Card #3:
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Energy Pyramids
Illustrate It!
Name
Assess It!#1 #3
#2 #4
Read It!#1 #3
#2 #4
Research It!
Task Card #21.
2.
Task Card #31.
2.
Organize It!
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©KeslerScience.com
Energy Pyramids Name
Watch It!Task Card #2:
Task Card #3:
Task Card #4:
