Lesson: Let’s Work Together to Adapt, Survive and Thrive!
Grade Level:
Five
Content Area:
Life Science
Core Area:
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Lesson Overview:
Life is a competition when you are a part of the animal kingdom. In
this lesson, learn how animals work together or against one another
by exploring the three types of symbiotic relationships. To survive we
will explore the effects of habitat limitations and how animals adapt
each and every day. Let the best animal win the game of life!
2005 Standards Correlation:
Ecosystems: Terrestrial and Aquatic
Standard 5-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of relationships among biotic and
abiotic factors within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Indicators
5-2.4 Identify the roles of organisms as they interact and depend on one another through food
chains and food webs in an ecosystem, considering producers and consumers (herbivores,
carnivores, and omnivores), decomposers (microorganisms, termites, worms, and fungi), predators
and prey, and parasites and hosts.
5-2.5 Explain how limiting factors (including food, water, space, and shelter) affect populations in
ecosystems.
2014 Standards Correlation:
Fifth Grade
Life Science: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Standard 5.L.4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of relationships among biotic and
abiotic factors within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
5.L.4B. Conceptual Understanding: All organisms need energy to live and grow. Energy is
obtained from food. The role an organism serves in an ecosystem can be described by the way in
which it gets its energy. Energy is transferred within an ecosystem as organisms produce, consume,
or decompose food. A healthy ecosystem is one in which a diversity of life forms are able to meet
their needs in a relatively stable web of life.
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Performance Indicators: Students who demonstrate this understanding can:
5.L.4B.1
Analyze and interpret data to explain how organisms obtain their energy and classify
an organisms as producers, consumers (including herbivore, carnivore, and
omnivore), or decomposers (such as fungi and bacteria).
5.L.4B.2
Develop and use models of food chains and food webs to describe the flow of
energy in an ecosystem.
5.L.4B.3
Construct explanations for how organisms interact with each other in an ecosystem
(including predators and prey, and parasites and hosts).
5.L.4B.4
Construct scientific arguments to explain how limiting factors (including food, water,
space, and shelter) or a newly introduced organism can affect an ecosystem.
Materials:
• “Good Buddies” PowerPoint slideshow w/access to computer and projector
• “Good Buddies” handout and playing cards (1 set per team)
• Operation: Survive handouts (1 per student)
o Have enough of the following for a class set:
§ Tweezers
§ Tongue Depressors
§ Disposable Gloves
§ Plastic Forks
§ Plastic Spoons
§ Dixie Cups
• Bag of Large Lima Beans
• Bag of Split Peas
• Ziploc baggies
• Variety of supplies to include rubber bands, Dixie cups, popsicle sticks, glue, tape, scissors,
cardstock, paperclips, etc.
• Extend: art supplies, butcher paper
Procedures:
1. Introduce Essential Questions:
Ø What does a food chain look like in an ecosystem?
Ø How are organisms related and interact in an ecosystem?
Ø How do animals adapt to survive in their habitat?
Ø What are the effects of limiting factors on a given species?
2. Play “I Spy an Ecosystem” provided on the slides to explore connections within an
ecosystem. Review a food chain/food web as well as ecosystem relationships including
predator/prey and parasite/host. Explain that we will be digging deeper into the
relationship of parasite and host. Introduce the word “symbiosis” to class and review
examples of symbiosis including: mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. Tell the
students that we are going to play a game called “Good Buddies” where we will mimic the
card game “Go Fish!” to make pairs. We will try to match up organism buddies that have
both good and bad relationships with one another.
3. Now that we have explored how our ecosystem is connected, we will play a game called
“Operation: Survive”. Before playing the game you will need to review the examples of
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adaptations provided on the slideshow. Follow instructions on the PowerPoint and handout
in order to setup and play the game.
Some additional instructions:
a. Divide beans and peas into fourths and put into baggies. Use the first baggies of
beans and peas for Generation 1, second baggies of beans and peas for Generation
2, third baggies of beans and peas for Generation 3 and save the fourth bags for the
activity in number 4.
b. To determine survival: after the students tally up the number of food pieces they
have (beans + peas) have them stand up if they have at least 5, stay standing if at
least 10, etc. Keep going until have the class is standing and half is sitting. Those
standing survived, those sitting died. Give each student another of the same
adaptation they have and have them give it to a sitting student. This sitting student is
now their offspring. Now, add up on the board and students on their sheet, the
number of individuals of each species.
4. Tell students that they will now have time to create their own food attainment adaptation.
They have 10 -15 minutes to plan and construct this adaptation. Go out once again and
have students test their adaptations. Before breaking to make their new adaptations, go
through slides with examples of food attainment adaptations. Have student name the
animal, the adaptation and how it may be useful in its food attainment.
5. Let’s Review: Using the essential questions check for comprehension.
6. Extend: Consider exploring adaptations of humans by looking at the students in the class
and how we meet the changes of our environment. Put students into small groups. Have
each group trace the outline of one team member on large butcher paper. Use this outline
to highlight our unique adaptations and how this helps us in our everyday activities. (Ex:
opposable thumb = opening doors, opening jars, eating). Have each group present their
ideas helping to connect what we have learned to ourselves. Ask: “Are we all that different
from one another? What if we lived in a different part of the world?” Try to get the
students to see that given a different habitat humans would have differences in: skin texture,
skin color, hair texture, face shape, eye color, etc… (Optional: Provide images of children
around the world to observe.)
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Activities: 7Es, Science and Engineering Practices, and Cross Cutting Concepts
7E
Elicit
Procedures
Unique Relationships in
Nature Pictures
Engage
Play “Good Buddies”
game
Explore
Operation: Survive
Explain
Graph Results/Class
Discussion
Elaborate
Create a New Animal
Adaptation
Evaluate
Test the Adaptation
Extend
Exploring the
Adaptations of People
SEPs
Cross Cutting Concepts
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