Year 8 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 21
Foundation Worksheet
Learning Goals
Match each term to its definition
Draw a line connecting each ecological term on the left to its correct definition on the right. Or write the matching letter next to each term. Definitions are shuffled, they do not match row order.
| Term | Your answer | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem | A. A living component of an ecosystem, any organism such as a plant, animal, fungus or bacterium. | |
| Biotic | B. An organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms; cannot make its own food. | |
| Abiotic | C. An organism that breaks down dead organic matter and returns nutrients to the soil or water. | |
| Producer | D. A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system in a particular area. | |
| Consumer | E. A non-living part of an ecosystem, such as temperature, rainfall, soil pH, light intensity, or salinity. | |
| Decomposer | F. An autotroph, an organism that makes its own food, usually by photosynthesis (e.g. plants, algae, cyanobacteria). |
Sort it!
Write each example from the pool into the correct category box. All examples are from Australian ecosystems. Each item belongs in exactly one box.
Biotic (living)
Abiotic (non-living)
Producer
Consumer
Decomposer
1. Explain why decomposers are essential for producers to survive. What would happen in the Daintree Rainforest if all decomposers suddenly disappeared?
2. Give one example of an abiotic factor in the Great Barrier Reef and explain how it affects the living organisms there.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what is the main idea of this lesson about how ecosystems work?