New
New
Year 7

Ecosystems and habitats

I can describe what makes an ecosystem, can identify features of habitats and explain how organisms are adapted to live in their habitat.

New
New
Year 7

Ecosystems and habitats

I can describe what makes an ecosystem, can identify features of habitats and explain how organisms are adapted to live in their habitat.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Ecosystems are made up of living organisms, which interact and depend on each other, and their physical environment.
  2. Habitats are where plants and animals live, and they contain living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts.
  3. Organisms interact with the environment in which they live.
  4. All species have adaptations which make them suited to their environment.
  5. Changes to the environment may make it harder for organisms to survive in a particular habitat.

Keywords

  • 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 misconception

Pupils use everyday meaning rather than ecological meaning of the terms population and community.

There is repetition of use of these ecological terms within this unit building on prior learning.

Use your local environment to look at different habitats to discuss the biotic and abiotic factors of these environments to bring the ideas to life.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Which organism is the producer?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Cabbage
Greenfly
Ladybird
Q2.
Match the word to its definition:
Correct Answer:Deciduous,Describes trees and plants that lose their leaves in autumn.

Describes trees and plants that lose their leaves in autumn.

Correct Answer:Evergreen,Describes trees and plants that keep their leaves all year round.

Describes trees and plants that keep their leaves all year round.

Q3.
Match the season to its description:
Correct Answer:Spring,Days get longer with increasing temperature.

Days get longer with increasing temperature.

Correct Answer:Summer,Days are long, less rainfall and a high temperature.

Days are long, less rainfall and a high temperature.

Correct Answer:Autumn,Days get shorter, more rain and a decreasing temperature.

Days get shorter, more rain and a decreasing temperature.

Correct Answer:Winter,Days are short with lower temperature.

Days are short with lower temperature.

Q4.
Match the environmental change to the effect on the organism.
Correct Answer:River dries up,Fish and other organisms will die.

Fish and other organisms will die.

Correct Answer:Road built through a forest,Animals unable to meet and reproduce.

Animals unable to meet and reproduce.

Correct Answer:Volcanic eruption,Plants unable to grow on bare rock.

Plants unable to grow on bare rock.

Correct Answer:Deforestation,Plants and animals will have nowhere to live.

Plants and animals will have nowhere to live.

Q5.
Which of the following will happen if the number of caterpillars goes down?
An image in a quiz
Chaffinch population will increase because there are fewer caterpillars to eat.
Cabbage population will decrease because more caterpillars will eat it.
Correct answer: Cabbage population will increase because the caterpillars will eat less of them.
Chaffinch population will increase because there are less caterpillars.
Correct answer: Chaffinch population will decrease because there are fewer caterpillars to eat.
Q6.
Which of the following can cause abrupt and long-lasting changes in the environment?
Correct answer: Forest fire
Correct answer: Earthquake
Rainfall
A sunny day
Correct answer: Volcanic eruption
Q5 UYSEG

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Ecosystem,All the living organisms and non-living things in a place.

All the living organisms and non-living things in a place.

Correct Answer:Habitat,The place where an organism lives.

The place where an organism lives.

Correct Answer:Community,Interacting populations of organisms in a place.

Interacting populations of organisms in a place.

Correct Answer:Population, The number of one type of organism in a place.

The number of one type of organism in a place.

Q2.
Which of the following are abiotic factors?
Competition between organisms for shelter
Correct answer: The levels of light
Correct answer: The temperature
Interactions between predators and prey
Correct answer: The level of rainfall
Q3.
What do all living organisms need from their habitat?
Correct answer: food
carbon dioxide
Correct answer: shelter
Correct answer: a place to reproduce
light
Q4.
What might be the consequences for a polar bear if this habitat changed and became warmer?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Snow or ice covered ground no longer provide camouflage to hunt.
More green plants, therefore more food.
Correct answer: Fewer places to find shelter.
Warmer days so they can hunt for longer.
Q5.
How is this organism adapted to its environment?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: It can store water in its stem.
It is big to scare predators.
It is camouflaged.
Correct answer: It has spines to avoid being eaten.
Q6.
Which biotic factors does this animal interact with?
An image in a quiz
pond water
Correct answer: bacteria
rainfall
Correct answer: its prey
Correct answer: mates