This complete unit is low-prep and will help you cover patterns of ecosystem interactions between organisms in your middle school science class!

Students will stay engaged with the wide variety of activities on ecosystems and how organisms interact. Students will love these activities on ecosystems, and how organisms interact. Students will examine patterns of interactions among organisms across ecosystems. This resource is full of engaging activities for ecosystems. Students will learn about carrying capacity and limiting factors within an ecosystem. It includes an informative slide show, lesson plans, informational text passages on ecosystems with comprehension questions, response pages, interactive notebook flaps, an interactive game to teach Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors, word wall words, and quizzes in the format of end of year testing. 

If you use the suggested schedule that I’ve included, this large unit on ecosystem interactions will give you twelve days worth of activities!

Students will learn about all types of interactions in an ecosystem. Students will learn about predator and prey relationships, competition between organisms, animal group behavior, the different trophic levels of an ecosystem, and other ecosystem interactions, such as camouflage, mimicry,, invasive species, symbiosis, parasitism, and mutualism. Organisms have a variety of ways that they interact within a habitat.

Students will learn about all the different ways that organisms interact in the ecosystem. They will also learn about how resource availability affects organisms in an ecosystem. Students will make arguments from evidence and support claims with examples and details to explain the patterns of interactions within an ecosystem. Students will learn that changes in ecosystems affect the organisms within them.

It includes an informative PowerPoint slide show, lesson plans, informational text passages on ecosystems with comprehension questions, response pages, interactive notebook flaps, quizzes, and a fun and interactive carrying capacity game.

This HUGE Unit is designed to address the Middle School Life Science Standards from the LS2 DCI, Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics:

LS2.An Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

LS2.B Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in EcosystemsLS2.C Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and ResilienceLS2.D Social Interactions and Group Behavior

NGSS MS LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

NGSS MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

Your class will LOVE the interactive game that teaches about carrying capacity and limiting factors in an ecosystem!

Students will learn that there are limited resources and that the food is a limiting factor that affects carrying capacity.

This may seem like a bit of a dire game, but it is important for your learners to understand that wild animals must compete for food and that there isn’t enough for every individual.

This standards-aligned unit is designed to address NGSS MS LS2-1 and LS2-2 as well as the Middle School Life Science Standards from the LS2 DCI, Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics:

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

NGSS MS LS2-1

Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

NGSS MS-LS2-2

Other middle school science teachers LOVE this unit!

Check out just two of the 100+ perfect reviews:

My students loved these great interactive notebook folds and high-interest passages. This is a really well-designed unit with lots included.

Morgan O.

Loved how integrated this unit was. Addressed standards from across several disciplines. I used for 7th grade.

Carrie S.

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