Abiotic & Biotic Factors in Ecosystems

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SWBAT examine the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem.

Big Idea

In this lesson, students will be examining how the biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors are interacting within the aquarium portion of their ecocolumns models.

Lesson Overview

Inquiry Based Instructional Model


1. Focus

2. Explore

3. Reflect

4. Apply

A framework for implementation can be found here



Unit Explanation

In this unit, students will first develop an understanding of the biotic and abiotic factors within ecosystems, the characteristics and classification of living organisms, and how plants and animals obtain and use energy to fulfill their needs. 

Then, students will delve deeper into the NGSS standards by examining the interdependent relationships within an ecosystem by studying movement of matter between producers, consumers, and decomposers by creating models of food chains and food webs. 

At the end of this unit, students will study ways that individual communities can use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment.  

Summary of Lesson

Today, I will open the lesson with a class discussion and poster about the interactions of abiotic and biotic factors within the aquarium portion of their ecocolumns. After discussing and taking notes on the abiotic factors (with teacher guidance), students will then explore the biotic factors by reading the provided texts. Tomorrow, students will reflect on and apply their research by returning to the class poster and discussing their findings! 

Next Generation Science Standards  

This lesson will support the following NGSS Standard(s):





Scientific & Engineering Practices

For this lesson, students are engaged in the following Science & Engineering Practice:


Students will read and comprehend complex texts. (Even though the texts are around the 850 Lexile level and within the 5th grade reading grade level band, there are many new and complex vocabulary within these texts, such as carbon dioxide, chlorophyl, respiration, and photosynthesis). Students will obtain ideas about the biotic factors through this research process. 

Crosscutting Concepts


Crosscutting Concept 4: Systems and System Models 

Students will study individual parts within an ecosystem (biotic and abiotic factors) and how the functions of the individual parts impact the whole system. 

Disciplinary Core Ideas


PS3.D:  Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life

The energy released [from] food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water). (5-PS3-1)

LS1.C:  Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. (secondary to 5-PS3-1)

Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water. (5-LS1-1)

LS2.A:  Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

The food of almost any kind of animal can be §traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)

LS2.B:  Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems


ELA Integration

To add depth to student understanding, when I can, I'll often integrate ELA standards with science lessons. Today, students will work on meeting CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Students will be encouraged to find exact details from the text that support our research question, "How do biotic and abiotic factors interact in an ecosystem?"

Choosing Science Teams


Gathering Supplies & Assigning Roles



30 minutes

Lesson Introduction & Goal 

After inviting students to join me on the front carpet with their science journals, I introduce today's learning goal: I can examine the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem. I explain: Yesterday, you built your own beautiful ecosystem models! (Class EcocolumnsToday, let's get to know the ecosystems better by studying how the biotic and abiotic factors are interacting! 

Biotic & Abiotic Poster

I want to inspire interest in today's lesson and capitalize on student curiosity, so I turn to my Biotic & Abiotic Factors Poster and pose an authentic question: How do biotic and abiotic factors interact in an ecosystem? I explain that interact means "act in such a way a to have an effect." 

Let's take a look at the aquarium in our ecocolumns. I purposefully ask students to focus on the aquarium as we have not added our beetles to the terrarium portion. We'll want to complete an investigation using the beetles before adding them! 

What are the abiotic factors that are impacting our ecocolumns as we speak? Turn & Talk! After students have some time to discuss, hands shoot up in the air! Students suggest rocks, pebbles, yarn, water, dead leaves, air, plastic, and sunlight. 

I pull out four of the most important factors mentioned and rewrite them in the four boxes on the abiotic side of the poster: rocks, water, air, and sunlight. 

One at a time, we then discuss and take notes on each of these abiotic factors: Abiotic Factors Poster. While I take notes on the poster, students record their notes in their journals: Student Notes on Abiotic Factors.

Teacher Note: While students haven't specifically researched the interactions of rocks, water, air, and sunlight in ecosystems, they are able to share their experiences and previous knowledge. I guide this conversation by asking questions, such as, How might fish use rocks to reproduce? (rocks provide a place for the fish to lay eggs). Other times, I insert a fact here and there: An important fact to know about rocks its that they also provide a home for bacteria (or a place for bacteria to grow). 

Deepening the Class Discussion 

With each abiotic factor, I intermix new ideas in with student ideas. For example, students point out that the rocks help provide support to the elodea and that they provide shelter for the fish. I guide students to begin thinking deeper about all aquatic ecosystems. We discuss how rocks sometimes provide a place for fish to lay eggs. We also talk about what students can't see... the bacteria already multiplying on the rocks in their aquarium! 

By categorizing information using a graphic-organizer poster, scientific concepts become easier for students to grasp (especially those who need visual aids and a poster to constantly refer to).


40 minutes

Now that we have discussed the importance of abiotic factors as a class, let's take a the biotic factors. Turn and talk.... what biotic factors are present in your aquariums? As students suggest the biotic factors, I write them in the four boxes on the "Biotic Factors" side of the poster: Biotic Factors on Poster: Snail, Goldfish, Elodea, and Duckweed.  

Then, I pose the research question: How are the biotic factors in our aquariums interacting with the other living organisms and the abiotic factors? Why are the biotic factors so important to our ecosystems? 

Getting Ready

To set students up for success, I find two sources ahead of time for students to read. This amazing resource (pages 31-34) provides students with information on elodea, duckweed, and snails while this resource provides information on goldfish. I have discovered that it's often difficult for students to efficiently find helpful and student-friendly resources within a science period. I show students how to organize their notes by dividing a new page in their science journal into fourths (just as we did with abiotic factors). Next, I email students the link and they are ready to go! Here's an example of what student notes will look like at the end of this time: Student Notes on Biotic Factors.

Monitoring Student Understanding


  1. What patterns have you noticed? 
  2. Why do you suppose ____? 
  3. Has your thinking changed? 
  4. What evidence do you have? 
  5. How did you decide _____?
  6. What conclusion can you draw about ____?

Student Conferences

Here are a few examples of student conferences during this time: 

Here, Students Reading about Duckweed, students discover how duckweed is an important food source for animals. Then, I try to help the students connect their research with their ecosystem models. This helps make the text more meaningful to students!

During this conference, Students Researching Aquatic Plants, the students find that both elodea and duckweed provide food and shelter for many animals. I then point out another sentence referring the fact that plants support "a healthy exchange of gas" within the ecosystem. As part of the 5th grade NGSS standards, it is important for students to be able to describe how matter (including oxygen) moves among producers, consumers, and decomposers. 

Tomorrow, we will work together as a class to complete the rest of our Biotic Factors on Poster, using the information students gathered during their research! This will provide students with the opportunity to reflect on and apply their learning.