Task
You are going to build your own ecosystem. Your ecosystem must show how living things depend on each other for food and energy — with producers, consumers and at least one decomposer.
Part A — Draw your ecosystem
1. In the box, draw an ecosystem built around a tree. Your ecosystem must include:
- at least one producer (for example a tree, grass or flowers)
- at least two consumers (for example a bird, an insect, a possum)
- at least one decomposer (for example a fungus, worm or beetle)
Draw arrows to show at least two food chains. Remember: each arrow points towards the living thing doing the eating. Label every living thing.
Part B — Name the roles
2. List the living things in your ecosystem and write the role of each one.
| Living thing | Role (producer / consumer / decomposer) |
|---|---|
Part C — Explain the relationships
3. Choose one food chain in your ecosystem. Explain how energy passes along it, starting with the Sun.
4. Explain why your ecosystem needs a decomposer. What job does it do?
Part D — What if it changed?
5. Choose one living thing in your ecosystem and imagine it disappeared. Explain what would happen to the rest of your ecosystem, and why.
Rubric criteria (weights as a percentage of this assessment)
| Criterion | Weight | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Food chains and the flow of energy | 30% | High (5–6): Draws two or more accurate food chains with arrows that correctly point towards the eater, and clearly explains the flow of energy beginning with the Sun. Sound (3–4): Draws food chains with mostly correct arrows and describes the energy flow. Limited (1–2): Draws a simple chain; arrows may be incorrect and the energy flow is unclear. |
| Roles: producers, consumers and decomposers | 30% | High (5–6): Builds an ecosystem containing producers, consumers and at least one decomposer, all correctly labelled with their roles. Sound (3–4): Includes producers, consumers and a decomposer; most roles labelled correctly. Limited (1–2): Includes some living things with few or incorrect role labels. |
| Ecological relationships and change | 25% | High (5–6): Clearly explains the role of decomposers (returning nutrients to the soil) and gives a well-reasoned account of the flow-on effects if one living thing were removed. Sound (3–4): Explains the decomposer's role and describes a likely effect of removing a living thing. Limited (1–2): States the decomposer's role and/or an effect with little reasoning. |
| Communication and scientific vocabulary | 15% | High (3): Communicates ideas clearly and logically, using correct scientific vocabulary (producer, consumer, decomposer, energy, nutrients, ecosystem) throughout. Sound (2): Communicates clearly with some scientific vocabulary. Limited (1): Ideas are unclear or use little scientific vocabulary. |