Introduction

So you are still having a hard time putting your finger on what energy is. You can't see it, feel it, taste it, or smell it. Question - Can you see, feel, taste, or smell the wind? Not really. You might be able to sense the effects of the moving air. The same is with energy. You cannot see the bonds being broken in a molecule or the chemical change being made in your body. However, as it moves through the earth's system in different forms, it shows itself in different ways: light, heat, and movement.

Energy is essential to all living organisms in an environment. Living things depend on energy to carry out all biological processes. Biological activities such as breathing, maintaining body temperature, reproducing, and hunting for food all depend on energy and energy conversions. In order for all organisms in a community to get the energy that they need, energy must be cycled throughout the environment.

In Lesson 1.02, you examined the different forms of energy, real world examples, and how energy is conserved through energy conversions - one form of energy being transferred to another form. In this lesson, you will learn about the different abiotic and biotic parts of the energy cycle and how energy cycles through the different parts of an ecosystem. You will specifically learn how light energy is passed from one part of the energy cycle to the other.

The sun is the main source of energy for the earth.

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • Identify the sun as the main source of energy for earth.
  • Describe how energy is transferred from one part of an ecosystem to another.
  • Differentiate between autotrophs and heterotrophs / producers and consumers.
  • Predict what might happen if the chain of energy flow is broken.

Enduring Understanding:

  • Energy transfers through an ecosystem and can be represented in a food chain or food web.
  • Humans can have a negative impact on the energy flow in ecosystems.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: Environmental Science Objectives: 3 and 6

This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standards: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R10, W1, W2, W3, W4, W6, W7, W8, W9, and W10

 

 

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