What does an arrow in a food chain represent?
The direction that matter and energy move from one organism to another
What 3 things do plants need to make sugar through photosynthesis?
Water, air, and sunlight
What is matter?
Anything that has mass and takes up space
What is a nurse log?
A fallen tree that helps other organisms live and grow
A plant is placed in a dark closet. The owner gives it water every 2 days and closet door is open for air.
What important component source is it missing?
Sunlight for energy
What is the difference between a producer and consumer?
Think about matter and energy
Producer use matter and energy to make their own food
Consumers get matter and energy by eating other organisms
Which plant parts take in water and air?
Bonus question: What kind of "air" is being taken in?
Water- Roots
Air (Carbon Dioxide)- Leaves
Why is air considered matter even though we can't see it?
*Hint: What are they made of?*
Air is made of tiny particles that has mass and takes up space.
Name 3 decomposers that help break down wood in a nurse log
Mushrooms, Microscopic Organisms, and Termites
A mushroom breaks down a fallen tree.
Is the mushroom a producer, consumer, or decomposer?
Decomposer
In the food chain below, which organism is the secondary consumer?
Bonus point: Why is that organism a secondary consumer?

The frog
Bonus: The frog is the secondary consumer because it eats the grasshopper, which is a primary consumer.
Where does most of the matter that plants use to grow come from?
Water and air (carbon dioxide)
What happens to air particles when a syringe plunger is pushed inward while the opening is covered?
*Hint: Did the number of air particles change?*
The particles move closer together, but the number of particles stays the same.
How do termites get matter and energy from dead wood?
They eat wood, and microscopic organisms in their gut help digest it so termites can absorb matter and get energy.
An invasive species eats most of the small fish in a pond. How could this affect larger fish that depends on the small fish.
The larger fish population may decrease because less food is available
Why is a food web a better representation of an ecosystem than a single food chain?
It shows multiple connected feeding relationships and different paths for matter and energy
How is sunlight important in the photosynthesis process?
Sunlight is absorbed through the leaves of the plant to give energy.
When salt dissolves in water and can no longer be seen, what happens to the salt particles?
They spread throughout the water. They do not disappear
How does a nurse log help young plants grow?
-It holds water
-Provides a place for roots
-Releases nutrients into the surrounding materials
In a food web, Mice eat seeds and grasshoppers, while snakes and owls eat mice. What could happen to the snake and owl populations if mice decreased?
Snakes and owls population would decreased
or
Find other food sources
A plant grows from small seed to large plant. Explain how matter and energy from photosynthesis help it grow.
The plant uses sunlight as energy combined with matter from water and air to make sugar (food).
A basketball has a mass of 580 grams when deflated and 590 grams when inflated. What does this evidence tell us about air?
The added air has mass. The basketball gained 10 grams when air was pumped into it, providing evidence that air is matter.
A nurse log becomes smaller as termites, mushrooms, and bacteria break it down.
Explain why the matter in the wood does not disappear
It moves from one organism to another and returns back into the environment in many forms.
Trace the energy matter back to its original source and explain how matter moves
The original energy source is the sun. The