Matter Matters
anything that has matter and takes up space
MATTER
What do animals eat to get food molecules?
Animals eat the body matter of plants or other animals.
a community of organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment
ECOSYSTEM
a living thing
ORGANISM
an answer or explanation to a scientific question
CLAIM
tiny pieces of matter made of atoms joined together
MOLECULES
What do animals use food molecules for besides building their bodies?
Animals use some food molecules to release energy for movement and growth.
What is a food web, and what does it show?
A food web is a diagram that shows what eats what in an ecosystem.
everything around an organism, including abiotic and biotic factors
ENVIRONMENT
data or scientific ideas used to support a claim
EVIDENCE
True or False: Air and water are made of matter.
True. Air and water are matter because they have mass and take up space, even though air is invisible.
How do plants get the food molecules they need to grow?
Plants make their own food using water, carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from the sun.
Why are plants important in every food web?
Plants are important because all food molecules can be traced back to plants.
to carefully watch and gather information using your senses or tools
OBSERVE
What makes a scientific argument different from an opinion?
A scientific argument uses evidence and reasoning, not just personal beliefs.
How do food molecules help animals grow?
Animals change food molecules into body molecules that build their bodies.
Where does the energy in food molecules originally come from?
The energy comes from the sun.
How does a food web help scientists understand how matter moves?
It shows how food matter transfers from one organism to another as organisms eat.
a simplified representation scientists use to study things that are too big, small, or complex to see directly
A MODEL
How do data and science ideas work together as evidence?
Data shows what happened, and science ideas help explain why the data supports the claim.
Explain how matter moves from plants to animals in an ecosystem.
Matter moves when animals eat plants (or animals that ate plants), transferring food molecules from one organism to another.
Trace the path of energy from the sun to a jaguar.
Energy comes from the sun to plants, then to animals like sloths that eat plants, and then to jaguars that eat sloths.
Explain why an ecosystem is considered a system where each part plays a role.
An ecosystem is a system because living and nonliving parts work together, and changes in one part affect the whole system.
Why is a terrarium a good model of an ecosystem?
A terrarium shows living and nonliving parts interacting, like plants, soil, air, and water, similar to a real ecosystem.
Give an example of a claim about an ecosystem and describe what evidence could support it.
→ Example: “The ecosystem is unhealthy because there are not enough decomposers.”
→ Evidence could include soil data showing low nutrients and observations of fewer decomposers.