Ecosystems: living and non-living things
An ecosystem is a place where living things and non-living things work together. A garden pond is a small ecosystem. Living things are plants and animals. They grow, and they need water. Non-living things are not alive: rocks, sand, water and sunlight are non-living. But living things need water and sunlight to live. The River Nile is a big ecosystem. Fish, frogs and lotus flowers live in it, and the water, the mud and the sunlight help them. Sort the things in the picture.
Look! A frog is on the stone.
The frog is living, but the stone is non-living.
Is the water living?
No, it is not. But the fish need water to live.
There is a small pond in our school garden. It is a little ecosystem. Fish swim in the water, and a frog sits on a flat stone. Water plants grow near the edge. The sun shines on the pond all morning. The plants use the sunlight to grow. The animals eat the plants or small insects, so everything in the pond is connected.
Living or non-living walk. Walk around your home or school with a grown-up. Find five things. For each one say: A … is living or A … is non-living. Ask: does it grow and need water? Then draw a small pond and write two living things and two non-living things.
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