I gave enough Gold here

for everyone to go home

with a small ziplock bag
full.

What do you see in this picture?

What do you see in this picture?

What do you see in this picture?

What do you see in this picture?

What do you see in this picture?

BLACK GOLD

ECOSYSTEMS
Abiotic
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers

Abiotic: Non-living material

Producers: Living Food makers
Consumers: Living Food eaters
Decomposers: Living Food breakers

Abiotic: Sunlight, Water,

basic elements - Nonorganic material that is
part of the ecosystem

Producers: Plants
- use the energy
from the sun and
nutrients from
basic elements
carried through
water to produce
energy and food.

Consumers: Animals, insects, reptiles anything that eats a plant or animal.

THE EATERS...

Decomposers: Fungi & Bacteria break down non-living organisms

back to its basic elements

The almost all animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food
webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals
that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead
organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and therefore operate as
decomposers. Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back
to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular
needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different
types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly
introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem.

Decomposers
Decomposers are the organisms that contribute to the decomposition process. (The
things that break down dead materials. Fungi & Bacteria)
Decomposition is a process that small organisms act on dead plants and animals biomass
to convert those into molecular levels. (Process of breaking dead things)
Fungi are the primary decomposers in a forest. Fungi can penetrate tough skins
and decompose more easily.
Bacteria need dead matter to be exposed in order to be able to act upon it.
Worms and other small organisms help to breakdown material more quickly.
Scavengers are animals that eat dead animals. They help to expose matter so that
bacteria can invade dead matter.
Decomposers release the organic and inorganic molecules in the form of nutrients for
the plants and animals. This process is vital for the recycling of the resources inside an
ecosystem.

Scavenger
Fungi

DECOMPOSITION HELPERS

Container of vegetables
decomposed over 8 weeks.

Before 20 days.

After 20 days.

Many things that are not naturally made take much

longer to decompose.

40 year-old Twinkie

This Twinkie has

been decomposing in
a George Stevens
Academy classroom
for the last 40 years.

NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals,
decomposers, and the environment.
Science and Engineering Practices
Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
Science explanations describe the mechanisms for natural events. (5-LS2-1)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs
in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some
organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and
animals) and therefore operate as decomposers. Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some
materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs
are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet
their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an
ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)
Crosscutting Concepts
Systems and System Models
A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. (5-LS2-1)

Objective
After a lesson and investigation on the decomposition process, Students will
be able to develop a model of the decomposition process in order of furthest
in the process to least.