General science

Natural sciences

Life and way of living

Educator section

Memorandum

1. organisms

environment

non-living

2. producers/manufacturers (food producers)

consumers

herbivores

carnivores

omnivores

3. Location, climate, soil, water, atmospheric gases (more specific factors may also be listed, e.g. slope and south- /east-/ west-/ north-facing instead of location, or temperature, rain and wind instead of climate)

Diagram:

1. All materials are recycled in nature and that is why the resources are not depleted. Whatever is taken from the soil or the air is eventually returned to it.

2. Water: from the soil to plants and animals (and into the air), back to the soil (urine and faeces) or air (perspiration, evaporation).

Carbon dioxide: from the air to the plant, fixed in food, to the animal, released into the air.

Components in the soil to the plant, forming nutrients, to animal that eats the plant, returning to the soil with urine or faeces, or when the plant or animal dies

3. To prevent depletion of natural resources/ substances being used up

Leaner section

Content

Activity 1: to brush up your knowledge of eco-systems [lo 2.1, 2.3]

The ecosystem

Test your knowledge

You were introduced to the concept of the ecosystem in Grade 6. Let us see how much you can remember:

Complete: An ecosystem is all the living ___________________ that live in a

specific _________________ as well as all the __________________ factors

that determine the nature of the environment.

In an ecosystem, the plants are the ____________________ while the animals

are the _______________________ Animals can be divided into three groups

on the basis of their manner of feeding, namely _______________________,

___________________________ and _______________________________

The non-living factors which determine conditions in the ecosystems are

_______________________________, _____________________________,

_______________________________ and ___________________________ .

Cycles and balance within an ecosystem

An ecosystem can be represented diagrammatically as follows:

Try to answer the following questions that deal with the diagram:

1. Why is the ecosystem represented as a cycle?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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2. Name three substances/compounds that are circulated in an ecosystem according to the diagram, and give a brief description of each cycle:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

3. Why is it important for the substances to be circulated?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Assessment

Learning Outcome 2: The learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge.

Assessment Standard 2.1: We know this when the learner recalls meaningful information (at least definitions and complex facts);

Assessment Standard 2 .3 We know this when the learner interprets information.