[b][center][size=150]Don't Eat Me! [br]Relationships Between Living Beings[/size][/center][/b]

[br][list][*]Explain ecological relationships (e.g., predator-prey, food chains, symbiosis) in a local ecosystem.[/*][/list][list][*]Describe interdependence among plants and animals within an ecosystem.[/*][*]Recognize human impacts on ecosystems, including both positive and negative effects.[/*][*]Demonstrate understanding of food chains and the roles within them.[/*][*]Engage in collaborative, hands-on activities to apply STEAM principles.[/*][/list]

[br][list][*]Large poster/chart paper[/*][*]Markers, crayons[/*][*]Cards/pieces of paper with images or names of animals, plants, and insects[/*][*]String or yarn[/*][/list][list][*]Simple building materials (Legos, popsicle sticks, rubber bands)[/*][*]Pictures of trees, animals, and habitats[/*][*]Scissors, glue[/*][/list][list][*]Drawing paper, colored pencils, crayons[/*][*]Modeling clay/playdough[/*][*]Natural materials (leaves, twigs, stones)[/*][/list][list][*]Large open space (indoor/outdoor)[/*][*]Animal masks (optional)[/*][/list]

[br][justify][/justify][list][*]Discussion: Start with a discussion on the concept of ecosystems. Explain that ecosystems are made up of living organisms (plants, animals, insects) and the environment they live in, all of which are connected and interdependent. Define ecosystems and discuss their components (plants, animals, insects, and the environment).[/*][*]Explain Relationships: Use examples (e.g., squirrels spreading seeds, bees pollinating flowers) to illustrate ecosystem relationships.[/*][/list][list][*]Introduce Food Chains: Introduce the concept of food chains to students. A food chain is the flow of energy from one organism to another in an ecosystem. Explain how a simple food chain works:[/*][list][*]Plants (producers) create their own food using sunlight.[/*][*]Herbivores (such as rabbits or squirrels) eat plants.[/*][*]Carnivores (such as foxes or birds of prey) eat herbivores.[/*][*]Discuss how all living organisms are connected in a chain, and that energy and nutrients flow from one to another.[/*][/list][*]Use visual aids such as pictures of common local plants, insects, and animals to illustrate how food chains work (e.g., a simple chain: grass → rabbit → fox → eagle).[/*][/list]

[b][/b][left][b][size=85]Source: Science textbook for 3rd grade of primary school, Kreativni centar (2010, page 75)[/size][/b][/left][left][/left]

[list][*]Human Impact: Discuss ways humans help and harm ecosystems. Emphasize that humans have a major impact on ecosystems:[/*][list][*]Humans can help protect ecosystems by preserving forests and other habitats, which are essential for the survival of many species.[/*][*]Human activities, like deforestation or pollution, can damage ecosystems by destroying habitats and disrupting the natural balance.[/*][*]Explain that it is important for humans to understand how their actions affect nature and take responsibility for protecting the environment.[/*][/list][/list][br]

[b]Objective:[/b] Reinforce the concept of food chains and ecological relationships.[br][br][b]Instructions:[/b][justify][/justify][list][*]In groups, students receive cards with animals, plants, and insects (e.g., squirrel, tree, bee, fox, mushroom).[/*][*]Students arrange the cards on the floor or wall to create a food chain (e.g., tree → squirrel → fox → eagle).[/*][*]Discuss how each card is connected, explaining how energy flows from plants to herbivores to predators.[/*][*]Use string or yarn to physically connect the cards, showing the links in the food chain.[/*][/list]

[justify][b]Objective:[/b] Apply engineering principles to construct habitats or shelters for different animals using simple materials. Build model habitats to understand how animals meet survival needs.[/justify][br][b]Instructions:[br][br][/b][list][*]Provide students with building materials (Legos, popsicle sticks, rubber bands) and a challenge: "Build a shelter for a specific animal (squirrel, bee, or bird) in the ecosystem."[br][/*][/list][list][*]Students work in small groups to build structures like a bird's nest, a squirrel's den, or a beehive.[/*][*]Once the structures are built, students present them to the class, explaining how their habitat suits the needs of the animal (e.g., how a squirrel’s den protects it from predators and weather).[/*][*]Discuss the importance of preserving these habitats for the survival of species.[/*][/list]

[justify][b]Objective: [/b]Represent an ecosystem component creatively. Explore the interconnectedness of nature through creative expression.[/justify][br][br][b]Instructions:[/b][list][justify][/justify][*]Provide students with drawing materials or modeling clay.[/*][*]Students create artwork representing a living organism in their local ecosystem (e.g., a tree, a squirrel, or a flower).[/*][*]Encourage students to think about how their organism interacts with other living things (e.g., how a bee helps pollinate a flower, or how a squirrel helps spread tree seeds).[/*][*]Have students share their artwork and briefly explain the ecological role of the organism they depicted.[/*][/list]

[justify][b]Objective:[/b] Students will calculate the weekly food requirements for each organism within a food chain using feeding habit data. They will then use this data to create a bar graph[color=#980000][b]**[/b][/color] representing the total food consumption at each level of the food chain, illustrating the concept of energy flow in ecosystems.[/justify][br][b]Instructions:[/b][justify][/justify][list][*]Introduce students to the concept of a food chain and explain how energy flows from producers to top predators. Provide the following hypothetical feeding data to help them understand relationships within the food chain:[/*][list][*]Grass: 10 blades of grass provide enough food for 1 grasshopper for 1 day.[/*][*]Grasshoppers: Each grasshopper eats 10 blades of grass per day.[/*][*]Frogs: Each frog eats 2 grasshoppers per day.[/*][*]Snakes: Each snake eats 2 frogs per week.[/*][*]Hawks: Each hawk eats 2 snakes per week.[br][/*][/list][*]Student Task: Review the feeding data and understand the role of each organism within the food chain.[/*][/list][list][*]Working in pairs or small groups, students calculate the total amount of food each organism in the food chain needs for one week.[/*][*]Distribute graph paper and help students set up a bar graph with:[/*][/list][list][*]X-axis: Levels of the food chain – Producers (Grass), Herbivores (Grasshoppers), Primary Carnivores (Frogs), Secondary Carnivores (Snakes), and Top Predator (Hawks).[/*][*]Y-axis: Total food consumption (amount of organisms consumed per week).[br][/*][/list][list][*]Students plot the data, creating bars for each level based on the total food each organism consumes weekly.[/*][/list][list][*]Once students complete their graphs, guide them through analyzing the bar heights and what they represent. Discuss energy flow, focusing on why more food is required at the lower levels of the food chain compared to the top.[/*][/list][b][color=#980000][size=85]**Find the template to create the bar graph at the end of this lesson. [/size][/color][/b]

[b]Objective: [/b]Engage in movement that simulates ecosystem interactions.[br][br][b]Instructions:[/b][justify][/justify][list][*]Set up a relay race with different “stations” representing different animals or plants. Each station could have an animal mask or a sign (e.g., squirrel, tree, flower).[/*][*]Divide students into teams. At each station, students must perform a task that represents that organism's role in the ecosystem. For example:[/*][/list][list][*]Squirrel Station: "Jump like a squirrel gathering nuts."[/*][*]Bee Station: "Buzz like a bee collecting nectar."[/*][*]Tree Station: "Stand still like a tree, spreading your branches."[/*][/list][list][*]After performing each action, students move to the next station. The relay ends when all students have passed through every station.[/*][*]Discuss how each organism contributes to the ecosystem and how important it is for every part to work together.[/*][/list]

[br][list][*]Encourage students to share what they learned about ecosystem relationships and the importance of protecting natural environments.[/*][/list][list][*]Discuss the concept of balance in ecosystems and human responsibility to maintain this balance.[/*][/list]

[br][list][*][b]Science –[/b] Understanding ecological relationships, food chains, and interdependence within ecosystems.[/*][*][b]Technology –[/b] Exploring how technology can help study ecosystems and create habitats.[/*][*][b]Engineering –[/b] Building animal habitats to understand how different species meet their survival needs.[/*][*][b]Physical Education –[/b] Engaging in the "Eco Relay" to simulate ecosystem roles through movement.[/*][*][b]Arts – [/b]Creating artwork that represents organisms in an ecosystem and their interactions.[/*][*][b]Mathematics – [/b]Calculating food needs within the food chain and visualizing data through bar graphs.[/*][/list]