What's in the garden?

What's in the garden?

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about relationships between living and non-living things in a garden.

Question Change answer

a)  A drawing of a garden has been started for you.
What other living and non living things might you find in and near this garden?
Draw and label as many ideas as you can think of to add to the drawing below.

Question 1Change answer

b)  A relationship is a connection between 2 things. An example of a relationship in the picture could be: Grass grubs eat the roots of the grass plants.
From your picture describe a relationship between:
 
i)  two things in the garden.

Question 1Change answer

ii)  one thing under the ground and one thing above the ground.

Question 1Change answer

c)  Describe some ways in which human activity can change relationships in the garden.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or by drawing online.
Copyright: 
Graphics: copyright NZCER.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Participating and contributing, Living World
Keywords: 
ecology, interdependence, relationships, gardens, drawing
Description of task: 
Task: Complete a drawing of things found in a garden, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in a garden.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the direct impact to organisms when there is a change to their environment.
 
 
Capabilitiy: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using logical reasoning and developing science understandings to present science ideas about food chains and/or food webs.
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science, Use evidence
Answers/responses: 
a)   Check for the following points.

  • Are there plants and animals?
  • Are there living and non living elements?
  • Are there elements below and above the ground?
  • Are there elements related to human activity?
  • If the students have been studying a particular garden area are the elements relevant to that area?
  • Do students include any systems that may impact on the garden, e.g., elements of the water cycle/weather?
b)
i)
ii)
Check that the relationship described is correct. For example, are the descriptions of feeding relationships accurate? 
Check that the relationship described is correct.
c)   Can accurately describe an element that may be affected by a human action. This may be at 1 of 2 levels:

  • Can accurately describe a simple cause and effect relationship.
  • Can describe a more complex cause and effect relationship involving a chain of events.

For more details go to Thinking about systems.
Diagnostic and formative information: 

NOTE: This resource was designed to provide an alternative context for exploring interactions in an ecosystem, and has not been trialled with students.

Go to What lives in our waterways? for diagnostic and formative information relating to the waterways (which was the context of the original resource) as a guide for what to look for.
Next steps: 

Refer to:

Summary of possible elements to explore
A garden is in some ways an artificial ecosystem because it is in lots of ways controlled by humans. However, the same elements as in a wilderness area occur in a garden, with the addition of some that may be added by gardeners. The main elements are:

  • Sun – provides energy for plants.
  • Soil – provides an anchor for plant roots, nutrients and water. Provides a "home" for micro-organisms and soil animals such as worms and grass grubs.
  • Water – basic necessity for plants and animals.
  • Plants (including trees) – provide food and shelter for a range of animals, including birds and insects, and release oxygen into the air. Note that all food chains start with plants.
  • Pest plants – garden plants can cause problems if they "escape" into the wider environment.
  • Birds – help with seed dispersal and insect control.
  • Pets – eat birds, rats, mice, dig up plants.
  • Insects – some pollinate flowers. Some are regarded as pests because they eat or damage plants, others are regarded as beneficial  because they eat the pests.
  • Earthworms – decomposers that break down decaying organic matter. Live in soil, but also have a role in making compost. Aerate soil so roots can take up air.
  • Slaters – decomposers that break down decaying organic material.
  • Micro-organisms such as bacteria - decomposers that break down decaying organic matter.
  • Minerals (including fertilisers applied by humans) – add to the nutrients in the soil, may change growing conditions for some plants.
  • Pesticides and weed killers – chemicals applied by humans to get rid of unwanted insects and plants.
  • Humans – change the natural ecosystem to suit their needs.

The games in the following resources provide models that can be adapted to address relationships in the garden:

Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts Book 45, Slugs and snails. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts Book 52, The land changes. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2004). Building Science Concepts Book 53, Moulds are fungi. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2004). Building Science Concepts Book 62, Spiders everywhere! Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2004). Building Science Concepts Book 63, Growing plants indoors. Wellington: Learning Media.

Websites
http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqbr/wqbr29.html gives a general overview of possible garden elements. (Note that this is an American website.)
For information on soil, go to http://soils.gsfc.nasa.gov/soilfert/npk.htm.This resource is aimed at secondary students, but may be useful for teacher background material.