Balance in Nature Unit Overview

Food Webs

The first module, Food Webs, explores the links between living things and their energy sources. A food web is a group of food chains within an ecosystem. A food chain is a single path of energy flow, while the food web represents energy transfer throughout an ecosystem's entire community. Linking back to the Energy Sources module in the Physical Science Book, Food Webs shows how food chains are built, linking the sun, plants, and animals as energy sources and/or users.

Habitats

A habitat – part of life science topics for elementary students – is the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism. The Habitats module focuses on the needs of living things. As students consider different habitats in elementary life science, from farms to tundra and grasslands, they begin to understand the importance of both living and nonliving things in a habitat. Students learn about many different habitats and how animals and plants have adapted to thrive where they live.

Eco Awareness

The Eco Awareness module builds directly from the knowledge students have gained about the natural world around them. Students learn that many factors affect whether or not living things can thrive in their habitats.