Handout: Schoolyard Ecosystem Audit
Investigating the living and non-living things in our own backyard.
Your Audit Zone
Location: _________________________
Description: (e.g., Under the big pĹŤhutukawa tree, the corner of the field)
_________________________________________________________
Component Checklist
In your audit zone, find and record examples of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
Biotic (Living) Factors
- Plants: ____________________
- Insects: ___________________
- Birds (seen or heard): ________
- Worms/Slugs: ______________
- Fungi/Mushrooms: __________
- Other: _____________________
Abiotic (Non-Living) Factors
- Sunlight (sunny/shady): _____
- Water (puddles, damp soil): __
- Soil/Dirt type: ____________
- Rocks/Stones: ______________
- Temperature (warm/cool): ____
- Other: _____________________
Interactions
Describe one interaction you observed between a biotic and an abiotic factor.
Example: I saw a worm (biotic) burrowing into the damp soil (abiotic). This helps mix the soil.
_________________________________________________________
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Kaitiakitanga Question
What is one thing we could do in this area to be good kaitiaki (guardians)?
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Curriculum alignment
- Ecosystems — Knowledge: Carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through living and non-living parts of ecosystems (see Year 9, Earth Systems):forests and oceans store carbon and help cycle itthe carbon and…
- Chemical Reactions — Knowledge: The rate of a chemical reaction can be increased with temperature, concentration, surface area, and catalysis.
- Ecosystems — Knowledge: Biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems can affect the distribution and abundance of organisms; changes in one part can affect the balance and wellbeing of the whole system (…
- Body Systems — Practices: Designing and conducting investigations into water movement through plant tissues under varying conditions
- Body Systems — Practices: Linking data to the observed disruptions in hormonal control that can lead to conditions like Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes