Handout 1: Ecosystem Audit - Y9 Science

🔍 Introduction

An ecosystem is made up of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts that interact. Today, you will conduct an audit of a small ecosystem in the school grounds.

Part 1: Observation

Choose a 1m x 1m area to study. Record your findings below.

Biotic Factors (Living Things)

List all plants, animals, insects, and fungi you see.

Abiotic Factors (Non-Living Things)

Describe the soil, sunlight, moisture, and temperature.

Part 2: Interactions

Describe one interaction you observed between a living thing and a non-living thing (e.g., a worm moving into the soil).

Teacher Notes — Kaiako Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Akoranga — Learning Intentions

Identify and describe biotic and abiotic factors in a local ecosystem through direct observation.
Record and interpret evidence of interactions between ecosystem components.
Connect field observations to broader ecological concepts (food webs, energy flow, interdependence).

Paearu Angitu — Success Criteria

I can list at least five biotic and three abiotic factors from my audit area with accurate descriptions.
I can describe one specific interaction I observed and explain its ecological significance.
I can draw a simple food web linking at least three organisms from my observations.

Teacher Planning Snapshot

Curriculum alignment: Te Mataiaho Science — Phase 4 — Ecosystems; constructing models and recording evidence of species interactions. Supports Achievement Objective: Students develop understanding of the living world (NZC Level 5).
Mātauranga Māori: Frame the audit through kaitiakitanga — students are observers and guardians, not just scientists extracting data. Acknowledge tikanga around handling of living things and tapu associated with specific species or habitats. Connect the concept of mauri (life force) to ecosystem health indicators observed.
Entry support: Provide a picture-based identification guide for common NZ species. Pre-teach biotic/abiotic using physical card sort before going outside. Scaffold observation sheet with sentence starters.
On-level: Students work independently to identify, describe, and record interactions. Prompt with questions: "What eats what?" "What would change if this was removed?"
Extension: Students map their 1m² as a food web diagram and predict the impact of one species removal. Link to mātauranga Māori: how would kaitiakitanga principles guide management of this small ecosystem?

Inclusion and Accessibility

ESOL / ELL: Bilingual vocabulary card provided (biotic/ōrganic; abiotic/āorganic). Partner observations reduce writing pressure during the field phase.
Accessibility: Audit area can be a raised garden bed or window-box ecosystem for mobility-limited students. Indoor alternative using a terrarium or aquarium image set available.
Neurodiverse learners: Clear, bounded observation area (1m × 1m) reduces sensory overwhelm. Structured recording sheet with explicit prompts supports executive function. Allow sketching as an alternative to written descriptions.