Science: Life Science

• As a result of activities in Grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of behavior, populations in ecosystems and adaptations of organisms.

Source: National Science Education Standards

Fine Arts: Visual Arts

5-8 Standard 3: Choosing and Evaluating a Range of Subject Matter, Symbols and Ideas

• Students use subjects, themes and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks

Source: National Standards for Arts Education

As students discuss energy needs of living things, they realize that all organisms in an environment interact with each other either directly or indirectly through a network of food chains known as a food web. Students review the roles of producers, consumers and decomposers and the order of energy flow within an ecosystem. Further exploration of various order consumers and classification as herbivore, carnivore or omnivore demonstrates the diversity of living things. Such knowledge prepares students for analysis of ecosystems and determination of existing food webs in a given area.

Supplies Used:Cardstock, Colored Pencils or Pens, Glue, Scissors, Shoebox

The teacher will cut the materials for student use prior to the lesson.

1. Cover the outside of the shoebox with brown construction paper. Cover the inside of the shoebox with green and blue construction paper.
2. Use the pen feature to draw and cut the Bird, Clouds (Sun embellishment), Deer, Flower Swag, Fox, Mushroom, Sun, Trees and Woodland Flowers according to perspective. Highlight shapes with color as desired.
3. Adhere the Trees, Sun and Clouds to the background. Adhere Flowers and Mushrooms to the inside of the shoebox.
4. Cut tabs and adhere to the Tree, Curly Tree, Deer, and Fox. Place shapes in the shoebox and adhere by tabs.
5. Adhere a Mushroom, Flower and Bird to the standing shapes.
6. Attach Flower Swags to front of shoebox (see Main Photo).