Matter Cycling in Ecosystems
Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment in an ecosystem
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Can your child explain what happens to a fallen leaf on the forest floor — how tiny organisms break it down and the nutrients go back into the soil to help new plants grow?
Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment in an ecosystem
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Check understanding
- Describe the role of decomposers (fungi, bacteria, worms) in breaking down dead matter
- Trace the movement of matter: plant grows using soil nutrients → animal eats plant → animal dies → decomposers return nutrients to soil
- Create or interpret a simple diagram showing matter cycling through an ecosystem
“Can your child explain what happens to a fallen leaf on the forest floor — how tiny organisms break it down and the nutrients go back into the soil to help new plants grow?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Ecosystems & Habitats
- Age range
- Ages 10–11
Standards