Bottle Ecosystem Assignment
Big Idea:
Ecosystems are dynamic and have the ability to respond to change, within limits, while maintaining
their ecological balance
Overall expectations being evaluated
A1. Demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four
areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, and
communicating);
B3. Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecosystems, particularly in terms of
ecological balance and the impact of human activity on the sustainability of terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems.
Task:
To plan, design and build a contained ecosystem to observe over 10 days.
Plan: Write a short explanation of what you will include in your Bottle Eco-System
(BES) or TerrAqua Column (TAC) and why you included those materials or items.
Include a materials list and drawing of your planned ecosystem
Design:
Explain - step by step – how you will construct your BES. Include this as a
procedure so others may be able to duplicate your experiment precisely. An
example procedure is included in this assignment.
Build: You will have 1 day to build your ecosystem in class. Take photos if you
can or drawings of the building process and include them in the procedure to help
other to reconstruct your experiment. YOU MUST BRING IN ALL YOUR
MATERIALS
Observe:
Observe the ecosystem for 10 days. Include detailed descriptions of the ecosystem
on each day and record through pictures or drawings, any changes that occur.
Final Product:
Your final product to be handed in must contain the following
A detailed procedure (Plan, design)
A bottle ecosystem
A detailed description of observations monitoring the change within your
ecosystem
A Completed set of answers to the questions on the question sheet a the end of this
assignment
PLEASE REFER TO THE RUBRIC BEFORE YOU HAND IN YOUR PROJECT
Sample TerrAqua Column (a.k.a. a Bottle EcoSystem BAS)
Materials: Two 2-liter soda bottles, one bottle cap, wicking material-fabric interfacing or
cotton string, water, soil and plants
Procedure:
Step 1 – Remove label from the 2-liter bottle. On bottle #1, cut 2 cm below
shoulder to produce component "A," a shallow funnel top and "C" a deep
reservoir.
Step 2 – Poke or drill a 1 cm hole in bottle cap.
Step 3 – Cut Bottle #2, 1 cm below hip to produce component "B" a deep
funnel unit with hip taper.
Step 4 – Fill reservoir with water. Add soil and plants to top chamber. To
be effective, the wick should run up into soil, not be plastered along a side
of the bottle. For better drainage, place a layer of gravel, sand or
vermiculite in the bottom of the soil unit.
Step 5 - Fill the top unit of your TAC with soil you collect, or with potting
soil from a gardening store.
Step 6 - Fill the lower aquatic unit with tap water, or water from a pond,
lake, puddle or fish tank.
Step 7 – Keep a detailed list of what components are added to their TAC and
where the components came from.
Step 8 – Form a hypothesis stating how your TAC will change over a
specified amount of time
Step 9 – Monitor your TAC each day and make detailed notes of changes
Step 10 – After the specified amount of time, evaluate the accuracy of the hypothesis.
Question Sheet
Please refer to your Bottle EcoSystem and any research or learning you have completed
in this unit to answer the following questions:
1. What life forms do you expect to find in your micro-ecosystem?
2. Identify the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts of your ecosystem. How do
you think they are related?
3. Nothing but sunlight enters your ecosystem after you seal it tape. Describe how the
projected path of energy flows through your ecosystem. Use diagrams as needed.
4. Predict what processes you expect to occur within your ecosystem.
5. Write a description of what changes you expect will occur within your ecosystem.
Include a projected timeframe for such changes.
6. Discuss the Carbon Cycle and Nitrogen Cycle and how they relate to your particular
micro-ecosystem. Include diagrams as needed.
7. Choose one ecosystem from the site below and outline the following:
a. What is contained in the ecosystem
b. Human behaviors or actions on the area
c. the impacts or consequences of the actions if they continue
http://www.endangeredecosystems.org/