Working With the Ecogram

Learning Sequence:

Select from the following project options to enhance students’ understanding of the ecogram. (present below in brainstorm style)

Select a part of the ecogram that interests you. Represent the movements and roles of each plant and animal, and the ways they interact with each other by:

• Using Minecraft to create a 3D model of the ecosystem and how it works.

• Creating a stop-motion animation of the ecosystem at work by photographing plasticine or papermodels in sequence, then transitioning through the images quickly using PowerPoint or iMovie.

• Creating a puppet show, dance, or drama performance to demonstrate the interactions between each ‘character’ in the ecosystem.

• Writing and illustrating a comic book or graphic novella depicting various predators and their prey in the style of ‘heroes and villains’.

• Filming a short David Attenborough-style documentary about the bushland in your area and one of the ecosystems within it.

• Creating and presenting an Assembly Item incorporating recorded sounds, vertebrate evidence, and knowledge. The item could be based on:• The construction or deconstruction of the eco-gram, with role-playing by the students.

• A representation of a functional and/or degraded food-web through theatre or dance.

• A play or presentation based on totem animals, where students create models or puppets of their animals.