Backyard Bingo: Exploring Abiotic and Biotic Factors - University of Houston
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Backyard Bingo: Exploring Abiotic and Biotic Factors

This module allows students to define and identify abiotic factors (nonliving things) and biotic factors (living things) in their local community. Students will go on a fun scavenger hunt to find examples of abiotic and biotic factors in their home or community. Next, students will have the option of drawing or creating a 3D model to represent abiotic and biotic factors in the ecosystem.

After this module you will be able to:

  • Identify abiotic and biotic factors within the ecosystem.
  • Describe the differences between abiotic and biotic factors.
  • Create a drawing or 3D model representing abiotic and biotic factors.
  • 6.12(E) Describe biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem in which organisms interact.
  • 8.11(A) Investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic factors such as food and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or soil composition.
  • 9B.10(C) Analyze the levels of organization in biological systems and relate the levels to each other and to the whole system.
  • 9B.11(B) Investigate and analyze how organisms, populations, and communities respond to external factors.

Materials

You may choose to print this student handout to help you record the abiotic and biotic factors you find on your scavenger hunt.

  • Scavenger Hunt Findings List
  • Bingo Card
  • Pencil and/or Paper
  • (1) Shoe Box (any size)
  • Plants such as Flowers, Grass, and/or Leaves (plastic or real)
  • Materials that can represent animals - (can also be drawn)
  • 1 Cup of Dirt (or enough to cover the bottom of the shoe box)
  • 4-10 Small Rocks
  • 1 Empty Water Bottle
  • Colored Pencils or Marker

Safety

  • Obtain your parents’ permission before you go outside to look for abiotic or biotic factors.
  • Do not touch unknown organisms.
  • Avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day.
  • Apply sunscreen to protect your skin from too much sun exposure.

Activity

After watching the video (below) on abiotic and biotic factors, go on a scavenger hunt around your home in search of naturally occurring abiotic and biotic factors. The area just outside your home will have micro-ecosystems all around it. Look for abiotic and biotic factors that support each other.

Write down all the factors you find on a sheet of paper; try to list 15-25. Feel free to use some examples from our pre-made Bingo card to help you think of different factors for your list. Next, choose 15-20 words from your list and write then on your Bingo card (one word per square). Now, go back to the list of words that you made and cut out each word individually. Flip each word over so the word is now face down. You are now ready to play Bingo with a family member or friend.

To play the game, each player takes turns flipping over one factor, so the word is face up. Then, any player who has that word can put a check box (or a small object) in the box containing the word. The first player who has 5 factors in a row is the winner. Once one round is complete, turn each word face down and play another round.  

Ecosystem 3D Model

Make a 3D model of your ecosystem using a shoebox and other household materials. To make the model, find an old shoe box. You can start by drawing a few biotic factors such as the sun and clouds at the top of your shoe box. Next, fill the base with soil, dirt, or rocks (abiotic factors). Then, add some grass, flowers, or leaves (biotic factors). Finally, cut the bottom of a water bottle (about 1-2 inches high) and place the bottom of the water bottle in the shoebox inside the dirt. Fill the bottom of the cut-out portion of the water bottle with water. This will represent a pond or small lake. If you are not able to make a 3D model, you can always draw a picture of the local community and include examples of abiotic and biotic factors.

Steps

  1. Watch the video on abiotic and biotic factors.
  2. Go on your scavenger hunt to find abiotic and biotic factors within your ecosystem (backyard), and record your findings on the Scavenger Hunt Findings List.
  3. Fill in your Bingo card using the abiotic and biotic factors you found within your ecosystem. We have included a few examples in your Bingo card. If you do not have enough items to fill in the squares, feel free to use our examples.
  4. Create a 3D model of your ecosystem or draw and color your ecosystem using the abiotic and biotic factors found on your scavenger hunt.
  5. Label each item in your 3D model or picture as an abiotic and biotic factor.

Dig Deeper

Read More

The “bio” in biotic means “life” while the “a” in abiotic means “without.” This means abiotic factors are the nonliving things in our ecosystem. Ecosystems are special because they are the first level of organization in ecology to have both abiotic and biotic factors.

In ecology, the levels begin with organisms, populations, communities, and the ecosystem. Abiotic and biotic factors work together to keep ecosystems stable or balanced. Biotic organisms, such as animals, plants, and humans, rely on the abiotic factors within their environment to survive. For example, plants rely on the abiotic factor sunlight to produce glucose (a simple sugar) as food through the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis only occurs inside plant cells or alike organisms; this process was briefly mentioned in the previous lesson of animal and plant cells.

Without these abiotic factors like the sun, ecosystems would not be stable and could collapse. Think of it as a domino effect; if one-piece falls (the abiotic factor), the rest of the dominos will fall too (the ecosystem). Another example would be a drought, which results in very little to no rain. In a rainforest ecosystem, the drought not only impacts the water source for this ecosystem, but it also impacts habitat availability for the rainforest species. Droughts can result in a reduction of habitats for rainforest animals. So, we can see that the sun and water are not living but are very important. Abiotic and biotic factors work together to keep an ecosystem balanced.

Here is a really cool article on abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem. Read This

Try This

Explore the abiotic factors that affect Caribbean coral reefs in this online Gizmo simulation. Many factors can be manipulated in this simplified reef model, including ocean temperature and pH, storm severity, and input of excess sediments and nutrients from logging, sewage, and agriculture. Click “Advance year” to see how the reef responds to these changes. NOTE: Gizmo allows non-users to access virtual simulations for 5 minutes a day. If you want more time, make a free account!

Watch This

For more information on abiotic and biotic interactions within an ecosystem, watch these videos - click here and here

Show What You Know

Meet Our Expert

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Meet The Teachers

Uchenna Emenaha

Uchenna Emenaha
Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction in Science Education, University of Houston
Uchenna Emenaha obtained her Ph.D. in science education from the University of Houston. She currently is an instructor in the teachHOUSTON Program teaching preservice STEM teachers. Her areas of research interest are STEM Education, Science Education and Social Justice Education. Prior to joining the teachHouston staff, she spent nine years teaching middle school and high school science. She is also a health enthusiast who teaches Zumba Fitness classes in her spare time and volunteers with Houston Health and Black Business Expo. She loves science and is passionate about sharing her love of science with students of all ages.

Arianna Ibarra

Arianna Ibarra
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Arianna is a 2018 graduate of the University of Houston. She obtained her degree in Biology and is also an alumna of the teachHOUSTON Program. She is currently a Biology teacher at South Houston High School and is pursuing her master’s degree in STEM Education through Texas Tech University. This is Arianna’s third summer to participate in STEM camps at UH, and she is excited to work with students and teachHOUSTON undergraduates as a camp leader. In her free time, Arianna enjoys attending baseball games for the Houston Astros-Go Astros!

Ricardo Pocasangre

Ricardo Pocasangre
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Ricardo is a senior at the University of Houston majoring in Biology. Upon graduating, he wants to become a high school science teacher. He loves to study the stars and spends time looking into the sky with his high-powered telescope. He is excited to be working with you this summer!

Frida Villalobos

Frida Villalobos
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Frida is currently a student at the University of Houston majoring in Biology. She aspires to be a biology professor, who not only teaches, but also studies in a laboratory setting. She loves science, coffee, and meeting new people and hopes to one day open a science-themed coffee shop! In her free time, she enjoys reading books, listening to music, or watching a show on Netflix.

Fernanda Marrero Hi

Fernanda Marrero Hi
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Fernanda is a senior at the University of Houston and very active in the UH community. She is a Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, Noyce Scholar, Charles Butt Scholar, and President of the teachHOUSTON Student Society. She is invested in the advancement of public education and advocates for social justice in and out of the classroom. Her ultimate goal is to be a public school teacher or an administrator. During her free time, she enjoys reading and playing her Nintendo Switch.

Khadija Juzar Lokhandwala

Khadija Juzar Lokhandwala
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Khadija is a junior at the University of Houston majoring in Biology and minoring in Business Administration. She loves to teach and hopes to one day complete her Ph.D. and become an Anatomy and Physiology professor. She is passionate about increasing female participation in STEM. An artist at heart, in her free time she likes to draw, create fun looks with makeup, and play sports.

Sajjad Razzaq

Sajjad Razzaq
Biology with teachHOUSTON
Sajjad is a biology major who loves learning about health and science. He aspires to be a health science educator or a doctor upon graduation. He loves to play video games and likes to draw in his free time. He believes that learning should be fun and is excited to be a part of the virtual summer camp with the teachHOUSTON Program.

Liandra Larsen

Liandra Larsen
teachHOUSTON STEM Interactive Video Editor
Liandra is a Research Graduate Assistant for the teachHOUSTON Program. Currently, she’s pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Houston. Her research interests include improving the university experience for first-generation and transfer students. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and overspending at Target.