LC.

Differentiate biotic from abiotic components of an ecosystem

(S7LT-IIh-9) p. 41

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Identify the components of an ecosystem using the designed

Winogradsky’s column;
2. Explain the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors in an
ecosystem;
3. Design layers of ecosystem in a bottle, (Winogradsky’s column);
4. Demonstrate understanding that organisms interact with each
other and with their environment to survive.
ELICIT
Key Questions:
1. What have you observed in the picture?

2. What are the things that you see in the picture?

3. Which of these things are living? Which of these things are nonliving?

4. Observe the things that you identified as living. What do they have in
common?

5. Observe the things that you identified as nonliving. What do they

have in common?
ENGAGE

Key Questions:
1. What have you observed in the video?

2. What are the two components of an ecosystem?

3. What are other examples of ecosystem can you give?

The Winogradsky column was named after
Sergei Winogradsky, a Russian microbiologist.
EXPLORE
Designing the Experiment

Divide the class into 5 groups and give them the materials for the activity.
Task: To design layers of ecosystem in a bottle, (Winogradsky’s column)

Guided Inquiry:
1. What is Winodrasky’s column?

Safety Precautions:
Soil samples used to build Winogradsky columns should generally only contain non-pathogenic
microbes. However, it is always best to practice safe science. As such, students and teachers
should be careful not to directly touch, consume, or inhale contents of the Winogradsky columns.
When handling the Winogradsky columns, make sure lids are tightened and secure. However (and
this is very important), make certain not to store the columns with lids tightened. Columns must
be stored with the lids loose. Gases produced by microorganisms can build up quickly and must be
allowed to escape to avoid a build-up of pressure that may lead to column explosion.
What to do?
Part 1: Prepare the Stuff
THE BOTTLE
1. Carefully cut off the curved top of the plastic
bottle. Ask an adult to help you.
2. Draw two short lines on the bottle: one about a
quarter from the bottom of the bottle, the other a
quarter of the way from the top.
MUD & WATER
3. Dig up mud from a pond, rain puddle, or riverbed. The
mud is full of microbes! Fill your bucket with enough
mud to fill the plastic bottle.
4. Remove rocks, twigs, or other solid matter from mud. newspaper and add the egg yolk.
Be careful of broken glass.
5. Collect water from the mud source (or use tap water).
NEWSPAPER & EGG
6. Cut a sheet of newspaper into thin strips. Then, cut
the strips into tiny rectangles. These will provide carbon
for the microbes in the mud.
7. If using a hard-boiled egg, ask an adult to help you
cook it. The yolk will provide sulfur for the microbes in
the mud.
8. Put enough mud into the large mixing bowl to fill
three-quarters of the bottle. Add water and stir until
mud is the consistency of a milkshake.
9. Transfer about one-fourth of the mud-shake into the
medium mixing bowl. Stir in a handful of shredded
Part 2: Make the Ecosystem
10. Spoon the egg yolk and newspaper mud mixture into
the plastic bottle until it's about a quarter of the way
from the bottom (stop at the line). Once in a while,
gently tap the bottle on a hard surface to remove air
pockets as the mud settles to the bottom.
11. Spoon the regular mud mixture into the bottle until
it's about a quarter of the way from the top (stop at the
line). Gently tap the bottle on the table to remove air
pockets.
12. Top with a little bit of water, leaving about an inch of
air at the top.
13. Cover the bottle with plastic wrap and secure with a
rubber band.
14. Place your column in a brightly lit place.
15. Over the next eight to ten weeks, watch
for various color layers to form as microbes
separate into their habitats.
16. At least once a week, on the same day at
the same time, write down and draw any
changes you see, including colors, the
movement or thickening of sediment, and any
differences between the side facing the light
and the once facing away. You can also take
photos for comparison. Note the day and time
the photo was taken.
ELABORATE

Key Question:

1. Explain how Winogradsky column illustrate the diversity of microorganisms found on

Earth today in terms of the diversity of niches they occupy.
EXPLAIN
Key Question:
1. What biomolecule does newspaper, eggshell, egg yolk contribute to the Winogradsky
column?

EVALUATE
Self- Assessment/Journal Entry.
Students will be given time to write about their learning for the day.

EXTEND

1. Think of other ways on how Winogradsky column can be used.

2. Explain how life on early Earth exists using the Winogradsky column.