Ecosystems Rafa's Classroom CLIL material Primary Education Year 5 Bilingual Education

1. Year 5
By Rafael
Rodríguez Pérez

4. Class discussion. Watch this video and tell your classmates how
much you know about ecosystems.
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5. Rotatory sheet technique. Look at this ecosystem, write one
element that you can see in your notebook and pass it around. Then, add
another element in your mate’s notebook.
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6. - What living things are there in this ecosystem?
There are…
- What non-living things are there in this ecosystem?
There are…
Work in pairs. Use the previous activity and speak with your
partner. Use these questions:
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LANGUAGE
HELP
- There is 
singular or
uncountable.
- There are 
plural.

7. All the elements of an ecosystem interact.
a. A rabbit interacts with a river because it drinks water.
b. A tree interacts with the air because _____.
c. The air interacts with the birds because _____.
d. The birds interact with the clouds because _____.
e. The clouds interact with the _____ because _____.
f. The _____ interact with the _____ because _____.
g. The _____ interact with the _____ because _____.
Numbered heads together. Read this sentence, think and
complete in groups. Be creative!
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8. Picture dictation. Listen and draw living things (biocoenosis) green
and non-living things (biotope) red.
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A B

9. Picture dictation. Listen and draw living things (biocoenosis) green
and non-living things (biotope) red.
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In this ecosystem there is one
mountain. It’s really high!
There are three trees. They
are not very tall.
There is a snake. It’s looking
at a rat.
There is a river and a bear is
drinking water from the river.
We can see very much water.
There are two fish swimming
around a big rock.
Wow! There is a submarine.
Oh, no! A dangerous shark is
coming!
A B

10. a. Which picture represents a
terrestrial ecosystem?
b. Which picture represents an
aquatic ecosystem?
c. What is the difference between a
terrestrial and an aquatic
ecosystem?
Work in groups. Look at your pictures from the previous
activity. Discuss in group and answer:
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11. 1-2-group. Classify the living things in this ecosystem into
fauna (animals) and flora (plants).
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12. In all ecosystems, there are living things grouped into species
(horses, whales, poppies, oak trees, etc.).
All the organisms of one species in an ecosystem make up a
population.
All the populations in an ecosystem make up a community.
TPR. Read, listen and act out.
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13. Hello, children! Now, you are not children anymore. The classroom is not a
classroom anymore, it is an ecosystem.
- In this wonderful ecosystem, there is a population of ducks.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of frogs.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of horses.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of dragonflies.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of crocodiles.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of reeds.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of oak trees.
- In this area of the ecosystem, there is a population of palm trees.
- In this area of the classroom, there is an ecosystem. There is a community
of living things. In the community, there are three populations: elephants,
bush and zebras.
- In this area of the classroom, there is another ecosystem. There is a
community of living things. In the community, there are four populations:
sunflowers, mosquitoes, lizards and grass.
TPR. Read, listen and act out.
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14. Dictation.
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15. Only the living things from the same species (community) can
successfully reproduce.
Dictation.
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Thinking twins. In pairs, complete these diagrams. You can’t
write if any of you don’t know the answers.
BIOCOENOSIS
(living things)
FLORA
Organisms of
the same
species

17. Terrestrial ecosystems are located on land and there is a lot of air in them.
Pencils in the centre. Read and label the pictures. Remember
to put your pencil cases in the centre and take them to write only when
everybody knows the answers.
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mountain grasslands – cold deserts – Mediterranean
forests – Atlantic forests – deserts and steppes

18. Draw a real terrestrial ecosystem in Carmona and describe. Remember
to use ‘there is’ and ‘there are’.
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PARAGRAPH 1: INTRODUCTION
PARAGRAPH 2: DESCRIPTION
PARAGRAPH 3: CONCLUSION
ORIGINAL AND CREATIVE TITTLE
Use linkers: First of all, second, later, also, furthermore, because, so, however, on the
one hand, on the other hand, then, instead of, finally, in conclusion, etc.

19. Individual activity. Read the characteristics of the terrestrial
ecosystems and say what ecosystems they are.
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Atlantic
forests
deserts &
steppes
mountain
grasslands
Mediterranean
forests
cold
deserts
They grow in regions with humid climate and cool summers.
Bullfinches, bears and wolves live there.
Temperatures are very high during the day and cold at night.
Precipitation is scarce . There is very little vegetation. Camels and
other animals are adapted to extreme conditions.
There are herbaceous plants (soft and flexible). These plants can
be used as pastures for cows, sheep… Grasses, clovers and wild
flowers grow in humid regions. There are butterflies, grasshoppers,
ladybirds and deer there.
They grow in regions with a dry climate and warm summers.
Eagles, lynxes and rabbits live there.
Temperatures are very, very cold and there is little precipitation.
The land is covered in snow and ice and there is very little
vegetation. Polar bears and other animals are adapted to extreme
temperatures.

20. LIFE AT THE TOP OF THE EARTH
Tundras are very cold ecosystems. They are in the Arctic,
where the weather is extremely cold, dry and windy. In some
areas, there aren’t any trees.
The Arctic tundra has temperatures from -12 ºC to -6 ºC.
This means that the top layer of the soil is normally frozen.
The name of this layer is permafrost.
In winter, the permafrost is covered with a big layer of
snow, and there aren’t plants visible. However, during the
short summer, there are 24 hours a day of sunlight, the
surface of the permafrost is not frozen, and flowers appear.
There are some animal species in the Arctic tundra, such
as Arctic foxes, polar bears, caribous, snow geese, etc.
Unfortunately, as a result of global warming, temperatures
are increasing. This is causing the permafrost to disappear
and it is not good for this unique ecosystem.
a. Tundra ecosystems are in the Arctic / Antarctic.
b. Temperatures in tundra ecosystems are very high / low.
c. The top layer of the soil is the tundra / permafrost.
d. Winter in the Arctic tundra is long / short.
e. Permafrost can disappear because of the global warming / snow.
Read and circle the correct word.
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22. Numbered heads together. Listen to the questions, discuss in
groups and answer.
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23. a. Does the sea have salt water or fresh water?
b. And a river?
c. Is there more salt water or fresh water on Earth?
d. Which type of water can you drink?
Numbered heads together. Listen to the questions, discuss in
groups and answer.
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24. 1-2-group. Look at these pictures, think and define each
aquatic ecosystem in your notebook. Remember to name some animals
that live there.
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25. - Sandy beaches: They have high salinity. They are affected by tides
and waves. There are seagulls, oystercatchers, sand fleas and sea
worms.
- Rocky shores: They have high salinity. There are a lot of rocks.
There are algae. There are starfish, octopuses and sea anemones.
- Open sea: They have high salinity. This is the deep sea far from
the coast. There isn’t very much sunlight, so algae can’t grow.
There are jellyfish, sea turtles, sardines, tuna, sharks, dolphins and
whales.
- Rivers: They have low salinity. The water is moving. There are
otters and trout.
- Lagoons: They have low salinity. The water doesn’t move very
much. Plants can grow (reeds). There are frogs, water snakes,
water beetles and ducks.
Work in pairs. Take your partner’s notebook and complete his/her
definitions. Use this information:
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26. a. Terrestrial ecosystems are found on land and there isn’t any
air in them.
b. Aquatic ecosystems can be freshwater ecosystems (seas and
oceans) and saltwater ecosystems (rivers and lakes).
Discussion mates. In pairs, one of you will read one sentence
and the other one will explain why it is incorrect. Later, you switch roles.
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27. Work in pairs. Complete the unit diagram.