Abiotic v/s Biotic

The primary difference between both is that abiotic factors include those components of the ecosystem which are non-living part of any habitat. On the other hand, biotic factors include living components of the ecosystem.

The examples of the abiotic factors are sunlight, the wind, clouds, water, rocks, energy, temperature, soil, etc. while the examples of biotic factors are plants and trees, animals, microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, algae.

The ecosystem provides the major platform for the interaction between the two, as they both depend on each other for the various things chiefly biotic factors depend on the abiotic factors for fulfilling their requirements to grow and survive. To elaborate further, we will consider the few points which distinguish both the entities.

Watch the following video to understand better the difference between biotic and abiotic factors: 

Some examples of these factors are: 

Adapt or Die!

Does it mean it is the best way to do it? 

Can you think about examples of species who have adapted or died? 

Why do you think they could or could not make it? 

Who does the man in the video represent? 

Do you think his way of living affects other species and ecosystems? Please give some examples.

How could the man in the video change his attitude in a positive way?

What is biodiversity? Why is it important?

What would happen if we took appart one element from any ecosystem? 

Move, Adapt or Die

Climate Change

Watch the following videos and reflect 

about these questions:

Before the Flood Official Trailer #1 (2016) Leonardo DiCaprio Documentary Movie HD

How much do you know about global warming?

Is there anything we can do to stop it? Think about actions you can do at home, at school, in your whole community to help.

Why is it important to fight against global warming?

How does climate change affect animals? | Global Ideas

Ecosystems and Climate Change

How is climate change connected to animals? Can you give some examples?

What can animals do to survive

if the ecosystem they inhabit is threatened?

Sharing the Planet

Hello kids, we are starting a new unit of inquiry called "Life and change". We want to begin this journey by letting you know about the central idea and the lines of inquiry which will lead our investigations. We hope you enjoy it !!!

Central Idea:

Living organisms depend on natural resources and transform them to meet their needs.

 

Lines of Inquiry:

• Organisms have a specific function in a food chain.
• Changing ecosystems provoke adaptation.
• Living things and natural resources adapt and interact in ecosystems.

Art Techniques Using Colour Pencils

Hi kids, through this post we would like to share with you some simple techniques you can use when drawing and colouring with your coloured pencils.

We hope you enjoy them and try them at home, then be a risk taker and use them when working at school :D

12 Simple Colored Pencil Techniques

How to use colored pencils! Layering, blending, & more!

How to Draw Easy Step by Step 

22 absolutely brilliant drawing tips for beginners.

Did you know?

Have you ever drawn a picture to show how you were feeling? Art has always been a powerful way to express ideas and emotions. More than 100,000 years ago, people buried the dead with beads or other objects. These objects may have helped them remember the dead. Later, people made jewelry from stones or metal. Researchers have found sculptures that are 40,000 years old.

Art was – and still is – a way to share who you are, what you believe in and which tribe you belong to. Sculptures were sometimes made as a tribute to a god or as a good luck token. Art is also a way to document a certain time in history.

The first artists used ashes from fire, red clay or natural pigments from plants for paint.

Today, artists can choose from many mediums, including oil paints, watercolor, chalk, pastel, pencils and pens. Artists create their work on computers and even tablets.

Artists can also use video, photographs, paper, metal, plastic or even recycled materials in their art.

Some artists create art that is displayed in museums or galleries. Other artists produce art for books, movies, commercials and websites. Even products like your breakfast cereal are packaged in boxes designed by artists.

Watch the following video to learn more about different forms of art! Enjoy :)

Why study Art from the past?

Tunic with diamond band (Incas)

Art from the past teaches us about life in the past. By looking at a work of art's colors and materials, we can learn about the culture that produced it. 

We can learn what was important to these people and how they wanted to be remembered.

Kero made of wood (Incas)

Looking at art from the past contributes to who we are as people. 

By looking at what has been done before, we collect knowledge and inspiration that contributes to how we speak, feel, and view the world around us.

Young corn God made of ceramic and pigment (Mayans)

Pair of earflare frontals made of Jade (Mayans)

Tripod Vessel with date glyph made
of ceramic (Aztecs)

Relief block with coat of arms of Cholula
made of stone and traces of stucco (Aztecs)



How do you want to be remembered?

What would you like people in the future to know about nowadays society based on our artistic expressions?

Tell us your opinion in the comment section below :) 

Did you know?

Eventhough we are studying 3 specific systems (muscular, skeletal and nervous) we think it could be useful for you to watch the following videos so you can understand better how our bodies work: 

Top 10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Your Body

How does your digestive system works?

How does the food you eat affect your brain?

What would happen if you didn't drink water?

Muscular System

These videos will help you to reinforce what you know and what you have learnt about the Muscular System during this unit. We hope you enjoy them: 

Muscular System

How does your muscular system work? (Connected to force and motion)

What makes muscles grow?

By visiting these links you can get even more knowledge about our muscular system and you can play some games to test your knowledge about this topic: 

Interactive link to learn more about the muscular system

Online game 1 

Online game 2

Online game 3

Nervous System

Watch the following videos to learn more about the nervous system: 

How does our nervous system work?

The nervous system.

More on the nervous system.

The nervous system Functions and Facts.

Functions of the nervous system 

The nervous system: functions and parts.

Play these games to see how much you know now about the nervous system: 

Who wants to be a Mill-Neuron-Aire

Nervous system matching game 

Visiting these links you can get even more knowledge about our body, its nervous system and how it works:

Interactive link to explore the nervous system 

What is the nervous system and how does it work? 

Audio article about nervous system

Interdependence between systems

The human body contains trillions of cells, 78 different organs and more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels if you stretched them end-to-end. Incredibly, all of these cells, vessels and organs work together to keep you alive.

Each organ belongs to one of ten body systems. These body systems are interconnected and dependent upon one another to function. Your heart does not beat unless your brain and nervous system tell it to do so. Your skeletal system relies on the nutrients it gains from your digestive system to build strong, healthy bones.

Interdependence means that all of the body systems need all of the other systems. They rely on each other for many different things and cannot function without the other. For example, the nervous and endocrine systems control the activities of the digestive, excretory, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Additionally, we need our respiratory system to take in oxygen, we need our circulatory system to deliver the oxygen to the muscles and we need the digestive system to break the food down into nutrients like glucose to be turned into energy. 

We invite you to visit the following links where you can find information about ALL, yes! ALL BODY SYSTEMS !!!!!

Organs of the Body. 

All Human Body Systems.

Force and Motion

Healthy Choices

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

Is physical activity (jogging, going to a gym, swimming pool)

an important part of a healthy lifestyle?

Is there any connection between the person's style of life and

the duration of his/her life?

More about matter :)

Watch the following videos to understand better what matter is and how it changes!

Here you have more examples to help you understand!

When matter changes from one physical form to another , a change of state occurs. Changes of  state happen when there is an increase  or decrease  of  TEMPERATURE.

Properties and changes of Matter

Watch this video to learn about the properties 

and changes of matter: