Visualisation and Quick

Dr a w
[Link]
What are Forests?
 Learning Target

I can define "forest" as a complex

ecosystem dominated by trees.
Understanding the Question (Deconstruction)

● Explain the core concept: "When someone asks 'What are

forests?', they're asking for a definition and a description of the
key elements that make up a forest."
● Identify key words: "The most important word here is 'forests.'
We need to understand what that word means."
● Consider the scope: "The question is broad, so we need to cover
the essential aspects, not just one specific detail."
Mind map showing characteristics of a
forest
Structuring the Answer (Organization) :

● Start with a clear definition:

● Group related details:
○ Ecosystem aspect:
○ Environmental importance:
○ Resource and habitat provision:
○ Biodiversity:
Instructions for writing Draft 1 - What
are Forests?
● Using the characteristics from the mind map, fill in the graphic organiser given in
T1_S1_WS1
● Using the four aspects filed in the graphic organiser, attempt Draft 1 of question
‘What are forests?, given at the back of the sheet.
Relevant Details:
● Forests are ecosystems with diverse plant and animal life.
● They play a crucial role in the environment, like producing oxygen and storing
carbon.
● Forests have different layers of vegetation, including a canopy, understory, and
forest floor.
● Forests vary in type depending on climate and location.
● Forests provide resources like timber, food, and medicine.
● Forests provide habitats for a huge number of species.
● Forests help prevent soil erosion.
● Forests influence local and global climate patterns.
Relevant Details:
● Forests are ecosystems with diverse plant and animal life.
● They play a crucial role in the environment, like producing oxygen and storing
carbon.
● Forests have different layers of vegetation.
● Forests provide resources like timber, food, and medicine.
● Forests provide habitats for a huge number of species.
● Forests influence local and global climate patterns.
Draft - 2
SAMPLE ANSWER :
A forest is a complex ecosystem characterized by a high density of trees and
other vegetation. These ecosystems support a wide range of plant and animal
life, with multiple layers creating diverse habitats. Forests play a vital role in
regulating the Earth's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing
oxygen. They also help prevent soil erosion and maintain water cycles. Forests
provide valuable resources such as timber, food, and medicinal plants, and they
serve as essential habitats for countless species. It's important to remember that
forests vary significantly depending on climate and location, ranging from
tropical rainforests to boreal forests. In essence, forests are essential natural
ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and
providing resources for life on Earth.
 Suggestive Sample Answer
A forest is a large area filled with trees, plants, animals, and insects. It has a lot of
biodiversity, which means there are many different living things. In a forest, living
things (called biotic), like animals and plants, depend on non-living things (called
abiotic), like sunlight, air, water, and soil. For example, plants need sunlight and water
to grow, and animals eat those plants for food. Forests give us useful things like wood,
fruits, medicine, and clean air. They also help clean the air by taking in carbon dioxide
and giving out oxygen. Forests protect water resources by storing rainwater in the soil,
which keeps rivers and streams flowing and stops flooding. They also stop the soil
from washing away, which helps keep the water clean. Forests are very important for
keeping nature balanced and healthy.
Discuss with partner: What are the essential characteristics that make a place a 'forest'
rather than just a group of trees? Discuss with your partner, and make a list of at least
three key characteristics.

Individual Reflection:
On the sticky note answer the following questions.
● What is one thing you learned about forests today?
● What is one question you still have about forests?
Components
of the Forest
Biotic and Abiotic

Elegant Lines Pitch Deck // 2021

 LEARNING TARGET:

● I can identify different components of forest.

● I can explain the importance of each component
and how they are important for the sustenance of
the forest.

Elegant Lines Pitch Deck // 2021

Reading
Time

Elegant Lines Pitch Deck // 2021

 Let’s be experts and share ☺

1. You’re expert on one portion of the reading.

1. Re-read your part closely and make notes of the same.

1. Other members of the crew to ask thoughtful questions from the expert if
they may have any.

1. After each member shares their notes, proceed to write a quick summary in
not more than 100 words. Your summary should be brief and highlighting the
main ideas of the reading.
 Harmful human activities causing Natural disasters/activities
imbalance in healthy interaction of causing imbalance in healthy
biotic and abiotic components in a interaction of biotic and abiotic
forest ecosystem: Explain how is components in a forest
the balance impacted. ecosystem:Explain how is the
balance impacted.

logging drought
urbanisation wildfires
release of pollutants pest outbreaks
mining
 Let’s
Discuss!
Back to Back-Front to Front
1. Find a partner and stand back-to-back with him or her, being
respectful of space.
2. Wait for the question that you will be asked to share with your
partner.
3. Have students think about what they want to share and how they
might best express themselves.
4. When Teacher says, “face-to-face,” turn, face your partners, and
decide who will share first.
5. Listen carefully when your partner is speaking, and be sure to
make eye contact with him or her.
6. When given the signal, find a new partner, stand back-to-back, and
share.
7. Repeat the process until the table is filled in/add ons are made.
Elegant Lines Pitch Deck // 2021
 WS2_S1_T1_Components of Forest Gurugram
2025-26
Name: ___________ Subject: ____________________ Grade ____ Date: __________

● I can identify different components of the forest.

● I can explain the importance of each component for the sustenance of the forest.
● I can describe the food chain in a forest ecosystem by identifying producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
Trees sometimes stand alone, most often they are part of a community called a forest. Forests consist not
only of living components like trees, animals, plants, and other living things called biotic components but
also of non-living components such as soil, water, air, and landforms. All these components together make
up a forest ecosystem. They are continuously interacting with each other. Forests are more than collections
of living and non-living things found in the same place. The components are connected and are dependent
on each other for many needs such as food.

Let’s Understand the Biotic and Abiotic Components of a Forest:

As mentioned above, biotic components refer to all living organisms in an ecosystem (a forest is an
ecosystem) while abiotic refers to non-living things. The constant interactions between these components
maintain the equilibrium in the environment. Let’s go through the components of the forest ecosystem and
understand them in detail.
Biotic components are living things that have a direct or indirect
You must have studied about influence on other organisms in an environment. To call something
photosynthesis in Grade V, can you biotic, it must show signs of life — like growing, reproducing,
pause and recall the process? needing food and water, and responding to its surroundings. For
example, plants, animals, microorganisms and their waste
materials. Biotic components can be classified into three
categories:
1. Producers make their own food using sunlight, air, and water
through a process called photosynthesis. In a forest, trees like oaks
and maples, along with plants and grasses, are all producers. They
provide food and oxygen for other living things. Producers are also
known as autotrophs ( Auto stands for self and -troph stands for
nourishing).
Interesting Fact: Only green plants and some algae are like nature’s chefs; they can make their own food
and are the original producers. No other living thing can do that!

2. Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must get energy by eating other
organisms. They depend on producers (plants) or other consumers (animals) for survival. Consumers play a
crucial role in the food chain by transferring energy from one organism to another. Consumers depend on
producers for energy either directly (herbivores) or indirectly (carnivores and omnivores). Without
consumers, ecosystems would become unbalanced, as populations of plants or prey species would grow too
large.

Types of Consumers:

● Herbivores – Eat only plants. Can you think of two examples?

______________________________________________________________________________________
● Carnivores – Eat only other animals, think of any two examples.
______________________________________________________________________________________
● Omnivores – Eat both plants and animals. Name two such living organisms.
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Decomposers: There are several organisms and microorganisms that live in soil, which convert dead
plants and animals to a dark-colored substance called ‘humus’. This process is known as decomposition,
and microorganisms are called decomposers. Examples: Molds (which grow on rotting wood or leaves),
Soil bacteria that break down plant and animal material, Earthworms, Termites, Ants, Yeasts, Mushrooms,
etc., are some examples of decomposers.

Abiotic components are the non-living

I wonder
what energy parts of an ecosystem, like air, water,
transfer is. and sunlight. They help living things do
important things like breathing, digesting
food, growing, and getting rid of waste. In the
end, these things go back into the environment.
Examples: Humidity, Temperature, Light, Soil,
Water, Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen

INTERACTION AMONG BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:

• All living
organisms
depend upon
abiotic factors for
food, shelter, and
breeding sites.
• Plants use abiotic
factors (non-
living
components) like
carbon dioxide,
water and energy
from the sun.
• The plant also
gets preyed on by
herbivorous
organisms or
parasites.
• Moreover, plants
are dependent Interaction between biotic and abiotic components. Fill in the missing components.
on soil for its
mineral nutrients and support. In conclusion, Biotic and Abiotic Components of Ecosystem interact to
sustain life. Understanding these components and their interactions is fundamental for studying a forest
ecosystem.

GLOSSARY
ENERGY: Energy from the Sun powers photosynthesis, allowing plants to make their own food and grow. This food stores
energy, which is passed on to animals and humans when they eat the plants. The energy helps living beings move, grow, and
carry out life processes. It continues to cycle as animals breathe, excrete waste, or become food for others.
HUMIDITY: Humidity is the amount of water vapor (tiny drops of water) in the air. When the air has a lot of water vapor, it
feels sticky or sweaty, especially on hot days. That means the humidity is high.
EXCRETION: Excretion is the way our body gets rid of waste. After our body uses food and water, it makes some waste
materials it doesn't need. Things like sweat, urine (pee), and carbon dioxide (when we breathe out) are all ways our body
excretes waste to stay healthy.
 Layers of Forest
“A forest is like a tall building made up of
different floors. Today, we’ll explore the
four layers of the forest!”
 Learning Target
● I can identify different layers of the forest.
● I can explain each layer's importance for the forest's
sustenance.
● I can identify animals of different layers in a forest ecosystem.
EMERGENT LAYER OF THE FOREST
CANOPY LAYER OF THE FOREST
UNDERSTORY LAYER OF THE FOREST
FOREST FLOOR LAYER
 Individual Reading
● Let’s go through this
reading closely, with
careful attention to
terms, definitions and
spelling.
● You can see some tasks How to annotate effectively?
within the reading, once
1.) Highlight the “aha” moment. That you felt
you have gone through, was amazing and new for you.
the reading attempt the 2.) Put a small question mark next to the line
when you couldn't understand a point or
task within the you have more questions about it.
worksheet. 3.) Write the gist of each paragraph in the side
margins or available space.
 LET’S BECOME THE FOREST LAYERS!

● We’re going to divide our class into groups of 4.

● Group 1: Representing “Emergent Layer”
● Group 2: Representing “Canopy Layer”
● Group 3: Representing: “Understory Layer”
● Group 4: Representing: “Forest Floor Layer”
● You are going to use your bodies to build the forest layer you were
assigned.
● Form the shape of the layer using poses or small movements.
● Include at least 2 animals and 2 plants in your layer (you can act
like animals or pretend to be plants)
 What is your role in the specific layer you’re representing?

Briefly explain (1
minute) what your
layer is, what
animals or plants
you are pretending
to be.
Question: Forests have different layers.
How do these layers work together to
help the forest grow and stay healthy?
Give examples from each layer to
support your answer.

YOUR ANSWER MUST HAVE:

-Name of the Layer.

-Clearly explains all major layers and their
functions.
-Thoughtfully explains how the layers work
together to help the forest grow and stay healthy.
 Early Finishers Task

Only certain types of plants (flora) and

animals (fauna) are found in each layer
of the forest? Explain why you think that
happens. Give examples.
 Word Wall
Environment
Biodiversity
Vegetation
Species
Abiotic
Resources
Sustenance
Photosyntesis
 Summary in Bullet Points

 Forests are ecosystems made up of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components that interact
and depend on each other for survival.

 Biotic components include producers (plants), consumers (animals), and decomposers (fungi,
bacteria) that together maintain the forest balance.

 Producers like trees make their own food through photosynthesis, providing food and oxygen to other
living beings.

 Consumers cannot make their own food and are classified as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores
depending on what they eat.

 Decomposers break down dead plants and animals into nutrients like humus, helping to recycle
matter back into the soil.

 Abiotic components such as sunlight, air, water, soil, and temperature are essential for plants to grow
and for animals to survive.

 Interaction between biotic and abiotic components is crucial to sustain life like plants rely on sunlight
and soil, animals rely on plants, and decomposers keep the ecosystem healthy. Examples:

Trees (biotic) use sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil nutrients (abiotic) to perform
photosynthesis and grow.

Animals (biotic) depend on water (abiotic) for drinking and air (oxygen - abiotic) for breathing to
survive.

Decomposers like fungi and bacteria (biotic) break down dead plants and animals into the soil (abiotic),
enriching it with nutrients for new plants to grow.

Energy transfer is the movement of energy from one living thing to another in a food chain.

Plants use sunlight to make food (energy) through photosynthesis.

Herbivores like deer eat the plants and get that energy.

Carnivores like lions eat the deer and get energy from them.

Sample Summary Answer

Forests are ecosystems made up of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components that depend on
each other to survive. Biotic components include producers like plants, consumers like animals, and
decomposers such as fungi and bacteria. Producers, like trees, make their own food using sunlight
through photosynthesis and provide food and oxygen for other living things. Consumers cannot make
their own food and get their energy by eating plants or other animals; they can be herbivores,
carnivores, or omnivores. Decomposers break down dead plants and animals into humus, which adds
nutrients to the soil and helps recycle matter. Abiotic components such as sunlight, air, water, soil, and
temperature are necessary for plants to grow and for animals to live. The interaction between biotic and
abiotic components is very important to keep the forest healthy. For example, trees use sunlight, water,
air, and nutrients from the soil to grow. Animals need water to drink and air to breathe. Decomposers
help clean up and return nutrients to the soil, helping new plants grow. Energy in a forest is passed from
one living thing to another. Plants use sunlight to make food, herbivores eat the plants to get that
energy, and carnivores eat the herbivores to gain energy from them.
 Gurugram
2025- 26

Name: __________________ Subject: Class: __________ Date: __________

T1_S1_WS1- Graphic Organiser-What is a Forest?

Learning Target: I can define "forest" as a complex ecosystem dominated by trees.

Instructions:
1. Read the mind map ( from the notebook ) for the characteristics of a forest.
2. Reorganise the listed characteristics under the following headings.
3. Frame a comprehensive answer by combining the points under each heading into a paragraph.

Ecosystem Aspect:
Biodiversity:
(Interdependence between
living and non-living)

Resource provision: (Think about Environmental Importance:

food, shelter and material) (Think about air, water and
Climate)
 Answer the following ques�on taking the points arranged in the graphic organiser.

What is a Forest? (Dra� 1)

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

What is a Forest? (Dra� 2)

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
 Gurugram
2025-26

S1_R1_The Kapok Tree web

Starting the Web

Sun #1 (holds yarn end):
"I am the Sun! I give energy to the Kapok Tree 1 and 2." → tosses to Kapok Trees #1 and 2.
Kapok Trees #1 and 2
We are the Kapok trees, we allow the Bromeliad to thrive on us. → tosses to Bromeliad # 1 and 2
Bromeliad # 1 and 2
I grow on Kapok branches! My leaves collect water for frogs." → toss to Poison Dart Frogs #1 and 2
Poison Dart Frogs #1 and 2
We are poison dart frogs, we feed on blue morpho butterflies. → toss to blue morpho butterflies # 1 and 2
Blue morpho butterflies # 1 and 2
We are Blue morpho butterflies, we sip rotting fruit juice that fall from the Kapok tree. → tosses to fruit 1 and
then to Kapok tree # 3
Kapok tree # 3
I am Kapok tree! My branches are a jungle apartment building—even jaguars need me! → tosses to jaguars #
1 and 2
Jaguars # 1 and 2
We are jaguars, we get a lot of our nutrients by eating spider monkeys. → tosses to Spider Monkey #1.
Spider Monkey #1:
"I am a Spider Monkey! I eat fruit and drop seeds for the Soil." → tosses to Soil #1.
Soil #1:
"I am Soil! Fungi helps me break down leaves." → tosses to Fungus #1.
Fungus #1:
"I am Fungus! I turn dead material into soil snacks." → tosses to soil # 2..
Soil # 2:
I am soil. I give nutrients to ferns so they ca.//n grow big. → tosses to Ferns # 1 and 2
Ferns # 1 and 2:
We are ferns! Our roots hold the soil when it rains!" → tosses to Rain #1
Rain #1:
"I am Rain! I help Orchids grow on Kapok Trees." → tosses to Orchid #1 and 2
Orchid #1and 2:
"We are Orchids! Hummingbirds drink my nectar." → tosses to Hummingbird #1..
Hummingbird #1:
"I am a Hummingbird! I carry pollen from orchids to other flowers. → tosses to other flowers #1 and 2
Other flowers #1 and 2:
We are flowers! Thank you for the pollen! Now we can make seeds for new plants! → tosses to seeds # 1 and
2
Seeds # 1 and 2:
We are seeds inside a juicy fruit, the toucans will eat the fruit and will poop the seeds far away! → tosses to
Toucans # 1 and 2
Toucans # 1 and 2
We are toucans, we disperse seeds through the poop and fertilize the Soil." → tosses to Soil #3.
Soil # 3
"I am more Soil! I hold the roots of Kapok Trees." → tosses to roots #1 and then Kapok tree # 4
Kapok Tree #4:
I am a Kapok Tree! The Sun helps me grow tall. → tosses back to the Sun.